Pastor Youssef Ourahmane serves as the vice president of the Église Protestante d’Algérie (EPA). Following a three-day gathering with a few Christian families in March 2023, he was charged with organizing an unauthorised religious assembly. In September, the pastor was sentenced to two years in prison, along with a fine. During an appeal hearing in November, the court ruled to uphold the verdict but reduced the Christian leader’s sentence to one year.
The latest appeal hearing for Pastor Youssef has now been scheduled for 26 March. The church in Algeria has requested prayer for him, in hopes that there will be a favourable result from this upcoming hearing.
Algeria is a shining example of church growth in North Africa and is also a leader in theological training and church development in the region. Nearly all of the church growth has occurred within the Berber community. Although churches are allowed to meet openly, in 2018 the government temporarily closed many church buildings and harassed congregations.
Berber Christians, who are watched carefully, have gained a collective voice through an association of churches. Sharing the gospel with Arabs can cause serious problems, but Berber Christians continue to share the gospel boldly in and around al-Qaida terrorist camps.
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