“Turkmenistan, the Lord has given you the light of the knowledge of God’s glory!”
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.(2 Corinthians 4:6,NIV)
》 Country Profile
Continent | Central Asia
Population | 5.63 million
Area | 448,100㎢, Located between Iran and Uzbekistan in Central Asia
Capital City | Ashgabat (880,000 people)
People Groups | Total 49 groups, Turkmen 76.3%, Uzbeks 7%, Aimags 4.1%, Russians 2.7%, Armenians 1.4%
People Groups Unreached | 30 (95% of the population)
Official Language(s) | Turkmen
Total Languages | 48
Bible Translations | Completed 33, New Testament 9, Partial 4
Religion | Christianity 3.8% (Protestant 0.08% Orthodox 3%), Islam 94.1%, Non-religious 1.9%, Evangelicals 0.11% (Approximately 6,000 people)
》 About Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan‘s history began in the 6th century with the migration of the nomadic Turkic people. In 1924, it was established as the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic and became part of the Soviet Union in 1925. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Turkmenistan adopted a presidential system and gained independence. The former Communist Party leader, Saparmurat Niyazov, transformed himself into a nationalist dictator (often referred to as the “North Korea of Central Asia”) and controlled the military, police, judiciary, economy, and media. After his death in 2006, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow became the second president in 2007. In 2022, he stepped down from the presidency, and his son, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, was elected president. However, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow still holds significant political influence as the chairman of the People’s Council.
The economy heavily relies on natural gas and oil resources, as Turkmenistan possesses the fourth-largest natural gas reserves in the world. About half of the workforce is employed in agriculture, while 38% work in the service sector. The two main crops are cotton, primarily produced for export, and wheat, mainly consumed domestically. Since mid-2014, low international oil prices have hindered economic growth and reduced government revenue. Subsidy cuts in various sectors have led to increased wage arrears. The economy has stagnated due to currency devaluation, restricted currency conversion, corruption, income inequality, isolationist policies, and reduced public service spending.
Turkmenistan’s GDP per capita is approximately $15,500.
》 Scripture Focus
| Corinthians 4:4-10(NIV) 4. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 7. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9. persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. |
》 Prayer Points
1.Turkmenistan is a country that imposes severe restrictions on Christianity. Despite these measures, there are eight Protestant churches and around 6,000 evangelical believers. Let us give thanks for this. Churches can gather openly but are always under surveillance. Authorities frequently raid Christian homes without notice, searching for Bibles and other Christian literature. As a result, some families worship in secret because if the government discovers that a Turkmen has accepted Christ, the convert faces immediate persecution.
Let us pray to overthrow Satan, who blinds the minds of unbelievers in Turkmenistan, preventing them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Let us also pray for grace and truth to fill the churches in Turkmenistan so that they may proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord as servants for His sake.
2. Amid government oppression, most foreign Christian believers have been expelled. Currently, apart from one family from the Western world, there are no known missionaries sharing the gospel in the country. Police monitor their phone calls, making it difficult to meet with people and build relationships to share the gospel. Let us pray that the churches will stand firm in faith, not losing heart despite being hard-pressed on every side, perplexed, or persecuted. Let us also pray for the four mission organizations working for Turkmenistan, that more workers and opportunities to spread the gospel will be opened. The Turkmen people have diaspora communities scattered across several countries. Among them, there are small but evangelized areas in Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Iran.
Let us pray that the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” will shine the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ upon the Turkmen diaspora, leading them to salvation.
3. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Turkmenistan has been under long-term authoritarian rule with continued leader worship. This has persisted through the election of its third president. Using welfare benefits from natural gas production, leaders have blinded the people’s minds, controlled the press and freedom, and exalted themselves. Let us pray that the light of the knowledge of the glory of Jesus Christ, the ruler of all nations, will shine upon these self-exalting leaders.
In a country long plagued by idolatry, where golden statues and portraits of leaders are erected, and self-glorifying texts are imposed, let us pray that the gospel will transform the land, restoring it as a nation that worships God alone.
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