Key Facts WWL Ranking: 2 Leader: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Population: 74.2 million (0.35% Christian) Majority Religion: Islam Type of Government: Islamic Republic

The Church in Iran

Iran has a long biblical history in the Old Testament as many people lived in or were from Elam, a province of present-day Iran. Daniel, Esther and Nehemiah lived in Iran, amongst others. Also the Church was present from an early age, but after Islam was introduced it soon became oppressed.

After the Islamic Revolution, the situation of the Church changed drastically. This resulted into a strong decrease in the number of Christians within the official churches, mainly because of emigration. The official church has approximately 125,000 members, mainly from minority groups.

In the past decades a number of believers have been murdered, put in jail, threatened or forced to leave the country.

In spite of all this, the numbers of believers with a Muslim background has grown immensely; their number is unknown but we keep a number of 125,000 to 150,000. There is a clear movement from the official churches to house churches and cell groups.

More than any other country in the Middle East, MBB's from Iran talk of visions and dreams as a reason for converting.


Sources of Oppression and Persecution

1. The government of Iran is very well aware of the Church in the past decades. She has made it her goal to stop this growth and make it impossible for Christians to live out their faith. Although churches connected to minority groups such as Armenians and Assyrians, are allowed to teach their own people in their own language, it is forbidden to minister to people with a Muslim background (speaking Farsi).

Pray that this land may open up again for the proclamation of the gospel.

2. Many churches have a lot of visitors during their services and these services are being monitored by the secret police. Believers who are active in churches or the cell group movement are being pressured; they are questioned, arrested and sometimes put in jail and beaten. Therefore, this has caused some of our contacts to leave the country. Since May of 2008 we have seen an increase in this and we hear many stories of arrests, interrogation and torture. After the presidential elections in June 2009, many people have been arrested, including many Christians. It is as if the government wants to show she is still in control.

Pray for wisdom, boldness and protection for all in leadership. Pray also for justice and freedom to emerge from the turmoil of the 2009 elections.

3. Individual believers are being oppressed by society, under pressure by the authorities. They have difficulty in finding and keeping a job and are then easily fired when it becomes known they are Christian. Believers who start a business of their own have problems getting clients/customers and keeping them so it is made very hard for them to gain an income. Many MBB's are being pressured by family to return back to Islam. They are not welcome at family gatherings, some are even beaten by relatives.

Pray for true religious freedom to come to Iran, and until then for the believers to able to stand strong through the persecution they will certainly face. Pray for perseverance and courage for Christians in prison or under surveillance.