Algeria, the largest country in Africa, is one of the most fascinating countries in North Africa. Tribal culture is very much alive.
Having been colonized by France more than a hundred years, Algeria won its independence in 1962 after a bloody, violent war. The new government was almost from the start increasingly socialist and authoritarian. After the Islamist party won the elections in the early 90's, capitalizing on the discontent of the people, the government declared the vote invalid, throwing the nation into a horrendous civil war. Over 100,000 people, mostly civilians, lost their lives. The country was left scarred and deeply traumatized by the violence and atrocities it witnessed. Only when the revolution began in Tunisia the “state of emergency” was finally lifted. Yet, there are also stories of hope to be told about this wounded nation: Around 1981, God began to move in an amazing way amongst the Kabyle Berbers. This people group has long suffered discrimination. Today, there are tens of thousands of Kabyle believers in Algeria – the Kabyle Mountains have witnessed the fastest growing church movement in the Muslim world!
God's Spirit is moving in this country! We hear many stories of Algerians having had an encounter with Jesus in a dream or vision. We challenge you to get involved!! We’re asking God for more workers for His harvest, for more intercessors, for more people to reach out to this broken and wounded nation. If you have a heart for God's work among Algerians or would like to pray for Algeria, we would love to be in touch with you and help you get connected. If you would like to receive our complete information package on Algeria, please contact us at: info@gosahara.org.
Praying for Algeria:
Pray for...
- the unfinished task in Algeria! Outside the Kabyle Mountains, there is little Christian witness, with only two dozen or so small fellowships scattered throughout a country of 30 million inhabitants! Pray for more Arabs to come to know the Lord. Pray for the Kabyle church to catch God's mandate to be a missionary church!
- religious groups other than Islam are only allowed to meet when officially registered. This renders house churches basically illegal. Protestant groups have found it almost impossible to get their church buildings registered due to lack of information, bureaucracy, or resistance to their application. Only church officials ordained in Algeria are allowed to preach the Gospel. Pray for greater freedom for the Algerian church.
- the country will open up further in general. Foreign investment and business is hard to establish, and tourism idifficult to promote since visas are hard to get. Pray that the doors to Algeria swing open!
- healing for this deeply wounded and scarred nation, for reconciliation, restoration, and restitution where it is needed. Pray for a climate of mistrust to give way to a time of healing and peace.