An international year of prayer for
Morocco
| Week 52 |
Vanishing or Victorious?Often referred to today as "the land of the vanished church", North Africa was home to some of the strongest churches in all Christendom in the first centuries after Christ. Many early North African Christians were martyred for their faith and their testimonies remain with us today. Important Christian leaders, some of whom have impacted the church for all time, arose out of the church in North Africa. These include Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine.Historical evidence remains of significant Christian churches in the Roman cities of Tingis (Tangier), Lixus (Larache), and Volubilis all located in the northern region of modern Morocco. Some evidence exists for an early Christian presence as far south as the Souss Valley. The first recorded martyrdoms for the faith in Morocco occurred in the third century. The arrival of Islam in the late seventh century brought a serious challenge to the church. As Islam pressed its legalistic doctrines on the region, North Africans succumbed to the pressures of propaganda, discriminatory taxation and military conquest. Over the centuries the church weakened and eventually disappeared from the historical record throughout the region. As church historians grappled with understanding how such a vibrant community of faith could vanish so completely, a consensus emerged that the early church failed to establish itself as fully North African in nature. Many of the Roman trappings of church were imported with the Gospel. The Scriptures and other Christian literature were not translated into the languages of North Africans. Evangelism and growth of the church were not a sufficiently high priority. The later historical record of the church in Morocco remains relatively silent until the end of the nineteenth century when the modern era of missions began in the region. During the first half of the twentieth century, fellowships were established in numerous locations. Moroccan independence in 1956 brought restrictions on Christian outreach and activities. In the following decades, police harassment succeeded in reducing the number of fellowships and those attending them. The church has only recently exceeded its former size and strength. Today the Moroccan church is involved in translating Scripture, in producing culturally appropriate worship music and songs, and in reaching out to plant new fellowships of believers. This speaks not of a vanishing church but of a victorious church. "There is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail." Job 14:7 "O Lord ! May they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength." Judges 5:31
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