Who We Are

Saint Paul Union Church is an English speaking, international, evangelical congregation serving the expatriate community in Antalya and seeking to follow Jesus together. On any given Sunday our congregation is likely to have people from up to 20 different nations. There are Europeans and North Americans, Africans and Asians, Australasians and Pacific Islanders, all drawn together by our common love for the Lord Jesus and our desire to follow him.

All of us speak English to a lesser or greater extent; some of us as our mother tongue, others as our second, third, fourth or fifth language. We understand that Jesus’ call to follow him, is also a call to walk with others. We recognize that can sometimes be difficult; none of us are perfect and there are many cultural differences to navigate. But the richness of the life and fellowship that we have together by God’s grace is well worth it.

We’d love to have you become part of our community as we seek to follow Jesus, become more like him, and serve others in his name. Join us any Sunday morning at Saint Paul Cultural Center in Kaleiçi.

What We Believe

As an international and interdenominational church, we focus on the core beliefs of the Christian faith, as expressed in the Apostles’ Creed.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Our Purpose Statement

The fourfold purpose of SPUC is:

To glorify and enjoy the one true God
To grow together in Christ-focused Faith
To give grateful service to God and people
To go and share Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

You can listen to a series of messages on these topics here:

https://anchor.fm/spuc/episodes/To-Glorify-and-Enjoy-the-One-True-God-e8oocj

https://anchor.fm/spuc/episodes/To-Grow-Together-in-Christ-Centered-Faith-e8tu98

https://anchor.fm/spuc/episodes/To-Give-Grateful-Service-to-God-and-People-e94a25

https://anchor.fm/spuc/episodes/To-Go-and-Share-Christ--Who-Is-the-Way--the-Truth--and-the-Life-e96c7b

Our Story

Saint Paul Union Church was founded in 1996, when members of a local women’s organization decided that an international church was needed in the city. Their efforts led to the arrival of Christian workers, who collaborated to get the church established. We began as the International Church of Antalya; however, in 2004, in conjunction with becoming the first protestant church non-profit (dernek) in the Republic of Turkey, our name was changed to the St. Paul Union Church (SPUC).

From 1996 to 2015, the founder, James Bultema, served SPUC as our pastor, and from 2015 until July of 2018, Dennis Massaro served as the pastor. Robin Ellis has been serving as the current lead pastor since 2019.

We are a member of the Missional International Church Network (MICN).