Neville Callam spoke at a press conference Monday morning where the Association of Izmir, a group of persons from various faith traditions, announced plans for Turkey to intentionally become a heritage site for Christian pilgrims. The seven cities mentioned in Revelation chapters two and three are all in western Turkey where Izmir is biblical Smyrna.
Callam stated that “for Christians, this is a holy land, and being a heritage site would help Christians to connect with western Turkey.”
In mid afternoon, a meeting was held with the pastor of the Protestant Baptist Church in Izmir, and another pastor from the Black Sea region who travelled 700 kilometers, or more than 400 miles, to meet Callam. The hope is that they and their churches would be able to establish relationships with the wider Baptist family.
Both pastors minister in difficult circumstances where their lives have been threatened by radical Muslims.
