Just as Matthew 16:18 proclaims the Church will be built and “the gates of Hades will not overcome it,” so it is in the Middle East.
Even in the face of intense persecution, the underground Church movement in Iran is growing. Hundreds are being baptized, according to Elam Ministries, like the more than 200 Iranians and Afghans who were baptized in a large service in mid-November.
The ministry to Iran also said there could be about 300,000 to 1 million Christians in the country today, up from 2,000 to 5,000 people about 20 years ago.
Crackdown on Christians
International Christian Concern’s regional manager for South Asia William Stark said the Church is indeed growing despite the government’s crackdown on Christians.
“In fact, the Ayatollah in Iran has repeatedly warned against a house church movement, saying it ‘threatens the Islamic faith and deceives young Muslims.’ The government has even dubbed evangelical Christians in Iran as a threat to national security because they are perceived to be backed by ‘enemies’ abroad,” said Stark, according to The Christian Post.
“Still in the face of this persecution the Church is continuing to grow, which is something that should give people hope.”
Mark Howard of Elam Ministries said, “We see incredible opportunity reaching Persian-
speaking refugees in Europe, planting churches in Iran —
people are so open right now.
“Every day we have many coming to the Lord. If you give a starving person food and water they will want to share it. That’s what they find in Jesus. They are so hungry and thirsty for the truth. They are experiencing it in a powerful way. When they do they want to share it with others.”
Stark believes the Church’s growth also can be attributed in part to believers’ disillusionment with Islam, pointing to the violence commited by radical Islamists, according to the Post.
A source with Open Doors USA said Iran also is the youngest populated country in the world today, with the majority of people in their 20s and open to the gospel. The source also said there are no churches or other places of worship outside of Islam open in Iran because of the government’s fear of the rapid growth of Christianity.
New believers are giving thanks to God for freedom from despair.
“I never thought I would find freedom from my past, but Jesus has set me free,” one unnamed believer said. (TAB)
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