Turkey

Partner with Local Missionaries in Turkey

Located in the 10/40 Window

With most of its land mass in the Anatolian peninsula of western Asia and a lesser part on the Balkan peninsula of southeastern Europe, Turkey (now officially Republic of Türkiye) has a rich cultural and religious history and is a major political force in the region. Though overwhelmingly Muslim at 96.2 percent of the population, most adherents are nominal, as few have knowledge of the Quran, yet fiercely loyal, as Islam is integral to nationalistic fervor.

Another paradox: while Turkey has had a secular government for most of the past century, the current administration of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been marked by strongly Islamist tendencies. At the same time, the non-religious portion of the population has been growing, with estimates ranging from 3.1 percent to into the double digits. Only 0.04 percent of the population evangelical, according to Joshua Project.

Local missionaries in Turkey report unprecedented openness to the gospel among a growing number of Turkish Muslims and Muslim refugees from Syria and elsewhere. With so few evangelical Christians, however, churches can hardly support evangelists and pastors, and they need donations for their monthly expenses and for tools such as ministry vehicles vital for outreaches to refugee camps.

One effective ministry has planted churches in the Black Sea region, and they need assistance for rental of their worship places. Meantime, the demand for Bibles has increased as Muslim refugees’ disillusionment with Islam drives them to seek answers elsewhere. Local workers request assistance to keep Bibles and New Testaments in stock, as well as an apologetics book written by a native missionary. These books are distributed in refugee camps and prisons, during one-on-one outreach and in stands in front of a church building.

Media and social media are having an increasingly strong impact. One native missionary publishes a magazine that clarifies who Christ is and addresses various topics from a Christian perspective, and another has a radio program with a large audience. The latter also posts teaching and preaching on Internet outlets, reaching a potential audience of millions. Through responses to these media, local missionaries are seeing the prevalence of disillusion with Islam and interest in the person of Christ.

Sources: Joshua Project, Wikipedia

84.2 million

Population

0.04%

Evangelical Population:

People Groups:

Unreached People Groups:

How to Pray for Turkey

Pray for protection of local missionaries, as they are facing increasing threats and attacks in media, on the street and among powers and authorities.
Pray that Muslims putting their faith in Christ will be protected from family and societal opposition and will find support in Christian community.
Pray that native leadership will be developed in spite of a national ban on Christian seminaries in the country.

More Stories from Turkey

Help Send Salvation Message in Turkey

The Lord has stirred many people to learn about Christ, with interest growing so much in three towns that the leader of a native ministry requested prayer for more workers to teach those attending church services. At the leader’s church, a young Muslim couple made a list of questions and met with him and other leaders, who gave them answers and then prayed for them. After later posing another question in a text message that the leader answered, the couple returned the next day and prayed to receive Christ. Workers need donations to share the gospel and disciple those who believe. Pray that local missionaries will continue ministering with Holy Spirit power.

Help Send the Word of Life in Turkey

An Afghan refugee who put her faith in Christ initially feared her Muslim husband would divorce or kill her if he found out, but recently she decided to get baptized. When those discipling her asked what her husband might do if he learned of her faith, she said she prayed for him daily – and that she only worried that, when he comes to the Lord, he will be upset that they will not be baptized together. In the ministry’s church plant among refugees in another city, French-speaking university students from Africa have become involved and have led others to Christ. Workers need donations for such gospel outreach. Pray fellowships will unite across national lines.

Provide Aid to Desperate Refugees in Turkey

Native Christian workers provided the food and clean water crucial for Syrian refugees even as they listened to cries for pain relievers, medicines, baby formula and clothing. The workers took note of the refugees’ pleas so they could provide the requested items on ensuing visits, thankful for the donations from Christian Aid Mission supporters that enabled them to meet the growing needs. They also provided Bibles for those curious about Christianity and prayed with them. Donations of $35 or $70 are sought to provide such aid to refugees. Pray the Lord will open the eyes of refugees’ hearts to the grace of Christ.

Provide Gospel Answers to Truth Seekers in Turkey

Pray that new believers will have the courage to share their faith. After a young man from a devout Islamic family moved away from home, he encountered a group of Christians who shared the gospel with him. At first, he was resistant to their words, but their sincerity eventually made him curious about their faith. This curiosity led him to a magazine published by a local ministry, and it changed his life. “The articles challenged my preconceived notions and offered a perspective on Christianity that I had never considered before,” he said. “I have decided to embrace Christianity.” Your donations support outreach such as this ministry’s faith-based magazine.

Change Lives Through the Salvation Story in Turkey

Pray the lost will be transformed through God’s word. A Muslim college student read the New Testament to prove to her classmate—who recently became a believer—that his decision was wrong. But one night, she dreamed that she was falling and a man with pierced hands saved her. The dream was so powerful that she reported it to a local ministry leader, who encouraged her to give her life to Jesus. She was baptized soon after. “She picked up a New Testament to argue her case, but God used it to change her life,” the ministry leader said. Help get more Bibles into the hands of the lost through donations of $16 or $32.

Help Missionaries Stand Firm in Turkey

Pray the spiritual eyes of the lost will be opened to God’s goodness. A man who liked to argue with local missionaries about the false beliefs of Christians asked for a New Testament so he could show them the lies in it. But as he began to read, his spiritual eyes were opened. “He noticed how merciful Jesus was to those he connected with,” the ministry leader said. “So, we shared with him how Jesus came into this world to rescue those who were most needy, and he began to cry.” The man gave his life to Christ and was baptized. Your donations support missionaries in their ministry to the lost.