STORIES OF HOPE

Local church pastors won’t stop telling people about Jesus

Pastor Nabil wants every person in Azerbaijan to hear the Gospel. But currently only three percent of the population professes faith in Jesus.

Like most Azerbaijanis Nabil grew up in a Muslim family. But when he was 12 years old, he heard about Jesus at a nearby church. He made a decision of faith but struggled to find his place within his conservative community.

Eventually he forgot about his faith and focused on his passion for the arts, dancing professionally around the world. When he tore his meniscus, his creative world came crashing down. 

He remembered Jesus and prayed for healing. When his prayers were answered, he sensed a new calling on his life. God wanted him to return home and tell others about Him. 

Nabil returned to Azerbaijan. He connected with a local church where he grew in his faith. Seven years later he felt led to start his own church. 

Today his church has grown expotentially. And despite the ever-present concern that the government will take notice and shut them down, Pastor Nabil and his congregation will not stop telling people about Jesus.

Although he serves more than 1,000 miles aways, Pastor Shuhrat shares the same vision and determination. Nothing will stop him from telling others about Jesus—not even a prison cell. 

As a teenager Pastor Shuhrat trusted in Jesus. When his family found out, they completely disowned him and kicked him out of their house. Yet he refused to walk away from his faith. Instead Shuhrat became a pastor, and during the height of Uzbekistan’s religious persecution, he was imprisoned in a government facility for sharing about Jesus. 

Once released from his cell, Pastor Shuhrat went right back to work. And his vision for reaching Uzbekistan remains. He recently shared,

We have a vision and believe that we will have an evangelical team in every corner of Uzbekistan—north, south, east and west—the sole purpose of which is sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in every village, city and region of our country.

Currently the situation in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan has improved slightly. But pastors know their limited religious freedom may not last forever. The risks are still high and persecution still abounds in many areas. 

Regardless of the dangers, Pastor Nabil and Pastor Shuhrat still share the same mission—they won’t stop telling people about Jesus until everyone across Central Asia hears about Him. 

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