Church Growth Amidst Persecution in Iran
Iran’s harsh and unjustifiable courts have no limits when it comes to sentencing religious minorities like Christians. According to VOM’s website, since 2010, 400 Christians have been arbitrarily arrested by Iranian authorities.
Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs says, “The reason there’s so much persecution is because the church is growing so rapidly, and the government … sees that as a direct threat.” VOM reports that the Iranian Church is possibly the fastest-growing church in the world, with 200,000 to 500,000 Iranian Christians, out of a population of nearly 78 million.
Nettleton adds: “These arrests, these prison sentences, are a part of what [the government sees] as the answer. [They think] ‘if we put more people in prison, if we lock more people up, surely that will stop the growth of Christianity….’
“But the reality is that it does not stop the growth, rather, it seems like the church grows faster when there is persecution. Many of the Muslims in Iran are very open to the Gospel. They would love to have a Bible to read and to look at the life of Christ. Having Bibles is a key part of the work we do in Iran.”
“Because the house churches are growing so fast, there’s a desperate need for leadership and for people to be equipped and trained, to step forward and become a group leader and a pastor. Voice of the Martyrs is helping through our partners that are working in Iran.”
- Pray for the Iranian Church, experiencing unprecedented growth, but in great need of Bibles and other resources for discipleship.
- Pray for VOM and other organisations working alongside Iranian Christians, that they can help resource the Church and mentor leaders in their faith.
- Pray for Iranian Christians to stay strong in their faith and to not give into the pressure of the Islamic society around them.
- Pray that many Muslims in Iran , including Muslim Clerics and leaders, will encounter the living Christ during this time of Ramadan, and that many will turn to Christ and put their faith in Him.
Acts 16 vs 5: “So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.“
Source: http://us8.campaign-archive1.com
