Why the Azerbaijanis?
There are over 40 million Azerbaijanis in the world. There only 8 million in the nation of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani believers make up only .05% (or roughly 20,000) of that population. This makes the Azerbaijanis one of the least reached people groups with the Gospel.
There are other reasons though why we should consider prioritizing outreach to the Azerbaijanis.
The Azerbaijanis are an extremely strategic, unreached people for several reasons:
- They have no way to hear and respond to the gospel (i.e., a small national church; limited number of congregations).
- There are few believers in Christ among them.
- They are a people group who have linguistic, commercial, educational, or cultural influence over other people groups.
- There is little, or perhaps only localized, outreach or work amongst them globally, even though they are found in some of the most needy and challenging parts of the Muslim world.
- Azerbaijanis share linguistic and cultural affinity with of all the people groups in the Caucasus, the Persian, Russian, Kurdish, Turkish and Arabic speaking nations around them.
- The Azerbaijanis thus hold the keys to entry in to the lands that contain over 200 million peoples. Few other nations in the world can make such a claim .
The Azerbaijanis have shown great interest in the gospel. The church is small but has been growing steadily. A strongly evangelizing and envisioned church amongst the Azerbaijanis would have the potential to reach hundreds of millions in similar language and culture groups and this is why we say the Azerbaijanis should be considered as one of the most strategic people groups in the world.
In Matthew 24:14, Jesus makes it clear that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.” Our work in NAM and as His disciples will not be complete until we have taken seriously the Lord’s command to reach the whole world, so that He can return.
Why the Azerbaijanis?
God in His grace has so positioned them geographically,culturally and at this point in history so as to provide a unique gateway people into some of the least reached and most challenging places in the world. The Lord Jesus has told us He will not return until their are none who can say they have not heard. Join us in praying for and supporting the work of bringing the gospel to the wonderful Azerbaijani people and from them to many others.