[Today’s Prayer] Algeria: Most Protestant churches closed… Christians driven into underground activity

As Algerian authorities strengthen control over non-Muslim worship, nearly all Protestant churches have been shut down, and thousands of Christians are moving into house churches or informal gatherings.

According to Christian Daily International (CDI), these closures are not isolated incidents but part of a systematic policy that has been implemented since 2017. A report released this year by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) describes this as part of a structural problem involving “restrictive legal and administrative systems that are incompatible with international standards on freedom of religion.”

The report also points out that “the gap between Algeria’s constitutional guarantees and the reality faced by Christian minorities is widening.”

Since 2006, at least 58 Protestant churches have been closed by authorities, including most churches affiliated with the Église Protestante d'Algérie (EPA). By January 2025, even the remaining evangelical churches had effectively ceased operations.

As a result, quiet but widespread changes are taking place in the lives of Christians. Prayer gatherings are now held in private homes, temporary spaces, or outdoors. Some believers meet in what the report describes as “house churches,” while others gather in remote areas in what are called “churches under olive trees.”

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The report states that “in practice, Algerian authorities have rejected all applications to open new places of worship.” Without legal recognition, even small gatherings can be considered illegal.

Pastors and believers have been prosecuted for holding worship services without authorization, and there have been cases of arrests and interrogations following police raids on prayer meetings. Recently, some Christians have been detained for several hours after religious gatherings, showing how risky communal worship has become.

Beyond restrictions on worship, the report highlights laws that criminalize certain forms of religious expression. Algerian law defines acts that “undermine the faith of Muslims” or attempts to convert Muslims as crimes, punishable by imprisonment and fines. The scope of these provisions is broad.

The report notes that “expressing the Christian faith can be considered an attempt to undermine the faith of Muslims and may lead to prosecution.” Authorities have used these laws to address cases involving social media posts, distribution of religious materials, and public discussions about Christianity.

Many Christians, fearing legal punishment or social backlash, are reluctant to display religious symbols or speak openly about their beliefs.

Despite increasing restrictions, Algeria’s Christian population has grown over recent decades, especially among evangelical Protestants. According to figures cited in the report, the community is currently estimated at about 156,000 people, or roughly 0.3% of the total population.

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According to the report, converts may face pressure from both authorities and their own communities. Christians often experience discrimination within a legal and social system that assumes all citizens are Muslim.

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In Tunisia, the constitution protects freedom of belief, but conversion remains a sensitive issue, and converts may face social pressure. In Morocco, the state allows limited Christian activity but strictly regulates attempts to convert Muslims and closely monitors religious groups.

However, Algeria stands out in terms of the scale of enforcement. The widespread closure of Protestant churches and the continued application of legal provisions against unregistered worship have created one of the most repressive environments for Christians in the region.

Although Algeria has ratified international agreements protecting religious freedom, the report states that “these commitments are not being fully implemented.”

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For many Christians in Algeria, religious life now takes place out of public view. Without access to official places of worship and under the risk of legal punishment, believers have adapted by forming dispersed and often discreet communities.

Source: Christian Today

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.” (Hebrews 4:14)

We hear the news that although most Protestant churches in Algeria have been closed due to strengthened control over non-Muslim worship, thousands of Christians are nevertheless continuing to preserve their faith by gathering in house churches.

Despite the oppression of Algerian authorities, who close churches and even criminalize the expression of faith, Lord, You who have allowed the growth and revival of the Christian population in this land over decades, please protect our brothers and sisters in Algeria to the very end.

In such circumstances, as the enemy seeks to stop believers from gathering and to hinder the proclamation of the gospel through legal punishment, may the Algerian Church all the more hold fast to worship as if it were life itself and faithfully carry out the mission of proclaiming the gospel.

Also, may the global Church hear of the situation of the Algerian Church, pray together, and become a strong spiritual ally—holding firmly to the truth of Jesus Christ, our eternal High Priest—until victory is won.

And so, may Algeria proclaim the victory of the cross throughout the Maghreb and all nations, and become a land that prepares the way for the return of Jesus.