Mission Pulse Episode #106: WHY IRAN?

Rev. Lazarus Yeghnazar is the founder of Transform Iran, a faith-based humanitarian outreach “to the desperate” in Iran. He is a former top translator for Iran’s war ministry and budget ministry who emigrated to England 36 years ago following the Iran-Iraq war.

Recently featured on CBN, Yeghnazar shared more about his heart for the nation and how many people in Iran have encountered Jesus through dreams and visions—something that is fairly foreign to Western cultures.

Lazarus Yeghnazar was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1949 to an Armenian Christian family. At the age of six, he saw a vision of Jesus and committed his life to His service. At 21, Lazarus was ordained as an elder at the Central Jamaate Rabani Church in Tehran and appointed as a member of the General Leadership of these churches across Iran.

At 23, despite the fact that he taught himself English, Lazarus became the head of the translation department of the Ministry of War in Iran and the official translator for the Vice Minister of War in Iran.

He was imprisoned twice before he was 25 for preaching the Gospel in different cities in Iran (during the time of the Shah). After the Islamic Revolution, when the hostages were captured at the American Embassy, he was the only one called upon to conduct Christmas and Easter services for the hostages.

He had an official audience with the King and Queen of Iran at the age of 27. Years later, by special invitation, he met and prayed with the crowned prince Reza Pahlavi (then in exile).

Lazarus also established Pars Link, one of the front-running electronics engineering firms in Iran, and became a successful international businessman. At 30, he founded and led the first Tehran chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International.

In 1988, after the end of the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq, Lazarus and Maggie felt God’s leading to leave Iran and settle in Europe. In 1991 they established 222 Ministries in obedience to the call of God. In 2022 ‘222 Ministries’ became ‘Transform Iran’ to better communicate the expanded vision they had received from the Lord.

Lazarus has a strategic pioneering spirit. He sees what is happening and what needs to be done and has the courage and voice to lead where others may hesitate to go.

Originally posted on: Mission Pulse.