A place of persecution

In Algeria today, nearly every evangelical Protestant church has been closed. This is not for lack of pastors or people to fill the pews. Rather, it is the result of systematic government action that has steadily limited Christians’ ability to practice their faith.

The historic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Algeria this week came at a time when the global state of Christian persecution is drawing the most attention it has seen in years, and for good reason. Last fall, headlines around the world turned to Nigeria. Known widely as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Christians, increasing awareness surrounding the plight of Nigerian Christians has reignited much needed global concern for religious freedom.

Across Africa, many countries are imposing escalating restrictions on religious freedom, often with little to no global attention. And Algeria is one of them.

Algerian Christians make up a small minority in the country, estimated at less than 1% of the population. The Christian population suffered a massive decline in the 1960s with a mass exodus from the country, and the remaining Christians have maintained a small but steady presence since.

Evangelicals have borne the brunt of increasing government pressure against Christians. For many attempting to attend their regular place of worship, the reality has been grim. Believers have shown up to Sunday services only to find their church doors locked or sealed shut. This is a common practice in Algeria, where authorities place wax seals over the doors of a church, preventing anyone from entering. Pastors have been fined and sentenced to years in prison for nothing more than preaching the faith to those in attendance.

One such case is that of Pastor Youssef Ourahmane, a convert from Islam, who has been leading Christian congregations in Algeria for more than 30 years. In July 2023, he was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 100,000 Algerian dinars for “illegal worship” for his involvement in leading his church, without any evidence of a crime. Pastor Youssef’s legal battle is currently pending before Algeria’s Supreme Court with the support of ADF International.

Just as in Pastor Youssef’s case, many instances of Christian persecution in Algeria stem from baseless claims. These are often enabled by national security, public safety, and blasphemy laws, which effectively criminalize any religious practices that the government does not approve of, including evangelism. Of the 50 Christians convicted by Algerian courts in recent years, many cases have been brought under vague offenses such as “shaking the faith” of Muslims, “illegal worship,” or the alleged misuse of church donations. These prosecutions appear to be less about real criminal conduct and more about controlling the growing number of Christian converts in the country.

Across Africa, we see similar troubling patterns of persecution. In Egypt, Christians have long faced targeted persecution for their faith, with many finding themselves in prison or under harsh labor sentences. In Uganda, a bill is currently being debated in Parliament that, if adopted, would establish nationwide Sharia courts, subjugating non-Muslims, including Christians, to their rulings.

Though these realities are difficult to confront from the relative comfort of the West, we cannot lose sight of what can be done. The conversation surrounding Christian persecution cannot go quiet after all that has come to light in recent months. For those of us fortunate to live in places that protect religious freedom, we must use our voices to consistently bring attention to those facing severe persecution.

With the pope’s visit to Algeria, let us not allow the severity of Christian persecution to fall by the wayside. This is a moment to refocus attention and renew commitment to Christian unity, calling for an end to the serious persecution we see in Africa and many other parts of the world. We must continue to pray in hope for a world where no one is threatened with punishments or death simply for living out the peace of the gospel.