Growing Iran’s Underground Church Under the Islamic Regime’s Tyranny: The Stream

By Lana Silk

As someone who grew up in Iran, Western pastors and faith leaders often ask me about the state of Iran’s underground church.

My perspective of persecution and the larger global church is rather unique. When I was just seven years old, my mother quickly pulled me into our home as I was proselytizing from our balcony, warning me that the Gospel message (while meant to be shared) could not be shared in that way in Iran — where God’s Word is far from free.

Yet, despite the Islamic regime’s brutal attempts to snuff out the spread of the Gospel, this body of believers continues to grow in unexpected ways. As Global Church Planting Day nears (falling on May 29 this year), it’s a crucial time to spotlight the persecuted church in Iran — one that interestingly resembles the first church, described in Acts.

Beyond Comfort and Tradition, Persecuted Yet Alive

Just as the very first followers of Christ did, Iranians risk their lives to follow Him. The corrupt Iranian regime has made it illegal to evangelize or to gather in groups for public church meetings and worship (with the exception of Orthodoxy). Converting from Islam to Christianity is unlawful — both for converts and those converting them.

Yet, despite facing long prison sentences, brutality, and execution, the Iranian church presses on. They have devoted themselves to prayer, fellowship, and the sharing of God’s Word — acting in wisdom, audacity, and obedience to the Holy Spirit to lead others to Christ. It’s a healthy, thriving church because all the extra fluff is cut out. And yet, there’s no earthly comfort in it.

Ultimately, it’s rare for the Iranian church to “find” other believers due to the dangers Christians face. Rather, they create them. It’s nothing shy of miraculous. One individual may encounter Jesus in a dream or vision, give his or her life to Christ, and then lead their entire family — or neighborhood — to salvation. Likewise, we have heard stories of families reading the Gospel message for the very first time in their native “heart languages” while sitting around their living rooms — and in those moments, everyone surrenders their life to Jesus.

What profound faith — to learn of Jesus, understand the cost of persecution, and give one’s life fully to such a cause! How good is our God, that the hardships of this life — even to the point of death for believers such as these — would pale in comparison to the joys of eternity with Christ Jesus?

The Digital Church: A Practical Lifeline for Iranian Believers

In Iran, access to physical Bibles is rare and dangerous. Therefore, an important arm of our ministry is the digital church — reaching Iranians with the Word through our Cheshme app, satellite services, faith films, Zoom discussion groups, social media posts and interactions, online discipleship programs, interactive online apologetics center, online Bible college, and more. While citizens are prohibited from having home satellite systems, almost every family in Iran has one or more, making the regime’s attempts to remove such systems an overwhelming failure.

A huge benefit of the digital church is that it connects believers with other groups of Christians throughout Iran. While our ministry cannot connect them directly to one another for safety reasons, the connections happen organically through online meetings — whether recorded, live or interactive. These services have all proven beneficial, and cater to the differing comfort levels of various individuals and home church groups.

During these meetings, a phone number is displayed as an avenue for additional support, and response teams are available to conduct follow-up conversations. Trained in trauma response, apologetics, theology, basics of the faith, life, and the family, they are available to answer questions, pray with, and offer next-step resources to incoming callers.

Finally, after some time, once new believers are proven to be genuine (a security measure), our team invites them out of Iran to one of our safe training centers for discipleship intensives. Our goal is a direct response to 2 Timothy 2:2 — to make true disciples that will go forth in the Great Commission to make more disciples.

Iran’s Underground Church, A Thriving Example for the World

God is doing a miraculous wonder in Iran, especially through the digital church — a lifeline for the people, an overwhelming stream of living water in the driest desert. The people are desperate for change under the regime’s worsening strangulation, and they are finding hope in the most unexpected ways: through God’s Word, miracles, and the digital church. Woven together through the love of Christ, Christians are gathering where and how they can, praying for one another unceasingly, and sharing the Gospel message to others in wisdom.

As we pray for these persecuted brothers and sisters, let us also be reminded of God’s calling over our lives — away from comfort and into utter devotion, no matter the cost. Let us be inspired by the Iranian church, seeking out Christ Jesus with all our hearts, driven by the simple Gospel and living as the united global church.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47

Lana Silk is the chief executive officer in the U.S. of Transform Iran, a nonprofit organization seeking to transform Iran into a nation that bears the image of Christ. Silk was born and raised in Iran before emigrating to the UK, where she completed her education at Imperial College, London. With over 20 years of marketing experience across all media, Silk considers it her life calling to represent and advocate for the people of Iran in the West.

Header image: iStock.com/BornaMir

Originally published on: The Stream