Missions Catalyst

1. Tür​​​​​​​kiye: The Last Church in Bursa Ordered to Evacuate
2. Tajikistan: New SAT-7 Program Reaches Isolated Women
3. Bangladesh: Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Council Pushes for Secular State
4. Greece: How a Blind Refugee Reunited with His Family
5. USA: Revival and Back-to-School Baptisms at Ohio State

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Source: Middle East Concern, August 23, 2024

In July 2024, the Regional Directorate of Foundations ordered the evacuation of the “French Church” in Bursa before August 24, claiming that the historical building is structurally unsafe as the groundwater level is very high and a reinforcement project must be implemented. No alternative meeting places were proposed and the request for the church to erect a tent for meetings was refused (barring special religious holidays). Bursa used to have more than 100 functioning churches, but the French Church is the only church open for Christian worship there.

Representatives of the church, in collaboration with a certified office of the Chamber of Geological Engineers, prepared a report, assessing the risks as considerably lower than claimed by the Directorate of Foundations, noting that during thorough structural examinations and restoration work from 2002 to 2004, no significant problems were revealed. Repairs had been made to any superficial cracks.

In an August 20 press statement, the Bursa Protestant Church Life and Culture Foundation petitioned the authorities to have the evacuation order canceled.  The “French Church” was built in the late nineteenth century by French traders and restored in 2002-2004. Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant communities use it as a regular meeting place of worship.

Read the full story and a related story that links to the pressure to close with an upcoming anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which is expected to draw many to the region (Mission Network News). Sounds like this church was ordered to close in 2016, though the government eventually backed down.

Meanwhile, in what our sources describe as a “sweeping move,” the country of Nicaragua has closed down scores of Protestant churches and non-profit organizations, along with other civic groups (Christian Solidarity Worldwide). The government is also seizing the property of these groups.

Source: Mission Network News, August 27, 2024

Less than one percent of Tajikistan’s population is Christian, and believers are rare in rural districts and villages. Christians can’t gather legally and face persecution if they confess their faith. Women, more so.

SAT-7’s Joe Willey says the need for encouragement has never been higher. A new satellite television program is part of a wider strategy to increase support for Tajik Christians in their lives of faith.

SAT-7’s new program, In the World of Women’s Thoughts, focuses on biblical examples of Christian womanhood. “It is a program that says, ‘We’re broadcasting in your language; it’s specific to you,’” Willey says.

Because Tajik is closely related to Dari, the program will also benefit isolated Afghan women.

Read the full story or read the press release from SAT-7 (which is more descriptive and includes a Tajik worship video you may enjoy).

Source: Religion News Service, August 29, 2024

Amid a spike in violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh, a national council of Buddhists, Hindus, and Christians is renewing a campaign for the Muslim-majority South Asian nation to remove Islam as the state religion.

In mid-July, student-led protests demanding reform of the country’s job quota system turned violent, culminating in the collapse of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5. After Hasina’s resignation, the anger aimed at her government poured onto religious minorities, especially Hindus and members of Hasina’s party, the secular Awami League, which is backed by much of the Hindu community.

The attacks on Hindu houses of worship, homes and businesses, as well as Awami League politicians, have resulted in the deaths of at least 650 people since the violence began, according to a report by the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, a human rights organization, argues that enshrining Islam as the state religion has been detrimental to the country’s religious minorities and aspirations of greater democratic rule.

“According to the communalist and fundamentalist forces, Islam does not coexist with other religious faiths and beliefs and also contradicts democracy, in which they have no belief,” said Monindra Kumar Nath, the council’s joint general secretary.

The council said earlier this month that there were 1,045 cases of human rights violations against religious minorities between June and August.

Read the full story.

Source: Christian Aid Mission, August 29, 2024

“Tal” was just 18 when he arrived in Greece as a Syrian refugee. He was alone and desperate to reunite with his mother and sister, who had already relocated to Denmark. To join them, however, he needed to apply for asylum, obtain an ID, and get a passport. But he knew next to no one, did not speak the language, and did not understand the legal system.

Tal was also nearly blind.

Through word of mouth, Tal learned of a ministry that assisted refugees. But how could a teen who could barely see make his way to an unfamiliar place?

He put the ministry’s address into his GPS and followed the phonetic directions. But when at last he reached the building, he could not find an entrance. He stood outside, frustrated that he could not see well enough to locate a door.

At last, a ministry worker saw Tal there, looking lost and uncertain. “Do you speak Arabic?” the man asked Tal. “Yes,” said Tal, as the question spoken in his native language lifted his spirits for the first time in a long while.

Not only did Tal receive help applying for asylum, but the ministry also transported him to and from his medical appointments, provided him with food, and took him to the refugee camp, where he would file his official asylum application and receive accommodation.

Over the next several weeks, Tal and the ministry worker who first saw him standing outside the center became friends. As the man helped ensure that Tal’s needs were met, he also shared the love of Jesus with him, and a gospel seed was planted.

The full story explains that the ministry even arranged for someone to accompany Tal to Denmark. Praise God for all who respond to the opportunity to “go the extra mile.”

Source: God Reports, August 28, 2024

A revival broke out at Ohio State University over the weekend with hundreds of college students showing deep hunger for God as the new school year kicked off.

Student reporters from The Lantern [student paper] report the event was led by members of the school’s football team who preached the gospel before 800-1,000 people. Some campus ministries and churches helped to organize it.

Throughout the evening, football players shared their testimonies as the crowd grew larger and larger. By the end of the night, an estimated 60 students chose to get baptized into the Christian faith in four tubs of water near the stage.

A TikTok video captures some powerful moments from the event. That video has gone viral with supporters sharing it across social media platforms.

Read the full story and another report on the same event as well as another revival event at Texas A&M University (Christian Post).

In other news, the Baltimore Orioles (baseball team) hosted their first-ever “Faith Night,” where players shared what God has done in their lives (Catholic News Agency).

And from further afield, a bigger story: 1 Million Muslims in Iran Have Turned to Christ as 50,000 Mosques Closed (Crosswalk.com, drawing on several sources). Some of our sources uses the term revival a bit loosely, but in this case, it seems quite apt.