For our Turkish brothers and sisters, church is not just a weekly service. It’s a family where they come together, united in Christ, deepening relationships and encouraging each other. The church is also the training ground where new believers are discipled and equipped to live faithfully for Christ — even under Christian persecution. Pastor Ramazan Arkan, leader of the Association of Protestant Churches in Turkey and pastor of Antalya Evangelical Churches, is back with us this week to share how mentorships develop into family relationships in the church. He’ll describe differences between following Christ in Türkiye rather than other Middle Eastern countries. Christian workers like Joy Subasiguller and Jerry Mattix have been forced to leave the country, and some of Pastor Ramazan’s friends have been martyred for their bold faith in Christ. (The martyrs’ widows, Semse Ayydin and Susanne Geske, shared their stories on VOM Radio.) Ramazan will share his own story of an assassination attempt against him and how he continues to face fear amid pressure and persecution, yet he reminds listeners that overcoming fear is part of our journey walking by faith. “I get scared sometimes, but this is the faith,” Pastor Ramazan says, “despite fear, doubt, and hesitation, you just walk by faith. But that doesn’t mean you don’t get scared or worried.” Today, there are more than 200 churches in Türkiye. More than 50 have joined the Association of Protestant Churches in Turkey to work and encourage together, including raising their voices to represent the Body of Christ in Türkiye. “Pray that God gives us more boldness, protection, and opportunity to share the gospel with people who’ve never heard it before,” Arkan says. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China, and Iran, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
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A Christian refugee whose husband was killed by his family for converting to Christianity has been diagnosed with cancer. Nour became a widow after her Syrian husband’s father and brother attacked and murdered him upon learning he had come to faith in Christ. They also attacked Nour, but she survived and fled to Lebanon with her three young children. They lived in cemeteries for nine days until local Christians found and helped them.
Read MoreA pastor has been falsely charged with forced conversion of a Hindu man. On Dec. 8, 2025, Pastor Rakesh was heading home after working on his farm when stranger approached him and began asking him questions. The man then demanded that Rakesh say “Jai Sri Ram” (a Hindu slogan used for worship). When Rakesh refused, the man became more aggressive. That night, the stranger filed criminal charges against Rakesh, claiming Rakesh tried to convert him.
Read MoreA Muslim-background believer is continuing his ministry and Bible translation efforts despite being separated from his family. Diallo Haruna was born into the Fulani tribal group and raised as a Muslim in Chad. He eventually placed his trust in Christ and attended a Bible school in neighboring Nigeria. But when he returned to Chad in 2018, some radical Muslims abducted his wife and young daughter.
Read MoreMost Turks believe being Turkish and being Muslim are inseparably intertwined. Pastor Ramazan Arkan was an adult before he ever met a Turkish Christian. Then he became friends with a coworker who had left Islam to follow Jesus. That friendship started Ramazan on a journey that eventually led to the cross of Christ. Pastor Ramazan is now leading the Association of Protestant Churches in Turkey, and he is the pastor of Antalya Evangelical Churches in Antalya, Türkiye. Listen as he shares how he came to Christ, first asking questions about Islam and the Quran and then irresistibly drawn by the loving relationships he saw when he was invited to a local church. “The most effective way to share the gospel message is through relationship,” Pastor Ramazan says. You’ll hear how his name, Ramazan (Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting) is both a blessing and a curse. He’ll also describe the Christian persecution when he left Islam for Christianity, and more about what our persecuted brothers and sisters in Türkiye face for their faith in Jesus. Pastor Ramazan will tell the story of the night he became a Christian and felt God’s presence and Word come alive to him. He’ll also explain why it’s important to reveal the cost of following Christ to new Muslim background believers early on, why his church doesn’t baptize new believers immediately, and the sad story of one new Christian who went back to Islam after seeing the high cost of following Christ. To learn more ways you can pray for persecuted Christians in Türkiye, Central Asia and around the world, sign up to receive weekly prayer emails at iCommitToPray.com. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China, and Iran, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
Read MoreA Christian man continues faithfully witnessing to Christ despite living in a dangerous area. In the north of Mozambique, a majority-Muslim nation that has been the epicenter of an Islamist insurgency since 2017, being identified as a Christian can cost a person his close relationships, livelihood and even his life. Armando, 29, lives with his wife, young son and four dependent relatives in a community that is approximately 99% Muslim. Though sharing his faith is challenging in this setting, Armando serves as a missionary, sustained in his work by a food business supported by the global body of Christ.
Read MoreOn Nov. 30, 2025, Kyaw Tun Aung, 22, was forcibly enlisted into military service under Myanmar’s conscription law despite a provision exempting religious workers. The young man was raised in a Buddhist family but came to faith in Jesus Christ in April 2022. Following his conversion, he completed a degree in biblical studies and began serving the Lord fulltime. The authorities, however, refused to recognize his conversion to Christianity and continue to classify him as a Buddhist.
Read MoreChurch leaders in Kyrgyzstan say Christians living in rural villages are facing increasing persecution. “One family was reported to social services for being too poor to care for their children, and now government agents are threatening to take them,” said a front-line worker. “But that family is no different economically than all the other families in the area who are also struggling. We believe the Christians are being targeted simply because of their faith.” He asked for prayer that this family will be able to keep their two children.
Read MoreEarlier this year, the Supreme Court of Finland found Päivi Räsänen guilty under a legal statute concerning “War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.” Räsänen has been a member of Finland’s parliament since 1995 and is a former Minister of the Interior for the nation. Her “crime” was writing lessons for her church clearly communicating what the Bible says about human sexuality. The criminal case against Räsänen—a medical doctor, wife and grandmother—began in 2019 when she posted a picture to social media showing her Bible open to Romans 1:24-27, with a caption asking why her church’s leaders had signed on to co-sponsor a “Pride” event. A police investigation recommended no charges be brought; the prosecutor brought charges anyway and then appealed not one but two lower-court findings of innocence. Listen as Räsänen shares her incredible story of Christian persecution in a Western democracy that claims to protect religious freedom and where a majority of the people identify as Christians. She will also share how God has encouraged her through the Scriptures and through fellowship with other members of the Body of Christ. She’ll give an update on her legal case, which she has now appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China, and Iran, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
Read MoreA Christian family has returned to Syria and asks for prayer. Sister K and her family are Syrians who fled to Jordan to escape the civil war that began in 2011. While in Jordan, she and her husband became followers of Christ, were discipled in the faith and became leaders in the Christian community. When the civil war ended in December 2024, they sensed God calling them to return to their home country.
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