September 1-2 | Libya – Thank the Lord for new believers. Pray for them, as they are under a lot of pressure right away. Also pray for the seasoned believers, that they will stay strong in the Lord and will be shepherds for the new believers.
At least 30,000 Libyans died in he civil war which ousted Muammar Gaddafi and sectarian violence continues today – click here.
Wikipedia gives an overview of religion in Libya – click here.
Other than the majority of Sunni Muslims, there are also small foreign communities of Christians. Coptic Orthodox Christianity, which is the Christian Church of Egypt, is the largest and most historical Christian denomination in Libya. There are over 60,000 Egyptian Copts in Libya, as they comprise over 1% of the population.[208] There are an estimated 40,000 Roman Catholics in Libya who are served by two Bishops, one in Tripoli (serving the Italian community) and one in Benghazi (serving the Maltese community). There is also a small Anglican community, made up mostly of African immigrant workers in Tripoli; it is part of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt.
Open Doors describes the current plight of Christians in Libya here –
Under Gaddafi’s despotic rule, the situation for Christians was already extremely harsh. The secret police restricted church activities and evangelism was criminalised. But after the civil war that led to Gaddafi’s death, the future could be even worse for the church. Because of the unrest, 75 per cent of expat Christians left the country and it is not clear how many remain. The National Transitional Council is expected to implement Sharia and make Libya an even more Islamic state than before. Under their supervision the Saint George’s Church was ransacked when they took control of Tripoli.
Christians in Libya face a dangerous and uncertain future – click here for more detailed prayer concerns.
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to
reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Tim. 2:2)
