Sharing God's Love in Word and Deed
It started with a dream that involved a father, a son and displaced people far from their homeland.
In the aftermath of ISIS’s genocidal campaign in 2014, many Yezidi Kurds fled to Armenia in search of safety and a new life.
Amid that persecution, Siabond and his son, Tengis, were already living in the Armenian town of Avshar, where they had long dreamed of building a church for the Yezidi people. Their vision went beyond a place of worship: they imagined a community center, a future grade school, and even a facility to train pastors. But that dream would wait more than 10 years before it could come to life.
This past May, the dream finally became reality. A Yezidi church — one of only five known worldwide for this persecuted people group — was dedicated in Armenia, thanks in part to the partnership between N.C. Baptists on Mission and Armenian believers.
“For a long time we’ve had a desire to have a church building in our village,” Siabond said. “It is such a blessing to know that our prayers are being answered through this partnership.”
The Armenian partnership has a long history of helping local church planters construct churches. Since 2003, Baptists on Mission volunteers have assisted in building 17 churches across Armenia, alongside other mission efforts.
Several churches in North Carolina, along with Truett and Eastern Baptist Associations, gave sacrificially to help complete the Yezidi church. Volunteers also joined in the construction process — not only raising walls, but building relationships that have strengthened and encouraged Christian families in the community.
In God’s providence, a father-son team from Broadway, N.C. — Kenneth and Ashley Cummings — made multiple trips to Avshar to ensure the project was completed and Siabond and Tengis’ vision became reality.
Now just a few months old, the church has already become a beacon of hope in Avshar. And for Siabond, the dream has grown:
“My prayer now is that everyone in our village would come to know Christ. For that, we glorify God and humble ourselves before Him.”