Descendants of Forced Converts Staging a Rebellion

In the Black Sea region of Turkey, a significant and intriguing development is unfolding as small Christian communities begin to emerge among the younger population. This resurgence can be attributed to a complex interplay of historical legacy, spiritual reawakening, and contemporary sociocultural dynamics.

Historical Christian Heritage and Forced Islamization

Many ethnic groups in the Black Sea and Caucasus region have a historical Christian heritage that was disrupted during and after the Armenian genocide. Some Christian populations were forcibly Islamized, concealing their Christian roots while maintaining cultural memory of their faith heritage. This long history underpins the identity of communities today showing a revival of Christian faith.

Spiritual Awakening and Reevangelization

Recent years have witnessed a notable spiritual awakening in the Caucasus and surrounding Black Sea areas, where communities formerly considered unreached or predominantly Muslim are increasingly professing Christian faith. This awakening is characterized by indigenous movements rather than external Western missionary efforts, leading to the formation of new small congregations and house churches primarily among youth and ethnic groups reclaiming their Christian roots.

Healing of Memories and Cultural Restoration

The rediscovery of their true identity among crypto-Armenians and other communities is a process where people are reconciling with painful histories like the Armenian genocide and forced conversions, prompting young people to reconnect with suppressed Christian identities.

Geopolitical and Cultural Context

The Black Sea region, historically rich in Christian heritage through Byzantine and Armenian Christian presence, retains surviving Christian institutions and cultural markers that facilitate the re-emergence of these communities. Despite challenges, these communities find support in broader efforts to protect Christian heritage in Turkey and the Caucasus.

Limited External Missionary Influence

Unlike other regions, the resurgence is mainly driven by local revival rather than Western missionary activity, emphasizing indigenous faith renewal among groups like the Ossetians, Adyghe, and others who were historically Christian but forced into Islam.

Implications and Future Directions

The emergence of these small Christian youth communities presents an opportunity for the worldwide church to invest time and energy in understanding the consequences of the genocide in Turkey and disseminating the results widely in Turkish. Additionally, the church can support the small new churches financially and through prayer, strengthening the relationship between the new Christians and the congregations in the motherland Armenia, creating connections and cultivating them.

Moreover, the church should stand up for Christians in Turkey politically, reporting violations of human rights and religious freedom to the European Union. Organizations such as the Caucasian Mission of the Alliance Mission maintain close relations with these circles and ensure that the help reaches them.

Books like Fethiye Cetin's "Anneannem" and Talin Suciyan's "Armenians in Turkey: Post-Genocide Society, Politics and History" have sparked interest among young Turks in their possible Christian roots, with many young Turks coming forward with stories of discovering Armenian ancestry in their family history.

In conclusion, the emergence of these small Christian youth communities in the Turkish Black Sea region stems from the interplay of a historical Christian foundation disrupted by forced Islamization during the Armenian genocide, ongoing indigenous spiritual revival in the Caucasus and Black Sea ethnic groups, the quest to heal historical trauma, and the cultural persistence of Christian heritage in the region.