Iran ‘s Christian Revolution Gains Momentum

ICC Note

In Iran , Christianity is spreading like wild fire. Many Muslims are coming to Christ. The Christian converts from Islam face persecution from Iranian authorities.

By Gary Lane

06/22/2009 Iran (CBN News)-Speculation is growing that the Iranian government may soon resort to violence to bring an end to pro-democracy protests. At the same time, the Islamic regime is finding it’s incapable of reversing the rapid spread of Christianity there.

CBN News Chief International Correspondent Gary Lane visited the country last year to get an exclusive look at the Iranian church.

He said the idea behind the Iranian Revolution was to establish the world’s first modern state governed solely by Islamic law. Ayatollah Khomeini believed a more prosperous society could be created if the Iranian people and their government adhered to tenets of the Koran.

But 30 years on, the revolution is faltering and many Iranians are disillusioned. They’ve taken to the streets to protest a stolen election and government corruption.

Todd Nettleton is with the Voice of The Martyrs.

“The people look around, they see the poverty, they see the discontent, they’re not happy so they have questions. Why isn’t it working out, we’re doing it the Islamic way, why isn’t our country great? So, they are ripe to hear a new way,” he said.

“The church is exploding in terms of numbers, but it is coming with a price,” Nettleton said.

“The people are arrested, they’re harassed, and they’re persecuted, in some cases they are beaten severely. It is not an easy pathway.”

Christian praise songs blast from the cassette player of an Iranian taxi cab. The driver is a Muslim convert to Christianity. Despite risk of arrest and possible death for apostasy, he’s unafraid to share his faith. A cross hangs from his rearview mirror. He keeps his bible on the front passenger seat beside a can of STP gas treatment. He shares the gospel with his passengers and gives them a bible if they want one.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is so concerned that he has made it his aim to stop the house church movement, declaring: “I will stop Christianity in this country.”

Starting in 2005, he launched an unmerciful crackdown against Iranian house churches. At least 50 house church leaders were believed arrested last year.

And last summer a war veteran and his wife died from beatings they received during a raid on their house church meeting in the city of Isfahan .

Also a little over a year ago, Christian Tina Rad and her husband were arrested and severely beaten. Held for four days, they were accused of committing activities against Islam and Iranian national security. Both are former Muslims.