Azerbaijan
A LAND OF GOSPEL NEED AND GOSPEL OPPORTUNITY
Mission Eurasia works in Azerbaijan and the other countries of Eurasia to train and equip young Christian leaders for effective ministry.
Azerbaijan is a Muslim-majority nation that shares a border with Armenia. Like Armenia, it was also incorporated into the Soviet Union for several decades and continues to suffer the same fate of many former Soviet nations, even in independence: corruption, weak education and health care, and an unreliable judicial system that stifles progress.
In recent years, presidential term limits were abolished, and term lengths were extended from five to seven years. This, combined with highly questionable elections, has pushed Azerbaijan toward autocracy. Economically, Azerbaijan has an oil-based economy that consequently fluctuates with oil prices. While some measures have been taken to diversify the economy, progress is stunted by corruption and other political endeavors like the decades-long conflict with neighboring Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Between 85 and 97 percent of Azerbaijan’s population are culturally Muslim and roughly 0.22 percent are evangelical Christian. Religious laws remain restrictive regarding registration requirements for religious bodies (like churches), limits to proselytizing by foreigners, control over religious literature, and harassment of “non-traditional” religions like Jehovah’s Witnesses and evangelical Protestant Christians. Despite these difficulties, the evangelical church in Azerbaijan is growing over 1 percent faster than the global growth rate of 2.6 percent. It is a land of gospel need but also of gospel opportunity.
Thanks to your support, our School Without Walls (SWW) program has surely contributed to boosting this statistic as the initiative continues to grow and our students continue to fearlessly share the gospel with their neighbors. In 2023, you supported our SWW ministry training for 70 enrolled leaders, 23 of whom graduated from the full two-year program. Not confined to Azerbaijan, our efforts can affect neighboring Iran where roughly 17.5 million ethnic Azerbaijanis live. For Western missionaries, Iran is nearly impossible, however, the doors are open for our SWW students and those they share the gospel with.
“Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.”
Psalm 96:2–3
A LAND OF GOSPEL NEED AND GOSPEL OPPORTUNITY
Mission Eurasia works in Azerbaijan and the other countries of Eurasia to train and equip young Christian leaders for effective ministry.
Azerbaijan is a Muslim-majority nation that shares a border with Armenia. Like Armenia, it was also incorporated into the Soviet Union for several decades and continues to suffer the same fate of many former Soviet nations, even in independence: corruption, weak education and health care, and an unreliable judicial system that stifles progress.
In recent years, presidential term limits were abolished, and term lengths were extended from five to seven years. This, combined with highly questionable elections, has pushed Azerbaijan toward autocracy. Economically, Azerbaijan has an oil-based economy that consequently fluctuates with oil prices. While some measures have been taken to diversify the economy, progress is stunted by corruption and other political endeavors like the decades-long conflict with neighboring Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Between 85 and 97 percent of Azerbaijan’s population are culturally Muslim and roughly 0.22 percent are evangelical Christian. Religious laws remain restrictive regarding registration requirements for religious bodies (like churches), limits to proselytizing by foreigners, control over religious literature, and harassment of “non-traditional” religions like Jehovah’s Witnesses and evangelical Protestant Christians. Despite these difficulties, the evangelical church in Azerbaijan is growing over 1 percent faster than the global growth rate of 2.6 percent. It is a land of gospel need but also of gospel opportunity.
Thanks to your support, our School Without Walls (SWW) program has surely contributed to boosting this statistic as the initiative continues to grow and our students continue to fearlessly share the gospel with their neighbors. In 2023, you supported our SWW ministry training for 70 enrolled leaders, 23 of whom graduated from the full two-year program. Not confined to Azerbaijan, our efforts can affect neighboring Iran where roughly 17.5 million ethnic Azerbaijanis live. For Western missionaries, Iran is nearly impossible, however, the doors are open for our SWW students and those they share the gospel with.
“Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.”
Psalm 96:2–3
A LAND OF GOSPEL NEED AND GOSPEL OPPORTUNITY
Mission Eurasia works in Azerbaijan and the other countries of Eurasia to train and equip young Christian leaders for effective ministry.
Azerbaijan is a Muslim-majority nation that shares a border with Armenia. Like Armenia, it was also incorporated into the Soviet Union for several decades and continues to suffer the same fate of many former Soviet nations, even in independence: corruption, weak education and health care, and an unreliable judicial system that stifles progress.
In recent years, presidential term limits were abolished, and term lengths were extended from five to seven years. This, combined with highly questionable elections, has pushed Azerbaijan toward autocracy. Economically, Azerbaijan has an oil-based economy that consequently fluctuates with oil prices. While some measures have been taken to diversify the economy, progress is stunted by corruption and other political endeavors like the decades-long conflict with neighboring Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Between 85 and 97 percent of Azerbaijan’s population are culturally Muslim and roughly 0.22 percent are evangelical Christian. Religious laws remain restrictive regarding registration requirements for religious bodies (like churches), limits to proselytizing by foreigners, control over religious literature, and harassment of “non-traditional” religions like Jehovah’s Witnesses and evangelical Protestant Christians. Despite these difficulties, the evangelical church in Azerbaijan is growing over 1 percent faster than the global growth rate of 2.6 percent. It is a land of gospel need but also of gospel opportunity.
Thanks to your support, our School Without Walls (SWW) program has surely contributed to boosting this statistic as the initiative continues to grow and our students continue to fearlessly share the gospel with their neighbors. In 2023, you supported our SWW ministry training for 70 enrolled leaders, 23 of whom graduated from the full two-year program. Not confined to Azerbaijan, our efforts can affect neighboring Iran where roughly 17.5 million ethnic Azerbaijanis live. For Western missionaries, Iran is nearly impossible, however, the doors are open for our SWW students and those they share the gospel with.
“Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.”
Psalm 96:2–3
A LAND OF GOSPEL NEED AND GOSPEL OPPORTUNITY
Mission Eurasia works in Azerbaijan and the other countries of Eurasia to train and equip young Christian leaders for effective ministry.
Azerbaijan is a Muslim-majority nation that shares a border with Armenia. Like Armenia, it was also incorporated into the Soviet Union for several decades and continues to suffer the same fate of many former Soviet nations, even in independence: corruption, weak education and health care, and an unreliable judicial system that stifles progress.
In recent years, presidential term limits were abolished, and term lengths were extended from five to seven years. This, combined with highly questionable elections, has pushed Azerbaijan toward autocracy. Economically, Azerbaijan has an oil-based economy that consequently fluctuates with oil prices. While some measures have been taken to diversify the economy, progress is stunted by corruption and other political endeavors like the decades-long conflict with neighboring Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Between 85 and 97 percent of Azerbaijan’s population are culturally Muslim and roughly 0.22 percent are evangelical Christian. Religious laws remain restrictive regarding registration requirements for religious bodies (like churches), limits to proselytizing by foreigners, control over religious literature, and harassment of “non-traditional” religions like Jehovah’s Witnesses and evangelical Protestant Christians. Despite these difficulties, the evangelical church in Azerbaijan is growing over 1 percent faster than the global growth rate of 2.6 percent. It is a land of gospel need but also of gospel opportunity.
Thanks to your support, our School Without Walls (SWW) program has surely contributed to boosting this statistic as the initiative continues to grow and our students continue to fearlessly share the gospel with their neighbors. In 2023, you supported our SWW ministry training for 70 enrolled leaders, 23 of whom graduated from the full two-year program. Not confined to Azerbaijan, our efforts can affect neighboring Iran where roughly 17.5 million ethnic Azerbaijanis live. For Western missionaries, Iran is nearly impossible, however, the doors are open for our SWW students and those they share the gospel with.
“Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.”
Psalm 96:2–3
Spread God's Love Across Azerbaijan with School Without Walls
Help end decades of religious persecution for the minority Christians in this troubled nation. Your efforts will help our School Without Walls program grow into a positive force for change.
Please help end religious persecution in Azerbaijan.
Prayer Requests
- Please continue to pray for the evangelical church in Azerbaijan. Pray it will continue to grow so that believers can share the hope of Christ in a country that is predominantly Muslim.
- Please pray for the thousands of people living in Azerbaijan who have been displaced by its ongoing war with Armenia.
- Please pray for the expansion of our SWW program as we seek to train new ministry leaders, organize strategic conferences and other events, and establish new churches throughout the nation.
- Please pray for our Next Generation leaders. Pray they will boldly share their faith in the face of persecution, and continue to seek out ways to serve as leaders through their churches and in their communities.
RAFAEL’S STORY
“My name is Rafael, and I am 28 years old. I was born into a Muslim family, and I practiced Islam until 2020. I survived conflict during my time in the military, but I also had memories of war and friends whom I lost. The scenes kept passing before my eyes, but it was about that time when I met Brother Novruz from Baku and a School Without Walls (SWW) student. He told me about Jesus and how Jesus could help me.
“I asked, ‘Why Jesus?’ Of course, He is a prophet in Islam, but how could He help me? We spoke constantly and Novruz invited me to a local church service where something touched my heart and healed my wounds. I couldn't contain my tears. I realized that Jesus had been with me all along, but I didn't know Him. Now I do.
“I met Brother Zaur who invited me to join the SWW program. I gladly accepted the invitation and never regretted it. After I started attending SWW sessions, faith took root in my heart and I started growing spiritually. Jeremiah 29:11 became an important verse in my life—and it turned everything upside down.
“I began to think sensibly about how to live and to believe that the Lord would direct me. Through people who have mentored me, I believe I will be able to learn to grow in my service to others. It's amazing how I have learned to direct my energy as I started to learn how to delve into Scripture. I now want to put my knowledge into practice to glorify our Lord.”
