The little church in a village in Tajikistan was founded around 70 years ago by believers mainly from Germany and Russia who were forcibly removed by the Communists to remote parts of Central Asia.
They began to reach out to their new neighbours, by preaching and living according to God’s word. New believers were born, and the church grew. In the 1990s, the country was overrun by civil war, involving aggressive Islamic forces, and the village became a centre of radical Islam. Many church members left. Only a few elderly sisters remained to carry on, faithfully serving the Lord. Then God did a wonderful thing. He sent a new revival, this time among the indigenous Tajik people, and the church revived.
Recently the church has gone through further trials. Within a short period of time, they lost their ‘Prayer House’ (church building) and their ‘Hope Centre’ – an associated building nearby used for Christian humanitarian ministry to the poor and vulnerable. Both buildings had been used and blessed in ministry. Then, a visit from a government official brought ominous news. A large construction project was planned for the land on which their buildings stood, under the direction and ownership of well-connected individuals. No-one was prepared to take the side of the church in opposing the scheme. They were ordered to vacate their buildings. The church prayed for a miracle.
