Following the closure of buildings in the northern regions of Akbou and Ighzer Amokrane on Sunday, MEC has reported that a total of eight churches have been sealed across the country over the past 21 months, seven of which are affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA).

It comes after the launch of a government campaign in 2017 to close Christian places of worship and other Christian institutions.

The government requires buildings to obtain a license, permitting them to engage in non-Muslim religious worship, but has refused to issue any since the law was instated in 2006.

As a result, it has become standard practice for churches in the region to rent premises and inform local authorities of their activities.

Five churches have been sealed by authorities for not having licenses, following visits from building safety committees.

MEC have also reported that at least three churches have been ordered to cease all Christian activities.

Parishioners are concerned that their freedoms will continue to be threatened and MEC are urging believers to join them in praying for “the Lord’s peace, wisdom and guidance” for EPA and church leaders and for an end to the persecution faced by the Christian community at the hands of the authorities.

They are also calling for the regulations governing non-Muslim worship to be amended to allow Christians to worship freely.

Stay…

The singer was taken to hospital straight after Sunday’s 8am service at the Hills campus site in Sydney.

She then underwent nine hours of brain surgery and Hillsong church are asking people to pray for her recovery.

An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel and it can cause sudden agonising headaches, a stiff neck, sickness and pain when looking at light.

Chelsea Taylor had a ruptured anuerysm but is now thought to be out of ICU.

In an Instagram post, Brooke Ligertwood, who wrote ‘What a Beautiful Name It Is’ posted: “Please pray for Chelsea, one of our beloved Sydney team. This is her leading worship at church on Sunday – she was rushed to hospital shortly afterwards, has since come through a major surgery and needs our prayer. This girl is very dear to our hearts.”

 

Hillsong Creative posted on Sunday: “she’s a worshipper, a lover of Jesus and one of the purest hearts ever – and tonight she could do with your prayers. She has just come through a 9 hour brain surgery and we are believing for no more bleeds complete healing and miracles in Jesus name – we are not out of the woods by any means – tonight she is in ICU but we believe in Jesus, his resurrection power and for hope to appear (@zellataylor and all your family we are on your team). #iloveus #ourpeople #praylikeshesyourstoo”

Hillsong worship leader Matty Crocker, who wrote the song Oceans, posted: “I am…

The study by the Church of England published on Wednesday surveyed 54 college chapels in Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, with 40 responding.

It found that student attendance across the campuses jumped from 3,000 in 2017 to 4,500 last year.

Rev Canon Dr Simon Jones has been the chaplain of Merton College in Oxford for 17 years.

He told Premier he has noticed a positive trend over the years.

“I think many students come now with a more open mind to the question of the possibility of God, whereas 17 years ago I think many students had encountered the church already and decided whether it was something for them or not,” he said.

Canon Simon added that college chapels offer benefits that other church off campus don’t.

“I think one of the things that a college chapel does is it has a very close intimate relationship with the community it’s part of.

 “I think a chapel can provide a place of calm and peace right in the heart of what’s often a very busy community.”

In Oxbridge and Durham college chapels around 3 per cent of students attend Sunday services as opposed to 1 per cent of the English population.

Canon Simon said he believes the positive trend will continue as chapels offer much more than Sunday services.

“We offer discussion groups, opportunities to explore the Christian faith, there are opportunities to socialise with other people, often trips, pilgrimages…

A new report from the office of the Children’s Commissioner has found that 210,000 young people in England were put up by councils in temporary housing and bed and breakfasts.

Anne Longfield said it was a scandal that they’re also forced to “sofa-surf” with friends, often for long periods.

Such accommodation could be unsafe, disruptive and overcrowded, with no room for children to play or do homework. It was frequently in poor condition, far from family support networks and schools, and often in isolated locations dogged by crime or antisocial behaviour.

CEO of Spurgeons Children’s Charity, Ross Hendry told Premier he is not surprised by the figures and said, they’re a “confirmation of what charities like Spurgeons have counted on the ground” over the last few years.

“What this report highlights is that there’s been an 80 percent increase in the number of children who are homeless, or sofa surfing, since 2010 and yes, it’s a sad, but I think, quite accurate picture.”

Hendry agreed with findings from the report that one cause was there not being enough affordable housing being built but also blamed “the rise in poverty and the economic hardship that families are going through”
meaning that “they are not able to stay in their homes”.

Hendry told Premier: “There are 375,000 children living in homes that are falling behind in their rent or their mortgage payments. So…

George Pell, Pope Francis’ former finance minister, was found guilty of molesting two 13-year-old choirboys in Melbourne’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1996 and 1997 last December.

The Victoria state Court of Appeal rejected Pell’s appeal by 2-1 on Wednesday.

At the time of the offending, Pell had just become archbishop of Australia’s second largest city and had set up a world-first compensation arrangement for victims of clergy sexual abuse.

His lawyers are expected to appeal the decision in the High Court, Australia’s final arbiter.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Cardinal George Pell will be stripped of his Order of Australia honour after he lost his court appeal.

Pell was sentenced to six years in prison in March and was ordered to serve a minimum of three years and eight months before he will be eligible for parole.

His lawyers are expected to appeal the decision in the High Court.

The victim who testified that Pell molested him as a choirboy in the 1990s says he is relieved the disgraced cardinal’s appeal against convictions has failed and hopes the legal process has ended.

The man, who cannot be named, said in a statement the criminal process since he reported Pell to police four years ago has been “stressful”.

The victim said he has not asked for compensation and the case has never been about money.

A statement from Pell’s spokeswoman said the…