A Land We Cannot Give Up: Türkiye — Restoring Disciple-Making Missions

Toward the Islamic World: Regional Missionary Interview Series, Part 3 (Missions in Türkiye)

Hope Kim (Member of the Asia Minor Studies Association) Joseph Kwon (Editorial Board Member)

Missions to the Islamic world have long been considered the most difficult and time-consuming task. Government surveillance, cultural and religious resistance to the gospel, and a communal structure where religion is viewed as an “ascribed status” make bearing fruit in missions extremely challenging. However, there are still people in these lands who have never had the chance to hear the gospel, and the Church cannot ignore them.

This interview features profound insights from missionary Hope Kim, who has served in Türkiye for 25 years. He shares a confession heard from local churches: “We tried to raise church leaders, but we failed to make disciples of Jesus.” He underscores the essential nature of Islamic missions—true transformation of churches and communities begins with making disciples.

This article presents theological and strategic reasons why the global Church must not abandon the Islamic world. It also explores creative approaches, team-based missions, wisdom in addressing misconceptions about the gospel, and the unique role Korean churches can play.

Now is not the time to give up on these "hard places," but to embrace them more deeply and start anew—Jesus’ way. May this article help readers rekindle God’s heart and step into missions that make disciples.

Q1. Why must the global Church not give up on missions to the Islamic world? A. Missions to the Islamic world bring great challenges to frontline workers. Many in the global Church perceive it as too difficult. One of the greatest obstacles is accessibility. Most Islamic countries heavily monitor religious activities, making mission work difficult. Local people are often closed off to the gospel and hold many misconceptions and prejudices against Christianity.

American anthropologist Ralph Linton explained that people have both “ascribed status” and “achieved status.” While we view religion as an achieved status (a matter of personal choice), in Islamic societies, religion is considered an ascribed status—something inherited at birth. Therefore, changing one’s religion is extremely difficult.

There are also many misconceptions about Christianity: for example, that Christians worship three gods, that Jesus was only a prophet, or that the Bible has been corrupted.

Because of the lack of visible fruit, some are tempted to give up. But “if we give up because it’s hard, we leave behind those who may never hear the gospel.” In preparation for Jesus’ return, churches must also be established in the Islamic world.

Right now, many in the Muslim world are experiencing confusion about their identity and direction in life. This is a critical time to focus missionally. By concentrating on "hub countries" such as Türkiye, Iran, and Egypt, which influence surrounding nations, the spread of the gospel to unreached people groups can be accelerated.

Q2. How can we overcome external barriers like limited access and government surveillance? A. Various strategies have been attempted within mission organizations to break through these barriers. The key is creative access. All available resources—professionals, students, and short-term teams—must be mobilized.

In the past, “tentmaking missions” often stopped at humanitarian aid. But as visa issues and expulsions have increased, even residing in the field has become difficult. Churches and mission organizations are now working together to research business ideas, resources, and funding.

Short-term teams, from an evangelism perspective, can sometimes be more strategic than long-term missionaries. Therefore, field ministries and the global Church must form large-scale cooperative team ministries.

For example, in the 1970s, American missionaries in Türkiye established businesses and employed local believers. However, this sometimes led to the perception that “believing in Jesus brings financial benefit,” which compromised the purity of the gospel. Since then, missionaries have become more cautious about business-as-mission.

Nonetheless, it remains important for local believers to hold legitimate jobs and have influence in society. Business as mission is still a relevant strategy. But instead of missionaries owning businesses and hiring locals, we must also help locals live as faithful, integrated members of their own society.

Q3. When mobilization is slow due to “lack of fruit,” where can we find the strength to persist? A. Some plant and others water, but it is God who gives the growth. Even in the Islamic world, the time between sowing and harvest is shortening. If we do not give up and work in teams, encouragement flows instead of despair. We’ve witnessed transformation in the field as new families and student missionaries arrive.

Team ministry is especially crucial in Islamic missions. Lone missionaries often become overwhelmed and discouraged, making it difficult to recover.

Sustainability (“lordship”) in the heart of each worker is fundamental. Faithful ministry must be sustained with a focus on mobilizing future workers. Without active mobilization from the sending side, the frontlines lack momentum. Islamic missions are not just about “frontline vs. support”—it is total engagement on all fronts.

Q4. How can we support converts who are persecuted due to religion being an “ascribed status”? A. Those who abandon their ascribed religious identity are seen as traitors. The suffering experienced by converts is far greater than what outsiders imagine.

Efforts to address this include the “insider movement” (which I personally do not support) and migration to regions with religious freedom. Emigration may help individuals but rarely impacts their home societies.

It’s more effective to build relationships with entire families from the start, earn trust, and naturally share the gospel. Relying on the Holy Spirit and helping believers endure suffering locally is key.

Young people or students from rural areas studying in urban centers are relatively freer from ascribed religious identity. They are often more open to the gospel, but conflicts arise when older generations resist change. Therefore, we must reach not just individuals, but also their families—especially parents—to minimize conflict when faith is embraced.

Q5. What are common Muslim misconceptions about Christianity, and how can we address them? A. In some ways, evangelism in the Islamic world is easier than in Korea. Muslims acknowledge and respect God, so conversations about faith can begin more naturally.

However, misconceptions remain. A common one is that Christians believe in three gods. Many Muslims think Christianity worships God, Jesus, and Mary. Others see Jesus only as a prophet and believe the Bible is corrupted.

These misunderstandings are best addressed not through debate but by focusing on the core: “Jesus is the Savior.” When people come to understand their need for a Savior and experience God’s grace, they naturally come to accept the Trinity and the authority of Scripture.

The Qur’an even uses the phrase “Isa al-Masih” (Jesus the Messiah). Most Muslims are unfamiliar with the term’s meaning, but this provides a gateway to share about Jesus as the Savior.

Q6. What is the historical and ethnic significance of missions in Türkiye? A. Türkiye is the land where the glory of the early Church began. However, modern-day Turks are not the descendants of those early Christians. The Turkic people expanded Islam through the Seljuk and Ottoman empires, and today, Türkiye remains a central nation among the 57 Islamic states.

If Türkiye is transformed by the gospel, the ripple effect on surrounding Muslim countries would be immense. The Turkic people, rooted in nomadic traditions, naturally rally around charismatic leaders.

Historically, Islam began in Arabia, its philosophy and culture were developed by Persia, and its global expansion was carried out by the Turkic people.

Q7. Is there a unique role the Korean Church can play in the Turkic world? A. Turkish people view Koreans with special affection for several reasons.First, they believe their ancestry is linked to the ancient Gokturks who lived in northern Korea, thus seeing Koreans as a neighboring people.Second, due to Türkiye’s involvement in the Korean War, the two nations share a “brotherhood” bond.Third, until the 1970s, Türkiye was economically stronger than Korea. When Korea overtook Türkiye in the ’80s and ’90s, Turks did not feel jealous but genuinely rejoiced. Turks feel a much stronger connection to Koreans than Koreans typically feel toward them.

Additionally, due to the popularity of Korean dramas and culture, Koreans are viewed as polite and respectful people. This gives Korean missionaries greater trust and access compared to others.

The “Turkic Belt,” stretching from Central Asia to Türkiye, shares linguistic similarities. If the Korean Church sends both short- and long-term workers to this region, a cooperative “belt strategy” could prove very effective. In fact, many people from Central Asia come to Türkiye for work or study, creating frequent interactions. Missions must align with this dynamic by developing strategic approaches for the entire Turkic Belt.

Q8. What are the principles for building healthy local churches? A. This topic has been discussed among Turkish church leaders.Despite a long mission history, Türkiye has never experienced a revival like that of Central Asia in the 1990s and 2000s—despite sharing Turkic heritage.

In 2010, Turkish church leaders gathered to discuss the reason. The conclusion was:“We tried to build church leaders but failed to make disciples of Jesus.”

While leadership training, preaching, and church administration were implemented, the life of following Jesus as His disciple was lacking.

Learning from this, we must now prioritize “being disciples of Jesus.”Beyond the “three-self” principles (self-governance, self-support, self-propagation), missionaries working in each city must unite to support both the spiritual maturity and economic independence of local churches.

Any final thoughts you’d like to share? A. Globally, only 3% of missionaries serve among unreached people groups. Among them, only about 2% are in the Islamic world.This percentage has not changed much in the 30 years since I began ministry. The Islamic world remains largely unreached.

But missions to Muslims are possible—through patient perseverance, the concern of the global Church, and all-encompassing cooperation.