AFGHANISTAN
The peoples of Afghanistan are among the most unreached for Christ in all the world.  They have been the target of war and destruction for centuries and in the last 20 years been on the world stage as the Taliban slaughtered the people and became known for its role in the horrific Twin Tower attacks.  Yet, in spite of all the negative publicity associated with this ancient land, they are a people whom Christ died for and desires to have worship him for eternity.  EPIC is here to play a significant role in that occurring for God's glory.

Afghanistan’s population is about 31 million within in a geographic area slightly smaller than Texas.  Major cities are the capital Kabul (1,780,000), Kandahar, Heart, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Jalalabad.  The population is Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1%. Christians are included in the “other 1%.  There are fewer than 1,000 believers in all of Afghanistan no matter the people group and less than 20 churches.

Afghanistan is a country of high mountains and parched deserts. The modern state was formed as a buffer state between the British Indian Empire and Russian Central Asia. The country is surrounded by Iran, Pakistan, and the former Soviet republics of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
The country is named for the dominant people group, the Afghans who are also called Pushtans. Far from being homogeneous, the country is actually a conglomeration of more than 40 ethnic groups, and is made up of several distinct regions dominated by a particular ethnic group. There are about 13 million Pushtan in Afghanistan or about 40% of the country’s population. They have been the traditional rulers of the country, and now control about 90% of its territory. The second largest group is the Tajiks, making up around 25% of the national population. There are more Tajiks in Afghanistan than in Tajikistan. The Hazaras are the third largest people group in the country, just under 20% of the total population. They dominate the central mountain region of Afghanistan, the Hindu Kush and Koh-I-Baba ranges.

Afghanistan has long been the crossroad of Asia's conquerors. Darius, Cyrus of Persia, Alexander the Great, Ghengis Khan and Tamerlane all ruled the region. The Mongols of India came out of Afghanistan to rule the subcontinent for hundreds of years. Both the British Empire and the Soviet Union attempted to annex Afghanistan, both conquering it for a time.

Afghanistan is a country at war. For almost 20 years violent armed conflict has devastated the people and land. For a decade the Soviets battled the Mujahideen, the Afghan resistance, attempting to maintain their foothold in Central Asia. Russian troops ultimately retreated in 1989, leaving the Afghans to rule themselves.

In the wake of the Russians departure, ethnic warfare erupted between different tribal groups vying for power and influence in the newly independent state. The consequence of these years of war was a humanitarian disaster. More than a million people lost their lives. As many as 8-10 million people fled their homes and became refugees. Education and development ground to a halt. No family was untouched by the violence and devastation. 

But this is a new day and there is concerted effort my the Afghans and a few western workers to see the Gospel planted and churches birthed in this great land.  EPIC is joining the battle for the souls of the Afghans and we are convinced it begins and continues with us on our knees seeking the mind of Christ for the Afghan men, women, and children.  Will you join us--today?  Thank you!