More than twice the size of Nigeria, Algeria is one of Africa’s largest countries. Yet it is one of the least reached.
Please join me in praying for:
- Wider diffusion of the message of the gospel leading to more conversions to Christ.
- Greater tolerance for Christians and their message by society.
- Support and protection for all who are involved in communicating the gospel in such a very hostile territory.
See details below on the country with further prayer needs.
Name: People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
Area: 2,381,741 sq km
Population: 35,422,589
Capital: Algiers
Urbanites: 66.5%
HDI Rank: 104 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples: 41 (85% unreached)
Official language: Arabic and Berber. French and English are widely used, and 25% speak one of the Berber languages
Languages: 22
Largest Religion: Muslim
| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
| Christians | 99,183 | 0.28 | 7.5 |
| Evangelicals | 84,081 | 0.2 | 8.1 |
| Muslim | 34,462,637 | 97.29 |
Answer to Prayer
The Church is a very indigenous, truly Algerian expression of faith. Scriptures and study materials, worship styles and, increasingly, training and leadership are all expressed in culturally relevant ways. The resources available to believers in their own languages and forms, once scarce, are multiplying.
Challenge for Prayer
Islam in Algeria is volatile and deeply polarized between secularists – who espouse a more liberal Islam and a Western view of progress – and Islamists, who want to submit all of society to shari’a principles. Since 1992, fundamentalists led by the Islamic Armed Group (GIA) have waged a bloody war of terror – with the state, the media and foreigners as targets. There is once again a strong push to re-enter the political sphere as Islamists gain ground in popularity. Meanwhile, they are moving at the grassroots level by gaining control of schools and mosques, and intimidating or even murdering imams who oppose them. Pray that God might use Islamists to draw many more into discovering Christ, as He has done elsewhere. Pray for powerful conversions to Jesus among Islamist leaders in Algeria.
Dayo Adewoye 