Authorities have initiated proceedings to close another church in Algeria

MEC/CM/04.02.22 - The provincial governor initiated proceedings against the pastor and his father (who owns the property where the church is located) on February 2. The case is based on a 2006 ordinance regulating non-Muslim worship services. A date for the court hearing has not yet been set. The church was founded in 2006 and joined the EPA (Église Protestante d'Algérie), the legally recognized umbrella organization of Protestant churches in Algeria, in 2011. It has more than 90 members.

In recent years, several churches have been closed as a result of this ordinance, which stipulates that non-Muslim worship services can only be held in buildings licensed for that purpose. The licensing commission established by the 2006 ordinance has yet to issue a single permit.

The government has waged a systematic campaign against Protestant churches since November 2017. As a result,16 church buildings have been closed to date and at least four other communities have been ordered to cease their activities.

Algerian Christians ask for prayer:

• That the pastor, his father and all church leaders will experience the peace of Jesus, the wisdom of the Father and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in dealing with this situation.
• That the church will win the court case and not be closed, and that all churches closed in the government's campaign against the EPA will be able to reopen soon
• That the regulations governing non-Muslim worship are changed and implemented fairly so that Christians can worship without hindrance
• To thank God for the resilience of Algerian Christians and to pray that their patience will soon be rewarded and that the campaign against Christians will come to an end

 

You can access this prayer request on the MEC website here.