Hunted by the secret police, Somayeh brings hope to Iran

Much to her surprise, Somayeh* in Iran encountered God in a powerful way. People tried to silence her, but God had other plans.

It started with one aim: to prove that Christianity wasn’t true and Islam was. So when a Christian friend in Iran invited Somayeh* to church, she decided to go.

“My only goal was to challenge and disprove everything I’d heard.” she says. God, though, had other ideas. And when she entered the church, everything changed. “The presence of God was overwhelming,” she says. “It was everything I had longed to feel in my prayers but never did.” Somayeh opened her heart to Jesus.

“When I walked out of the church, I felt like a bird released from a cage,” she says. “As I prayed and learned, I grew in my faith and got to know Him. Through prayer, discipleship and the Holy Spirit, my new life truly began.”

The cost of discipleship

Somayeh’s new life came at a cost. 

Iran is number nine on the World Watch List. Christians who convert from Islam are viewed as a threat. While historic minorities like Armenian and Assyrian Christians have some protection they are not allowed to worship in Persian or interact with converts from Islam.

So Somayeh was vulnerable from the start. And when her husband discovered her faith, he was furious. A violent, abusive man, he beat her and treated her cruelly. 

“One day, he found my Bible and tore it up in front of me,” she recalls. “Another time, he ripped up my birth certificate. It was as if my identity was torn apart. I cried so much that day.”

God brought comfort: “In the midst of those tears, I heard a voice say, ‘Your name is written in the Book of Life,’ and those words gave me strength to carry on,” she says.

She could only risk going to church once a month, and relied upon recorded sermons. Somayeh was questioned by the secret police, but they didn’t find anything. And in the background, there was always her husband. 

“My husband had threatened to kill me if I preached the gospel,” she says. “But I couldn’t stay silent.”

Finally, he took drastic action. He moved the family to another city, cutting her ties with her Christian community.

Isolated and displaced, Somayeh cried out to God: “Why had this happened?” Suddenly, to her surprise, she felt God tell her: “I want to build a church here in this town.”

It was an impossible idea. But she set out. And, starting with a handful of Christians meeting in secret, it soon grew to an underground house church with more than 30 members.

“When we gathered, we never mentioned our meeting places over the phone – we used code words and were extremely careful,” Somayeh says. “All phones had to be turned off, and we even removed the batteries to avoid tracking.

“We saw miracles happening with us, and with people around us! Seeing the church grow was one of the greatest joys of my life.”

Then, one day, the intelligence services called with a chilling message: “We will see you soon.”

Time to go.

Sustained by God 

Today, Somayeh and her daughter live in another country. She had to flee, leaving everything behind, even her son due to his military service. “It’s difficult knowing he’s still there,” she shares, “but even when hope feels delayed, I know God is working. His love sustains us, and His guidance strengthens me every day.”

Somayeh has found great strength and encouragement through the support of Open Doors partners. She has found a Persian-speaking church where she can worship freely and now she serves secret Christians in Iran through an online ministry. To equip her, Somayeh attends Open Doors organised leadership training sessions, which help her to share her experience and wisdom with Christians who are still having to keep secret.

“I’m able to share these insights with those who, for security reasons, can’t attend,” she shares. “I am truly grateful to those who support these seminars and make them possible,”
Somayeh has suffered greatly for her faith. But out of that suffering has come new hope for untold numbers of secret believers.

“I’m blessed to pass on what I’ve received, to bless others in return.” she says. “Thank you.”

Today, you can support other members of the global undercover church, with your gift and prayers. Courageous believers like Somayeh pay a high price when people learn about their faith – but knowing they are part of the global body of Christ gives them hope, encouragement and determination to keep defying persecution and revealing the gospel.

*Name changed for security reasons