Pastor Ali Pektaş is a prominent Christian with a Muslim background who became a Christian after encountering Jesus Christ in a dream during his pilgrimage to Mecca. His testimony, which was produced as a film titled "More than Dreams," has deeply moved many Muslims and Christians alike. He has also had a significant impact on the saints and leaders of the Turkish Church. Serving as the senior pastor at Ankara Blessing Church (formerly known as Batikent Church) in the capital city of Turkey,

Ankara, he has nurtured numerous disciples, and his disciples continue to live out his teachings in various places.

Pastor Ali Pektaş resigned from Ankara Blessing Church approximately 10 years ago and immigrated to Eastern Elbistan to pioneer churches and nurture disciples. He has been faithfully serving in the mission of disciple nurturing and church planting up until now.

SWM Missions visited the earthquake-affected region in Elbistan in February and had the opportunity to reconnect with Pastor Ali Pektaş after more than a decade. We would like to convey the vivid stories we shared during our interaction through Pastor Ali Pektaş's own voice.

Turkey ranks 41st on the 2023 World Watch List as a country with significant Christian persecution, with a gospel growth rate of 0.2% (2023 WWL).

Let us listen together to the remarkable and special plan and purpose of God as He shakes that land and gathers His people.

It has been over 10 years since I stepped down from my ministry in Ankara and came to Elbistan. Please tell me about the reasons for coming to Elbistan and the challenges you have faced during your ministry there.

I graduated from high school here, but this village used to be inhabited by Armenians. The original name of this village was 'Three Churches.' And all the original names in this surrounding area had Christian names.

When I was young, I heard and saw some of the things the adults in this village talked about. I remember being deeply shocked as a child when I learned that they had killed and buried Armenian people in the center of our village. It was an unforgettable event for me.

During my high school years, I would often go alone to the place where the Armenian people were buried and cry. I couldn't understand why these people had to die, and it pained me deeply every time I visited that place.

So, when I was in Istanbul and had faith in Jesus and was serving in ministry, I made a commitment to someday come and serve in this place called Elbistan. This place holds the cries of the bloodshed by Christians in the past. It's as if the voice of Abel's blood, slain by Cain in the Old Testament, is calling out from the ground.

I came here in obedience to the Lord's word. I believed in the promise that the Lord made through prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, that He would restore the former glory.

In the vicinity now, there are many church buildings that have been converted into mosques, but I believe that the Lord has sent me here to restore them once again. When I first came here, I faced many hardships from the local residents, but now things have changed. The government officials and the residents have come to know about the church ministry that I and other Christians are doing here, and we are living well without the same difficulties as before.

When we walk with God, our ministry is not difficult. Especially for me, ever since I met Jesus in my dream, I have lived thinking of myself as a child who simply follows Jesus without revealing my own self. He goes ahead, and I just follow Him. In doing so, He always protects me.

For example, when I go to this restaurant, the owner knows that I am a Christian, but their whole family likes me. I have experienced that as I become more like Jesus as a Christian, everyone starts to like me.

Jesus has no falsehood, no duplicity, He does not harm others, and He does not interfere in politics. In that sense, I am also able to live here without any major problems.

However, if there is one difficulty, it would be that I haven't been able to put up a church sign and formally establish a church in this place, and that is my only concern. But in prayer and faith, I believe that soon the Lord will send brothers and sisters to this place, and a church will be established with strong leaders emerging.

What vision and goals do you have as a pastor while serving the Kingdom of God and ministering in this place?

My goal is not to stay in one place. My goal is to disciple individuals and through them, establish churches in that place.

Even here, my goal remains the same. I am originally from Malatya, not from this place. My goal is to also establish a church here, but it is still a work in progress. The reason is that in places like Ankara or Istanbul, where I have previously established churches, it was done with a team. However, here in "Elbistan," there is currently no team.

As you know, I cannot establish a church alone. A team needs to be formed first. If worship teams or praise teams were formed here, for example, a church would have been established.

Currently, there are disciples here, but there is still no church as a place of worship. However, my vision continues. Disciples are growing not only here in Elbistan but also in the distant countryside.

It is true that ministry and church planting in this land are difficult and challenging. How do you manage and what fruits have you seen in your ministry?

In reality, I haven't faced significant difficulties. This is because I have come to realize that it is not I who live, but Christ who lives within me. Since Jesus is the one working through me, I know how to work by His guidance.

He is not like me. If I had tried to do it alone, I wouldn't have accomplished anything. However, since I have invited Him into my life, the Holy Spirit teaches me what I should and should not do.

Therefore, I can confidently say that there have been no difficulties since my rebirth, and I have been living as a disciple of the Lord. Thanks to this, there are many disciples living a similar life overseas.

Most of my disciples are either working in companies or living abroad. For example, friends who couldn't enter university end up going abroad. In this process, I meet them, share the Gospel, and disciple them. Those who come to believe in Jesus go on to serve in the Church wherever they go, be it the USA, Germany, the UK, France, or anywhere else.

On the other hand, there are also brothers and sisters who haven't gone abroad, and I guide them not only through Sunday worship but also through daily evening home gatherings. Our own homes, as well as the homes of other faithful brothers and sisters, become individual churches that continue to meet. So rather than having a church building, our homes become the church.

Of course, it doesn't mean there are no difficulties. However, Jesus Himself said that we would face tribulation because of His name. We are currently experiencing various hardships and inconveniences among us, and there are still brothers and sisters who struggle with various problems. But we have already overcome and surpassed such things.

I have heard that there have been significant breakthroughs in the relationship with the local community here in Elbistan.

About half of the local residents in my area are aware that I serve as a pastor for the church. Even those who do not believe in Jesus often come to me when they face difficult problems. Some have been healed from illnesses, and childless women have received prayers, and a few families have even experienced blessings of having children.

Nowadays, local residents do not seem to have any problems with me or feel uncomfortable around me. What I want to mention is that the recent earthquake brought us even closer to the local people.

Through this earthquake, the true value of our Christian community has become more evident. Not only myself, but also the Ankara Kurtulus Church, the Kayseri Church, and Korean brothers and sisters have come together to serve as one, and as a result, the name of the Lord has been lifted up. The people have started to praise me and be grateful for me, making my evangelistic work even more successful.

Please provide me with the video link so that I can translate the sentence properly into English.

The first prayer topic is to pray for the brethren of faith to come to this place. I believe that I don't necessarily have to become a pastor for this task.

I hope that ministers can come to this place, even if it's just for a short period, to work together in ministry and disciple believers. Once the disciples are raised up and become pastors of this place, my mission here will be over. The reason why I am saying that I won't be a pastor here anymore is that I am tired from many years of pastoral work and I am getting older.

It is true that as the first generation of pastors on this land, I have faced many difficulties from the Muslims. I have been subjected to criticism and inhumane treatment from the government and surrounding residents. Pastoral work in this land is truly challenging. Therefore, the first prayer topic is to establish a church in this area and raise disciples at the same time.

It is not advisable to solely disciple a disciple. I believe it is important to learn not only from me but also from other ministers in the process of discipling a disciple. If I make a mistake, the disciple may learn something wrong from me. Therefore, I desire a group of ministers to come to this place and pioneer the church together.

Even if the church has not been established here yet, it is important to send our brothers to other churches in different areas to receive more training.

I would like to divide prayer topics for your family and Afghanistan so that we can pray together.

The Lord has bestowed abundant blessings upon my family. However, I have now reached the age of 65, and I am experiencing poor eyesight, while my wife is dealing with diabetes. I humbly request prayers for these matters.

Another pressing issue is the dire situation in the earthquake-affected regions of southeastern Turkey, not just in Afghanistan. In my opinion, sustained assistance is urgently needed for the overall recovery of this area, encompassing not only churches but also the entire population. Providing just a few loaves of bread and a small amount of barley rice will not suffice to meet their needs.

However, the most significant issue is one that I have been praying about for a long time, and personally, I believe I have received an answer...

I believe that our God is 100% pure and completely devoid of evil. However, even a small mistake on our part can give Satan an opportunity to attack. Through the recent earthquake, I questioned why the Lord allowed such an event to occur. During prayer, the Lord showed me Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Lord said to me, "Why do you think Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed? It was not my doing; it was the result of your own sins!" Our nation, throughout its history in this land, has inflicted many wounds upon the Armenians, Greeks, and Jews, both before and after the Ottoman Empire.

It is true that earthquakes can occur not only in our land but also in various places, and it is our God who permits them. If God does not allow it, nothing will happen.

At first, the residents here may have listened to my story as a joke or thought that I had lost my mind. However, I believe that after this earthquake, a significant number of the local residents will turn to the Lord.

Christian believers have shown truly remarkable acts of service in the earthquake-affected areas. Through this earthquake, Christians from around the world have demonstrated amazing practical love, including through their prayers. Therefore, through this earthquake, both churches within Turkey and churches outside need to awaken spiritually and watch over this land.

After the earthquake, numerous disciples of the Lord will emerge in this place. I recently read a statement that said, "We entrusted our lives to Christians. We couldn't protect ourselves by our own strength." Therefore, we are entering a time that requires more active involvement from Christians.

I believe that not only in Elbistan but also in this land, countless disciples of the Lord will arise. I believe that God has a special plan for the earthquake-affected region. In the name of Jesus Christ, I believe that this special plan of the Lord will begin in this land. Amen!