From secret faith to secret baptism

Muhat wasn't looking for a new faith. Then he met Jesus—and everything changed.

There he stands, ready to be baptized—finally. So much has gone into this decision. For Muhat* in Central Asia (we must conceal his name, face and specific country for his protection), he never expected to be here—not in his wildest imagination.

An unexpected journey

Muhat wasn't looking for a new faith. Like most people in Central Asia, he was raised Muslim. But when a close friend secretly became a Christian, Muhat noticed something different in Zinnat’s* life. He watched as his friend’s actions and words changed. Zinnat now showed respect to women and was always willing to admit he was wrong. He spoke of forgiveness and now seemed to have a close relationship with this new God.

Zinnat* invited Muhat to a secret meeting with other young people. And as Muhat sat there week after week, he realized that he had always longed for more real answers from Islam. Many of his questions about life were still unanswered and, in this room, with these Christians, he was able to share those questions and search for answers with them. He quickly connected with these new friends and for the first time, began to feel a connection with God.

One day, it was clear: the time had come to choose. “It was time to give my life to Jesus and become a follower of Him,” he says. With Zinnat and his new friends, Muhat prayed and asked Jesus to be Lord of his life.

Persecution follows

It was the start of a new life, but also the start of persecution. Fortunately, his friends had prepared him for potential persecution. During the many gatherings, they had openly discussed the hostility they encountered when they left Islam to follow Jesus.

Muhat knew his family would not welcome or accept his decision. In the close-knit village community where he lives, a deeply patriarchal system and an honor-and-shame culture make leaving Islam almost impossible. If one family member adopts a different religion, the family suffers shame, and their honor is greatly harmed since Islam occupies such a dominant place, As the guardian of the Muslim family, the father determines how and what the family believes.

When Muhat’s father discovered his son’s conversion, he disowned him. Muhat remembers the painful words from his faither—he was no longer worthy to be his son. The situation worsened. Eventually, Muhat’s family disowned and evicted him.

Praise God! Muhat’s new Christian family was there. And with the support of Open Doors’ local partners, he was able to find a new home and a new job. The painful memories of being disowned are still there. But Muhat is thankful for how God has rescued and restored him.

Incredible joy

And now, after so much emotion and repeated evidence of God’s power and love, Muhat was ready to be baptized in a simple and secret ceremony. Unlike typical church baptisms, none of Muhat’s family was there. For safety, very few were present.

He shared some of his thoughts before, during and after his courageous step of faith.

“Before the baptism, I was very nervous,” Muhat says. “I realized how significant the consequences of my choice to follow Jesus were.”

And then came a moment of incredible joy. As the water flowed over him, Muhat knew his decision was worth it.

“At the moment I was baptized, I felt so carried by God,” he shares, thinking back to the transformative moment. “The hands that were guiding me during the baptism felt as if they were the hands of God carrying me. And then I knew once again that I had made the right choice.”

As the Body of Christ, we can come alongside our new brother-in-Christ. We can stand with him and pray for this young man as he begins the biggest and potentially most dangerous adventure of his life— just as you pledge to support and encourage new believers during baptism services at your local church.