Investing in the future of the Turkish Church
Henry, an MTh student living in Turkey and part of the Nicea Conference organising team, shares how Union is making a difference to our brothers and sisters in Christ by providing book translations for low-access languages like Turkish, and future plans to support ministry leaders and churchgoers across the country.
We’re living in an exciting moment when we consider the ways that Union can invest in the future of the Turkish Church.
Dr. Reeves’ willingness to spend time with local pastors this fall has been met with sincere thankfulness among the brothers here. A friend of mine who translates resources for the Church was giddy with excitement when I told him we had permission to translate Dr. Fairbairn’s The Trinity. He has been longing to encourage the Turkish Church to delight in the Trinity, but this will be the first healthy, accessible book available in Turkish on the subject-this in the very land where the foundations of the Trinity were first articulated!
There are a number of like-minded brothers scattered throughout the country, but for training they have been limited and rely on those who can study in English and translate for them, or must tread carefully through the unsound academies that are currently offered in their language.
We’ve made good use of what is available to us, and good teachers have been brought in and translated as they teach. But we long for the day when these men can be so equipped that they are able to rise up and teach each other. Additionally, Union conferences could be strategic “safe zones” for church leaders to gather and deepen their relationships. The churches are far too isolated from each other on the whole. Union would be uniquely positioned to bring church leaders together without the taint of historical baggage.
It’s my hope that translating good resources, providing learning communities, and offering chances to gather together meaningfully would lay a foundation that would see these leaders one day write and teach these things to their children and grandchildren.
Find out more about the all-round support that Union is providing for ministry and mission across the world: