Stephanie Cartwright
Twelve People Groups, Twelve Months: A New Prayer Movement Rises Among Azerbaijan’s Unreached
On April 25, 2026, a new prayer movement was launched in Baku, Azerbaijan, uniting over 70 Christian leaders to reach the country’s 100 distinct ethnic groups. Through the “Twelve People Groups, Twelve Months” initiative, Mission Eurasia is mobilizing believers to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps with the gospel. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” – Matthew 9:37-38 On April 25, 2026, in Baku, something began that the believers gathered there refused to call an event. They called it a beginning. A Country of a Hundred People Groups Azerbaijan is a country of mosaics. Roughly 90 percent of its population identifies as ethnic Azerbaijani, but the remaining 10 percent represents close to 100 distinct ethnicities – most of them rooted in centuries-old Islamic tradition, most of them still without a sustained gospel…
Mongolia’s Christian Renaissance: Growth, Challenges, and Transformation
Once a land with virtually no known evangelical Christians, Mongolia has experienced a spiritual revolution over the last three decades. Following the collapse of Soviet-aligned communism in 1990, a massive spiritual vacuum was filled by an explosive movement of faith. Today, with a thriving indigenous church led by a new generation of believers, Mongolia stands as one of the most remarkable stories of Christian transformation in modern history. “For nothing will be impossible with God.” – Luke 1:37 (ESV) In 1990, Mongolia had essentially zero evangelical Christians. Decades of Soviet-aligned communist rule had eliminated visible Christian presence from this Central Asian nation. Churches had been closed, religious leaders persecuted, and generations raised under atheist ideology knew nothing of the gospel. Then everything changed. Within three decades, the Mongolian church has grown from nothing to an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 believers-one of the fastest church growth rates in modern missions history….
The Eurasian Steppe: Where Nomadic Traditions Meet Christian Mission
The Eurasian Steppe stretches across the heart of the world’s largest landmass-a vast belt of grassland extending approximately 8,000 kilometers from Hungary in the west to Manchuria in the east. This endless horizon of grass, sky, and wind has shaped human history for millennia. Empires rose and fell across these plains. Trade routes carried goods, ideas, and religions from one civilization to another. Nomadic peoples developed cultures uniquely adapted to life on the move. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” – Psalm 19:1-2 (ESV) Today, the steppe remains home to diverse peoples, many of whom have never heard the gospel. The same vast distances that once facilitated conquest and commerce now present challenges for ministry. Yet God is at work across these grasslands, raising up national believers who understand nomadic…
Christianity in Azerbaijan: The Church in a Secular Muslim Nation
Azerbaijan presents a fascinating paradox. Between 85-97 percent of the population is culturally Muslim—predominantly Shia with a significant Sunni minority. Yet the country maintains a firmly secular constitution, a legacy of Soviet-era atheism, and deliberate government policy… The government actively restricts religious expression it considers extreme or foreign, applying these restrictions to both Islamic movements and non-traditional religious groups.
Tajikistan’s Religious Landscape: Opportunities for Christian Ministry in a Muslim-Majority Nation
Tajikistan remains the poorest of the former Soviet republics—a mountainous Central Asian nation plagued by corruption, economic hardship, and religious restrictions. Over 99 percent of its population identifies as Muslim, and evangelical Christians comprise less than 0.1 percent. Laws restrict religious activity, and believers face pressure from government authorities and family members alike.Yet in the shadow of the Pamir Mountains, God is at work. Courageous Tajik Christians are sharing their faith despite the cost, and lives are being transformed by the gospel. The church in Tajikistan may be small, but it is growing—a testimony to the power of God working through faithful national believers who refuse to be silenced.
Christianity in Turkmenistan: Faith in One of the World’s Most Restrictive Nations
In a nation where religious freedom is constitutionally guaranteed but practically suppressed, Turkmenistan’s underground church faces daily risks. Discover how faithful believers are navigating extreme restrictions to share hope and grow the gospel in one of the world’s most repressive landscapes.