// 10/40 Window — Middle East

IRAQ

// Quick Facts
GOVERNMENT
Federal parliamentary republic
POPULATION
45 million
RELIGION
Islam (majority Shia; Sunni minority); small Christian, Yazidi, Mandaean communities
LANGUAGE
Arabic, Kurdish
CURRENCY
Iraqi Dinar (IQD)
CLIMATE
Mostly desert — hot, dry summers; mild winters in the north
// Overview

THE REALITY
ON THE GROUND

Iraq's Christian community — once numbering over 1.5 million — has been devastated by decades of war, displacement, and persecution. Today, fewer than 200,000 Christians remain in the country. Yet despite this, a small revival is quietly growing in evangelical communities, particularly among younger Iraqis disillusioned with religious extremism.

The Shia, Sunni, Marsh Arabs, Yazidis, Domari, and Mandaeans represent people groups with little to no access to the Gospel. The Yazidi community, nearly wiped out by ISIS genocide in 2014, remains one of the most traumatized and spiritually unreached groups in the world.

Widows and lay leaders are carrying on ministry in the most difficult circumstances — often without resources, training, or outside support. The need for encouragement, discipleship, and strong spiritual leadership is urgent.

ACTION SPORTS

Baghdad opened its first skatepark in recent years, attracting a growing community of young Iraqis seeking community, identity, and purpose. In a country where public gathering is still fraught with tension, the skatepark has become a rare neutral space where relationships are built across ethnic and religious lines — a powerful platform for the Gospel.

SCRIPTURE

"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

— Romans 10:15

// Intercession

PRAY WITH
US

The Persecuted Church

Pray for healing from war, strength for widows and lay leaders carrying on ministry, and protection for believers gathering in secret.

Unreached People Groups

Pray for the Shia, Sunni, Marsh Arabs, Yazidis, Domari, and Mandaeans — people with little to no access to the Gospel.

Baghdad's Skate Community

Pray for Baghdad's first skatepark to become a discipleship hub for the next generation — a space where the Gospel is lived out relationally.

Yazidi Survivors

Pray for the Yazidi community — survivors of genocide — that they would encounter the healing and hope of Jesus Christ.

Church Multiplication

Pray for the small revival growing in evangelical communities — for protection, multiplication, and bold leadership to emerge.

National Reconciliation

Pray for peace and reconciliation between Iraq's ethnic and religious communities — and for the Church to be a witness of unity.

// Take Action

JOIN US IN
THE MISSION

The 2026 ACTA Conference in Tagaytay, Philippines is a gathering of action sports missionaries from around the world. Come equipped, go mobilized.