Turkey
In the original birthplace of the early church and a center of Christianity for over 1000 years, Words of Hope uses media to share the gospel throughout Turkey.
Turkey is a hard place. Nearly 97% of the current population is at least nominally Muslim. Only 7000 evangelical Christians remain. Few Muslims living in Turkey have ever heard a thorough or truthful representation of the gospel. In fact, Islam is so ingrained in Turkish life that many people say that to be a Turk is to be a Muslim, and to convert to Christianity is treason.
The sad history of the Crusades has cemented a hatred of Christianity that carries all the way to the present. And yet, even in this very hard place, the church is slowly growing. Dedicated supporters of Words of Hope are making it possible to reach out from within the region with both Christian television and radio programs that are connecting people to life-changing good news.
“Your radio broadcasts changed my life. Through the radio there has been a radical transformation in my life. When I did not have faith, when I was even an atheist, Radio Shema changed me. Now I have a reason and purpose for which to live. I want to share this news of Christ with everyone.
Languages
Turkish
Christianity in Turkey has deep historical and cultural roots. The area was known as “Asia Minor” during Biblical times. Now, however, 97% of the more than 70 million people living in Turkey adhere to Islam. Though the country maintains religious freedom, it has one of the lowest percentages of Christians worldwide, with only 4,000 evangelicals. Since Christians represent only a small fraction of the current population, reaching large masses with the gospel is an important and formidable task.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for fruitful new ways to impact listeners.
- Pray for guidance to expand the Turkish ministry into new areas of the country.
- Pray for courageous leaders in the Turkish government.
Stories from Turkey
Advertising Bibles
Words of Hope’s Turkish director has recently begun partnering with a ministry called the Bible Correspondence Course. This ministry advertises free Bibles and Bible study materials in local newspapers.
Face to Face
Gazi sat in front of his television mindlessly flipping through the channels. He was looking for something more than entertainment, but he didn’t know exactly what it was. He stopped
The Macedonian Call
Read: Acts 16:9-12, 16-23 For more than 1500 years, Christianity has been considered to be a “western” or European religion. But it’s not. Christianity is the faith of all—whether European or