On Wednesday 8th February, Maasis Mosesian, an elder of the Assemblies of God church in Tehran, was arrested at his workplace. He is understood to be detained in Gohardasht, about 20km west of Tehran. No reasons have been given for his arrest. Maasis is Armenian and is married with two children. Recall that three members of the Assemblies of God church in Ahvaz, south-west Iran, remain detained.
Two other churches in Tehran, Emmanuel Protestant Church and St Peter Evangelical Church, have been ordered to cease holding Farsi language services on Fridays. The pastors were given notification of this order last week by the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, and announced the order to their congregations on Friday 10th.
This decision means that there are now no Farsi language services on Fridays in any officially registered church in Tehran. The Friday services of the Assemblies of God Church were ordered to stop in October 2009. As Friday is the main week-end day, it is difficult for church members to attend services on other days.
Some members of the Emmanuel and St Peter churches have come under individual pressure. For example, some long-standing members have lost their jobs after the authorities placed pressure on their employers.
These churches are among the small number of officially registered churches that principally serve the Armenian and Assyrian communities of Iran. Most activities are conducted in the Armenian and Assyrian languages. The order to stop Farsi services is consistent with the authorities' policy of restricting Christian activities to these traditional communities.
House churches, which have no official recognition and principally serve believers from Muslim backgrounds (BMBs), continue to be under great pressure. According to Mohabat News, ten BMBs were arrested in a raid on a house church in Shiraz on 8th February. Their whereabouts are unknown.
Iranian Christians request our prayers that:
a. Maasis will know the peace and presence of Jesus, and be released soon
b. Likewise for all other believers detained for their faith in Jesus
c. The decision will be reversed and Farsi-language services allowed to recommence on Fridays
d. Church leaders will be guided in how to respond
e. Those wishing to worship in Farsi will be able to do so
f. Those that have lost their jobs will find alternative employment
g. All officials involved will love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him
Open sources used: FCNN, Mohabat News
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Website: www.meconcern.org
URL of this prayer request: http://www.meconcern.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=486:iran-further-arrests-and-church-service-closures&catid=7:prayer-requests&Itemid=12
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