HOPE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION IN KAZAKHSTAN
During the decades of Soviet rule, the government’s mission was to erase all traces of faith, teaching the people of Kazakhstan that God did not exist. Churches were shut down, destroyed, and belief in God was often met with severe punishment. For the older generations of Kazakhs, hearing the Gospel was not just rare – it could be dangerous, with risks of imprisonment or death for seeking the truth of Jesus Christ.
In 2005, FEBC established a presence in Kazakhstan with the hopes of broadcasting to FM frequencies. However, to this day they still have not been able to receive government permission to broadcast on FM frequencies. Despite this, FEBC has been faithfully sharing the Gospel through shortwave radio and internet media.
Recently, FEBC Eurasia made the commitment to invest into their social media, and by God’s grace, this has opened new doors to reach a generation of young Kazakhs that are searching for hope and truth in a predominantly Muslim country. For many of these young listeners, they are hearing the life-changing message of Jesus for the first time. Many of their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, even listening to Gospel broadcasts was near impossible, and potentially dangerous.
These young listeners have been discovering and boldly sharing the Gospel through Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms. Although Kazakhstan is a predominantly Muslim country, many of these young believers are unfazed by the cultural beliefs surrounding them. They share that they are simply searching for true freedom, acceptance, and “something that speaks to me” – a longing that the Hope of Jesus Christ is fulfilling in their lives.
At a recent FEBC gathering, many of these young social media broadcasters were invited to visit the FEBC studio in Almaty. Among them was a young man who had been a Christian for a year. Though he hadn’t yet told his Muslim parents about his faith, he had already been sharing the Gospel boldly on social media for FEBC. When he was asked, “Aren’t you afraid to tell your parents because you might be rejected?” He responded, “I know they will reject my faith, but they will not reject me. I am now prepared to be able to address them with hopes that they, too, will become Christians.”
"I know they will reject my faith, but they will not reject me."
- A young Kazakh social media broadcaster
God is raising up a generation in Kazakhstan that is passionate and willing to share the Good News despite all the challenges that they face. They have faith and trust that the Gospel is capable of transforming even the hardest of hearts.
FEBC is continuously inspired by the faith and perseverance of these young Kazakh listeners. Many are former Muslims, who have listened to the online broadcast and became enthusiastic disciples for Christ. The transformation they’ve experienced is profound, as many of them have left behind their former beliefs to embrace the Gospel and boldly proclaim their faith in God.
Kazakhstan is a nation of first-generation believers – many of these young Christians are the first in their families to accept Jesus Christ as their saviour. In a country with few established churches, these believers face unique challenges in their walk with Christ. That makes FEBC’s mission to broadcast the hope and truth of the Gospel so important in places like Kazakhstan. With every hour of broadcasting, God’s Word is reaching hearts, building up new believers, and planting seeds in a region that is looking for truth and hope.