Discover
The identity of the nation
Belgium is a small, dense nation at the heart of Western Europe, with about 11.7 million inhabitants squeezed between France, Germany, the Netherlands and the North Sea. Despite its size, it holds a unique place: Brussels, its capital, is the seat of the European Union and NATO, making the country one of the continent’s centers of political decision-making. Prosperity, a high quality of life and solid institutions coexist with an identity split into two large linguistic communities.
The country is, in practice, two worlds under one flag: Flanders, in the north, speaks Dutch, and Wallonia, in the south, speaks French, with a small German-speaking community in the east. Brussels is officially bilingual. This invisible border runs through politics, the media, schools and even church life, and helps explain why there is no single Belgian culture, but several coexisting.
Historically Catholic, Belgium is today one of the most secularized societies in Europe. The Christian heritage is everywhere: Gothic cathedrals, beguinages, universities founded by the church, liturgical holidays on the calendar. But practice has fallen dramatically: regular Mass attendance is down to a few percent, and many Belgians declare themselves nonreligious or Christian only culturally. Christianity has gone from central faith to inherited memory.
At the same time, immigration has brought new spiritual landscapes. Communities of Moroccan and Turkish origin have made Islam a striking presence, especially in Brussels and Antwerp, and among the young, Muslim practice already surpasses Catholic practice in some regions. Evangelical churches, many formed by African and Latin American immigrants, bring new life, but born-again believers remain a small minority within the overall population.
Belgium’s missionary challenge is not that of a closed land, but of a land weary of a gospel it thinks it already knows. Living alongside indifference, reaching immigrant populations through doors that have opened within Europe itself, and rekindling living faith where only the symbols remain: this is the task before a wealthy, plural and spiritually slumbering nation.
- 1st-5th cent. The region is part of the Roman Empire as Gallia Belgica; it is later occupied by Germanic peoples.
- Middle Ages The counties of Flanders and Brabant prosper through the cloth trade; cities such as Bruges and Ghent flourish.
- 16th cent. Under Spanish and Habsburg rule; the wars of religion mark the division between the north and south of the Low Countries.
- 1815 After Napoleon, the region is united with the Kingdom of the Netherlands by the Congress of Vienna.
- 1830 The Belgian Revolution breaks out in Brussels; independence is declared on October 4.
- 1831 Leopold I is crowned first King of the Belgians; the constitutional monarchy is born.
- 1885 King Leopold II takes the Congo as his personal property; a period of brutal exploitation follows.
- 1914-1918 Belgium is invaded and devastated in the First World War.
- 1940-1944 New German occupation in the Second World War.
- 1957 Founding country of the European Economic Community; Brussels becomes the center of the European project.
- 1993 Constitutional reform turns Belgium into a federal state, with Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.
- Today A prosperous, bilingual nation, seat of the European Union, deeply secularized and increasingly plural.
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Dutchofficial in Flanders, in the north, spoken by about 60% of the population
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Frenchofficial in Wallonia, in the south, and in Brussels
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Germanofficial in the small German-speaking community in the east
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Brusselsofficially bilingual region (French and Dutch)
Belgium is a small, densely populated country in Western Europe with access to the North Sea. The terrain rises gradually from the coastal plains and polders in the north to the wooded hills of the Ardennes in the southeast. Rivers such as the Scheldt and the Meuse cross the territory, which is among the most urbanized and connected in the world.
Major cities
- BrusselsCapital of the country and seat of the European Union, bilingual and cosmopolitan
- AntwerpLargest port and world diamond capital, in Flanders
- GhentHistoric university city with a rich medieval center
- BrugesMedieval jewel of canals, a major tourist destination
- LiègeMain city of Wallonia, an industrial and cultural hub
- CharleroiFormer industrial center in the south of the country
Climate and temperature
Frites
Believed to have been born in Belgium; sold at street stands and served with mayonnaise.
Moules-frites
Mussels cooked in an aromatic broth, served with fries, the national dish.
Waffle (gaufre)
Sweet, crispy batter, in the Brussels and Liège versions.
Belgian chocolate
A refined tradition of chocolatiers, with pralines famous the world over.
Craft beer
The country produces hundreds of styles, from Trappists to spontaneously fermented lambics.
Carbonade flamande
Beef stew slowly simmered in dark beer, typical of the north.
Endive gratin
Endives wrapped in ham and baked with white sauce, a home-style dish.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Two souls, one country
The divide between Flanders (Dutch) and Wallonia (French) shapes politics, the media and daily life.
Reserve and courtesy
Belgians tend to be discreet, polite and not given to excessive informality.
Appreciation for quality of life
Good food, beer, cycling and family time are core values.
Local pride
Identity often lies in the city or region more than in the nation as a whole.
Comics tradition
Birthplace of Tintin and the Smurfs, comic art is a respected art form.
Deep-rooted secularism
Public life is largely secular, and religion is seen as a private matter.
- Confusing Flemish and Walloons Treating Belgium as a single culture ignores the linguistic divide and wounds identities.
- Speaking the wrong language in the wrong region Using French in Flanders, or vice versa, can come across as disrespectful.
- Approaching faith intrusively Religion is a private matter; insistence can push people away rather than draw them near.
- Generalizing about immigrants Communities of Moroccan and Turkish origin are diverse, not a single bloc.
- Disdaining religious indifference Treating distance from religion with scorn closes doors; listen before preaching.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Faith has become cultural memory, and the gospel is seen as a thing of the past.
Prosperity feeds the pursuit of comfort and security above the spiritual.
Many call themselves Christians by heritage, without living faith or community.
The rivalry between Flanders and Wallonia also fragments the body of Christ.
Private life and personal autonomy leave little room for communal commitment.
The idea that all truth is personal dilutes the uniqueness of the gospel.
Large Muslim communities remain mostly without access to the gospel.
The past in the Congo left marks of guilt and questioning of the Christian heritage.
Material abundance does not satisfy, and the search for meaning outside the church is growing.
Scandals and the decline of religious institutions have bred deep distrust.
Belgium guarantees religious freedom in its constitution, and Christians can live, gather and express their faith freely. Catholicism, Protestantism (including evangelicals and Pentecostals), Judaism, Anglicanism, Islam and Orthodoxy have state-recognized status and receive a measure of public support. The level of pressure on Christians is low.
The challenge here is not open persecution but a climate of deep distance from religion and indifference. In a society where faith is treated as a strictly private matter, expressing Christian convictions in public can attract discomfort, irony or social marginalization, especially on moral issues. For many young believers, the heaviest burden is isolation and cultural pressure, not physical hostility.
Christians from immigrant backgrounds, some converts from other religions, may face tensions within their own families and communities of origin. Even so, Belgium remains a safe place for faith, where the greatest obstacle is reaching hearts that consider themselves already excused from any question about God.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Belgium is home to dozens of people groups, and some of them remain little or not at all reached by the gospel. Beyond the largely secularized Flemish and Walloons, there are large immigrant communities, mainly of Moroccan and Turkish origin, overwhelmingly Muslim and with very little contact with the gospel. Languages spoken by these communities still lack accessible Scriptures. The field here combines two challenges: rekindling faith among indifferent Europeans and bringing Christ to peoples who have migrated into Europe.
- 953K Unreached 8,2%
- 13K Minimally reached 0,1%
- 10M Superficially reached 86,3%
- 548K Partially reached 4,7%
- 80K Significantly reached 0,7%
- 28 Unreached 49,1%
- 1 Minimally reached 1,8%
- 16 Superficially reached 28,1%
- 7 Partially reached 12,3%
- 5 Significantly reached 8,8%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Fula Jalon Frontier
Checheno Frontier
Southern Pashtun Frontier
Litvish Jews Frontier
Western Punjabi Frontier
Hasidic Jews Frontier
Urdu Frontier
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
among the highest in Western Europe
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Know which language is spoken in each region: Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia, both in Brussels.
- English is widely understood in the cities and in Brussels' international circles.
- Use public transport and the bicycle: trains, trams and bike lanes cover the country well.
- Prepare for the damp, gray weather; carry rain gear year-round.
- Respect the local discretion: relationships are built with time and trust.
- The cost of living is high, especially rents in Brussels; plan your budget.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.