Barnabas Fund Works In Earthquake Damaged Yogyarta

Barnabas Fund NZ Works In Earthquake Damaged Yogyakarta

www.barnabasfund.org

New Zealand Director of the Barnabas Fund, the Rev. Julian Dobbs, is in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, coordinating Barnabas Fund’s response to the May 27 earthquake.

Although the region is Muslim-majority, there are many Christians amongst the earthquake victims, killed, injured or made homeless. Church buildings have also been destroyed. First estimates suggest 10,000 Christians have been affected, but the real figure could be much higher.

The destruction of church buildings will become a particular difficulty once the initial emergency has been dealt with. Before the earthquake there were only around 40 legally registered church buildings in Bantul and some 147 in Klaten. In addition there were around 50 underground churches functioning in Bantul and Klaten. Because it is so difficult to get worship permits, the loss of legally registered church buildings will have a very serious effect on the Christians. Further west on Java, the forced closure of large numbers of churches is causing huge problems for the Christian community, as it is illegal to worship in homes.

Barnabas Fund works in 50 countries around the world raising the plight of suffering and persecuted Christians who live in Muslim majority countries.

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