Turkmenistan – Christians Forced to Flee Due to Government Oppression

A lay evangelist in Turkmenistan has been forced to leave the country due to threats from the authorities. This evangelist actively shared the Gospel, had previously been arrested for attending worship services with other believers, and was fined for evangelistic activities. Recently, officials have looked for an excuse to bring charges against him for his professional work, in order to justify his arrest.

Turkmenistan severely restricts Christianity. Despite these restrictions, there are eight Protestant churches and around six thousand evangelical believers in the country. While churches are allowed to meet openly, they are constantly monitored. At any time, authorities may raid a Christian’s home without warning and search for Bibles and other Christian literature. If the government learns that a Turkmen citizen has accepted Christ, that convert faces immediate persecution. As a result, some families worship secretly.

Under this oppression, almost all foreign Christian believers have been expelled. Currently, apart from one Western family, there are no full-time workers sharing the Gospel. The police tap their phones, making it difficult to arrange meetings and fellowship opportunities to share the Gospel. Psalms 140:12~13

11. I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

12. Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you.
    

🙏 Pray for

1. Grant this evangelist wisdom and boldness so that he may speak what he must, and let the lies against him be exposed. May he be reunited with his family. May his family continue to trust in God and devote themselves to prayer. Fill the Turkmen Church with grace and truth so that they may proclaim the lordship of Christ Jesus alone, and their own role as servants for Jesus’ sake. Though they face persecution, may the Turkmen Church never lose heart, but instead praise the Lord and live before Him with steadfast faith.

2. Since 1991, the people’s minds have been stifled under dictatorial rule, with freedom and the press controlled and the leader’s personality cult enforced, resulting in longstanding idolatry in the land. Lord, have mercy on this nation. Open the way for workers from the global Church to enter. Open doors for visas. As the global Church persists in knocking at Turkmenistan’s doors, may all closed doors be opened.