By Daniel Harris

11/16/2016 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – The once white sign of the Huria Kristen Indonesia Church (HKI) now stands as a half-charred reminder of the violence that took place last October in Aceh Province, Indonesia.

On October 13, 2015, the HKI congregation of Aceh Sinkhil became the first of three churches to be attacked by Muslim mobs and burned to the ground. The mob referred to themselves as the Aceh Sinkhil Islamic Youth Movement. The mob claimed that the church was operating illegally and without a permit from the local government. During the attack, one man, a Muslim, died.

The issue of licensures surrounding these events is a complicated one. Churches in Indonesia are required to have both national and local licenses in order to meet and hold services. Most churches have little trouble securing national licenses, but local licenses are often impossible to obtain. Since the Aceh province of Indonesia operates under Sharia law, these licenses are often withheld.

Protests on October 6, 2015 called for the demolition of churches that did not have proper local licenses. These protests quickly turned into violent mobs when the government did not take immediate action to rid Aceh of the Christian churches.

According to a report by Foreign Policy magazine, roughly 8,000 Christians were displaced within Aceh due to the incidents. Following the violent attacks, the Indonesian government dispatched its own demolition teams to an additional seven churches.

This year, International Christian Concern (ICC) visited the site of the first attack to see how the church was doing. Little has changed for the church in the year since the attack. It’s hard to imagine that barely more than a year ago this place was full of music and worshipers. Now, the empty shell looks more like an ancient ruin slowly being devoured by moss and jungle.

“This is the spot where the mob threw the Molotov bomb… the first time,” a pastor points down at a blackened spot on the floor in the entrance of the church. All that is still standing are four resolute pillars that refused to fall during the attack.

Rainwater covers the floor of the church as the pastor continues to explain how the mob attacked the church. The pastor then swings around and ripples spread over the glassy surface, reflecting the jungle canopy as he wades through the sanctuary.

“As you can see, everything is gone.”

As he reaches the front of the church, a charred pulpit and communion table bearing the symbol of the cross stand against the dense foliage. The cross on the table is leaning back severely as if it may fall at any moment, but somehow it is still standing. It is hard not to wonder if this cross serves to represent the state of the larger Church in Aceh.

The pastor turns right and every step squishes mud as he makes his way to a green tent suspended over a dirt floor. This is where the church members are meeting now.

“The church is in the middle of a palm oil plantation so there are a lot of mosquitos,” the pastor explains “Conditions are very bad.”

For the believers that remain, life has not been easy. The open tent exposes them to mosquito borne diseases, but more importantly, they are still exposed to violence. Sometimes their services are surrounded by armed guards to protect them from repeated attacks. Little progress has been made at the local or national levels to protect them.

The rate of religious violence is skyrocketing in Indonesia. Sharia law is expanding in places like Aceh. Many believers are afraid to attend church and many churches are afraid to hold meetings. Attendance is dwindling. According to the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, cases of religious violence are increasing significantly in Indonesia on an annual basis.

But all hope is not lost. ICC is working with persecuted churches in Indonesia to restore hope among discouraged believers. After the attacks, ICC sent food and assistance to church members in Aceh. We have helped churches in Indonesia repair damage to their buildings and we have partnered with pastors to start small businesses such as coffee shops to support their ministry work. In one of the most persecuted regions of Indonesia, we support a team of underground pastors as they try to shepherd the few believers that remain and to share the love of Christ with their radical Muslim neighbors.

We hope you will join us in praying for the Church in Indonesia. Pray for the government to take steps toward protecting their religious freedom. Pray for favor among the local communities as they struggle to survive and to reach their neighbors with the Gospel. We also hope you will consider joining ICC and the work we are doing to support the Church in Indonesia. Our projects in Indonesia and in Aceh can exist only because of the support of our donors. Please join us in standing with our Indonesian brothers and sisters in Christ.