(FaithWire) – Algerian government officials continued their brutal crackdown on a number of Christian communities, shutting the doors to the largest protestant church in the country. The 700-member-strong Church of the Full Gospel in Tizi-Ouzou was told by government officials that it would be shut down on Wednesday. But on Tuesday, as the congregants gathered for prayer and worship, national guard officers stormed the building.
According to Morning Star News, many members fled the building in fear, while others were forcibly dragged out. Pastor Salah Chalah, who heads up the Protestant churches in Algeria, attempted to intervene and protect his flock, but was summarily beaten by police. Chalah told Morning Star that “the police intervened to force us out of our church—a church that exists and has been active legally and in the light since 1996.” READ MORE
