Robert Bruce, a Scottish missionary to Iranian Muslims in the late-19th century, wrote home to his supporters: ‘I am not reaping the harvest; I scarcely claim to be sowing the seed; I am hardly ploughing the soil; but I am gathering out the stones. That, too, is missionary work; let it be supported by loving sympathy and fervent prayer.’
For many years, Iran was one of the most difficult regions of the world to reach with the gospel. In 1979, with the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the ruling monarch Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was overthrown. In his place an Islamic Republic was birthed, led by the Ayatollah Khomeini. Sharia law became the law of the land, and Muslim clerics became the heads of state.
Many believed the revolution would lead to a time of flourishing in Iranian society with the laws of man replaced by the laws of God. Under the Republic, conversion to Christianity was (and is) considered apostasy and could be punished with death.
Door opens
Forty years later, the prayers of many Christians over the years have been answered. The gospel has spread throughout the land in an unprecedented fashion, despite increased persecution of Christian believers. A wide door for effective work has opened, and there are many adversaries (1 Cor. 16:9).
As of 1979, there were about 500 known Christians from a Muslim background in Iran. In 2005, it was estimated that there were 40,000 ethnic Iranian Christians (not including ethnic minority Christians who live in Iran). That number grew to about 175,000 Christians in 2010, according to the Joshua Project. Operation World, a missions research organisation, continues to list Iran as having the fastest-growing evangelical church in the world. More Iranians have become Christians in the last 20 years than in the previous 1,300 years since Islam came to Iran.
Four reasons for growth
1. Disillusionment with Islam. The Islamic regime, which promised much in the way of economic development and freedom, has not delivered. The economy stagnated and the people have been oppressed. As a result, the country has isolated itself from the rest of the world. Ironically, because the Islamic Republic tied religion and state so closely together, the people’s disappointment with the government has led to great scepticism of Islam. Consequently, Iranians have become increasingly open to hearing the Christian message.
2. Persecution. The rise of persecution against Christians has served both as a sign of the rapid growth of Christianity and
Uraman takht village in Iran | photo: iStock
as fuel for further growth. A member of Iran’s Expediency Council (an advisory body for Iran’s supreme leader) stated in a 2019 interview that Muslims who convert to Christianity deserve the death penalty, whether ‘man or woman, boy or girl’.
One of the most famous Iranian martyrs of the 1990s, Mehdi Dibaj, gave a defence before the Islamic courts prior to his death that has become a rallying cry for many Christians in Iran: ‘I would rather have the whole world against me, but know that the Almighty God is with me; be called an apostate, but know that I have the approval of the God of glory. Life for me is an opportunity to serve Him, and death is a better opportunity to be with Christ. Therefore, I am not only satisfied to be in prison for the honour of His holy name, but am ready to give my life for the sake of Jesus my Lord and enter His kingdom sooner, the place where the elect of God enter to everlasting life.’
3. The diaspora and the media. The diaspora Christians have been active in broadcasting the gospel and Bible teaching into Iran. In the last decade, social media also has been a powerful tool to reach Iranians and teach them the truths of Scripture.
4. Bible distribution. Iranian authorities have continued to work hard to stamp out the message of Christianity. The Bible (especially the New Testament) is banned in Iran, but millions have been printed and distributed. The word of God is not bound! (2 Tim. 2:9).
Three ways to pray
Ultimately, the kingdom of Christ is spreading within Iran because God’s Spirit is moving powerfully. Pray for:
1. Courage. House churches and Christians grow continually, and Christians continue to evangelise despite knowing they are putting their lives at risk.
2. Unity. Iranian leaders are forced to work covertly and therefore apart from each other. Security concerns make collaborative efforts difficult, even among ministries outside of Iran that work within the country. All of this creates obstacles for unity.
3. Trained leaders. House-church leaders are unqualified and untrained; sometimes there is no pastor in the group and the gathered believers are fed solely through satellite TV. Some of the teaching that the church absorbs is not sound theology. Iranians don’t have the same access to Christian literature and training as many believers do in the rest of the world.
Pray the Lord of the harvest continues to send his labourers throughout Iran, so that millions more Iranians find forgiveness, peace, and the hope of glory through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
