In 1979, the Khomeini Islamic revolution forced the OM team to evacuate Iran after 17 years of serving,  leaving behind tonnes of Bibles and other Christian resources for the local church. Today, church leaders estimate there are over one million followers of Christ inside Iran

“The growth of the church in Iran is, without question, one of the most unexpected surprises in the last 1,400 years of missions,” Stuart*, an OM leader, says.

OM has continued to support the local church from outside of Iran. When the secret police raided the church and confiscated all of their materials, we repackaged translated Christian resources onto thousands of flash drives and SD cards, making them available once again to the growing church. Today, online Christian resources for discipleship and leadership training are critical needs for this fast-growing movement. In the past 18 months alone, approximately 40,000 books translated by OM on evangelism and discipleship have been downloaded by Iranians inside Iran and around the world.

Stuart shares, “we’re finding, as we address some of the issues that are exacerbated by the oppressive government and the trauma caused by the Iraq/Iran war, that people are hungry – and that in the middle of all this hopelessness, people are continuing to turn to the Lord.”

The need in countries like Iran couldn’t be greater and the need is now: nearly three billion people worldwide have never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel and that number grows by 60,000 every single day. As Christians, this is a challenge to us all to Live Out Love with others, and to do so at any and every opportunity – sharing God’s message of hope with those who don’t yet know Him.

Since 1957, OM workers have distributed tens of millions of portions of scripture, sailed the world through our ships ministry, have provided aid to millions, and trained and equipped tens of thousands to share the Gospel.

*name changed