Churches Forced To Stop Farsi Worship In Tehran, Iran

CHURCHES FORCED TO STOP FARSI WORSHIP IN TEHRAN, IRAN

Christian Post

Feb 20 2012

Ministry of Intelligence issues halt to services, which attracted
converts.

Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence has ordered the last two officially
registered churches holding Friday Farsi-language services in Tehran
to discontinue them.

Emmanuel Protestant Church and St. Peter’s Evangelical Church were
the last two official churches offering Farsi-language services on
Fridays in Tehran, according to Middle East Concern (MEC). Officials
issued the order on Feb. 10

Authorities had ordered the Central Church of Tehran to close
its Friday Farsi services in December 2009. The Central Church, an
Assemblies of God (AOG) congregation, had conducted multiple services
on Fridays.

Friday services in Tehran attracted the city’s converts to Christianity
as well as Muslims interested in Christianity, as Friday is most
Iranians’ day off during the week. Authorities told the churches they
can hold the services on Sunday, a working day when most Iranians
are not able to attend.

“This decision means that there are now no Farsi-language services
on Fridays in any officially registered church in Tehran,” an MEC
report issued this week stated.

Emmanuel and St. Peter’s are Presbyterian churches, and, along with
the Central Church, are among Tehran’s few registered churches. They
exist mainly to serve the Armenian and Assyrian communities. The three
churches’ Armenian- and Assyrian- language services are typically
held on Sundays.