Christianity Grows in Iran

As followers of Christ in America, the news can seem to be 'bad' all around us.  But let's remember that there is some incredible news for the good happening in some of the worst places.

Iran is seeing a strong growth of Christianity, despite the Islamic regime's attempts to stifle it and impose absolutist Islamic rule across the country. 

The missionary group Elam Ministries estimates that there are upwards of 360,000 Christians living in Iran today, though this number is admittedly difficult to measure precisely due to the Islamic regime's efforts to crack down on churches, stop conversions and drive Christian worship underground. 

It is interesting to note that in 1979, the Iranian government claimed that there were as few as 500 Christians in the country.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran, a New York-based NGO, reported in July on the Iranian crackdown on Christians and Christian converts. In June 2017, 11 Christian converts, as well as the leader of Assyrian Pentecostal Church, were given long prison sentences for their religious activities. 

The Islamic government banned informal house churches several years ago, requiring all "official" Christian churches to register with the government and submit to constant monitoring. The regime believed that so long as Christianity can be isolated among a minority of the population and not allowed to influence any of its Muslim citizens, it can be allowed to exist, but this strategy has proven ineffective in silencing God's word.

The Ayatollah Alavi Boroujerdi recently stated to the Iranian media that "accurate reports indicate that the youth are becoming Christians in Qom and attending house churches." Qom is among the most devout Islamic cities in Iran and, thus, waves of conversions to Christianity there are likely to result in a ripple effect across the country. 

Indeed, another senior religious official, the cleric Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi has also expressed concern that Iranian teens and young adults are being converted to Christianity. For a government that depends on Islam for its control over its subjects, such conversions are a direct threat to its power. 

http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1857

Jesus clearly told us that even the gates of hell will never stop the Gospel from advancing and for Jesus to continually build up his bride, the church.  It may slow down in America but it is advancing in many other places that aren't so obvious.