Authorities in north-central Algeria have shut down another church and the bible school it housed. Muslim authorities are using zoning and safety regulations to shutter the Christian houses of worship.
Citing a law that requires authorization for non-Muslim places of worship, police locked the doors of the evangelical church building in Boudjima.
The church’s pastor — Youcef Ourahmane – told Morning Star News that he has applied for a permit and, like all applications in Algeria, it has sat unattended.
Pastor Ourahmane called the closure an “injustice,” but said he and his congregation “prayed for the authorities who are persecuting us, as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded. And in spite of all this, we are convinced that God is sovereign and is in control of this situation and all circumstances.”
A 2006 ordinance governing non-Muslim worship in Algeria stipulates that churches must obtain the permission of a national committee to be registered, but this committee has never met, and no church request has been officially considered or approved, according to the pastor.
The authorities argue that they are testing the churches compliance with safety regulations,” But Pastor Ourahmane said “In reality, this argument was used to examine licensing agreements.”
The Protestant Church of Algeria has 45 affiliated churches throughout the country with nearly 50,000 Christians.