Algeria’s Forgotten Christian Roots
Algeria is an African country across the Mediterranean Sea from Spain. At one time, it was home to St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the most influential Christian scholars in history. But in more modern times, Christianity was nearly unknown. Before that soccer game, Algeria had no Christian bookstores, no functioning indigenous churches, and virtually no access to Bibles. The lone vestiges of Christian influence were abandoned churches left over from French colonialism, which ended in 1962.
A Miraculous Turning to Faith
The few people attending church were generally foreign-born Catholics, who were allowed by law to practice their religion but forbidden to share it with the nation’s Muslim population. But after the tourists left, something “miraculous” started happening. “I felt that the stories they told were not just stories, but real,” recalled Hassan. “It made me want to leave everything and follow Jesus.” Hassan and other Algerians began turning to the God of the Bible. The “soccer miracle” is credited with initiating an explosion of faith in a country where Christians were once rare.
Growth Amid Persecution
“We cannot count the number of people who came to Christ because of this,” Hassan said. “We don’t know how it happened, just that people came to faith and came to God.” In a short time, Christianity flourished and became the fastest-growing religion in Algeria. Pressured by hard-line Islamic nations, the Algerian government decided to curb the growth of Christianity and oppose followers of Jesus. Hassan and his friends were arrested time after time. But they and other believers would not be deterred. They remained faithful, and Christianity continued to spread.
To Be Continued…
Date: 14th March 2026
Martyr: Hassan S. And Pastor Hakim
Location: Algeria
Source: The Voice of the Martyrs ‘I am n’
Author: Not specified
Suffering Saturday 185
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