Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
Feb 13: Algeria
Algeria
People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Africa
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 2,381,741 sq kmAgriculture is possible on the Mediterranean coast, in the Atlas Mountains and at oases; 80% is desert.
Population: 35,422,589 Annual Growth: 1.52%
Capital: Algiers
Urbanites: 66.5%
HDI Rank: 104 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 41 (85% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Arabic and Berber. French and English are widely used, and 25% speak one of the Berber languages Languages: 22 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Muslim| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 99,183 | 0.28 | 7.5 |
| Evangelicals | 84,081 | 0.2 | 8.1 |
| Muslim | 34,462,637 | 97.29 |
Challenges for Prayer
Persecution of Christians is intensifying as a reaction to unprecedented church growth; the future of the Church in Algeria hangs in the balance. Legislation passed has made proselytism a criminal offence. A law forbidding the “practice of non-Muslim worship” outside of pre-approved buildings was cleverly followed by a spate of church closings. Believers face threats and intimidation by family, friends, employers, Muslim extremists and now the government. The Algerian Church has grown due to bold witness and evangelism. Pray that they will respond to these pressures with faith and perseverance.The Algerian Church faces many other challenges outside of persecution. Pray for the following issues:
a) Unity between the few Christian associations with a public presence. Officially this constitutes the Catholics and the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA). The Assemblies of God also formed a new association. There is some disagreement between Christian groups on the best way to share the good news in this heavily Muslim nation.
b) The establishment of strong indigenous groups and church leaders. The rapid growth and sensitive context makes leadership development a constant challenge. TEE is developing quickly in order to help raise up a new generation of leaders. Resources are increasingly available in many new media formats, allowing discipleship and training to occur anywhere. There are also three theological schools in the country.
c) A strengthening of Christian families. Religious and social pressures usually force Christian girls to hide their faith and marry Muslims. Pray for the few Christian couples, for their strength and endurance, and that they may minister to the Church.
d) Unemployment among Christians from a Muslim background is as high as 90%. This creates financial burdens for churches, the inability to support pastors and many temptations and complications for those seeking to follow Jesus. Pray for micro-enterprise schemes that create jobs for believers, such as the House of Hope and the EPA programmes.
For an additional 8 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
