Vanished Church or Victorious Church?
Sometimes known as “the land of the vanished church”, North Africa was home to some of the strongest churches in all Christendom during the first centuries after Christ. Early North African church leaders helped shape Christian doctrine for all time. The arrival of Islam in the seventh century posed a serious challenge to the church. As Islam pressed its legalistic doctrines on the region, believers succumbed to the pressures of persecution, propaganda, discriminatory taxation and military conquest. Over the centuries, the North African church weakened and eventually disappeared from the historical record.
We desire the glory of Christ that once shone forth from the vanished churches of these lands to shine forth once again through vibrant victorious churches established among each of the people groups in the region. We work in cooperation with nationals and expatriates in North Africa and around the world to make the needs of God’s Kingdom in North Africa known to Christians everywhere.
Our goals are threefold. We exist to facilitate a tidal wave of new intercessors from around the globe to engage in effective prayer for the nations of North Africa. We will become a clearinghouse of information about North Africa relevant to all interested Christians. We seek to mobilize human and other kingdom resources for the region.
To realize these goals, we work to facilitate effective field-based prayer initiatives for each nation. We will produce and distribute vital relevant generic media designed for easy use by any Christian individual, church or organization with an interest in the region. Via a growing email network and this website, we will sound a trumpet call to active prayer on behalf of North Africa.
Many early North African Christians were martyred for their faith. Today a powerful spiritual struggle is taking place for the souls of some eighty million North Africans. Despite opposition and persecution among a population that is nearly 100% Muslim, one can now find encouraging signs of an emerging church in most North African nations.
In lands where the church vanished, today heroic North African believers are translating Scripture into their own languages and producing culturally appropriate worship music and songs. They are reaching out to share Christ with others and planting new fellowships. Believers in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania need Christians to stand with them in a struggle against forces that only God and believing prayer can overcome.
“Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” –John 4:35
“How good and pleasant it is when believers work together in unity! For there the Lord bestows His blessing.” –Psalms 133
“I urge you by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit to join us in our struggle by praying.”
–Romans 15:30