“My nation is destroyed because of lack of knowledge.” Mansour Khajehpour, the Executive Director of SAT-7 PARS, quotes the prophet Hosea (4:6) to stress the lack of access to the Bible in his birth country of Iran. He and Deputy Executive Nikoo Ordodary had just returned from the SAT-7 PARS teachers conference (October 2014), a bi-annual event designed, not only […]
Millions of viewers of Christian TV broadcaster SAT-7 live in the eye of the storms that are currently engulfing the Middle East. Among them are large numbers watching from Iraq and an enthusiastic audience in the small Christian community in Gaza. As a Christian broadcaster, committed to strengthening the Middle East Church, SAT-7 has been seeking to support these viewers, […]
Article 5 in our series: The Ethics of Global Engagement International pressure secured the safe release of Meriam Ibrahim when she faced the death penalty in Sudan for her faith. But mishandled public campaigns on behalf of persecuted Christians can cause more harm than good. A Middle East writer outlines the pitfalls to avoid. We all followed the distressing trial […]
Article 4 in our series: The Ethics of Global Engagement Asking a believer from a non-Christian background to share their experience of God brings a responsibility, says a Middle East writer: to let them tell their story honestly, and to support them in their ongoing discipleship. All too often that isn’t what happens… When I first became a Christian from […]
“Ekhristos Anesti!” “Alithos Anesti!” These are words commonly heard in Egyptian Christian circles at this time: “Christ is risen!” we greet one another, “He is risen indeed!” we reply. Happy Easter! It’s a busy time for Christians in Egypt. Coptic Orthodox Christians, who make up about 90 per cent of the Christian population here, spend Passion Week, the last week […]
Article 1 in a new series: The Ethics of Global Engagement A Middle East contributor highlights some of the issues we need to be mindful of as we engage with the church in the Middle East and North Africa. The Body of Christ is not simply a local church that meets on Sundays, but a global body of all those […]
2011 began with high expectations for new freedoms and prosperity across much of the Arab World. Three years on there is a palpable sense of disappointment and frustration. SAT-7 CEO, Dr Terence Ascott, offers a country-by-country overview of what has happened since and untangles a confusing picture. Beginning in January 2011, a wave of uprisings swept away dictators in Tunisia, […]
An arduous journey and close surveillance faced the wise men who came seeking the birth of Jesus. Traditionally thought to be Persians, their challenges are echoed in the monitoring and risks faced by Iranians who celebrate Christ’s birth today. Everyone who has ever watched or taken part in a Nativity play knows that some of the first people to recognise […]
Rev Edward Hovsepian-Mehr pastored churches in Iran for 35 years. Since 2003 he has led the Iranian Church in London and is superintendent of a network of Iranian churches in the UK and Europe. He is one of the most influential teachers in the Iranian church and a regular broadcaster on SAT-7 PARS. We asked Edward how he became involved […]