King of Prussia—It is with gratitude that International Ministries (IM) announces the retirement of Associate Global Servants Laura and Rich Freeman as of September 30, 2026. For nearly 25 years, their ministry in Turkey (Türkiye) has connected American Baptist churches with the growing Turkish Christian community.

The Freemans’ journey to global mission began unexpectedly. Their call was first to the local church. Rich earned his Master of Divinity from Fuller Seminary and was ordained in 1975. For over 40 years, he pastored American Baptist churches throughout Southern California. Laura was a local schoolteacher who was also involved in ministry, leading women’s Bible studies and supporting Rich in his pastoral work.

In 1990, while serving a church in San Pedro, California, the Freemans and their congregation felt called to establish a loving, Christ-like presence in the Islamic world. Through various connections, the church sent a team to Turkey, a country that was 99.8% Muslim, to explore opportunities to partner with local pastors or churches. The Freemans returned repeatedly, building relationships with church leaders and learning more about the needs of the growing Christian community.

One need became clear. Turkish pastors were training the next generation of leaders but lacked the resources to support them. Many young pastors hoped to return to their hometowns to start churches, and others desired to serve in places where there was no Christian church for hundreds of miles. Laura and Rich began to see that meeting these needs would require more than one local church could sustain.

In 2002, what began as a local church supporting individual pastors grew into Turkish Connections, a nonprofit the Freemans established to come alongside the Turkish Christian community as new churches were planted.

“We weren’t looking for it, but it seems the Lord just called us to it,” Rich said as he and Laura reflected on how Turkish Connections began. “The need was there, and we felt like maybe in a small way, we could be of help.”

For the first decade, Laura and Rich shared with other Southern California churches about the needs of the pastors and what life was like for Christians in Turkey. They worked to build partnerships for specific needs. While still pastoring, they led short-term mission teams to Turkey to serve alongside local leaders and congregations. Many who traveled with them, just like Laura and Rich, fell in love with the community.

In 2016, the Freemans joined International Ministries full-time as associate global servants. The partnership with IM expanded their connections with the American Baptist family as they traveled across the country sharing about the Turkish church and its needs. They developed new prayer partnerships, utilized tools and resources provided by IM to help churches connect with Turkish pastors and congregations, and continued leading teams that encouraged local leaders and strengthened relationships.

During their 25 years of ministry to Turkey, the Freemans have partnered with and supported nearly 80 churches in various ways. But their greatest impact has been through relationships and encouragement. Rich shared that coming alongside Christian leaders and “providing a caring presence in a country where the church remains small and faces oppression and persecution reminds them that they are not forgotten by the broader community of Christ around the world. It just lifts their spirits.”

Laura added, “Turkish Connections ministers to those who minister. We have seen even clearer in the past few years the importance of supporting and training local leaders as foreign Christian workers and global servants have increasingly been forced to leave Turkey.”

As they retire from IM, the Freemans plan to continue supporting Turkish Connections and their relationships in Turkey while stepping back to a more sustainable pace. Rich is also developing a succession and legacy plan for the nonprofit.

“We’re just a couple of Christians who are trying in our imperfect way to serve the Lord,” Rich said. “It’s amazing what God can do through all of that.”

IM is grateful for Laura and Rich Freeman’s faithful service and the lasting relationships they have built between the American Baptist family and the Turkish Christian community. We invite you to celebrate all God has done through their ministry and join us in praying for the Freemans and Turkish Connections as they look to what God has next in retirement.

To send messages of appreciation or to redirect your giving, please contact International Ministries at imdonorservices@internationalministries.org.