January 26, 2026
The Tide aims to share God’s Love with Uyghurs despite rising persecution in China
Spreading the message that God has not abandoned them and that, through the Lord, their day of deliverance is at hand
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — For Christians in China, the government perceives their faith as a significant threat, resulting in rigorous monitoring and extensive controls. Christians may only legally attend registered churches in China, and must exercise caution in all areas of their lives, including online communications, even private messages with acquaintances.
Christian Uyghurs in China face persecution on several fronts, causing many to seek refuge in other countries. The Tide® (www.thetide.org) ministry, with its mission to share God’s word with people in their heart languages, has initiated a project to open the doors for those Uyghur believers and seekers now living outside China to hear and experience the hope and healing of the Gospel.
The Tide blog reports that China, which ranks 17th on the Open Doors World Watch List — due to advanced surveillance systems and stringent internet regulations — is home to almost 12 million Uyghur people, the majority of whom are in northwest China. Most Uyghurs have never heard the Good News about Jesus. Their homeland in the Xinjiang province is full of natural beauty, has a vibrant cultural heritage, and is a popular tourist destination. As such, it is relatively easy to visit and interact with Uyghur society as a tourist, but there is a pervading spiritual darkness and legal religious suppression that makes it extremely dangerous to attempt to engage in any type of evangelistic activity.
“Earlier this month, Christians were detained or taken for participating in an ‘unregistered’ church, meaning that it does not incorporate the required ‘core socialist values’ of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) into their church services, as mandated by China’s 2018 Regulations on Religious Affairs Act,” said Don Shenk, executive director of the Tide. “This reflects a broader effort by the CCP to control religions and force them to align with socialist ideologies, leading to persecution of underground Christian churches.
“Currently, less than .1% of Uyghurs in China are followers of Christ, and through a unique combination of circumstances and connections, God has opened the door for The Tide ministry to engage in a media outreach to share the Gospel in the Uyghur language. Given the extreme sensitivity of the situation, we cannot share specific details about this initiative we are helping to pioneer and will only identify it as our ‘Uyghur Project.’”
While the long-term goal of The Tide’s Uyghur Project is to eventually creatively share the Gospel and make disciples of Christ among the Uyghur population within China, the ministry is first focusing on evangelizing the Uyghur diaspora and forging relationships with Uyghur followers of Christ in other central Asian countries who can assist with the creation and dissemination of Uyghur language Gospel content.
“The Tide Uyghur Project is in the process of creating and collating digital content for evangelistic outreach and tools for disciple-making among the Uyghur people around the world. We praise God as reports continue to emerge of more and more Uyghur people finding freedom in Christ, and we are working diligently to maximize this window of opportunity,” said Shenk.
For The Tide, it is important that Uyghur believers, especially those new in the faith, be able to feed themselves with the Word and be equipped to share with their families and friends, as they may not have reliable access to shepherds and pastoral care. Some existing audio and visual resources are available in the standard Uyghur dialect as well as central Asian dialects, but they are not easy to find. A dedicated digital outreach effort can enable them to be accessed by a broader population. The process has not been without opposition and technical challenges, but The Tide is thankful to be in a position to launch sometime this year.
Shenk adds, “Through our comprehensive media outreach, The Tide provides much-needed hope to Uyghur Christians and seekers, encouraging them to embrace the truth of the Gospel amidst a culture and language that are constantly under attack. It is our prayer that this Good News is made available, accessible and understandable to the Uyghur people around the world, and that in the freedom and joy of their hearts they would receive God’s greatest gift. We praise God for already facilitating connections with some disciples among the Uyghur diaspora in amazing ways that clearly demonstrate God’s hand at work. We are convinced that with patient perseverance, we will be able to share the Good News about Jesus and the hope of salvation among this predominantly Muslim people group.”
From its humble origins in 1946 as a local Gospel radio broadcast in Chambersburg, PA, The Tide® ministry has grown into a global network of Christian media broadcasting partnerships committed to worldwide evangelism and discipleship. In 2008, The Tide® ministry ended all English-language programming in order to focus on developing and distributing indigenous heart-language content in areas around the world that are less touched by the Gospel. Today, The Tide® ministry works with partners in multiple countries across three continents to broadcast Gospel-centered messages via radio, satellite TV and other media. In order to make disciples and plant churches, The Tide® ministry also provides resources for literature distribution, correspondence courses, discipleship and leadership training activities, and the distribution of radios and media players.
For more information about The Tide® ministry broadcast projects, history, radio programs around the world, special year-long campaigns, the weekly Global Update radio features or other news, visit its website at www.thetide.org or its Facebook page.
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To schedule interviews with Don Shenk, director of The Tide® global radio ministry, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
To inquire about airing any of The Tide® ministry radio broadcasts, contact Michael Hamilton, 610.584.1096, ext. 101.
