Intercultural Internship Project Report

Survey:
TV ministry aimed at the Iranian Church

Intercultural Internship
ICS 4930

Tutor:
Tobias Menges

Compiled by
Hieber, Gabi
BA-Student
24th April 2017

Columbia International University

ESCT, Korntal
 2

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3
2. Description of the original project aims ................................................................... 3
3. Methods used to meet these aims ............................................................................. 4
4. Iranian culture (PLASTTERR) ................................................................................. 5
4.1. Language ................................................................................................................ 5
4.2. Aesthetics/Art ........................................................................................................ 5
4.3. Economy ................................................................................................................ 6
4.4. Iranian Christian Culture ....................................................................................... 7
5. Study of the Iranian underground/diaspora church ................................................... 8
5.1. Strengths of the Iranian underground/diaspora church .......................................... 8
5.2. Weaknesses of the Iranian underground/diaspora church ..................................... 9
5.3. Needs of the Iranian underground/diaspora church .............................................. 10
6. Study of SOTA (Seminary On The Air) ................................................................. 10
6.1. The aim of SOTA ................................................................................................ 11
6.2. The challenges with SOTA (for SAT-7 PARS) ................................................... 12
7. Programming of SAT-7 PARS ............................................................................... 12
8. Feedback from viewers of Farsi Christian satellite channels ................................ . 13
8.1. Specific responses from SAT-7 PARS viewers ................................................... 14
8.2. Broadcasting and social media patterns of young Iranians .................................. 18
8.3. Primary needs of young Iranians living inside Iran ............................................. 19
9. Recommendations for SAT-7 PARS ...................................................................... 19
10. Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 21
11. Bibliography ......................................................................................................... 23
12. Appendix ............................................................................................................... 24

9. = deleted from this version

Page references to remaining points after 9.3. do not correspond to this summary
because of that.
 3

1.) Introduction
This survey was carried out in accordance with a previous project proposal that was
approved and it seeks to take a closer look at the Iranian underground/diaspora church
and TV ministry aimed at helping and encouraging Iranian Christians.
This study is very much focused on SAT-7 PARS, which is one of four main
Christian Farsi satellite TV channels available that broadcast 24/7 (Channel 7,
Mohabat TV, SAT-7 PARS, Nejat TV). This study does not make a claim to be
complete or globally representative. It does not seek to bring to light many new findings
and results for those who are already well acquainted with SAT-7 PARS, but it can
rather be seen as a stock-taking of the current state of the channel and serve as a basis
from which to introduce outsiders to the subject of Christian satellite TV ministry for
Iran. It is also not an in-depth study of the Iranian underground church and its history
but the points mentioned seem important to consider when trying to find ways of how
best to serve Iranian Christians.
I have not included many appendixes on purpose. Obviously, there is material from
which I have gleaned information, but because I deemed the information too sensitive to
be given out here I refrained from making it public. I also promised SAT-7 PARS that
certain documents would stay with me only and I do want to keep confidence with
SAT-7 PARS’ staff and their ability to trust me.

2.) Description of the original project aims

To help the reader understand why this survey covers certain aspects and leaves out
others, I would like to repeat the aims for this project that I laid down in my project
proposal. They were for me to:

- Get a thorough knowledge of Iranian culture and worldview, especially Christian

culture.

- Understand the characteristics, strengths, weaknesses and needs of the Iranian

underground/diaspora church that the SAT-7 PARS programmes are aimed at.

- Find out what kinds of programmes are needed to help meet those needs.

A personal goal was also to empathise with Iranians and their sometimes painful
stories of having to leave their homeland and settle somewhere new.
 4

This report will provide a description of:

- Four missing aspects of the PLASTTERR method to map cultures that I have learned
about in a previous BA class, i.e. in this case Iranian culture. These were not covered
in my last BA paper about Iranian worldview and are covered here after clearance with
my BA tutor.

- A study of the existing SOTA (Seminary On The Air) curriculum that SAT-7 PARS
uses

- Feedback from viewers and their evaluation of how helpful Christian satellite TV
programmes are to them

- Evolving media patterns of young Iranian Christians

- My personal recommendations to SAT-7 PARS

3. Methods used to meet the above-mentioned aims

In order to meet the different project aims I have needed to employ different methods.
For the four missing PLASTTERR categories to map culture I have used online
resources (e.g. CIU online databases), literature and casual but pointed conversations
with Iranian natives and my own observation and experience. I also visited several
Iranian church services in London and spent some time socialising with Iranians, and
also asking about their personal life stories.

In order to get a thorough understanding of the Iranian underground/diaspora church

I arranged interviews with relevant people such as two pastors in Turkey, two former
CEOs and a deputy CEO of SAT-7 PARS, a former TV professional inside Iran (now
residing in Germany), two members of the SAT-7 PARS executive board, the Dean of
Students at Pars Theological Centre and an Iranian employee of Open Doors
International.

To collect feedback from SAT-7 PARS viewers and understand if the programmes
offered are meeting viewers’ needs, I directly interviewed twelve viewers in London
and three relevant staff of SAT-7 PARS in Cyprus and London, as well as a programme
host of SAT-7 PARS and of Mohabat TV. To get a better understanding of Iranian
culture, especially women in Iran, I spent time with an Iranian lady during which I
found out about her personal life story and asked many specific questions. I also read
 5

three books about women in Iran/Muslim culture and watched four different Iranian
movies to get more insight into Iranian culture.

4. Iranian culture (PLASTTERR)

4.1. Language

The term ‘Persian’ is used here as an adjective, especially referring to the arts and to
designate the principal language spoken in Iran and Tajikistan. Iranians themselves call
it Farsi. A variation of it called Dari is spoken in Afghanistan. About 110 million people
worldwide speak Persian. Modern Persian is part of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-
European languages and is written from right to left. It is a language of great antiquity.
One can still see tablets from 25 hundred years ago at archaeological sites in Iran. The
Persian language is remarkably stable and Iranians today can read 12th century literature
with relative ease. The Persian alphabet uses the Arabic one plus four additional letters.1

Persians love their language and like Middle-Eastern people they employ many
words to describe something. Should a disagreement arise between two people, whoever
uses the most words seems more likely to win. I have observed about a dozen sermons
in Farsi both in Turkey and London and each one lasted much longer than the average
sermon in any German or English church. This was also pointed out to me by an
indigenous Iranian who translated for me in one of the London churches. He actually
said: “Wow, I never realised until now just how many sentences we use in Farsi to
describe just one thing. But now that I translated that into English, the sentences are
much shorter when I tell you what the pastor just said.”

4.2. Aesthetics/Art

The role of the arts in Iran is highly complex. On the one hand, Iranians have one of the
richest and most elaborate traditions in the world. On the other hand, Islamic leaders
disapprove of many forms of artistic expression. Under the Shah the arts were heavily
supported and promoted. Under the Islamic Republic this support has continued, but
moral censorship has invaded virtually every form of artistic expression. There are two
Islamic prohibitions that affect the arts in the most direct way: one against music and
one against the depiction of humans and animals in art. Many popular Iranian musicians

1
Williams 2008/ www.ethnologue.com/country/IR
 6

now live abroad where they record and export their music back to Iran. The Iranian film
industry has existed for decades and Iranian films have won major international prizes.
Officials of the Islamic Republic grudgingly lend their support.

Iranian poets are highly revered and often quoted (e.g. Hafiz and Saadi). Persian
paintings are among the world’s greatest art treasures. Calligraphy as an artistic
development is very advanced and religiously approved. The art of carpet-making is
very elaborate, uses a lot of geometrical forms and the oldest carpet that was excavated
stems from around 400 B.C. The finest take years to complete and have hundreds of
knots per square inch. Silver-work, wood-block printing, inlay work and filagree
jewellery manufacture as well as producing fine ceramics have been practiced for
hundreds of years.2

Iranians like to look very neat and clean and especially ladies love to appear
manicured and very well dressed. This has very much to do with the oppressive regime
inside Iran that even employs a special ‘morality police’ that will fine, beat or arrest
women who do not dress modestly enough in public or do not have their hair covered
appropriately (this varies, though, in the different regions of Iran). Because of these
restrictions women seem to make extra efforts to invest in their appearance underneath
the veil and hijab.

4.3. Economy

Historically, an Iranian city is constructed around the commercial centre, which is the
bazaar. Emanating from it are all the institutions needed by the urban population. At the
top of the bazaar sits the ‘head’ of its body, the mosque. The bazaar is divided into
sections inhabited by the various trade guilds. Iran has been an agricultural nation with
fairly rich resources both for vegetable crops and livestock breeding. Through massive
urbanization, more than 75% of the population now derive their incomes from either
manufacture or the service sector. The discovery of oil has been another huge source of
income for the government, which controls the income from the sale of oil. Moves to
privatize industry have been slow; 80% of all economic activity is under direct
government control.

Aside from oil products, Iran exports carpets, caviar, cotton, fruits, textiles, minerals,
cars and nuts. On the other hand, due to the UN-sanctions against Iran established in

2
eHRAF World Cultures Database
 7

1995 and then revised in 2007, some foods and manufactured goods need to be
imported and the economy suffers because of the sanctions and government
mismanagement.3

Figures available from February 2015 show alarming levels of poverty in Iran with
approximately 70% of the population living below the poverty line4. Still, many of the
Iranians I have met in Europe put a lot of emphasis on having the best of everything:
smart phones and gadgets, cars, jewellery, etc. From a previous BA paper in which I
studied Iranian culture I also learned directly from Iranians in London that this is true
inside the upper middle class in Iran as well, and outward appearance and wealth is
extremely important to Iranians – even if it means they need to lie to appear to have
material wealth.

4.4. Iranian Christian culture

In my observation so far, Iranians outside the country often form their own Christian
fellowships. Wherever sufficient numbers allow them to do so they will meet for
worship, bible study and prayer in Farsi. In an ideal case they will be part of an existing
local national church (Turkish/German/British/American) with leadership given from
that pastor. However, due to cultural and language aspects, Iranians will naturally meet
in their separate group. An important aspect to understand about Iranian Christian
culture is about the view and status of church leaders. They can tend to be very strong in
their leadership and can sometimes come across as domineering. Church members call
upon their advice in all sorts of personal and family matters and respect them highly.

This is based on their Muslim understanding of leadership that is given to them by

imams or mullahs inside their country. Local Iranian underground church leaders may
attain the title of pastor very quickly (sometimes due to circumstances to do with
persecution where existing and more experienced leaders are arrested) but have not got
a thorough understanding of biblical theology yet, and can thus abuse their role. Also, if
a church member has a disagreement with the pastor it can absolutely happen that
he/she will leave the congregation to start his/her own church very quickly. Conflict is
avoided at all costs and the unity among the believers is not always guaranteed. Iranians
in general do not know how to disagree and still work together very well while

3
eHRAF World Cultures Database
4
www.iranfocus.com
 8

respecting each other. Offense is taken easily and consequences drawn. Also, teamwork
is not something that is taught or experienced in school very much and churches
experience the consequences of that.

Obviously, Iranian believers bring all these experiences into their new countries of
residence and there it takes healthy leadership (Iranian or native) to rectify wrong
views. When it is guaranteed that the Iranian congregation in the diaspora has solid
Iranian leadership, then it is advised for them to meet independently to a native
congregation.

5. Study of the Iranian underground/diaspora church

I want to set the scene here with the fact that apart from the Assyrian and Armenian
minority Christians inside Iran no other churches are allowed to have public church
services (these two groups however only in their native languages and they are not
allowed to proselytise) and all church services in Farsi are banned. Iran is governed by
an Islamic regime and this fact has direct consequences for the Iranian church, meaning
it is a church subject to persecution. Christians meet illegally in house fellowships.
Christian witness is forbidden. Changing one’s religion is seen as apostasy. Christians
other than orthodox are seen as a sect. Christian satellite TV stations are banned and can
only operate from outside the country. (Iranians still watch Christian satellite TV
illegally, though.)

The following points are certainly not complete and are not arranged in a specific
order or importance, but give a general understanding of the current state of the Iranian
underground church:

5.1. Strengths of the Iranian underground/diaspora church

1) It is a church full of believers with great passion for Jesus Christ.

2) It is a church that has very real experiences of Jesus Christ.

3) It is a church that is very evangelistic and that invites non-believers to explore the
Christian faith.

4) It is a church that is willing to take risks and makes big sacrifices for the gospel.
Because they live under persecution, they share a common reality.
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5) Although the underground church is growing hugely in numbers, the local

fellowships are small because they meet in homes. This promotes closeness, a very
caring attitude and a family feel.

6) It is a church that is not segregated into different denominations.

For the diaspora church the following strengths can be noted as well:

1) It is a church that stands together because they are all faced with the same challenges
of living in a foreign land.

2) Thanks to much better access to resources, church leaders are far better equipped to
fill their roles.

5.2. Weaknesses of the Iranian underground/diaspora church

1) Because of their Muslim background and surrounding, Iranian Christians bring many
Islamic practices with them (e.g. their faith may be works-based, their understanding
of the Trinity is often skewed due to unhelpful previous Islamic teaching).

2) It lacks access to systematic teaching, discipleship and leadership training (this

damages the church structurally).

3) Due to this lack of access to resources, the church’s theology is weak.

4) Due to repeated imprisonment and pressure from authorities, the enthusiasm of

individuals can slow down.

5) Due to constant government discrimination in general life and being used to lying
and hypocrisy just to survive, new believers sometimes apply a ‘two-faced’ approach
to their new faith and are not genuine.

6) It cannot openly practise its duties of worship, fellowship and evangelism.

7) Due to an unbiblical understanding of leadership, spiritual abuse can happen.

For the diaspora church the following weaknesses can be noted as well:

1) Due to language barriers, Iranian believers keep to themselves and stop sharing the
gospel with others in their new country of residence.

2) Due to constant government restrictions while inside Iran, vision and hope vanishes
and some pastors give up on their first calling once they are in a new country of
residence.
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3) Due to the Iranian church not being a denominational church, it tends to be a

personality church where believers follow the leader they like best and pick
congregations (and Christian satellite TV programmes) accordingly rather than
faithfully worshipping with the believers near them.

4) Because Iranian Christians come from a persecution setting with government spy
activity, their ability to trust is damaged. This is seen among each other but there is
also a lack of trust towards their leaders.

5.3. Needs of the Iranian underground/diaspora church

After completing my interviews and thinking about the answers given, the following
needs can be noted as the most pressing:

1) Sound, systematic theological teaching for seekers, new believers and church leaders

2) Access to Christian resources (literature, movies, study guides, theological

curriculums)

3) Encouragement from believers outside the country to combat its feeling of being
isolated and forgotten

6. Study of SOTA (Seminary On The Air)

Having considered the realities of the Iranian underground/diaspora church I would like
to turn to ways of how these needs can be met.

The idea of SOTA is not unique to SAT-7 PARS. When researching it, one quickly
realizes that other ministries like TWR (Trans World Radio) also use it. The wording
might be misleading since (in the case of SAT-7 PARS) there is not a physical seminary
with teachers and staff behind SOTA where students might get a valid, accredited
degree from.5 Other similar ideas like DOTA (Discipleship On The Air) or EOTA
(Evangelism On The Air) are also in existence.

In the following section I will explain what SOTA is from the perspective of SAT-7
PARS.

5
Pars Theological Centre was set up later and took over some of those functions but is totally separate
from SAT-7 PARS. Pars Theological Centre is explained later on in this survey.
 11

6.1. The aim of SOTA

The authors of the 2006 SOTA strategy of SAT-7 PARS had a very clear aim in mind:

“To take people on a journey from being a

seeker new believer believer fulfilling their destiny as a leader.”

It seeks to give systematic theological training to those Iranians who would not
otherwise get it. Once a viewer has watched and engaged with all the programmes aired
as part of the SOTA strategy, they should have a sound understanding of Christianity as
a whole. It is obvious that this process would take an extended period of time.
Programmes might cover (this list is not comprehensive):

- Historical documentaries explaining that Christianity has been part of Iran for the last
two millennia

- Movies with sound Christian morals and values

- Teachings on the person and work of Jesus Christ and his historic authenticity

- Teachings on the person of the Holy Spirit and the Trinity

- Teachings on baptism and communion

- Programmes that include practical application of biblical teachings on real life issues
in Iranian culture (e.g. marriage, child rearing, finances, servanthood)

- Programmes that help mature believers understand Christian apologetics

SOTA is aimed at adults who are seriously interested in going deeper in their faith,
not children and young people. SOTA very much depends on having suitable teachers
that understand both Iranian culture and have a good grasp of sound theology. Also, any
programme suggested to be aired as part of the SOTA strategy needs to undergo a strict
evaluation process. To that end the writers of SOTA designed an evaluation form with
questions about the specific aims and target audience of the programme, how the
presenter would engage with the audience, what follow-up steps would be taken, etc.

The leadership of SAT-7 PARS called their first official teachers’ conference about a
year after devising the SOTA strategy. In it they gathered all sound Iranian theology
teachers to plan how the strategy could be put into practice and they have had more or
less regular teachers’ conferences since.
 12

6.2. The challenges with SOTA (for SAT-7 PARS)

SOTA has definitely been implemented with some success on SAT-7 PARS broadcasts.
However, some challenges have led it to be like a little tree that has not been watered
but has great potential to grow. Following are four reasons for SOTA to have been
weakened over the years:

1) The theology of the teachers was weak and they taught from the background of their
various denominational schools of theology.
2) The teachers did not manage to refrain from anti-Islam statements (which, according
to SOTA and the overall guidelines of SAT-7 PARS are not tolerable).

3) The teachers were not sufficiently able to contextualize (apply theology to Iranian
culture). This may have been because they had not lived inside the country for a long
time.

4) SAT-7 PARS did not have a good enough website with resources to refer viewers to
at the end of each SOTA programme. This would have been very useful to
complement the teachings.

However, through this one thing became ever more clear: that SAT-7 PARS would
need strategic partnerships who could provide what the channel itself was unable to.
One of the outcomes of these considerations was the setting up of the independent Pars
Theological Centre, which runs successfully to this day.6

7. Programming of SAT-7 PARS

Although in general there may be several ways to decide what programmes to include in
the weekly broadcast schedule (e.g. solely based on viewers’ demands), SAT-7 PARS
follows a strategy by which a goal is set for each year ahead. For example, the goal for
2017 is to concentrate on programmes for children and youth. (Next year it may be
women’s issues or perhaps family matters). This decision is made by the CEO and the
programming department and afterwards submitted to the SAT-7 PARS executive
board. The basis for this decision is:

- The history of programmes (some may be outdated and need to be replaced)

6
Pars Theological Centre was set up in 2010 and has brought together Iranian pastors and Bible scholars
from all over the world. They offer academic-style courses to currently over 300 students and are in the
process of accreditation. The approach is to have a combination of multi-media learning, formation
conferences and church-based mentoring. See www.parstheology.com
 13

- The quantity of programmes for a certain target group (the broadcast schedule may be
lopsided and this needs to be rectified)

- Viewers’ feedback and demands

Then the producers are instructed accordingly to focus on whatever programmes

have been decided on. Each programme proposal is then subjected to a content review
and it is ensured that SAT-7 PARS standards are upheld. Producers go to work and
when a programme/programme series is finished it will again be checked carefully for
quality and content. In addition, the SAT-7 acquisition department buys movies or
children’s series (e.g. Veggie Tales) for all the different SAT-7 channels. They are then
translated and dubbed into Arabic, Turkish and Farsi if the respective channels want to
use these acquired programmes.

Once a freshly produced programme/programme series has the final ‘go ahead’ it
needs to be fitted into the right time slot in the weekly broadcast schedule. This is
usually planned at least one month in advance. Iran is the main target area and so
everything is fitted around prime viewing time in Iran. For SAT-7 PARS this is the time
slot from 4:30 p.m. until midnight.

These times are split up as follows:

4.00 p.m. starts with 30 minutes of music. This is followed by two hours of children’s
programmes and some youth educational programmes. 8.00 p.m. begins the evening
programmes geared towards adults (20+) with some general content followed by live
shows at 8:30 p.m. most evenings. Afterwards there are testimonies and worship
programmes and at 10.00 p.m. there is a movie. After midnight there are only repeats.
Theological teachings are inserted at noon each day and again at 3.00 p.m. and twice a
week SAT-7 PARS airs theological programmes that are part of the Pars Theological
Centre curriculum. In total there are about four hours of daily theological teaching (plus
the ones mentioned by Pars Theological Centre).

8. Feedback from viewers of Farsi Christian satellite channels

For this study I tried to interview as many viewers of Christian satellite TV as possible
here in London. This proved very difficult as I only had two church congregations
available and a limited number of Sundays during which I could attend services and
find those Iranians that actually watch the Christian satellite programmes on offer. For
this reason the following feedback from twelve viewers is in no way representative. It
 14

can only give a small glimpse into what some viewers in the diaspora think and find
helpful. But the fact in itself that Iranians in London do not seem to watch a lot of
Christian TV programmes in Farsi might be an indication that satellite TV becomes less
important once Iranian Christians are out of the country and able to congregate freely
with access to all kinds of resources. Also, because of Iranians in London having
employment and the time zone difference to Iran, it makes it difficult to watch popular
programmes at convenient times. This means SAT-7 PARS needs to stay focused on the
needs of the Christians inside Iran who are the main target group anyway.

Feedback overview:

- SAT-7 PARS is overshadowed in popularity by Mohabat TV and Channel 7.

- SAT-7 PARS stands out particularly for the great Christian movies they broadcast
(especially about Bible prophets).

- Favourite teachers on air are Joyce Meyer7 and Dr. Hormoz Shariat (Channel 7).

- The kinds of programme that viewers in London find most helpful are testimonies,
practical teaching based on the Bible and preaching. Several viewers expressed
explicitly the importance of practical application of theology and said they would not
watch programmes where they feel simply preached at.

- Viewers would like to see more testimonies, more Christian movies, more practical
Bible teaching and more programmes giving advice on relationship matters.

8.1. Specific responses of SAT-7 PARS viewers

Here I would like to quote two viewers:

“I'm sure that it's because of the prayers of believers like you that someone like me
in Iran is being saved. It's truly a miracle that I met Christ. I cried to God that we had no
resources and we had been kept from the truth. Even after 2,000 years, we are not
allowed to choose to follow Jesus. We have to worship Him secretly with all the
dangers that come with it. Praise the Lord a thousand times for this valuable network. I
love the Christian movies that are being broadcast, especially those about the prophets
of Israel. We had never heard of these prophets before. After watching all of these

7
Her popularity among Iranian Christians is overwhelming. Reasons for this may be that a) women in
Iranian households still have a lot to say in family matters and child rearing and have great influence.
Joyce Meyer being a woman seems to fill a void in Iranian Christian viewers’ hearts and b) her teaching
is very practical and Iranian MBBs (Muslim Background Believers) are hungry for this kind of teaching.
They are used to only learning the Qu’ran off by heart with no reference to real life. And c) she expresses
herself very freely, which Iranians envy as they are unable to do that very much inside their country.
 15

films, especially the one about Abraham, I now understand how God had prepared His
plan of salvation. I now realize how great God is. Amen.”
“Thank God for SAT-7 PARS Network that is blessing us. Praise God for the
cameras and for all high-quality equipment that is being used to produce excellent
quality programs. Everything is so organized. I also thank you for reading our messages
and answering them. May the Lord bless and strengthen you.”
When comparing this to the above-mentioned needs of the Iranian underground
church (systematic theological teaching, access to Christian resources and
encouragement) and the aims of SAT-7 PARS (‘SAT-7 PARS exists to counter the
widespread desperation inside Iran with the Good News of Jesus Christ’8) one can say
that SAT-7 PARS is meeting its goals to a great extent. It may not be the most popular
channel but its target group is also very specific and its in-depth teaching programmes
are not for everyone. One can never fully know, though, what a blessing this channel is
and how many people are helped in coming to faith or growing to maturity in Christ.

SAT-7 PARS certainly provides excellent teaching and historical overview of Bible
content. It encourages believers inside Iran immensely. One aspect that could be
improved here is the development of other Christian resources – potentially with partner
ministries.

8
See www.sat7.org/our-channels/channel-overview/sat-7-pars
 16

The different ways that viewers use to get in touch with the Audience Relations
Department of SAT-7 PARS are shown here for the year 2016:

The vast majority of viewers use texting services since using one’s phone in Iran to call
a Christian TV station is dangerous and subject to the secret police finding out. Reasons
for contacting the channel are:
 17

- Giving prayer requests

- Entering into a competition

- Needing a listening ear

- Needing advice and asking for specific teachings as well as a Bible

- Sharing testimonies

In terms of how many viewers SAT-7 PARS is in continued conversation with, the
following chart is helpful (figures are from 2016):

A case is a series of interactions that are required to satisfy the viewer's enquiry/need.
 18

From the above open cases, over 8,000 of the contacts are from Iran, followed by
Turkey and then Germany.9

8.2. Broadcasting and social media patterns of young Iranians

Through one of my interview partners who had just returned from Turkey I was able to
glean some insights into some changing media patterns of young Iranians. He had been
there to conduct a teaching conference for young Iranian believers. Part of the survey
were three males and seven females, all between 16 and 33 years of age. They came
from both cities and rural areas and did not know each other. Again, this little survey is
by no means representative.

90% of them use Instagram a few hours a day for private and work use. 100% use
Telegram as a messaging application (compared to 40% using WhatsApp). When asked
about their favourite social media they stated Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Their
favourite messaging applications were Telegram, WhatsApp and Skype. All of them use
mobile phones, 50% use laptops, 30% use desk top computers and 20% use tablets. In
terms of watching Christian satellite programmes, only four responded positively and
another four said that they follow such programmes online or through an app. Four of
the conference participants said they watch Channel 7 programmes daily, six watch
Mohabat TV on a daily/weekly basis and three said they watch SAT-7 PARS
occasionally. In terms of following these channels on social media, three follow
Channel 7, two follow Mohabat TV and one follows SAT-7 PARS.

The challenges they face using social media and messaging applications inside Iran
are:

- Low internet speed

- Filtering

- Lack of security,

- Fear of being investigated through their phone

- The need for VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) in order to access YouTube and most
social media sites.

9
Statistics are taken from the SAT-7 PARS Audience Relations report 2016, which is not attached on
purpose for confidentiality reasons.
 19

From this little survey one can clearly see that young believers in Iran are more easily
reached by shorter programmes, clips or films on social media than by an hour-long
programmes on satellite TV.

8.3. Primary needs of young Christians inside Iran

Based on feedback from the ten conference participants, the most pressing needs for
young Christians inside Iran are:

- Books, sermons, Bible commentaries and Christian resources in PDF format for smart
phones (for better security)

- New songs and song chords for worship

- New Bible translation in PDF format for smart phones

- New websites and applications with Christian content

- Training for Sunday school leaders and how to raise children

Again, here the need for other online resource platforms seems to be urgent – but
currently they are not sufficient available.

10. Conclusion
SAT-7 PARS has a very unique setup in which it is free from advertising, selling air
time or being connected to other ministries behind its channel. Therefore it is free from
pressure to impress donors/air time buyers and can focus on its unique aim and calling:
to strengthen the Iranian church and to share the good news of Christ through all of its
programmes, without being outright evangelistic in viewers’ faces. It seeks to provide
theological teaching to those who would not otherwise get it.

I want to encourage SAT-7 PARS to stay true to its calling and keep providing such
high-quality programmes that include practical application. Viewers’ feedback shows
that the channel is indeed a blessing to many – may God grant the wisdom and favour to
keep growing this ministry. SAT-7 PARS has a future in the kingdom of God to be salt
and light to many seeking souls inside Iran and I am privileged to know and be part of
this ministry.
 20

11. Bibliography
Bradley, Mark 2014. Too many to jail. The story of Iran’s New Christians. Oxford:
Monarch Books
Caner, Ergun Mehmet 2003. Voices behind the Veil. The World of Islam Through the
Eyes of Women. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications
Garrison, David 2014. A wind in the house of Islam. How God is drawing Muslims
around the world to faith in Jesus Christ. 5th Printing. Monument, USA: WIGTAKE
Resources
Moaveni, Azadeh 2005. Lipstick Jihad. A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America
and American in Iran. New York: PublicAffairs
Sadjadpour , Karim 2009. Reading Khameini: The world view of Iran’s most powerful
leader. Washington D.C.: Carnegie Endowment
Companjen, Anneke 2000. Hidden Sorrow, Lasting Joy. The forgotten women of the
persecuted church. London: Hodder & Stoughton
Williams, Stuart 2008. The essential guide to customs & culture in Iran. 2. Edition. New
York: Random House Distributing Services

www.arte.tv/guide/en/072669-000-A/iran-hide-and-seek-with-mullahs
eHRAF World Cultures Database CIU [2017-03-02]
www.ethnologue.com/country/IR [2017-02-28]
www.iranfocus.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30064:pover
ty-in-iran-reaches-new-heights&catid=4:iran-general&Itemid=109 [2017-02-28]
www.operationworld.org/iran [2017-03-11]
 21

12. Appendix (Selection of SAT-7 PARS Viewer Testimonies

February 2017)

Name: Kurosh (m)

Location: Iran

Greetings. I hope soon that I’ll be able to watch your programs through Telegram since
I usually use that app and Instagram. A month ago you sent me the Bible through
Telegram, and I forwarded it to five of my friends. Praise God: two weeks ago my
friends gave their hearts to our Lord Jesus Christ!

I am the only one among my friends who has a satellite dish and can watch your
programs. Unfortunately, there is so much false information on the internet so I only
watch your network, which is reliable, to learn about Christ. Please send me verses
through Telegram so my friends and I may be strengthened in our faith. Thank you.

Name: Bahman (m)

Location: Iran

Twenty-eight years ago, I made a tapestry of Jesus while in prison. At the time, I had no
idea who Jesus was. I prayed and asked God to delay my sentence: four of my fingers
were to be cut off as punishment for my theft. I prayed that God would postpone my
judgment until I had completed the tapestry. I finally finished the tapestry, and my
fingers were cut off.

During those ten years in jail, I probably made a total of 50 tapestries and sent them to
my family. I was surprised to find out that my mother, a non-believer, had framed that
first tapestry of Jesus while I was still serving my sentence.

Twenty years later, I had an encounter with God and was saved from my sins. He even
sustained my mother, and she gave her heart to Christ at the age of 85 just before
passing away. He chose us long before we knew Him.

It has been 10 years and 22 days since He freed me from the addiction of drugs,
cigarettes, alcohol, and theft. I have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus. He is my
atonement, and that is the message I share with others.
 22

Name: Nasim (f)

Location: Iran

I had a dream about Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was covered in a white veil. We
were alone in a desert. She was stood on a hill. She stretched out her hand to me and
said: "I am Mary." As soon as I heard her name, I knelt, took her hand, and cried out for
help.

I've sent prayer requests on behalf of others: Praise God they have been answered. But I
have not been answered. When speaking to you (SAT-7 PARS), you told me that real
faith comes from practising. I followed your advice, and since then I’ve had a heavenly
peace inside me: I'm able to leave everything in God's hands. I'm not setting a time limit
or waiting for God to act. Instead, I'm just joyfully in Him. I hope that everyone can
experience this peace. I hope one day we (Iranians) can express our gratitude to God
and praise Him with joyful songs.

Name: Sam (m)

Location: Iran

The more I get to know about Jesus, the more I fall in love with Him. Today, I read the
story of the adulterous woman who was brought to Jesus. This story made me cry: He is
so forgiving.

Name: Vida (f)

Location: Iran

[The audience relations counsellor has summarised the testimony.]

Vida is 18 years old. She was crying over the phone, begging for help. She was telling
me that she feels helpless, thinking of committing suicide. She attempted to commit
suicide two months ago and still thinks about ending her life.

When I asked her where she lives, I realised that we are from the same area, speak the
same dialect, and have the same cultural background. That brought us closer and helped
her relax. As we talked more, she was able to laugh between her tears. We spoke about
 23

her self-worth and how valuable she is. By the end of the call, she was calm and
grateful. She said if I had not contacted her, she would have killed herself that day.

I contacted her on the following Monday. She felt much better and wasn’t crying
anymore. She was hopeful and optimistic about life. We will be in touch again soon. I
sent her a Bible in the meantime. She couldn’t download the entire PDF, so I’ll be
sending her a few pages at a time.

One number, one call saved Vida from self-destruction and death. Praise God.

Name: Arsham (m)

Location: Iran

[The audience relations counsellor has summarised the testimony.]

Arsham found our Telegram number through one of our live programs. He left us a
message to call him back. When we contacted him, he expressed his desire to be a
follower of Christ. We sent him the Bible as a PDF file and followed up with a phone
call. He prayed the sinner’s prayer. He was very happy, saying that he had started
reading the books that he had received from us. He will be sending his questions to us
as he studies the Bible and our counsellors will answer them. He was thankful that we
were there for his spiritual needs.

Name: Niyoosha (f)

Location: Iran

Shalom. Though we do not have a church, your teachings enable us to grow in our faith.
Praise God for technology. May you keep shining in the Lord.

Name: Fardin (m)

Location: Iran

The verse that you sent me today (Romans 10:9) changed my life. I've done so much
wrong, but I want to make an oath to God and repent of my ways. I need you to pray
 24

and ask our Lord Jesus to forgive all my sins; please pray for me, I know no one else I
can ask for prayers. Thank you, and may the Lord bless you.

Name: Hamed (m)

Location: Iran

Greetings. The only reason I’m alive today is because of God. I will never forget how
He saved me. While I was in tears, He took my hand. I won’t exchange Him for any
worldly things or let go Him now that I’m with Him. Thank you.

Name: Sasan (m)

Location: Iran

Dear Pastor Miltan,

From now on, I’d like to call you my bro :) I thank God with all my heart for placing all
of you, dear brothers and sisters, on my path and giving me a new life. I wouldn't be
here today if it wasn't for my Lord Jesus Christ. Praise Him.

A few nights ago I had a dream. I was in a dark place with my wife, Sara. A voice was
saying "Can you hear? Can you hear God's voice?" My wife and I were crying, “Yes,
we hear". The voice said "Messiah", and at that moment I saw an angel smiling at us.

I'm not sure what God's plans are for us, but I know that He always watches over us and
never neglects us even though we neglect Him. I wanted to give my testimony and
confess that our Lord Jesus was, is and will be. He chooses the worst [referring to
himself]. In the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit I don't fear anything. May the
grace of our Lord be with you.

Name: Soheyla (f)

Location: Turkey

Greetings to God's beloved servants. Thank God for SAT-7 PARS Network that is
blessing us. Praise God for the cameras and for all high-quality equipment that is being
 25

used to produce excellent quality programs. Everything is so organised. I also thank you
for reading our messages and answering them. May Lord bless and strengthen you.

Name: Mehrad (m)

Location: Iran

I enjoy Brother Arman's teachings, and I praise God for him. He is God's blessing to us
who have no church.

Name: Behzad (m)

Location: Turkey

I was chained to the bondage of addiction for sixty years. Talking about it is hard.
Praise our Lord Jesus who freed me two years ago after I came to faith. Although I'm
not yet who God wants me to be, I'm no longer a slave to sin. I hope to be able to share
my testimony one day, but it's still tough: to have been in bondage for sixty years isn't
easy. My life is a great miracle of God's work. I'm crying as I write to you. Brother
Miltan and Brother Mokhof beautifully explain everything. I agree indeed that Jesus
uproots everything and He leaves the rest up to us to follow Him. Please pray for the
strengthening of my faith and that I may stay faithful to God.

Name: Pedram (m)

Location: Iran

Greetings and blessings. I was very glad to hear that your network was active on
Telegram. Please post more articles and books. I pray daily for you. Through SAT-7
PARS I've learned so much about my Lord Jesus Christ. We love you.

Name: Gazal (f)

Location: Iran

I'm sure that it's because of the prayers of believers like you that someone like me in
Iran is being saved. It's truly a miracle that I met Christ. I cried to God that we had no
 26

resources and we had been kept from the truth. Even after 2,000 years, we are not
allowed to choose to follow Jesus. We have to worship Him secretly with all the
dangers that come with it. Praise the Lord a thousand times for this valuable network. I
love the Christian movies that are being broadcast, especially those about the prophets
of Israel. We had never heard of these prophets before. After watching all of these
films, especially the one about Abraham, I now understand how God had prepared His
plan of salvation. I now realise how great God is. Amen.

Name: Rachel (f)

Location: Cyprus

You are like lights that God has lit up and placed on the top of the mountain to
illuminate Iran and Iranians, glorifying the name of the Lord. I’m proud that God has
anointed so many wonderful people who are gifts to us. May the Lord bless you, for you
are a blessing to us.