3 Discrimination in jobs, housing and education is a daily reality to all Jews and Christians, but so is open and severe persecution for followers of the Baha'i religion, for all who use the Persian language for worship or witness and for all MBBs

4 The majority of the wider Christian community is from the traditionally Christian Armenian and Assyrian communities which are isolated cultural and language islands in a Muslim sea

5 Protestant Churches were generally small and struggling before the revolution

a) Courage and fortitude under persecution such that their enemies are won for Christ

b) Wisdom, boldness and protection for all in leadership

c) Adequate income for Christians who are increasingly impoverished

d) Supernatural deliverances and fruitfulness for all MBBs

e) Churches outside Tehran which have suffered more

6 The Iranian Diaspora is nearly 5 million

a) Several networks of over 70 Iranian diaspora churches

b) The ministry of Iranian Christians International, ELAM (Elam Ministries, UK) and Persian World Outreach, each with a significant contribution to coordinating fellowship

c) Training of Iranian Christian workers

d) The many significant Iranian communities which have no church or witness – notably the Gulf States with over 60,000 Iranians

Peoples

Indo-Iranian 71.8%; Turkic 22%; Semitic 3%; Christian minorities 0.2%; Other 3%.

Literacy 72%. Official language Persian (Farsi; Dari and Tajik are major dialects); spoken by 83% of Iranians. All languages 69. Languages with Scriptures 3Bi 2NT 4por 12w.i.p.

Economy

Oil provided 75% of export earnings in 1995 and carpets, 11%. HDI 0.715; 95^th/174. Public debt 7.6% of GNP. Income/person $1,000 (5.6% of USA, in 1982 it was 18%).

Politics

The Shah was deposed in the Shi'ite Muslim Revolution, and a theocratic Islamic Republic declared in 1979.

Religion

Shi'a Islam is the state religion and 93% of Iranians follow this.

Churches in Iran

click for legend

Geography

click to enlarge

Area 1,648,196 sq.km. Situated between the Caspian Sea in north and Arabian Sea/Persian Gulf in south.

Population (2000) 67,702,199 +1.67%AGR

Capital Tehran 11 mill.

Internet Links