Christians in Algeria are requesting prayer for leaders of a church in the village of Ait Atteli as they contend with legal action intended to enforce the closure of their place of worship. If the action is granted, this will be yet another one of the many churches affiliated with the officially recognized Protestant organization, the Église Protestante d'Algérie, forcibly closed by the authorities.
Established in 2006, the church in Ait Atteli presently consists of more than 90 members. The provincial governor filed a case on February 2nd against the pastor, as well as his father, who owns the land where the church building is located.
Since 2017, a total of 16 church buildings have been forcibly sealed and at least four others received orders to cease from conducting any worship activities. For more information on the difficulties facing Christians in Algeria, go to our country report.
Despite the opposition, praise God that His church in Algeria is not only surviving, but also thriving in the midst of it. Ask Him to continue providing greatly needed encouragement and comfort to His faithful followers during this challenging time – including those who are now dealing with the recently imposed legal action. May He mightily intervene on behalf of His people by granting wisdom to their congregational leaders and legal representatives, as well as the right words to say when confronting the unjust claims of governmental authorities who are strongly opposed to the Gospel. Please pray that the opposition against these believers will abate and that all the previously closed churches will be permitted to legally reopen soon.