More than the Saudis? NO. "Iranians are turning their back to their faith, to their institutional faith, and receiving Christianity as their new faith," Ansari said on CBN's Christian World News program. "The Lord saves us, but the Gospel's also full of the power to redeem and the power to restore and to bring reconciliation and her testimony really speaks to that and shows it in a very powerful, tangible way," he said. When she was 11-years-old her family sold her into marriage, but soon her husband divorced her and sent her back. The Islamic Republic of Iran is unleashing a sweeping crackdown on Christians, particularly those who have dared to convert from Islam to Christianity.. Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. AGAINST ALL ODDS. He is preparing to film another 13 programs. Iran has the largest number of drug addicts per capita in the world. Federal Tax ID# 23-7275342. […] Christianity exploding in Iran despite efforts of government to stamp it out (080417) Jihad Festering in America (121217) Israeli Deterrence Holds Against Iran in Syria — […]. Please click here to learn how. While Iran sustained hostile relations with America, it also suppressed its own people. “Iranian authorities prosecute — and in one case executed — Iranians who leave Islam on charges of 'apostasy,' and justifies it through the use of Article 220 of the Iranian Penal Code and Article 167 of the Constitution, which allows judges to rely on non-codified Islamic law,” the report pointed out. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. Other religious groups are also growing in Iran. In a recent survey of about 50,000 Iranians over the age of 20, a Netherlands-based secular research group found that 1.5% of respondents identify as Christian. In fact, the explosive growth has overloaded the religious police. As persecution of Christians intensifies in Iran so are conversions to the faith. In 2010, Iran’s supreme religious leader Mahmoud Ali Khamenei blamed “the enemies of Islam for establishing and encouraging the expansion of Christianity in Iran.” The Minister of Intelligence, Heydar Moslehi, reportedly warned of the threat of house churches and other Christian interests during October and November 2011. They railed against the United States as the “Great Satan.”. Michael Ashcraft pastors the startup Lighthouse Church in Van Nuys. Islamic Clerics are warning against the spread of Christianity, house churches are routinely targeted by authorities, and conversion to Christianity is actually viewed as an action against national security in parts of the country. […], […] Agama Kristen Terus Saja Berkembang Pesat di Iran Meskipun Pemerintah Berusaha MenghentikannyaOleh Michael Ashcraft | August 4, 2017 […]. Afshar said he’s not worried about his family in Iran, though he can’t visit his Motherland ever again. Persecution in Iran not only comes from the government but also from society, including Muslim-Background Believer families. “Given the high-stakes consequences of leaving Islam in Iran, estimates by Christian organizations in the past decade have been based only on extrapolations of the small known number of conversions—largely based on contact with Christian satellite television channels.”, The nonprofit watchdog group Article 18 noted, “If this figure is extrapolated across Iran’s over 80 million people, then even taking into account the approximately 300,000 ‘recognized’ Christians of Armenian and Assyrian descent, this would suggest an additional one million converts to Christianity.”, Mike Ansari of Mohabat TV, a ministry that broadcasts the Gospel into Iran, was quoted as saying, “Iranians are turning their back [on] their faith, [on] their institutional faith, and receiving Christianity as their new faith. In 2010, Iran’s supreme religious leader Mahmoud Ali Khamenei blamed “the enemies of Islam for establishing and encouraging the expansion of Christianity in Iran.” The Minister of Intelligence, Heydar Moslehi, reportedly warned of the threat of house churches and other Christian interests during October and November 2011. The results showed that 1.5 percent of those surveyed identified themselves as Christian. So he filmed 13 programs for young people and offered them to SAT7, which broadcasts Christian programming into Iran via satellite. As she and her husband, Howard, attended a ministry training session hosted by Elam Ministries, Fatemah sensed the Lord telling her to go back and minister to her family. The more the religious police tried to stamp out Christianity, the more it has flourished in Iran. The openness is really God’s miracle.”. What a complete and utter misreading of history. Over the last few months the Iranian government has prohibited several churches from holding services in Farsi on Fridays, the official Muslim holy day. People want to hear more about Christ. Afshar’s program, “Clear Like Glass,” cost him $3,000 per episode. Forty years ago an estimated 200 Muslim Background Believers were living in Iran. 2. Christianity exploding in Iran. “My contacts tell me that they walk into a party and tell people they are Christian, and boom, they have an instant audience. "He told the Lord, 'I can't love these people after what they've done to my wife, but give me Your love for them,'" Howard said. Open Doors will be sponsoring a prayer campaign for the Persian Gulf countries, including Iran, starting this summer. They’re very savvy, extremely smart. He created a huge vacuum in people’s souls because they were all shocked to see what a true Islam is all about. Just because you interview one person does not mean this is accurate information. That's one of the major challenges that this young church in Iran is facing. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; } Iran has the fastest-growing evangelical population in the world (estimated at 19.6% by Operation World in 2015), despite an atrocious human rights record against people who abandon Islam, according to Christian Today. 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Open Doors is a non-denomination ministry geared to helping Christians under persecution. Many Muslim background believers come to Christ through the radio or TV and that isn't the best way to grow in faith. There wasn’t much being done as far as programs are concerned to reach out to these kids.”. Amalia White October 25, 2019. However, rapid growth also presents a risk to the church because of a lack of biblical teaching and discipleship. Ready or not? “They thought this would lead to less people attending services, but that didn’t happen,” reports the worker. He told the story of Fatemah, a young Muslim girl who was sexually abused by her brothers from a young age. Your important questions about prayer are addressed here. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. That is because there’s a hunger for spiritual things. They can end up in prison very easily. When they returned, the family listened to the Gospel message and they all turned to Christ. Dissatisfaction with the harsh Islamic regime and disillusionment with Islam in general are part of the shift, but the main reason is bold outreach by Christians inside the country, Mark Howard of Elam Ministries told�CBN News. Against all odds, Christianity continues to see massive gains in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In June, Article 18, which promotes religious freedom and tolerance for Christians in Iran, released a report in collaboration with its partner organizations Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Middle East Concern and The World Evangelical Alliance, listing five ways Iran violates Christians’ right to religious freedom. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535) or go to our Website at www.OpenDoorsUSA.org. That’s what happened with the Romans.”. Proselytizing is punishable by death. Africa Many believe that from the Sahara Desert down to the southern The fact-finding mission was fruitful. Can you cite your sources and be more specific on where you’re getting these “facts”? The religious police are already overtaxed with trying to crackdown on so many outbreaks of “rebellion” against their system. House churches are often monitored and raided and dozens of Christians are imprisoned, Open Doors noted in its annual World Watch List, which ranked Iran as the ninth worst county when it comes to Christian persecution. We’re available 24/7. Those feelings extend to the government itself. “For that reason the house churches have to be more careful,” says the Open Doors worker. */. Offering discipleship training is one of the ways Open Doors uses to strengthen the Iranian church. Iran prohibits Persian-language church services and religious materials, and forces closure of those that fail to comply, the report pointed out, adding that the country’s Penal Code is used to prosecute Christians for their peaceful religious activities. That’s the way God works. Ansari told The Christian Post in 2018 that Iran had "one of the fastest growing underground church movements in the world" and that hundreds were asking about Jesus on a daily basis. "The church could be very vast, but it could be extremely shallow...theologically they're not solid. Each program includes a funny skit and a frank interview and discussion of taboos in Islam. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Iran Has the Fastest Growing Christian Church in the World Despite Severe Persecution.