A special report on the North African church

North African Christians all experience social persecution in different degrees. Family or neighbours pressurize them with "You're wrong. You're a shame to our community."  Relationships are cut off or damaged. So Christians tend to keep a low profile in order to live in peace.

They often leave their small communities and go to larger towns where they can be more independent and anonymous.

An underground church

Christian meetings are underground or tolerated as long as it does not affect the social order. Christians have to stay at the edge of the society.

In the small groups of Christians a balance between young and old, men and women, is often not yet a reality. Most are first-generation believers, so good family role models of loving fathers and protective mothers are missing. We have to go back to the Scriptures to rediscover what the church should be like.

We drink tea before and after meetings because fellowship is important. Friendships need to be built up for a real sense of brotherhood. This is also a good time to share needs and to discuss values and customs. One person will lead the service and another will bring the Word. Worship can vary from unexciting to very passionate – and from very musical to totally discordant! No use asking people to sing quietly for security reasons – they cannot!

Bibles and Christian books are legally forbidden or restricted but radio, TV and the internet are a help. Until recently the majority of the believers came to faith through media; now some have believed through other Christians sharing their faith.

Revival and opposition

The Holy Spirit is at work behind the scenes, revealing Jesus through dreams and visions. Now people know that a North African may become a Christian. In the Kabyle area of Algeria there is revival with thousands of Berbers coming to Christ. So the government tries to restrict religious freedom and calls this an ethnic issue – Berbers against Arabs – an attack against the identity of their country.

Sometimes newspapers inflate the number of national Christians and paint a picture of naïve local people being led astray from Islam by offers of money or visas. People try to understand why people are ready to change their faith, and ask ‘Are they just a shameful blot on our community? What should we do about them?’

Yet while there is a move towards religious and nationalistic intolerance there is also a growing curiosity. The church is becoming visible in some places. The challenge for the bride is to be pure so that God will bless and that people will recognise Jesus because His disciples love each other.

For further info, order a North Africa information sheet from WEC Network Office