Prayer Points
- For renewal of the minds of those who grew up in times of violence.
- That the Christians will be strengthened to further God's Kingdom.
- For protection for these Christians as they face increased persecution.
- For the Saharawi people who have fled and now live in refugee camps Southern parts of Algeria.
- For Christian witnesses to meet the Saharawi people in their suffering.
LOCATION
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
POPULATION
41 063 753 (2017 est.)
RELIGION
Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%
Other (includes Christian and Jewish) <1% (2012 est.)
INTERNET USERS
18 580 000 (2017)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
9,9% (2016 est.)
MISSIONARIES (2010):
Sent: 20
Received: 560
LEAST REACHED PEOPLE GROUPS:
36
KEY CITY
Algiers
Population of city:
1 977 663
Urbanization Rate:
2.77% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Majority religion in city:
Muslim
We Pray...
Lord we lift Algeria up to You in prayer; a country where more than a million people were killed when the locals stood up against colonization, and more recently came out of a civil war. We ask your forgiveness for the bloodshed and pray that you will renew the minds of those who grew up in these times of violence, that they may see another way of solving problems.
We pray for the Christians living in Algeria; that You will strengthen them to further Your Kingdom. We thank You, Lord, for the movement which is stirring in the hearts of the Algerian Christians as they are starting to preach the Gospel more boldly than before. We ask that you will protect these Christians as they face increased persecution. We also ask that Your name will be exalted, Lord, through their lives.
We pray for the Saharawi people who have fled and now live in refugee camps in the Southern parts of Algeria. Lord, will You please send Christian witnesses to meet them in their suffering. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.
State of the Church
In Algeria Christians make up only a tiny minority. And yet their exact numbers are difficult to establish. In the 4th Century Saint Augustine spoke of the prominence of a Church that numbered several hundred dioceses at the time, yet today the situation of all Christians is extremely precarious. Since 2006 there has been a law that punishes any form of evangelism and which covers the dissemination of religious writings, audiovisual media and any initiatives by Christians that "might undermine the faith of a Muslim".
This law is in fact a reaction to the conversion of numerous Muslims to Christianity, against the background of the civil war of the 1990's, which according to many estimates claimed up 250,000 lives, many Algerians turned away from Islam and embraced the evangelical movements. President Abd al-Aziz Bouteflika issued a decree in 2006 which effectively limited the religious freedom of non-Muslims. Ever since then, Christians have been subjected to constant harassment. Their gatherings are monitored and they are banned from any public religious practice, while restrictions have been placed on donations from abroad.
Overview
A former French colony which got its independence in 1962 after Algerian's fought through much of the 1950's. The National Liberation Front ruled until December 1991 when The Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) won a regional balloting. This spurred the Algerian army into action and they intervened and postponed the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government. The was followed by a crack down by the army on the members of the FIS. In 1992 to 1998 fighting broke out between extremists and government, which resulted in over 100 000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by the extremists.
The government later gained control which led to the FIS armed wing's disbandment in January 2000. Algeria lived through sporadic violence until the 2011 when the Arab Springs, which started in Tunisia, overflowed into Algeria. The riots wasn't as violent as in other neighbouring countries, mainly because most Algerians are much more conservative about revolting against their government. One can understand this by looking back to their civil war days which is now revered to as "The Dark Decade". Looking past Algeria's rocky past, it is still considered as one of Africa's growing economies, being one of the bigger oil exporters of Africa.
More Resources:
- National Prayer Initiative: Pray4Algeria
- Regional Prayer Initiative: Pray North Africa
- African Prayer Initiative: Pray Africa
Bibliography
- INcontext ministries – http://incontextministries.org/
- CIA World Factbook
- Atlas of Global Christianity – Todd M.Johnson & Kenneth R. Ross (Published by – Edinburgh University Press) (Missionaries and national workers: Africa 2010, page 267)
- Prayercast – http://prayercast.com/
- Unreached people groups – http://www.joshuaproject.net
- The voice of the Martyrs – http://www.persecution.com/
- Jul-Dec, 2010 International Religious Freedom Report – http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2010_5/index.htm
- Operation World – http://www.operationworld.org/african-countries