Turkey is a beautiful country with a rich history. Some biblical scholars even speculate that Noah’s Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat! Turkey is also home to some of the most beautiful mosques in the world, and most Turks identify as Muslim. Turkey is considered one of the least evangelized and one of the hardest-to-reach countries in Central Asia.
One MBC partner there is shepherding a new church. The pastor spends most of his time evangelizing unbelievers and shepherding church members through preaching, counseling, and prayer. He and his family recently moved into a newly renovated space, where fifteen church members and three elders took the Lord’s Supper together and worshiped freely on their first Sunday. It was a joyous time!
Now that the pandemic and its restrictions have receded into the background, there are many opportunities for ministry to increase. For example, the church hosted a training for Central Asian pastors and, starting in January 2022, welcomed a handful of pastoral interns. After expecting just one intern, they ended up with four! It’s exciting to see how God will use these men, each from a different language group, to share the gospel throughout Central Asia in the future.
Healthy local churches are the primary, God-appointed means for fulfilling the Great Commission. They’re a visible manifestation of God’s kingdom on earth, and God is doing exciting things in the Turkish church!
Total Population: 85,274,000
Major Religion: Islam
Joshua Project Status: Unreached
Percent Evangelical: 0.04% (1 in 2,500)
Major Needs: Evangelism, healthy churches, pastoral training
Visit Joshua Project to learn more about the unreached in this region.
See the full 2023 Global Outreach Prayer Guide HERE.