An American woman living with her Turkish husband and children, has been ordered to leave by Turkish authorities with no given reason.
Joy Subasigüller is among over 50 expatriate Christian workers who have been denied residence or re-entry permits over the last 18 months.
“This decision makes me very sad. I love Turkey and the Turkish people”, Joy said. “I have lived here ten years. They were the best years of my life.”
Under Turkish law, many religious communities, including Christians, are restricted from training their own leaders. This has forced the church to heavily depend on foreign pastors to lead congregations.
According to Timur Topuz, chair of the Istanbul Protestant Church Foundation, these laws put the future of the Turkish church at risk.
“We are faced with a systematic pressure targeting Protestant churches. By requiring the pastors of several churches to have a preliminary entry permit, we see that there is an attempt to deprive the church of its pastors.”
With the future of the church at a crossroad, please be praying for Turkey.
Pray For Turkey:
- Pray for peace over expatriates like Joy who have been forced to uproot their lives for their engagement in the church.
- Pray Turkish believers will draw on God’s strength and wisdom as they persevere despite pressure from authorities.
- Pray for opportunities for local believers to become bold and faithful leaders within the Turkish church.
Stay updated with the latest news from the persecuted church.