Documentary: the world's fastest-growing church is in Iran, has no buildings, and is mostly led by women

“A new film tells the story of the ‘fastest-growing church’ in the world, an underground, persecuted Christian movement in a country known for exporting radical Islamic terrorism.” - Fox

Discussion

You really need to watch the documentary to wrap your minds around how God is growing the church in Iran. In my mission circles, I have heard from many different sources that Iranian people are most open to the gospel and many, whether still live under intense persecution in Iran, or whether they immigrated to countries like Germany or Sweden, have embraced Jesus. Estimates are somewhere between several hundred thousand to close to a million. This video confirms these reports. The documentary further explains what it means how the church is led by women. The people interviewed in the video (both Iranians and mission leaders from America) explain that the Western church is too influenced by secularism and feminism and doesn’t understand submission and also make the point how these women are submissive to their husbands and that there is proper order in the church (they leave that vague) but are leaders in confronting the powers of Satan. Many of the women who are leading have traumatic and sin-filled backgrounds such as being former drug addicts, many have been raped, some killed their abusive husbands, and the list goes on. Also, there is some vagueness in the video about what they mean by spiritual gifts as well. Check out the documentary. It’s worth watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=9SAPOLKF59U

… in cozy America, yesterday I endured an elderly man criticizing me for purging the church library of all Hal Lindsey books, and from a woman for having corporate prayer from the congregation on Sundays because it’s “too formal.” A man also complained because a pastoral prayer sounded “too Catholic.”

So ridiculous and petty, and such a selfish perspective.

Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.

[TylerR]

… in cozy America, yesterday I endured an elderly man criticizing me for purging the church library of all Hal Lindsey books, and from a woman for having corporate prayer from the congregation on Sundays because it’s “too formal.” A man also complained because a pastoral prayer sounded “too Catholic.”

So ridiculous and petty, and such a selfish perspective.

Tyler,

Can you describe the corporate prayer? I just am curious what you are doing. Responsive type prayer? Or do you lead, or another leader, while everyone agrees along with with.

Mark

We rotate between four topics for the pastoral prayer; one per week = (1) our families, (2) our community, (3) evangelism, (4) global church. The congregational prayer follows the pastoral prayer twice per month. Here, we invite anyone from the congregation to speak and pray for the theme of the pastoral prayer.

Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.