5/11/2023　Turkey　(VOM) Within days of the Feb. 6 earthquake that devastated eastern Turkiye, Turkish Christians rushed from other parts of the country to help. One church group used their hands to dig people out of the rubble. Others set up emergency kitchens and shelters. One improvised cafe was so successful in feeding survivors and emergency workers that it attracted the attention of the local governor. He was so impressed he told the group, “Please continue what you are doing. Let me know how we can help,” and he offered free use of some government trucks and additional food. Local Christians are doing the work of Matthew 25:35 — “I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me a drink.” Local news coverage of the Christians’ activities has increased requests for Bibles from Muslim viewers.   Please pray… Praise God for how He is bringing good out of this terrible natural disaster. Pray that many Muslims will see the love and generosity of the Christians and want to know more about Jesus. Pray that the Christians and the local governor will continue to have a good relationship and be able to work together.

11/16/2022   Turkey   (ICC) Leyla is a loving mother and wife in her forties who grew up in a family that still practices radical Islam. After getting married, her husband led her to Christ. When her father found out, he and other relatives came and took her and her children back to his home and forbid them to return home. Her husband, Murat, went and talked to his father-in-law and he allowed him to take his family home if he promised they would not go to church. This was a hard decision, but he agreed so that they could live together again. His father-in-law said that if he takes them to church, he will kill Murat, take his wife and children home and marry her to a Muslim. Her many relatives are constantly watching her to make sure she does not attend church, and even sending some relatives to their home on Sundays to make sure she does not watch the church service online.   Please pray… Pray that the Lord will comfort, encourage and strengthen Leyla, Murat and their children as they endure this persecution. Pray that the Lord will make His loving presence felt among them when […]

11/19/19  Turkey  (ICC) On November 19, 2019, Korean evangelist Jinwook Kim was stabbed on the street in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir. He later died in the hospital from his injuries; he was 41 years old and leaves behind his wife and two small children. Kim was pastoring a small community of Christians. The assailant stabbed Kim three times: twice in the heart, once in the back. A 16-year-old suspect was arrested. Officials are claiming that the attack was a robbery, but local believers believe the incident was an assassination. Kim is the first Christian murdered in Turkey since 2007. Christians living in Turkey have reported an increase in harassment, threats, and other non-violent incidents over the past three years. The grief among Turkey’s Christian community is deep, along with great shock and fear.   Please pray… Pray for Kim’s widow, that the Lord would comfort and strengthen her at this time, and make His will for her clear. Pray for Turkish Christians, that they will not be overcome by fear but will abide in the Lord and have His peace. Pray for the protection of the missionaries who remain in Turkey at this time

5/29/2019  Turkey  (ICC) Turkish police interrupted a baptism ceremony in the city of Bolu while conducting a raid against a church composed of Iranian Christian asylum seekers. The Bolu Provincial Police Department raided the church because it was not authorized. The police allowed the baptism ceremony to complete before sealing the church. However, they recorded all parts of the church with a camera. The Iranian Christians are currently petitioning the authorities to reopen the church, but no progress has been made. Turkey does not have a pathway for legalization of churches. Many are instead forced to register as a foundation or association, and most even then will not be allowed to open a church building. For this reason, many like the church in Bolu are forced to exist in apartment buildings. It is common for Christians to report harassment and intimidation by the police who monitor their church services. For Iranian Christians, they are often challenged in that as asylum seekers, they are usually housed in extremely Islamic areas who do not want a Christian presence.   Please pray… Pray that the Turkish authorities will give official permission for churches to register their buildings. Pray that the Christians in Turkey will continue to meet and worship together even if their church […]

4/19/2019 Turkey (ICC) Turkey’s local election recounts were completed on April 17, and the main opposition party candidate was officially declared mayor of Istanbul. This represents a significant setback for President Erdogan’s party, which has controlled Istanbul for 25 years. The new Metropolitan Mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, vowed during his inaugural speech that he would bring peace back to Istanbul and cease treating people differently based on their religion and ethnicity. He specifically named Christians and other religious minorities, vowing that he “will never let anyone treat you unjustly.” İmamoğlu’s rhetoric stands in stark contrast to the rhetoric used by President Erdogan. The president has been strongly criticized for his polarizing policies which seek to tear apart the social fabric of Turkish society. It is yet to be seen how the president will attempt to reassert control over the lost electoral seats.   Please pray… Pray that Mayor İmamoğlu will be able to fulfill his vows to Christians and other religious minorities. Pray that the government, which is controlled by President Erdogan, will accept the election results and not remove Mayor İmamoğlu from office. Pray that the Lord will encourage and strengthen the Christians of Turkey and enable them to be faithful and true witnesses for Jesus.

10/13/2018  Turkey  (ICC) On October 12, 2018, Turkish courts released American pastor Andrew Brunson from house arrest. Brunson was convicted of a “terror” charge, but as a result of the time previously served and good behavior, he was released from house arrest and returned to the United States on Saturday where he met with, and prayed for, President Trump. Pastor Brunson ministered in Turkey since 1993 and was originally detained with his wife Norine in October 2016. While his wife was released shortly thereafter, Pastor Brunson remained imprisoned despite a lack of formal charges. The first series of charges was brought after two months in prison and other charges continued to be added as time progressed. The United States government had been fighting for the past 24 months for his release. Religious freedom in Turkey has significantly deteriorated since the 2016 military coup.   Please pray… Praise God that Pastor Brunson has been set free and able to return with his family to the United States. Pray that the important work he had been doing in Turkey with orphans will continue without him, and that many children will come to faith in Jesus Christ. Pray that the Christians of Turkey […]

7/25/18 Turkey (ICC) Turkey has ordered American pastor Andrew Brunson to be transferred from prison to house arrest. The Turkish government has held Pastor Brunson for nearly two years. He is banned from leaving the country, and his next hearing is scheduled for October 12, 2018. Pastor Brunson faces a falsified indictment of having links with the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETO) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), among other charges. Prosecutors are seeking 30+ years of imprisonment for Pastor Brunson.   Please pray… Pray for full physical healing of Pastor Brunson. He has lost a lot of weight and his health is not good. Pray for the Turkish government to drop Pastor Brunson’s charges and release him from house arrest. Pray for strength and encouragement as Pastor Brunson recovers from his time in prison.

6/19/2018  Turkey  (ICC) In Turkey, Turks who belong to religious minority groups are treated as second-class citizens. The state’s hostile treatment of Christians has increased much as President Erdogan, whose family belongs to the conservative religious class, consolidates power.  On June 24, he was reelected in snap elections that approved a constitutional change that gives Erdogan and his AKP party even more power, and ten more years as president. There is an incredible amount of prejudice against Christians right now, and the country is becoming more and more Islamist.   Please pray… Pray that the Christians in Turkey will be strengthened and encouraged by the Lord. Pray that those who suffer persecution will be able to stand firm in their faith and trust the Lord. Pray for Lord to touch the hearts of many Turks through dreams and visions and draw them to Himself.

5/3/2018  Turkey  (VOM) Haddad placed his faith in Christ after an elderly woman prayed for him at a bus station. His search for truth began with the woman’s simple prayer that God would guide him to salvation. He first abandoned Islamic fanaticism and thoughts of terrorism after listening to apologetic programs on the Arabic Christian television station Al Hayat. Later, after deciding to follow Jesus, he got involved in a church without his family and friends knowing. Last year, however, his mother found Christian books and a Bible in his room and realized he had converted to Christianity. Haddad’s family beat him so badly that his leg was broken, and his head and shoulders were injured. After recovering, Haddad fled the country.   Please pray… Pray that Haddad and other new believers will grow in faith and have opportunities to share their faith with their families. Pray that his lawyer will do all he possibly can to defend Pastor Brunson and that the truth will come out in the trial. Pray for the Lord to continue to guide, use, and protect the elderly woman who prayed for Haddad.

4/17/18  Turkey  (Egypt Independent) (This is the latest news related to our article of March 22, 2018)  Andrew Brunson, an American pastor who led a Protestant church in Izmir, went on trial in Turkey on April 16, charged with engaging in terror-related activities. He has been in prison for one and a half years, and faces 35 years in prison if found guilty. Turkish prosecutors have charged Brunson with engaging in activities on behalf of the group led by Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom the government says is behind the failed 2016 coup, and his second hearing is scheduled for May 7. However, the charges on April 16 appeared lighter than those outlined in the original indictment published on March 13. The latest indictment explicitly states he is not charged with being a member of Gulen’s group. Please pray… Pray for Pastor Brunson to peace and strength while he awaits his next hearing. Pray that his lawyer will do all he possibly can to defend Pastor Brunson and that the truth will come out in the trial. Pray for Pastor Brunson’s family as they continue to hope and pray for his release.