Despite both conversion from Islam and sharing your faith being illegal, Muslims are rapidly coming to Christ in Iran. So rapidly, in fact, that Iran’s government leaders are acknowledging the exponential growth of the church.
Compared to roughly 500 known Christians in 1979, there are now around 500,000 (some sources say up to 1 million secret believers). Of course not all of these may be evangelicals but more Iranians have become Christians in the last 20 years than in the previous 13 centuries put together since Islam came to Iran.
Addressing a gathering of Shia Muslim leaders, Iran’s Intelligence Minister, Mahmoud Alavi, openly admitted to summoning Christian converts for questioning, saying that mass conversions ‘are happening right under our eyes’. Alavi admitted that his agency is collaborating with Muslim religious seminaries to combat the perceived threat of mass conversions to Christ across the country.
Working people converted
In his speech, Alavi admitted that ‘these converts are ordinary people, whose jobs are selling sandwiches or similar things’. This admission represents a huge shift away from Iran’s usual rhetoric that converts are agents of the West who have undergone significant training to undermine national security.
Reportedly, Islamic clerics are expressing serious concern about many young people converting. One Islamic seminary leader, Ayatollah Alavi Boroujerdi, remarked that ‘the youth are becoming Christians in Qom and attending house churches’. Qom is the country’s epicentre for Islamic studies.
Driving forces
Ministries and experts say the explosive growth of Christianity in Iran has been driven by the almost palpable spiritual hunger and disillusionment with the Islamic regime and the faithfulness of believers who risk it all to share their Good News in the face of inevitable persecution. Violence in the name of Islam has caused widespread disillusionment with the regime and has led many Iranians to question their beliefs. Multiple reports indicate that even the children of political and spiritual leaders are leaving Islam for Christianity.
Because Farsi-speaking services are banned, most converts gather in illegal house-church meetings or receive information on Christianity via satellite TV and websites.
World impact
Church leaders in Iran have said: ‘If we remain faithful to our calling, our conviction is that it is possible to see the nation transformed within our lifetime.’ The outlawing of Bibles in Persian or Farsi, the murder of pastors, and all missionaries being banned has fuelled the devotion and passion of the disciples. Because Iran is a strategic gateway nation, the growing church in Iran will impact Muslim nations across the Islamic world.
