Mission organisation EEM has said that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could present a “historic opportunity” to spread the gospel into Iran, which heavily restricts Christian activity.
Iran is currently ranked the 10th worst persecutor of Christians in the World by Open Doors. Conversion from Islam is illegal and can potentially lead to the death penalty. Even members of the historic Christian communities report being treated as second class citizens.
Churches often fall victim to police raids, with pressure increasing during times of conflict, due to the perception that Christians may be aligned with the external enemies of the Islamic Republic.
This year has seen an intensification of efforts by Israel and the US to effect regime change in Iran.
EEM suggested that should the current regime fall, an unprecedented opportunity to spread the gospel would present itself.
Dirk Smith, vice president of the group, said, “The Bible already exists in the languages many Iranian people can read, but if the door opens, the need could be far greater than anything we have seen before. We want to be ready to respond at the scale that moment may require.”
In preparation for such an opportunity, EEM has produced nearly 90,000 Bibles in Iranian languages. Among them is the first ever translation of the New Testament into Gilaki, a language spoken in northern Iran.
Smith added, "For generations many Iranians have lived with severe restrictions on access to the Bible. If greater openness comes, even briefly, the opportunity for people to encounter God's Word could be extraordinary.”
While hoping for greater openness in Iran to Christianity and the scriptures, EEM said it recognised the seriousness of the current conflict, and urged Christians to “pray for peace and protection in Iran”.
Bart Rybinski, vice president of EEM European Operations, said, “Our first response must be prayer. This is a dangerous and deeply uncertain moment for the people of Iran, and we are asking Christians everywhere to pray for peace, for protection, and for the Lord to move powerfully in the midst of crisis.
"But we also have to be ready. If a door opens for more people in Iran to receive the Bible, we must be prepared to respond without delay.”
