It comes as rights groups have expressed concerns about what they see as a number of incidents against churches in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation.
Pastor Chris Ambessa of the Protestant Church of Indonesia received the order to dismantle the second floor this month, said his lawyer, August Pasaribu, in a statement released by Christian news agency Compass Direct News.
The pastor has asked the Cipayung civil engineering department to cancel the July 3 saying the "demand was in breach of local regulations."
APPEAL FILED
Pasaribu said he also hoped to file a report with the East Jakarta police department regarding an incident on May 21, in which Ambessa’s neighbors forced him to sign a document agreeing to cease religious activity.
Ambessa, however, is still weighing the likely consequences of legal action for his family and congregation. The pastor’s home in Pondok Rangon village has functioned as a legally recognized house church for the past 12 years.
The tensions in the Indonesian capital have been linked to the growing interest in his church and concerns among Islamic militants about the spread of Christianity in Indonesia.
