Nearly 60 Iranian Christians were swept up in a sudden wave of arrests across the country in mid-July, crippling ministry work. “Most ministries have stopped their activities,” said a front-line worker. His comments follow reports of three Christians arrested in Tehran on May 9, 2023. Agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Court arrived that morning with search warrants and confiscated mobile phones, laptops, books and pamphlets.
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The first time he went to a Christian church, during the time of the Islamic revolution in Iran, Mansour Khajehpour was a teenager. He went only to determine the best way to burn down the church building. But the woman who opened to door was caring and kind—and her Christlike kindness altered the direction of Mansour’s life. The woman pointed Mansour to a Farsi-speaking pastor. Over the months to come, that pastor answered Mansour’s many questions—but only one question per week—and gave him a Bible. At first, Mansour’s heart was hard, but over time God softened him until the day he found himself closing his eyes, praying in a loud voice and committing his life to Christ. Today, Mansour is the pastor of a church in Seattle and a leader in the Iranian Bible Society, working to get God’s Word into the Islamic Republic of Iran and to Farsi-speaking people in other nations as well. Listen as Mansour shares how three older missionaries made an impact on his life for the Lord and how he became involved—through his future wife, Nahid, who is now the Executive Director—in the Iranian Bible Society. Together they both experienced persecution for their Christian faith. Friends and pastors Mansour and Nahid knew well were martyred. Listen to Mansour tell how their examples were an inspiration, especially Pastor Hossein Soodmand’s deep love and respect for God’s Word. You can listen to past VOM Radio episodes with Rashin Soodmand and Gilbert Hovsepian, the children of Pastor Soodmand and Pastor Haik Hovsepian who were both martyred for their faith in Iran. Mansour will encourage listeners to memorize scripture and spiritual songs—which provided him great help and hope in prison for his faith. Pray for Mansour and Nahid’s continued work providing Bibles for our Iranian brothers and sisters, and for the persecuted church inside Iran. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the new VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.
Read MoreIn February 2023, the Iranian government released thousands of long-held prisoners during a general pardon. Those released included several Christians imprisoned for practicing their faith.
Read MoreOwning, printing, importing or distributing Bibles in Iran is illegal. Since they are so difficult to obtain, Bibles are treasured by Iranian believers, and few have their own copy of God’s Word. Despite the prohibitions and scarcity, Christians in Iran are working on placing copies of God’s Word into people’s hands.
Read MoreProtests erupted across Iran following the recent death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody. The Iranian government has responded to the demonstrations with force and brutality. When soldiers shot at a group of protesters and hit a passing bus, an Iranian Christian was wounded.
Read MoreInternet conferencing services are powerful tools for front-line workers to reach and train Christians in restricted countries. One web-based course offered live lessons focused on spiritual healing. The class profoundly impacted one Iranian woman: “The lesson examined Bible verses on forgiveness. We also discussed the power of unforgiveness on our emotions,” she said.
Read MoreChristian convert Naser Navard Gol-Tapeh was arrested on June 24, 2016, when 30 intelligence agents raided an engagement party in the town of Karaj, near Tehran. Naser spent two months in solitary confinement before his case went to trial.
Read MoreAt the age of twelve, Azadeh was raped. She then started having panic attacks, seizures, and severe depression. She attempted suicide several times. Eventually, Azadeh committed her life to Satan, but after making that dedication, her health only worsened.
Read MoreMina was a devoted Muslim, but one night, she had a dream encouraging her to read John chapter 15. Though Mina didn’t understand the dream at the time, she watched a Christian TV broadcast a few days later, and the hosts read passages from the book of John.
Read MoreThe daughter of an Assyrian front-line worker attends an Iranian public school where Quran classes are required for Muslim students. As an Assyrian child, the girl is exempt from the class, but a new teacher forgot to excuse her from class one day. When the teacher asked the girl questions about Islam, many of her classmates answered that the girl is a Christian and should be excused from answering.
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