Many Turks are spiritually searching at this time. Missionaries who have worked in Turkey for many years say that they have never experienced such openness as now.
Many Turks are questioning Islam and seeking alternatives, including the Christian faith. A Christian radio station in the country, the Danish European Mission's partner Radio Shema, has just been offered an additional frequency on the popular FM band where it can legally broadcast Christian programs.
The new radio station will broadcast in southeastern Turkey and has the potential to reach 500,000 people.
Doctor recommends Christian radio for cancer patients
Radio Shema already has stations in Ankara, Samsun, Antalya and Mardin, and one of the staff members talks about her daughter's classmate whose mother, Jelis, was being treated for cancer.
After chemo treatment at one of the leading cancer hospitals in the country, her doctor recommended that she listen to Radio Shema while she recovered. The doctor said he recommends it to all their cancer patients because it gives them hope and encourages them. How gratifying that the impact of worship, Christian music and programs filled with hope is so tangible that a cancer doctor recommends the radio to his patients!
Not only do people get hope. They also come to faith through the broadcasts. One listener from the Red Crescent (the Turkish version of the Red Cross) was deeply touched by the scriptures read out on the radio. He asked one of his believing friends how to become a Christian. His friend helped him and put him in touch with a church.
Professor of Islam visits church
The spiritual quest is very much felt among young people. In Samsun, one of the areas with the fewest Christians in Turkey, a professor of Islam visited a church after Easter with his students, who were able to ask the priest questions.
After many questions, a student asked if the pastor would give a sermon. The professor did not intervene and the pastor was able to deliver his Easter sermon, in which he spoke about the very core of the Christian faith, the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Something like this would probably never have happened in Samsun in the past, but it is happening these years.
Radio breaks down prejudices against Christians
In Turkey, radio has traditionally been considered a very trustworthy medium, while the perception of TV is more nuanced as it is also used for entertainment. Therefore, Christian radio programs are considered
also to be credible and can break down the many prejudices that still thrive in certain parts of the population.
Prejudices are built up in schools, where students are wrongly taught that Jesus is only a prophet and that Christians believe in three different gods because of the Trinity. Many also believe that becoming a Christian is incompatible with national Turkish identity. Therefore, Muslims who convert to the Christian faith can experience a lot of pressure from family, friends and communities to return to Islam.
Radio Shema's programs break down these prejudices. There are news programs, political programs and sports programs that are not directly preachy, but speak from Christian values and morals. There are programs that review the Bible, Christian music and programs where people talk about their faith journeys. There are women's programs and a men's program is in the works.
Follow-up teams are ready to receive listener inquiries and accompany them on their faith journey.
"There is a revival coming"
The new radio station will broadcast in southeastern Turkey, where there are the fewest Christians.
One of our contacts in Turkey says: "There is a revival going on. There has never been so much openness and there have never been so many people listening to our programs."
You can ensure that more people in Turkey hear about God's love. It costs 149,607 kroner to buy radio equipment and run the new radio station for 1½ years, equivalent to around 11 kroner per hour, every day, seven days a week. It can be done so cheaply because certain programs that are broadcast in other parts of Turkey can be reused.
Thank you so much for standing with the local Turkish radio workers who are reaching out to searching people in Turkey.
