A Church Rising From the Ruins

Two years ago, Selin and Adem’s ministry was literally shaken to the ground.

The February 2023 earthquakes that claimed over 55,000 lives in Türkiye and Syria and displaced millions hit the neighborhood in which Selin and Adem, local believers, had ministered for nearly a quarter century. In 1999, the couple had established ACC Church in this predominantly Muslim area, trusting God to work through them to grow this fellowship. Yet, in spite of their faithful outreach, the church remained relatively unknown in the community.

Then the earthquakes struck, transforming a bustling downtown into a maze of rubble. Most of the buildings were damaged beyond repair, and church members left their flattened homes to resettle elsewhere. Without a congregation or facilities for ministry, Selin and Adem could easily have considered the quakes the final blow to their efforts.

They didn’t.

Today, a multistory building boldly bearing a cross stands tall on the still-recovering street. A few miles away, a ministry center welcomes a steady stream of people craving the peace they experience there. As Selin says, “The Lord is working so wonderfully, it’s unbelievable.”

This work is thriving in the ground of compassion. Amid their own great need and deep grief in the wake of the earthquakes, Selin and Adem looked for opportunities to reach out. Though they and their son had been left homeless, they turned their focus to helping others in their community who had been cut off from resources and were facing the trauma of overwhelming loss.

Gifts to the Christar Relief and Refugee Fund enabled them to distribute aid, hold programs for children who’d been displaced and host volunteers who came to help. As they did, God answered over two decades of prayers in just a few months. Not only did the church become known in the community, people began to come with hearts open to the gospel.

Over the course of two years, this spiritual hunger has flourished amid the rubble of a place that for so long seemed unresponsive to ministry. “People are coming to the church in crowds,” Selin shares excitedly. “Many are saying they believe, opening their hearts. In every meeting we hold, when we ask if anyone wants to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and open their hearts to Him, 90% raise their hands and genuinely want Jesus Christ to work in their hearts!”

This hunger thrives both at the church and at the ministry center in the nearby neighborhood where Selin and Adem relocated after the earthquakes. “We moved here because there were no organizations helping the Muslim community living here at the time,” Selin recalls.

It was in this community that they devoted themselves to ministry in the months following, first while living out of their car, then in a tent, then in a housing container that was part of the staging area for the waves of volunteers—and finally, in December 2024, in a home. “Thousands of thanks to the Lord—this was a great miracle for us, and the Lord made it happen,” Selin exclaims. “We finally have a house of our own and sleep in a bedroom, in a normal bed. We had missed this so much—it’s so comfortable. The bathroom is nearby, and everything is more convenient." 

God has blessed the couple’s efforts in this neighborhood from the beginning. Children’s programs, Christmas outreaches and more brought members of the community by the dozens and sometimes hundreds. Now the ministry center they established is a hub of constant connection with people eager for the hope they’ve seen demonstrated in Selin and Adem.

“The ministry began here and continues here,” Selin shares as she tells of the Bible studies and meetings for women, children and youth in the community. “Every single day people come to have coffee, chat and ask for prayers. They look for someone to share their troubles with, and we are always available.” 

Their continual presence and dedication to ministry, even while they are still recovering from the devastation, has compellingly communicated God’s compassion and care to people bearing deep wounds of loss. As Selin explains, “They’ve gotten to know us. They trust us, and they say, ‘We can’t talk to others because people gossip about us everywhere. But with you, we feel safe. We know you keep things private and pray for us.’ Some even say this is the only place they can breathe—that sitting down for tea or coffee here feels like healing. It’s as if this place has become a hospital, a refuge for people.”

Amid the many daily reminders of the earthquakes’ devastation, this refuge is an especially powerful place. Christar worker Heidi, who recently visited the area, shares, “The area is still run-down, and rebuilding is very slow. It will probably take years, and even then, it seems the scars of the event will still be visible. But many believe God is doing a big work among the people there and it will affect a good portion of the country.”

As recovery slowly continues, Selin and Adem ask God to continue to bring to fruition the vision for a church that He gave them more than 25 years ago. “The situation remains difficult. There are still many needs,” Selin says. “People lost their jobs when the city center was leveled by the earthquake. … Please pray that the Lord lifts these people up, helps them rebuild their businesses and most importantly, brings them to genuine faith in Him.”

She continues, “Pray also for wisdom and guidance for us to know how best to serve. … May the Lord touch hearts. May there be many who come to faith. And please pray that they change our city,” She urges. “Pray like that. Because that's my prayer for them."

We praise God for working through local believers’ compassion in the wake of disaster to awaken a spiritual hunger in their community! Just as gifts to the Christar Relief and Refugee Fund enabled Selin and Adem to tangibly demonstrate God’s love and care to people who’d experienced great loss, donations toward this fund continue to allow our ministry partners to respond quickly to meet physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Give now to help compassion be a catalyst for the gospel in the midst of crises.

Participate Through Prayer:

• Praise God for Selin and Adem’s faithful ministry amid their great need.
• Rejoice that He has given many in their community spiritual hunger.
• Pray for ongoing wisdom for Selin and Adem as they serve, and ask the Lord to continue to work through them to provide a refuge of hope for their neighbors.
• Pray that many people will wholeheartedly embrace the gospel, that the church will grow and that God will use its members to transform the lives of many others.