The Spread of Christianity in the Middle East

Jacob Pursley, pastor of the International Bible Church of Armenia in Yerevan, discusses the persecution driving Iranian Christians to flee to Armenia and the rapid, underground growth of Christianity in Iran despite severe risks. In this Morning Wire interview, he explains the mechanisms of church expansion in a hostile environment, Armenia's unique role as a refuge, and the limits of outreach under Islamic regimes.

Iran's Persecution and Christian Exodus

Iran prohibits Bibles in the native Farsi language and imposes the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity. Public displays like wearing a cross are illegal, and active proselytizing can lead to communal punishment or murder, as in the case of Armenian-Iranian Hekopsephion, killed for sharing his faith. Despite this, Iran hosts the world's fastest-growing Christian population. Converts often first reject Islam for atheism, then encounter Jesus through smuggled Bibles, drawn to a "God of love." Fleeing Iranian Christians cross into neighboring Armenia—the region's only free and democratic nation—seeking religious liberty, discipleship, and baptism at churches like Pursley's, which serves English-speaking internationals.