Underground church in Iran experiences rapid growth

photo courtesy of Iran Alive Ministries Members of the persecuted Church in Iran Worship in secret.

The underground church in Iran is experiencing the most growth it has ever seen with over 600,000 new believers joining the church in the last 15 years according to Operation World. With Iran vs. Israeli war occurring and bringing chaos to the nation, people are discouraged and searching for meaning. Through this circumstance many people are beginning to discover hope through faith. 

“Not being able to worship openly created a need for believers to find a way to meet secretly and quietly,” Cynia Criscuolo said. Criscuolo is a main coordinator at Reaching the Nations Ministry (RTN), an organization that works closely with underground churches in Iran and supports persecuted Christians. Her role gives her direct insight into what Christians in Iran are experiencing.

“Leaving [Islam]—and especially practicing another faith—can lead to surveillance, arrest, torture… and/or death… The persecuted church in Iran is considered to have one of the highest rates of adult Christian conversions in the world,” Criscuolo said.

Many Iranians are eager to express their newfound hope. They are traveling across borders just to be baptized without facing persecution. Despite the risk Iranian Christians face, there is a revived energy among believers. For example, some underground churches meet in small, secret groups within the homes to avoid being detected by the authorities. These gatherings are able to continue growing through trusted relationships, where people quietly invite others they know and trust. Christians are excited to see the growth that used to be hidden, is now beginning to spread rapidly, proving that even in the hardest circumstances, faith can still rise up.

Although this rapid growth is not happening without a struggle, believers are having to remain cautious about how they practice and share their faith, relying on highly trusted relationships and small gatherings to avoid drawing attention to themselves. 

“There’s six different internal security and ‘secret’ police organizations that are responsible for monitoring and spying on dissidents,” Criscuolo said. 

This highlights the constant danger these individuals face. Even with this level of surveillance, many continue to meet, worship and support one another in quiet but powerful ways. Secret gatherings are not the only piece to the underground church, many believers are now having to be creative with their serving to stay connected. Online worship services, encrypted messaging and satellite broadcasts are helping Christians remain connected despite the separation. Criscuolo shares that ministries are working to equip house church leaders and provide discipleship through technology online. This is allowing faith to spread even in the restricted areas. 

The underground church in Iran is a display of hope and encouragement to believers worldwide. As persecution continues, it has not stopped the growth of faith. As the people of Iran look for a deeper meaning, encouragement still continues to spread. The underground church in Iran is a reminder that even in dark times, light will always overcome.

Everyday, followers of Christ are risking their lives to share their hope with others, even in the face of danger and risk of execution. According to The Times of Israel, the underground church dates to 1979 in the Islamic Revolution when Christian pastors and believers were executed for their faith. 

Because of this movement, Christians were forced to take their gatherings into hiding, meeting secretly to avoid punishment or possibly death from the Islamic party. Since then, the church has continued to grow under the radar but at a steady rate. However, according to The Times of Israel over the past year there has been a recent spike in conversions. According to Operation World, Christianity in Iran has grown this past year, with numbers showing that the population has gone from about 370,000 believers in 2014 to almost 1 million by 2020, making it one of the highest growing Christian communities in the world.

“Today, the situation in Iran is at a critical point. We see the hand of God at work not only in the growth of the underground church but in the persecution they are enduring. As harsh as it may sound the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, understands that persecution increases faith,” Criscuolo said.