TURKEY | NOV. 4, 2026 — Churches Growing Amid Loss of Missionaries
TURKIYE — Churches Growing Amid Loss of Missionaries
Many churches in Turkiye have struggled since international ministry workers were forced to leave.
The Turkish government has deported around 200 missionaries plus their families from the country in recent years, leaving many local churches to survive with limited leadership experience.
“In the long term, it is going to be good because now we are utilizing many more local people,” said a senior Turkish pastor. “But in the short term, it has really impacted Turkish churches.” He said that Turkish pastors deal with government pressure, persecution from radical groups and burnout.
“Pray that we can do a better job in training local leaders, that we can reach the needs in Turkiye through them,” said the pastor. He added that, despite the challenges, churches in Turkiye are growing.