It seems that these days, you can’t look at the news without hearing about Iran. Everyone has an opinion—wars, ceasefires, nuclear threats, it goes on. We can often get lost in the noise and forget what daily life is like for believers in Iran today.
One such example is a small Christian community in Tehran whose church and homes are being taken from them by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran’s oldest Protestant church, St. Peter’s Evangelical Church in Tehran, is being transferred to a state-controlled organization which acquires religious and private property. The IRGC has reportedly claimed ownership of the church and its premises.
On top of this, about 20 Christian families living on the church compound are being forced to leave their homes. It has been made clear that the congregation are required to either vacate the premises or face imprisonment.
Although Iran ‘officially’ deems some Armenian and Assyrian Christian communities as protected religious minorities, that protection seems to be falling apart as time goes on.
The situation is much worse for believers who have converted to Christianity from Islam and receive no protection under Iranian law. Believers in the underground church are most at risk and are frequently arrested, interrogated, sentenced on vague charges, and imprisoned. These believers are the primary targets for raids by Iran’s intelligence services. We have worked with several who have even been placed on death row for their conversion from Islam.
Today, only a few official Protestant churches remain open. The planned confiscation of St. Peter’s Evangelical Church follows the closure of several other Protestant churches across Iran in recent years. The case of St Peter’s Church is not an isolated one.
We pray that these believers may find a new home in the growing house churches of Iran, where they can continue to be strengthened in fellowship.
