Kazakhstan
GOVERNMENT: Presidential republic
POPULATION: 20 million
RELIGION: Islam (majority), Russian Orthodox Christianity
LANGUAGE: Kazakh (official), Russian (widely used)
CURRENCY: Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT)
CLIMATE: Hot summers, cold winters
Pray with us
Pray for the country’s leadership. Ask God that those in power will govern with integrity, resist corruption, and wisely invest the country’s vast resources for the well-being of all. Pray that believers in leadership would steward well their influence.
Pray for the unreached Uzbeks, Uyghurs, and other ethnic minorities. Though Christians mainly live in urban areas, ask God to move in rural villages and towns. Pray for missionaries willing to go and learn their heart languages and cultural contexts.
Pray for church unity and protection. With seminary closures and increasing persecution, the Church needs courageous leaders with steadfast faith. Ask God for disciple-makers to rise and for Kazakhstan to be a sending nation into Central Asia and beyond.
THE REALITY
Kazakhstan is a cultural crossroads where Islamic tradition, post-Soviet history, and modern culture intersect. While the nation is officially secular, Islam remains deeply woven into daily life, from family values and social norms to public holidays. To choose to follow Jesus is a radical decision, especially for those of Muslim background. Their reality often reflects rejection, persecution, and often, isolation.
With over 70% of the population still unreached by the Gospel, many Kazakhs grow up never hearing the message of Christ with clarity and in a personal context. Yet, despite increasing legal restrictions on public evangelism and the closure of all Bible colleges and seminaries, Christians are growing in number among Central Asian ethnicities. The Evangelical Alliance of Kazakhstan is helping build unity within the Church and a mission movement is beginning to gain influence, with the potential of making Kazakhstan a sending nation to the rest of the Muslim world.
At the same time, the rise of skateboarding, snowboarding, and BMX in cities like Almaty and Astana is creating new opportunities to connect with a diverse group of people gathering over a shared passion for action sports. There is a wide door of opportunity to disciple Kazakhs and offer them a genuine model of worship and godly community. While faith must be shared very intentionally and personally, the presence of believers at a skatepark or on the mountain could be the only Gospel they ever encounter.
