Source: Middle East Concern, August 23, 2024
In July 2024, the Regional Directorate of Foundations ordered the evacuation of the “French Church” in Bursa before August 24, claiming that the historical building is structurally unsafe as the groundwater level is very high and a reinforcement project must be implemented. No alternative meeting places were proposed and the request for the church to erect a tent for meetings was refused (barring special religious holidays). Bursa used to have more than 100 functioning churches, but the French Church is the only church open for Christian worship there.
Representatives of the church, in collaboration with a certified office of the Chamber of Geological Engineers, prepared a report, assessing the risks as considerably lower than claimed by the Directorate of Foundations, noting that during thorough structural examinations and restoration work from 2002 to 2004, no significant problems were revealed. Repairs had been made to any superficial cracks.
In an August 20 press statement, the Bursa Protestant Church Life and Culture Foundation petitioned the authorities to have the evacuation order canceled. The “French Church” was built in the late nineteenth century by French traders and restored in 2002-2004. Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant communities use it as a regular meeting place of worship.
Read the full story and a related story that links to the pressure to close with an upcoming anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which is expected to draw many to the region (Mission Network News). Sounds like this church was ordered to close in 2016, though the government eventually backed down.
Meanwhile, in what our sources describe as a “sweeping move,” the country of Nicaragua has closed down scores of Protestant churches and non-profit organizations, along with other civic groups (Christian Solidarity Worldwide). The government is also seizing the property of these groups.