Photos by Billy Rutledge

Jalal, raised Muslim in Iran, practiced all of the religion’s rituals and daily read the Quran. Yet, he explained, “I had a hunger and thirst for God, but I didn’t know Him. The rituals became empty to me, and I started doubting Islam and God. I began talking with the unknown God. I asked, Who are you? Allah, Jehovah, or the god of the Hindus?”

Jalal was depressed, hallucinating, and experiencing nightmares and demonic oppression. He couldn’t leave his house. “I became interested in occult things and began to use a drug that brought about delusions and hallucinations,” he admitted. Then one day, a friend gave him a Gospel tract. “I was offended that John’s Gospel called me a sheep,” he protested. “I am a man who does rituals!” Eventually he accepted a Bible from a friend’s brother who led him to give his heart to Jesus. Although he went along with it out of respect and not sincerity, Jalal admitted, “I recognized that when I read the Bible, my depressed and dark feelings went away.”

Persecution followed after he genuinely accepted Jesus as his Savior and began studying the Bible on the internet—activity that was tracked by Iran’s secret police. He was taken by investigators for interrogation and intimidation, arrested, and then monitored. Jalal later moved to the Republic of Georgia, with little money and speaking only Farsi, where he has been for the last four years. He now works in Georgia’s Calvary Chapels and its Calvary Bible Institute (CBI). Yet even in Georgia’s relative safety, Jalal was warned that the Iranian secret police were still monitoring him.

Jalal’s story is common among the Iranian students at CBI Georgia, which quietly and solidly trains underground Iranian pastors in God’s Word. All were Muslims with no biblical understanding. Many had experienced dreams of Jesus before their conversions. All are bi-vocational.

The school is an offshoot of the first CBI established in Yucca Valley, CA, in 2017 by Jerel Hagerman, then senior pastor of Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel. Through a patient, years-long process, Iranian house church leaders are learning Scripture—verse by verse and chapter by chapter—and taking the Gospel back to their country. Vlad Oplev, formerly senior pastor of CC Niznhy Novgorod, Russia, for 20 years, now is CBI Georgia’s director and senior pastor of CC Tbilisi North, which ministers to Russians, Georgians, and Iranians.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10

Vlad described the spiritual vacuum in Iran. “Iranian people are disillusioned with religion, ideology, and they don’t have the answers. Our [house church] leaders get the taste of the love, grace, and power of the truth. They see their lives transformed, and they want this for everyone. So they keep spreading the news.”

Jerel Hagerman calls the work at CBI Georgia “a move of God.” He reflected: “God’s Spirit is being poured out in Iran by the tens of thousands of people coming to Jesus. Step by step, we’re planting underground churches and then positioning ourselves like in the latter days of the Soviet Union. If there’s ever to be a regime change in Iran, we’re going to be on the ground with some operational people and churches.”

Facing Danger

Underground pastors and their wives live under the constant threat of harassment in Iran by their government, according to Vlad and visiting American pastors. They can’t have more than 10 believers in their underground home churches—five to seven is a safer number. Their neighbors are watching and listening for any signs of a church and are paid well by the government to report them. Most pastors will lead multiple house churches. Chris Fraley, senior pastor of Wildwood Calvary Chapel in Yucaipa, CA, pondered, “I’m sure their prayer lives are much meatier, greater than ours, [considering] the covering they have to pray for.”

Iranian pastors have limited access to solid Bible teaching and resources. Many consider the Farsi Bible to be a bad translation. Adding to the dangers, anyone caught with a Bible in Iran is subject to a six-month prison term—per Bible.

Their caution is evident even at pastors’ conferences held in Georgia. Pastor Roger Shea of Headwaters Calvary Chapel in Driggs, ID, noticed five Iranian pastors sitting at a table, talking. He admitted he was “floored” when a companion told him that the pastors weren’t talking—but praying. “They learn when they’re in public that you don’t close your eyes or bow your head; you just try to look as if you’re having conversation while you pray. That’s the way they can meet as Christians and not get caught.” Outside of the conferences, the pastors can’t safely travel together or even acknowledge knowing each other. Roger shared this comment from one of the pastors: “We really shouldn’t know each other as churches in Iran. If one of us gets arrested [and tortured], then we might [be forced to] turn on the others.”

Teaching by Example

One of the ways that CBI Georgia trains pastors is through annual conferences, similar to other Calvary Chapel leadership gatherings. Under Jerel’s leadership, conference expenses, including airfare, are funded by Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel. Outside of conferences, the school has an established, detailed, and organized curriculum teaching all aspects of pastoral ministry—utilizing Zoom technology and careful networking.

American pastors come to teach through books of the Bible, modeling much for the fledgling house church leaders. As they observe the teachings by different pastors, they not only eagerly learn verse-by-verse teaching but also how to be pastors. Jerel explained, “It gives an example, the practical being done before their very eyes. They see that every pastor has a different style.”

“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1

Hagen Miller, pastor of Calvary Chapel Salmon, ID, described Georgia as a hub of refuge, where Iranians can learn as well as experience the freedom to worship and enjoy fellowship. “The Iranians can’t come to America. This quiet country is the place where God is connecting Iranian Christians and American pastors to equip these Iranians to grow in the Word of God,” he related.

Amazing Faith

Pastor Chris Begnaud of Tooele Springs Calvary Chapel, UT, exclaimed, “They have such amazing faith! I know Jesus would commend every one of the Iranians serving for their great faith. You put us together in Christ—people who you have nothing in common with and who live on the other side of the world—and there’s an immediate bond of love. They’re the most loving, kind, hospitable people I’ve ever met.”

The Iranian pastors show a humble willingness and voracious hunger to learn God’s Word, Pastor Chris Fraley confirmed. “They love Calvary Chapel, the verse-by-verse teaching,” Chris shared. “Topical teachings just would never do it for them. They want to read and devour their Bibles.” During conference Q&A sessions, they demonstrate this desire, Chris added. “Their questions are deeper than expected! They ask of some of the tougher verses, ‘Can you explain this? I don’t understand it.’”

Joyful Celebrations

Seven Iranian pastors and their wives stood before the American pastors, eager to renew their wedding vows—this time before the Lord Jesus. Each American pastor faced one couple as Jerel Hagerman performed a general ceremony for everyone. Chris Fraley recounted, “They were the ones who suggested it: ‘We got married in Islam and had to quote the Quran. Would you do a Christian wedding for us?’ We got to lay hands on them, pray for them, and anoint them with oil. It was beautiful. They wanted the Lord to bless and be involved in their marriages; they didn’t get that choice before.”

Roger Shea emphasized humorously, “I prayed in English, and they didn’t understand a thing I said, but they were full of joy. The dancing afterwards was incredible!”

Pastor Tom Eckman from Headwaters CC recalled that one of the couples attending the conference had been married just the week before. “Here they are, married a week or less, and they wanted to go to a conference where they studied the Bible!”

In another joyful celebration, approximately 20 of the pastors and families took advantage of the freedom to be publicly baptized in the hotel pool—something else they can’t do at home. “They said, ‘There’s a pool here. This is our chance; let’s get baptized,’ ” Tom declared. “It was an incredible celebration—clapping, singing. When the believers came up out of the water, everybody went into an uproar.”

A final highlight of this joyful conference was the celebration of CBI Georgia’s first graduating class, a service marked by caps and gowns and tears and testimonies. Pastor Jerel Hagerman anointed five graduates for ministry—four from Iran and one from Russia.

Worship—A Precious Freedom

Oppressed house churches in Iran are quiet, Roger Shea reported. “If you want to sing praise songs, you can’t because your neighbor might hear. So, you whisper or mouth them. It was wonderful to watch them worship—they were full of joy in singing.” They dance, lift their hands high, and get on their knees.

Chris Begnaud noted, “They have this freedom that is so exciting. We were in conference activities from 9 a.m. to 9-10 p.m. Then the Iranians, on their own, would worship in the conference room until like 2 a.m. They’re pretty Pentecostal, demonstrative in dance and worship. It’s so exciting because they’re so full of love and faith.” Hagen Miller reflected that the pastors were content in their love for Jesus. “They’re used to being confined spiritually, and this is the most freedom they ever get spiritually.”

Pastors’ Testimonies

One of the pastors runs a coffee shop in Iran, Chris Fraley recounted. He cannot say anything about Christ. Yet, the pastor revealed to Chris, “I literally pray every time I’m making that coffee and hand it out to each person, that they will come to Christ—that somehow, some way, they will hear about Jesus Christ.”

A married couple commented, “We have witnessed to and have served over 1,000 people in Jesus’ Name and have distributed over 10,000 Gospel tracts.” Another couple added, “We watched a lot of TV evangelists from the U.S. and Iran. But then we saw that the Bible says the opposite of their teaching. We became very upset. My wife and I made the promise to bring the good teaching into Iran. … My dream is to build up Christ’s Church in Iran.” One of the Iranian pastors made this comment about their situation in Iran: “Our government will persecute you, maybe kill you, but in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it’s the neighbors and families around you who will kill you for your faith.”

Changing Lives, Changing a Country

Vlad described the CBI Georgia culture as Jesus-focused, Bible-based, love-motivated, Holy Spirit-led, and grace-oriented. “We do believe that very soon the doors of Iran will open, and we’ll have a time of grace to share the Gospel, to see churches planted. We want to get ready for the things that are unseen, so that when they are seen, they are ready. When the doors open, we’re going to be equipped, ready to go through those doors at 90 mph.”

“I [Jesus] will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18b

This story was first published in the Summer 2024 print issue of Calvary Chapel Magazine.

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