When OM Field Leader Youssef and his wife Hie-Tee moved to his native Algeria in 1988 to establish an OM ministry, a revival among the Kabyle people was already sweeping the northern region. ‘Before 1981, there were very few believers,’ Youssef said. Today, he knows of believers in every one of the 2,400 Kabyle cities, villages and towns.
In July 1981, the early Kabyle church, 40 to 50 believers, started a two-year process of praying and fasting, memorising 365 verses about fear. A new Kabyle radio ministry broadcast sermons and teaching across the region, and a church in Ouadiha, led by an Algerian-Swiss couple, began a wide literature distribution campaign in villages and showed the Jesus film in local cafés.
Faith, prayer and fasting
Simple faith spread among the Kabyle, sparked by miraculous signs and wonders and developed through prayer and fasting. Since Algeria was closed to most foreign missionaries, the Algerian church depended on God alone during its formative years. The Kabyle people’s lack of fear and their boldness contributed to the rapid revival. ‘They live their faith openly,’ Youssef said. ‘The other thing that has helped is prayer from all over the world.’
