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Advent Prayer - Algeria

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Published: Saturday 24 December 2011

Advent Prayer - Algeria

Project(s): 02-935, 02-837, 02-367

Country: Africa, Algeria, Middle East and North Africa

They saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Matthew 2:11

Snack-time at a Barnabas Fund supported Christian nursery in

The Lord has worked in a remarkable way in recent decades in this Muslim-majority country. The Church is growing tremendously as Muslims, young and old, commit their lives to Christ. Many live in the Kabylie region, but new churches are appearing throughout Algeria. It is estimated that there are now at least 50,000 to 60,000 Christians in the country. But threats and attacks against Christians have also been increasing in some areas.

Algerian law forbids evangelism amongst Muslims, and a fine or imprisonment is the penalty for those who are caught. Anyone who distributes material that could “shake the faith” of a Muslim will also be punished. In May 2011 Siagh Krimo, an Algerian Christian, was sentenced to five years in jail for giving a Christian CD to his Muslim neighbour. Christians are also sometimes harassed and threatened by Islamists and zealous officials.

In a wonderful turn of events, the country’s largest Protestant group, the Algerian Protestant Church Association (EPA), received a licence from the government in July 2011 granting all of its affiliated churches the right to meet and worship freely and to manage property for Christian activities. This cancelled out a threatening notice from the police received in May 2011 and saying that all unregistered churches would be closed down. Unregistered Christian groups and churches have often faced great problems in obtaining official recognition from the government and local authorities, who sometimes leave the applications pending for more than four years.

Give thanks for the growth of the church in the past 20 years. Pray that Christians will continue to share their faith boldly and that the Church will keep on growing throughout the country. Praise God that the country’s largest Protestant group is now free to worship and have their own property, and pray that more Christian groups will receive official recognition. Pray that those who are opposed to Christians, whether in positions of authority or not, will change their attitude and recognise Christians as a positive influence in Algerian society. Pray for God’s protection to be over our brothers and sisters and that Islamist pressure and violence against them will be resisted by the authorities.