Central Asia (MNN)—Christians in Central Asia face conflict on multiple fronts, according to Eric Mock of the Slavic Gospel Association. On top of being caught in the fallout from the conflict between Iran and the U.S., these believers face persecution and a cultural clash within their Muslim-majority communities, especially in rural villages.

“If you’re a Christian, your children are persecuted in school. I heard pastors talk of getting bricks through the window, being threatened and taken away. Depending if you’re along the border of Afghanistan or in a predominantly Muslim context, there’s a fear of being arrested. There’s a fear of pastors literally being killed for their faith, children being taken away from parents and given into orphanages, all kinds of threats,” states Mock.

Despite this fear, Central Asian churches continue to conduct outreach programs, connecting with individuals and building bridges of trust by meeting needs, such as providing food to impoverished homes, and even holding summer camps in remote areas.

“Their context is very difficult, very harsh, and yet they are vibrant for the sake of the Gospel,” says Mock, contrasting this with believers in the U.S. “It’s a shame that we don’t spend more time being bold for the Gospel, especially since we have the freedom to do so. Those in persecuted countries often are even more bold for the Gospel. Let us not neglect what we have.”

He urges Christians in the U.S. to not take for granted the freedoms available to them, and for all believers to continue praying on behalf of those in Central Asia.

“When we watch the headlines in the news, remember, regardless of our opinions about wars and rumors of wars and the politics involved, behind that are real people like you and me, and we’re praying that a greater number of those real people would follow Christ and make Him known, because there are many who still have not heard the gospel.”

Header photo courtesy of Joel Heard via Unsplash.