Welcoming the Farsi community
In late 2015, a handful of Iranian Christian asylum seekers wandered into St James and Emmanuel and by mid 2020 we have welcomed over 200 and baptised over 100.
Nearly all were traumatised by their experience in Iran – rejecting Islam, converting to Christianity, being found out to be apostates, having to flee Iran in terror and often enduring horrific journeys. They had lost everything and arriving in the UK they would then face a hostile Home Office.
Our Farsi Group shares the unconditional love and kindness of God. We teach about Christianity in both Farsi and English and offer support in any way we can. With so few of us to minister to so many, at times we have felt overwhelmed. But our work has made a difference to a lot of broken lives and some truly wonderful people.
Some of our congregation have been able to take people into their homes for meals and, in a few cases cases, allowed them to stay for weeks or even months. Where possible, we provide pastoral support in opening bank accounts, getting doctor’s appointments etc.
We support asylum claims and have developed robust systems to assess claimants. When satisfied, we produce letters of support for submission to the Home Office and Tribunals. We also give evidence in court when necessary. Of the claims which have been resolved, 98% have been allowed and the claimant has been granted a visa.
What we have learned
We offer a warm, loving welcome in our church, which has surprised them and made a big impression. In Iran, they were not used to seeing happy, smiling faces in a place of worship.
Our teaching has been very effective too. Sometimes disenchanted Muslims have come along and have often converted as the Holy Spirit touched them. In one remarkable case, we allowed one such women to take holy communion and she came back to her seat as a Christian.
We have not been able to foster integration as we would have hoped, though there has been some. Most of our group live at a significant distance from church, so opportunities are limited. Also, only a few of our group speak even basic English, so they naturally choose to sit with their Farsi-speaking friends in church, rather than well-meaning British church members.
We haven’t seen the retention that we would have liked. Of the two hundred plus who have come to us, we are still in contact at one level or another with about 40%. Many of those who have drifted away did so for good reasons – such as going to live with members of extended family, taking up a job or getting married. It’s possible that some just walked away as soon as they got a visa, but we have no problem with that. Living out the Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:40, ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’, we just pray that we have been obedient. They were welcomed, loved, treated kindly and have heard the Gospel. The rest is up to Jesus.
What we are doing
There is a desperate need for accommodation and pastoral support, especially when an asylum seeker is granted leave to stay. The joy that somebody feels on being granted a visa soon evaporates when they are evicted from Home Office accommodation and have to find somewhere safe and decent to live. Some of our congregation have been able to meet this need, but it is not enough and we are looking for a better solution.
According to numerous sources, it is thought that, per capita, Christianity is growing faster in Iran than any other country in the world. As more convert, get exposed and are forced to flee, it is likely even more asylum seekers will be coming to the UK and through our church doors. It would be good to be ready for them.
Frequently asked questions
Who are these people?
Church by church, it will vary. In our case, they are mainly Iranian with a few Afghanis, Iraqis or Syrians. Mostly they are asylum seekers, having fled Iran for political reasons or because of Christian persecution. The Christians will have fled after being identified as apostates, which puts them in great danger – so much so, that they leave everything behind including spouses, children, homes, careers and their country.
How do you know if they are Christians when they ask you to support their asylum claims?
Only God knows the sincerity of anybody’s Christian faith. However, it is not difficult to spot somebody who has been touched by the Holy Spirit as their faith shines out of them. At the other end of the spectrum, it is not difficult to spot somebody who does not demonstrate any evidence at all of Christian faith or lifestyle. With the ones in the middle, knowledge of Christianity and the Bible is an indicator. But faith is about the heart and not the head. So, a lack of knowledge does not mean anything. Many Christians knew nothing at the time of their conversion. Another indicator can be tears as they recount their stories. Also, we watch their body language during times of worship which can tell us a lot. Finally, there is Holy Spirit discernment, which the secular world will struggle to understand but it is real.
Do you refuse to support some of them?
Sadly, yes, but thankfully not often. When we are not fully convinced of their conversion, we provide limited support, just stating what we know to be true, such as church attendance, if they have been baptised and so on. Where we are fully convinced, we provide full support for their asylum claims.
Why are so many being baptised?
In Iran, they learn about baptism, but it is very difficult to be baptised there. It is very dangerous and it is not easy to find somebody who can carry out the baptism. It seems that many of them do not feel they are ‘proper’ Christians until they have been baptised. Often, the first thing they do when they come to us is to ask to be baptised. Underneath all that, some probably hope that baptism will be taken as proof of their faith to the Home Office. However, whatever the reason may be, their joy is there for all to see as they come out of the baptismal water.
What is your policy on baptism of asylum seekers?
Compared to some churches, we have a fairly liberal policy. We are not gatekeepers to keep people out, we hold open the door subject to three things:
- They have attended church at least 16 times
- They have declared in public that they are Christians and want to be baptised
- They understand the promises they will make as they are baptised
Have some of them fooled you into thinking that they are genuine converts?
Almost certainly, but we don’t lose any sleep about it. Before they move away, they will have been welcomed, treated kindly, heard the Gospel and been in the presence of the Lord during services. They know where the church is and where hope may be found. The rest is up to the Lord.
If they have so little to live on, how can they afford smartphones?
It is true that they are given very little to live on while their asylum claims are heard. However, Iranians often have very large extended families and many have moved to different parts of the world. Most of the people who come to us will have family members in the UK who will no doubt offer some financial support.
Smartphones are an indispensable lifeline for them. They need to communicate with us, with each other, with friends and family back home, and for information. Smartphone apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook are the only way to do this safely and practically.
Why don’t they integrate more in our churches?
This is a challenge to all churches, with an immigrant membership. As they start to arrive, more will probably follow by word of mouth. In our own church, there is some integration but not much. Normally about one third will be Iranian at our morning service and they largely sit together. This is a source of tension in some quarters but the solution is far from easy. Part of the cause is the very high language barrier. Most of the Iranians do not speak English and probably none of the general congregation speak Farsi. So, it is perfectly understandable that the Iranians will want to sit next to people they can talk to in their own language, who have become friends, who share similar experiences and concerns. Wouldn’t you?