Christians request prayer for a church in Ain Turk, near Oran, ordered to close by the administrative court of Oran on 20 January 2020.
The church of “The House of Hope” was sealed by an executive order from the Governor of Oran in October 2017. On 10 June 2018 the church was allowed to reopen. However, in August 2019 the Governor filed a court case seeking the church’s forced closure. He claimed the church was illegal because it does not have the license required by “Ordinance 06-03 to Regulate the Worship of non-Muslim Creeds.”
Since November 2017, the government has been engaged in a systematic campaign against Christians. Churches affiliated with the EPA, Église Protestante d’Algérie, the legally recognised umbrella organisation of Protestant churches, have been challenged to prove they are licensed under Ordinance 06-03.
However, the government has yet to issue a single licence for a church building under this ordinance, ignoring applications from churches to regularise their status.
To date 19 churches have been ordered closed, 13 of which are EPA affiliated churches that had their buildings sealed.
The church has one month to appeal the court verdict.
Prayer Points
Algerian Christians urge us to pray that:
- churches and EPA leaders would know the Lord’s peace, wisdom and guidance in the face of the growing pressure
- Christians will not be discouraged because of the authorities’ fierce campaign
- the government will end its systematic campaign to close churches and limit Christians’ freedom to worship
- the regulations governing non-Muslim worship would be amended and justly implemented, so that Christians will be able to worship freely
- those responsible for the closure orders would know the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness and new life offered by Jesus
