Missionaries, who worked in Iran until the Islamic Revolution in 1979, so often only a few Iranians converte from Islam to the Christian faith. But through their faithfulness, they planted seeds that bear fruit todaythat the research actually deals with. PhD. Duane Alexander Miller estimatedown, that up to 500,000 Muslims may have become Christians in Iran, while Professor of Religious Freedom, Thomas Harness maker, assesses The number is even higher.
"But I collect stones"
Henry Martyn translated the first Persian edition of the Nye Testament in the early 1800s. He died alone on October 16, 1812 and had only set én person Become a Christian. Mand i Faith said: "Even if I should never see one. native repentGod can encourage future missionaries through the faithfulness and perseverance, He has created me with."
Another missionary was Robert Brucethe i 1869 left Scotland and settled in Isfahan. He saw almost none either fruit of his workbut a letter to his support showed that he Anyway saw a Spiritual meaning of his work: "I do not harvest, And I can barely claim to plant seeds. I hardly plow the ground. But I do collect stones."
During the the following decades came more Missionaries to Iran, Among others. and American missionary couple, Mark and Gladys Bliss and their three young children, In the 1960s. The traveled around the the country and encouraged believers. October 25, 1969 they experienced a tragedywhen all their children were killed in A car accident. While the ensured, bath Mark and heartbreaking prayer in faith and said to God: "We plant three seeds for one Fall in Iran."
From Denmark were among othersre Leif Munksgaard from 1975 sent by the Danish Mission Society to Isfahan with his wife Lis and their four children. Leif Munksgaard's workof i and bookshopel, where, among other things, Bibles and Christian books were sold, and helped build the Iranian Literature Society in Teheran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Kerman and Ahwaz. Lis was involved in the Anglican Church's Sunday school work. The priests of the church were converts with different bagreasons - Islam, Judaism and zarathustrism.Families returned to Denmark in 1979 because of the revolution.
Prayer for revival eight hours every day
In the late 1960s felt and Americansk Missionary couple, Dick and Shan Dryer, feel called to pray for revival in Iran eight hours every day: "The Lord said., he wanted us to pray eight hours a day, seven days a week, from December 21, 1967 to He told us to stop."
The Lord said, He wanted us to pray eight hours a day, seven days a week, from December 21, 1967 until he told us to stop.
Thet did paired faithfully every day for four Months. Not long after could Dick disgusting a young businessman, Reza, to Faith in Jesus. He was among the Before the revolution almost 500 Christians with a Muslim background and founded later Danish European Mission partnerorganization, Elam, together with Sam Yeghnazar. For a number of years, Danish European Mission donors have supported Reza, Sam and the other employees in to smuggle the New Testament and Biblen into Iran so that even more people can encounter the love of God in Jesus Christ.
These missionaries - and many others - became role models for the new believers in Iran, so heartfelt prayer and courage evangelismation became part of the The Persiane The DNA of the Convert Church.
IThe pursuit of the ninth followed In the wake of the the Islamic revolution in 1979. Many have been in prison, and eight church leaders thed martyrdom until 2005 - but the big one church growth has confirmed Augustine's words that the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church. However, the conversions must in some cases also seen as a backlash against clergy rule.
Den Christian faith bowl Maybe already to Iran after Pentecost, as Acts chapter 2 says that the Iranian tribes parthere, bring and elamites listened to Peter's sermon. Perhaps they have taken the message with Back to Iran. Ffrom the second century, credible historical sources tell us In any casethat there was a church in Iran. Traditional ethnic Christian groups such as Assyrians, Armenians and Chaldeans had and still has large congregations in the country.
Kirks experience A resurgence in Iran In these years, but the convert church stands on the shoulders of Christians, who obeyed God's call and traveled as missionaries and Christians, the prayed for them.
Sources:
Mark Bradley: Iran and Christianity (Continuum Religious Studies 2008)
Elam (Danish European Mission partner)
Support Iran: Smuggling New Testaments
