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embers of Filadelfia Batak Protestant Union (HKBP) church in Bekasi, West Java, say that the congregation shrugged off suggestions from local officials to obtain signatures from local residents approving the construction of its church.

The congregation declined to get the signatures, claiming that it had been accused of fraud when it last collected signatures in 2007.

“We told local residents that we planned to build a church near their homes. They knew it and willingly submitted copies of their IDs and signed the support letters,” Filadelfia congregation leader Rev. Palti Panjaitan said.

The Tambun subdistrict office advised the congregation to again collect signatures after the Bekasi chapter of the Interreligious Harmony Forum alleged that 256 of the signatures collected were fake.

Under a 2006 joint ministerial decree, a house of worship can only be built if it has secured the approval of 90 worshipers and 60 local residents from different faiths. Although the regulation has been called discriminatory, the congregation claimed it had fulfilled its requirements.

“The heads of neighborhood units, community units and subdistricts also signed the letters. There’s no way we could have faked the signatures,” he said.

“We have valid evidence, and therefore, will not repeat the step again,” Palti added.

The church’s legal representative, Saor Siagian, said that the accusation against them was made to discourage the churchgoers. “Those who oppose the church’s existence use any means necessary to impede our move,” Saor said.

Congregation members have claimed that they have been intimidated since 2009 by intolerant groups who believed that the church should be closed as it violated the law.

The Bekasi administration’s decision to seal the church in 2010 was challenged by the congregation at the State Administrative Court in Bandung, West Java, which ruled in its favor in September.