Algeria (MNN) — On Tuesday, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released a report with troubling news: Only one church remains in Algeria. It’s a stark reminder of the increasing persecution of Algerian Christians.

Yernathen with A3 says an Algerian pastor has been falsely accused of threatening national security. “He’s never done anything wrong in terms against the law. But it’s just the fact that he’s a Christian. He proclaims his faith but also speaks about the right to exist as Christians in Algeria, and the government doesn’t like that.”

This pastor is just one of many cases of Christians facing charges for faith-based activities.

“Most of the cases that have been gone through the court are all in standby status,” Yernathen says. “Most of them have appealed. There are probably 15 to 20 pastors now that have been tried, and all of them have appealed. They are expecting their case to be handled by the Supreme Court. Sometimes they have to wait for 10 years.

“It’s a vicious cycle because they (the Algerian government) would say that we allow the people to make the appeal or to make requests for having authorization to have a building or to have an organization. But actually, most of the governments in Muslim nations don’t really grant anything.

Man with Algerian flag. (Photo courtesy of Nasro Azaizia/Unsplash)

“It’s all bureaucracy. It’s just politically correct to say that we’re appealing so that it would show that the country is open for diversity or for other minority groups. But, in reality, it doesn’t give freedom of other religions to exist within the country.”

Yet, there is encouragement! Yernathan works specifically among North African Muslims, trying to share the Gospel with them.

“Over now the past few years, we have seen people becoming disillusioned…with Islam because they realize that Islam or the Quran has a lot of lies, and it doesn’t stand for the time we live in,” says Yernathen.

“Many other people are quitting Islam because they think there is another option, and they have a choice. If they have this choice, they would likely accept Christianity [and] accept Jesus because He offers love, opportunities for their life, and freedom.”

 Pray for Algerian Christians’ faithful witness in persecution. Ask the Lord to open Algerians’ eyes to the freedom and truth of the Gospel.

Yernathen says, “If we believe in God, then God is sovereign, and God is using us. So whatever happens to us, even in persecution, I think it’s going to bear fruit.”

Learn more about A3’s ministry.

Header photo representative, courtesy of USCIRF.