Three Foursquare family members were brutally killed in Malatya, Turkey on Wednesday, April 18, where they were serving as a Foursquare church planting team. Necati Aydin, Ugur Yuksel and Tilmann Geske (two Turkish nationals and a German missionary, respectively) were volunteering in a Bible publishing house on the day when attackers—Muslim extremists—took their lives.
Yet, in the midst of this horrific tragedy the Sovereign Lord is at work. Since new Christian Turks in a Muslim nation are outraged at the violence that has taken place within their borders, the situation has received wide media coverage. The result: the Gospel message has traveled throughout the country in a way few imagined! Praise God!
The funeral for Necati Aydin—which became a memorial for all three men killed—received national coverage by five Turkish news networks. At this funeral Pastor Ihsan Ozbek, the President of Foursquare Turkey, preached a powerful sermon on the Gospel message.
Pastor Ihsan has also been interviewed and has been given opportunity at a national level to confront some of the myths and lies that have been historically perpetuated throughout the Islamic community regarding Christianity and Christian converts. An unprecedented opportunity for the church to proclaim the truth of Jesus has emerged.
Pastor Ihsan stated: “There is more freedom than ever to witness to the Gospel because of this painful event that has occurred!”
Please continue to pray for the families of those who have lost a beloved husband and father. Two of the widows and their families have left Malatya, but Mrs. Geske has chosen to remain there. Pray also for members of the whole Christian church in Turkey, that all will be strengthened as witnesses for the Lord and persevere even in the wake of persecution.
