INIRODUCTION

Bl2 cltRrsrrANrry rN

MUsLTM LANDs

Chr1st
A
SURVEY OF

this paper consiete of an inltlal analysl.s of a oues.rionnaire distributed -algng Musllm converte to Chrtstlinity In Iran. The purpose of the survey ls to find better wavs to brlng Muellms to Chri-st and to help them remaln faithiul to

MUSLIU CONVERTS

IN

IRAN

for Dr. patrlck cate

vlsi.t by Dr. Ca'te rllth the churchee throughout Iian that had conver'ts" Dr. Cate's circult wlthln Iran included churches ln Rezalyah and fabria ln the northwest, Maehhad tn the northeaat, Shlraz ln the south, Abadan to thi southwest, and fsfahanr Tehran, Korrnanshah ln obntral and western ]ran. In most cases, he neb wlth the pastora of tho varloqs churshea who issued the quoetlonnalres to thoir people. The repli'oe were returned by mall to Dr. Cate. Replles were receJ-ved from JJ people, flfty-two of whom were first or second gonratlon Muslln converte-. lthe other three bellevers were elther Assyrlan or Armenlan. thelr answers are incorporated lnto the analysls whenever lt'was appllcable. 0f th6 fifty-five, forty-alx are nales and nin6 ar femalss. fhe particlpants were asked to answer 65 questlons,
Muel.irn

reoearcho distrlbuted the questionnaires and rsceived the rp1Le6 prlor to his doparture from Iran ln l9?9. the diutribution of the surveyo lnvolved-i-personal

in llis churoh. Dr. patrlck Cate, the lnt.tlator of thls

evaluatlon of nls6lon8 to Muellns ln fran. In conplllni the flndlngs of this resarch, every questlon on each dompl6ted questlonnalre.was coneidered. The fornat of thls report coneists of statlstlcal anal.yale and sumnary stateneirts and observatlons to each queetlon as related to Muslin evangelism. It is hoped that the reader w111 better understand the ,Issues lnvolved ln Muslim evangellsm ae well as enter Lnto the way a MusLin thlnks so that ho nay be a nor effectlve comrninicator .ln reachlng sone of the ?50 nllllon Muel,ine for Chrlst.
ANALYSIS

however, on most replies not every questlon wad completed, Informatlon deslred from the conver.ts IncLuded sone- statlstlcal data as well as personaL testlmonles, !.nsLghts, and

by

Dwight Singer Box 1004

1. 4ae. Ihe table below shows the range of the oonverts' ages. The unequal age intervals or groupings are baBed upon natural breakpolnts in the recelved data. The medlan age J.s l4 years, i.e. one half of those converts completlng questionnairbs were younger than thlrty-four years and one half wero older than thirty-four. the,group as a whole were slgniflcantl.y youthful wlth about lOfi belng 40 years or younger.
AGE

Sprlng

1980

TNTERVAT,
NUMBER

L6-20 2L-26 27-3L )2-39

10

40-41+ t+5?5o 51-56 5?-6t+ 65-?5

4

4'5'

2" F*uFgtfplr, This group of converts is generally we1l educated. 0f the 4ffi who have hLgh school diprornas, two have dogrees and two.more eirned bachelir,s d6grees. ' e naster,s i"iii of 65fi completed at reast o1" ver.'-oitti[r,-"Err"Ji, indicated having naa no-iorilif-"ii"o"ror. "ia"6iri zn 3. 9ocye+t*op... The converts, occupatlons were numerous and lncluded both brue-coilar stilr students engaged in and wirite-cottar rrulirl--frii"' """" studiee. rhe second rnost con;on ;;;p;{i;;; i""iiiii"ii_,ry "rtrt"r-rrigh school or corresiato three conve"t""lll:::l_ ;;idi;;il!; h;;;;il;;pi;s, and retired. rhg spectrum of i6malning oc6upatlons -larnrlngl iiciuaea buslnei s, eaucair on]-iursing, r6"ri i"E-riil-inu ,engtneerins, Natlonal Iranian o1l- Cornpany, uo6fc-f.eepfndi uuag"{I"l]- stroe_ naking,.weavlng, tall0rlng,"ioi"strv, ancr Blbl8 translation and radio and iorrespondei6e work.-

9,10.

tffis$u'.rtli"t:l*lllg."n""t
Firet

6lves the

first

and rhe present

present

? ( 5/"1 t+ Armenian z Assyrlan t I E)ngllsh 1 2 FIve converts are blllngual, three have peraian as a second language and the other f,wo h"u"-r"gli"i ana armentan.
6,

t*ii**

'iltyil

43 0B1t)

thelr place of resldenco before conversi6n an-d then how long after converslon they romal.ned ln thelr place of reel-dence. Most of the convorts had 1ived ln the earne village, town, or clty,for a long period bofore thelr oonversfon. "nieveri of the forty-eight who answered thls question naa not moveO from thelr honetown. Bl.l had llved ln the sane place ien y6ara or more (up to thlrty-flve) prior to thelr-converslon" In contrast, one Iranian came to Cirrist as a second .vear studbnt in America.through the wltnese of his ronrnu"ie. Followlng conversion nany stayed in the s"me town wnereas a few others (at leaet four) Left or were forced to Leave alnoet lmnediatetry. fhe data iloee not appear to yleLd any further.patterne letleen a MusLlnrs pl"aoe-of resif,enoe and his decision fo-r christ. rnadeguate expLanations ana-insuf_ ficlent data rnakes auch a correlatlon tiroonclustv". - 11. Tlansm{sslgn of Muslln Teachtne. The table below shows that tho majorlty.of men recelved slgnlficant teachlng of fslan fron the Mur-]ah whereag most of the wornen were taught mothrs. Many of the men recelved thelr teaching Fromby thelr beverar
aourceg.
Men (36 answoring)
Women
t+2/"1
53%','

(8 answerlng)

tnother

father

mulLah

tg
L5 r.4

school teacherg other

r3
11

39y'")

36%)
3L16)

mother 5 echool teachere 2 father I

;,_ lli"$ir i;'tIdl ffl"iili.u"" rLslecii""iv. --ci"iiarry, *puliirrii-piii!" not mentioned. although man! of trre city'awifiJr"-eiew-up ln Tehran.
numbered rBft and zv/" .

were

FI

respectlvely.

driver, police-offlcer, i""f-rnj"ian,";;;;r. are attended H.!+f!$geg, of ."seventeen dlfferent churches F;;s;Ji;;ifi, oy rnts group Iuuslirn converte. Thev attend Anglican, Cathollcr pentecosiiil-nrili"rtl and oth6r various evangelical churches. rhe pirilioaiirrra-irrurcrr iii-i"rrru",*ir," Tehran trvangelical chur;h; ila-t;;-6il;ici or slneon the zealot 1s attended by eight, sixi and Musrlm converts "u"u""oi-trr"se

iitirers. rhe diversity in occu[ationi i;-;;ai; the converta'il,!-iiiio*i"s iiiai"iT"d-iv butcher, croth JEUCTI--carpenteri *l?I: shepherd,nechanic, doctorie trelper, itore niiritry--' lreeper, barber. ieiper, .

*++i9+Fe+:ot... Farmins. (29f) Vd represent. the leading occupatioir's-of offtce work (91)

addltion sourcoe of IsJ.amlo teaching inoluded other fanily nenbers, soclety, and books of taw and theology. L2, CqTnunlpaIlgn $ediq of,Muslim Tgachlne. Sermons, storLee, and schooL texts were the nost tlnpoTtCnt moilla f6r both men and wonen. Signlficantly, only ,?Jy'" of theee Iranlan converta read or nemorlred the quran. Wonen (8 answering) Men (J6 answerlng) sernong lI rB (5W sermona storles l+ r? @?fr storles school texts L6 (t+W schooL texto 3 Quran 2 9 (25% Quran (booko) (Uq" other fatherrs prayersl 5 13. Commltment to_.IsLam. Onl"y 6Jfi ot the Mustlm converts in(Ilcated the extent of their pre-converslon corunltnent to fslam. Slxteen
ThE

Ll

)
be 20 years wltlt Bffi havlng conversion recelved Christ before reachlng 30 years.

classified themselves as fanatlcaL or devout MusLlms, fourteen considered themselves middle or normal, and eleven called themsel-ves weak. Ihree othrs sald that they dld not rea1ly understand fslam. The several second generation Muslim converts contrlbute in part to the 1ow nurnber answerlng thls question of the survey. It is observed (based on questlon 261 tnat the degree of comnitment to Islam ls not necessarLly related to*the tlrne needed to respond to the gospel. Some fanatlcal Muslirns lf, 29, and 30 yeare before trusting in I9"Ta.the gospel.for fanatical MusLims Christ whereas other walted only 20 dals, weeks, or 2 months before recelvlng Christ aftei flrst3 hearing the gospel. On the other hand, a weak Mus1lm accordlng to the survey should not take more than three years to respondln repentance after first hearing the gospel. 14. Parenls. Commitment to fslam. BSli of the Muslln converts described the degree of thelr parentsr commltrnent to Ielan. Sixteen had fanatlcal Musllrn parents, twelve had rnlddLe Muslim and two had weak Muslim parenta. Eleven claeslfled thelr parents as practicing Muslims which ls aesumed to be elther nldclle or fanatical. In addition, three of the converts came fron hones of mlxed narrlages with one partner belng Christian and the other MusIlm.It is generally observed that parents havlns a fanatlcal devotlon to fslan will produce children wtth like devotlon. 15. DlssatlFfEctloE with Is1am. Islarn,s fallure to meet personal needs (3I% of the thlrty-six answerlng), ,'heavy laws,, (28fi1, inconsistent adherents especially the leaders (I9"). and place of the woman (1/,) were thb most slgnlficant ieasons for reJecting fslam. Personal needs that-Islam couLd not meet included the longlng for happlness, peace, vlctory of llfe over sin, and a personal relationshlp wlth God. Concernlng the woman's role ln a MusLim society aeveral nen dlsgustedLy said that women are 1lke anlrnals, tiat Mohanmed had f,oo many wives, and that divorce laws are abhorrent. In addltlon, others strongly dlsapproved of the Jahad and another dl.scovered that in Islam ,'God was not a God of J.ove.t Another lly'o were . dlssatisfied wlth alL things of Is1am. 16,lf. Familv Members Eelievlne in Christ. Forty-three (78l) were the first members ln thelr famlly to trust ln Chrlst. In the twelve caaes where they were not the flrst Chrlstlans in their famlly, they were preceded ln seven lnstances by parents, in two instances by a nate, ancl ln three lnstances by a brother. 18. Ase qf Copverslon. The flrst table below lndicates how long the converts as a group have been Chrlstlans, and the second shows the collectlve agee at conversion. tha medlan age of

ls

determined

to

How

Chrlstian Number
Age of Converslon

long

0-1
5

L-5 L3B L5-r7

6-10

lI-I9 gl0 22-25

20-29

30-50
10

0-14

18i21

2:6-29

13 13 6 Number 98 19. sienlflcant lritnesses of Chrlst to the Muslln Converlg. stranger foreigrr mlsslonary 26 UW.l BlblePersidn Pastor - 24 (ttWl nelghbor friends 9 lIWl other famlly ? (I3ft1
An Assyrian

30-39
6

t+

I, 4
1

pa6tor' an hrgilsh pastorr a Chrlstlan farnlJ.yr and a fell"ow worker comprlse the oategory designated ae other. 20. Fj.rst Xearinq of christ. The converts lndicated four maJor heard about christ. They d.re ffifirst ln decreasLng orcler of slgnlficancer dlrect evangellsn through the church whether by evangelietlc preachlng or Dally-Vacation Blbte School. individual Chrlstians including farnlly rnemberar misslonarieEr lranlan Christlans, Chrietlan llterature, and Chrlstian educatlonal lnstltutlons. Statlstlcs are not given wlth thls questlon as it was often lnadequatei-y answered or not respondod to at aI1. 2I, Factors Loadlne to Bellef ln Chrlet. About half of the converts Scripturee or the reading of tracts or booklete as a slgnificant factor ln leadlng then to Chrlst. Many testimonLes bear wLtness to the real-izatlon of the 6up6riorlty of Christ'8 teachlnge and the encounter wlth Hle psrfect character through such reading. Several were overu{helned by Hls love, anothef waa brought to repentant tears by llis death- on the cro6s' another becam convlnced that Christ is Go(I antl not Just another prophet, another could not deny the nlracles of Christ and the fulfil-Lment of prophecy through fiis llfe, another was glven splritual perceptlon- to see that JeBus is aLlver and yet another was simply amized by Hls person. Readlng tho Blble especially the gospels ln prlvate, or studylng the gospeLs ln the-church context such as a study of MATTHEI!'I taught by Dr. Elder, or slttlng untler the lnforrnal teaching of Dr. Miller were instrumental in lntroduclng Christ. "HLs Name ShalL Be Called wonderful" by Dr. MlLler and "Jesua What Doee lle Say" were booklets whlLh minlstered to a couple one-tlne Musllns' whreas

the reading of Balance of Truth through a bookstore window aroused ttre angFTfr;fram-6;6c ience*of another forner Muslinr A Christ-llke lifestyle and testimony were the gecond most slgnlficant in winning Muslims to the Savior. Several received love from Chrlstlans as they had not prevlousl.y known and another was taken up by the enthuglastlc singlng during a meeting in a nissionary's hone. The Prslan student ln Anerica went to church to practice hls Dnglish but lnstoad was awakened to the reality of Chrlst through the love and warmth of the church. For at least two others, the nost forceful wltness was the straight fornrard testlmony of Muellm convertg with whom they were not well acquainted. Dissatisfaction and discontent with Islam caused a few to bs more open to the gospel whoreas others wer6 seemlngl-y securely indoctrinated ln Isl-amlc teachina. One had been a mocker of the gospel, another knew that Chiistians were mlstaken in calllng Christ the Son of God, and the aforemontloned convort at the bookstore was enraged that a Musllm haal becone q Christian. Also of interest is thls folJ.owing attack directed at one Muslin convert, "This is not tho Injll that ls about Christ. ft has been changed and changed by hands. The Injll is with tho twelfth Imam. This that you are reading ls written by rablis and preachers! It ls not the handwrlting

24'
dearees under Musiims both

Ib1am. One convert's consclence does not allow trit to eat plgs or rabblts whl1e for another fears from certain sayings of the Quran persist. Definlte relationships- between the degree of commitment to lsl-an and length of tlme before
comple{e separation from Islam wore not apparent. ,Fanatical readlly gave up Islam and renained under l.ts

Islam was widespread (see below).

i ,ll"'1il?'3"il.lll3 certain Some stlll remaln to "t*n

influence for ten years after converglon. Generally, the null of fslam was less on the converts who were weak Musllrns. ilost converts dld not elaborate on ways Islan affected them

after

conversion.

of christ."
Renewal of,
made

22,

Llfe J.n Chrlst. The dlfferences that Chrlst has ln the converts' l"lves is. evidenced ln the many ways they have expressed the joy of their salvatlon. A maJorlty found happiness, hope, or peace in becoming a Christlan. A lesser number rojoiced in knowing God and dlscovering a new found deslre to love and help others even thelr enenl-es. One confessed that he was no longer a thief and a L1an, another no longer saw hlmself as a decaying poison mushroom ln the northern forests, and for a thlrd convert the way of the grudge was replaced by the way of love. 23. Pre-Conversion Strussles. Thoughts and problens that the converts were struggllng wlth when they first heard the gospel and when they recelved Chrlet largeLy invoLved one of the following exporiencesl a fear of the family's response or other consequences to acceptlng Chrlst in a Musllm socletyl lrurer spiritual struggles and personal doubts, and theologlcal misunderstandings or questions. One convert confldeal that ehe has yet to tell her family that ehe ls a Christian whlle another feared the loss of his Job and another being a cast off and aLone. Theological issues creatlng confllctE wlthln the converts' hearts and ninds were a direct confrontatlon between Chrlstlanlty and fslam, 1.e. "Chrlat or Is1am" or "which ls the rlght road?", or else Chr1stology. To one forrner Musllm, Christ was just a prophet while another felt excluded from the Savior's fold because He came only to the lost sheep of Israel ([aATT. f5r24). And a thlrd person had understood Jesus as being the Son of God only in a physical sense.

4 2-B nonths I before a Chrletian 2 imrnedlately I L-2 yeara 6 4-6 years 6 short tlme l0 years I 6 long tlme 20 years I 5 stiLl lnfluenced Befofe Converslon. 25, Number of Times thg GgsPe]. Was, H9afd o{ !=eadgospel numerous I-majoFItV answerea that they had heard the tlmes before respondlng' Two converts estimate hearlng the aospel flfty tlmes before subnitting to the Savior while 6nother's eltimate is 1000 tlnes. In contrast gix former Musllns accepted Christ after hearlng the gospel but three times or lesi. Included among thls 6roup is one convert who was formerly a fanatical Mus1im. Can the power.of the Holy Spirit of C-od in convictlng of sln and the rlghteousness of
Christ be deniod? . 26, Tlne Illapsed Balueen nir6t HearfnE t 3 7-10 years 6 0-1 months l0 1-6 nonths 5 13-30 years I J long time 7 2 year l" short time yeal.s 5 5 3-4 years Slcnlflcantlv, over 3V" ot the converts recelved Christ in leEs ttran a Liff veai's time after first hearing the gospel' ns-prevfousty lndlcated arnong these )U/" wete several formerly tines to fanitlcal Muillms. Reasons for long rssponselong tlme the to sospeL were not eiven. Those who required a deciOe for ChrisI also generally took a Long time to break completely wlth Islam after conversion. 2?. Place of Good Uorks. Replles to the placeweregood.works ln ' ;eIaTEn To salvaTTon (bEfore converslon) of indicated. on oniy aUout one half of'the questlonnaries. About two-thirds that of ttre converts forrnerly heldworks good works were effectual iere viewed as "my Job," in u.cuiing salvation. -Good

thb llajJ, prayer and fasting, the means of gainlng God's approval, the cause of forgiveness, or the lnethod*for neutrallzing sin. 28,29. B3ptlsm. .?t/, gt the converts have been baptized. About one thlrd of then delayed for over one year beiore receivrng baptrsm.Reasons for long del4ys (about Iv/" ot those baptizea waftea- --from five to flfteen years for baptlsrn) weru ,,6t explalned. Apparently, fear of rejection by larnily dld not hinier a sl8nificant number from identifting th-emselves ,uiih ihelr tord. 30. PEe:Paptismal.care. rn preparation for baptism about one third or rne convorts reported that they were required to read or study the gospe]-s and another thlld rther^were a private church-meetlng wlth the church leadersinterwiewed in or eave their testimonies within ths church context. A resser numfur n'ere lequired to.witness to thelr famirles, christlan llfe, or to cornnlt themselvesto clemonstrate a conelstent to supportlng the church through regular attendance.

Christ. Four out of every flve converts suffered som persecutlon. Persecutlon for some took the form of a losg of Job (four affected), a loss of home (four affected), a loss of honor ln the famiLy and connunity, separation from family, loss of friends, or anger fron famiLy and former friends. Strained or lrreconcilable relatlons wlth famlly nembers resultod for an avorago of three out of every flve converts. One convert ln five entluretl eome form of pereecutlon from friends, another one in flve fron fellow workers, another one in five from neighbors, and yet one rnore in flve from the society. The types of dlscriminatLon experlenced were not
recounted by most.

3L.

of them.was good. severar mentioned that their presenc in respective churches was met with love, rejoiclng, and even thelr naterial-herp. Displeasure wlth the 6truritr can-,6e aitributed to conflicts between perslan Muslims and Arrnnians and Assyrians. A snalr nunber were arso susplctous of the motives oi ernerican missionaries. One calls an imerlcan ds;io;;rv ;-pretender, being excesslvely concerned fo' the peison t;i6r; 6apirdrn ano thon indlfferent after baptisn.

Agceptance,of Musllm Converts bv the Church. About four out or evexy rrve rvrusJ.lm converts felt that th churchrs acceptance

32'

converts' i#:*i"A";:"::"1i":lHi %i" the^natlonal fastors, mi"lio"iri5"-(in"iuii"e:i""ll: nificance, Miller,,Cate,.Corley),

chr

))'

and the 6hurch mfnistifis vfewea coflectivery. -Bibre correspondence courses and provaded primary teaching for only a handful christian schoors of converts.

ErEer,

ffi;"

commurricate Christian religioui teaching. Most dlcl not say whether the Bibre had been-rearned throrgtr pr-actirngl-reaalng,

:H;:,?:3it:I"",lfrlni"ll"Ii"*"

)6. l{elp for 0vgrcornlne Persecution. fhese MusLim convertg indleated briefly yet undenlably that thelr trials of faith antl their adJustnents were overcome through falth ln Chrlst antl prayer and also by relying on the HoIy Splrit. Sone were partlcularly encouraged and stren6thenecl by the pronlse of thelr Savior's presenco. The worals of Christ ln MATT. 28120 whore He promises to be wlth l{is own always was quoted. Another believer, in a time of dlscouragenent, was tempted to throw away hie new falth yet could not depart frorn hls Savlor because He had said, ,'rf wonrt leave you."' (cf. HEts. l3r5). A few mature bellevere looked upon tholr exanple ln Chrlst and were able to be thankfuL, to accept circumstances as from the Lord wlth humbl"eness (PHIL. 2 quoted), and to pray for their enernles. One believer mentloned that he fell away from the lord for a tlne bcauae he dld not sufficlently understand the Blble. )?,)8. WltneEsine bv Converts. lhe origlnal purpose of these questions convertg f,ad led fimily nenbers 6r others ffi to Chriet. However, the questlonnaLre was rnlsundsrstood and nearly alL answered by lndicating how many wlth whom they had shared the gospel. ALI but a snall percentage have declared their falth ln chrlst to their fanllies. llhe Perslan who came to Chriet in Amerlca dltl conprehend the oflglnal lntent of the question and speclfically acknowledgett that he had led three Iranians to Chrlst. 0thers, too, have been qulte falthful ancl no doubt zealous in procLalrnlng Chrlst, for a fow have wltnessed to hundrocle. Perhaps more frult has been harvestedl but unfortunately, the results from the questlonnalre are
InconcLusive.

communicatlon media ln their own lLves. otner rneaia mentloneil were Blble correspondence courses and hymns ana songs.-

and/or.s'rudvins. several risted fii;;-ild- iriouii-"3'"rfectlve

)9,4O.

i\..?galnst her mother,

A5ouilThree

Church Attentlance.

and a diughter-ln-law agilnet ln-law, .and a man's enemies wrll be the memEeis ofher mother_ his houselold"l (MATT. l-Ot35,36)abecone tlteralty fulfilled f"-ilr" fslamic communlty when Musl_im transfe-rs hie allegiance to

;",.llut"j'i,X!iltll

0f the BQ6 who responded to this inquiry fn four of then are committed to being 1n attendance elther at all meetings or on a regular basis. To the Muslim convertrs way of thlnklng regular attendance at ohurch ranges fron twenty-flve to hundred tinee a year. Those who attended as littLe as three tlmes a year or not at all gave several reasons for thelr absences. It nay have been due to work

10

I1

of Convertst ChiLdren. At least elghteen o or profeeoln[ believers. Six converts indicated that they have chllclren who have not confessed faith ln Chrlst. Nearly al"l of the believlng chlLdren attend churchr many are stlU children and are brought with thelr parents. Believing chlldren of Muslim convorts who ar6 not associated wlth ar\y church are mostly adul-ts and do not attend because of work confLicts, narriage to an unbellever, hypocrltlcal church nembers, or the great distance to tho church. 44,45. Nlaterial Gain. Jobs. Educatlon for Musl1m Converts. Thlrteen catlon from Christians after they had become Chrlstlans. Flve had recoived educatlonal benefitsl four acqulred Jobs such as an empl.oyee for Radlo Voice of the Gospel, Blble Soclety work, or hospltal work. A few received materlal alcl in tinee of crisls such as provisions during a wifers lllnoes or room, board, and monoy fron a national pastor after being expelled from a Muslim hone. Lt6. Importance of Materlal Galn in Convertins Mus1ins. the great ln theconverslon of Musllns. Several pointed out that such an act of kindness of the Chrlstian's rart would be misconcelved anil suggestlve of a brlbe to a Muslim. Others adamantly tllsapproved calllng euch methode as the way of weak faith. Another group was as equaLly cautious of a Muslin's lntarpretatlon of naterlal help but nore open ln that thoy feLt that such ald may be advantageous wlth certaln individuals. In contrast. a few converts were in favor of its use in Muslim evangelism cltlng Jesus' feeding of the J000 or the potentlal testlnony to the Islamlc society ln which "people do not help each other" ag justl.fication for their thinking. Tabulatlon of the 42 responses ares 2p opposed, 5 do not know, J posslbly, J approve. 4?, Reasons for FaLline Awav from gbrlst and the Church. Forty-slx believers had friends or knew of peopJ.e who had faLlen away frorn Christ and the church and gave the followlng conbinatlons of reasons for thelr falLing away. 2tl their professlon was false to begln with 21? I? 3?y'" persecutlon by famlly I? 37/' marriage to an unbellover r5 33/" urgency of the work of thls worltl
43,

4r,42,

conflicts, norlotonoua custotns (of the Angllcan church), offended feelings because no nembers haal opened thelr hones, pressures from society, or "no chureh in ny town.r 0n 19 year o1d who loves hls father has been forcecl to attend church only lnfrequently and secretLy because euch conmitment to Chrlst makes hls fanatlcall-y Muslim father cry.
Church Attendance

l1 (2lt/"1 persecutlon at work (t.3ll other (cold, artlflclal missionarles' discrinlnatlon by elders, l-ack of trust ln wlsdom of
God )

48.

Attractlve a{r{ TJnp?rtaqt=SsPe?t? o{, Jesus chfist. attractlve attrlbute ot. unrlst lo tne converls a8 a whole was His love -- unllmlttl, sacriflclal, and ln contrast to the leaders of Islam. Thinking about Hlg resurrectlon and death on the cross also lneplred many to greater devotion to the Savlor. to others it was the lncarrratlon ('Hls spoaklng llke rne"), HIB minlotry as the Sood thephord, or fils presence as a frlend that were most rneaningful.
The Most The nost
*'Uotng trO [lgt 4l! Juu wllv als weolJ 4rru vurusrrsu, I wiLl a glve you rest. fake my yoke upon_you and-learn-from.Mer for I in eentle and hunble in heart, and you wlll flnd reet for your souls. For IYb/ yoke is easy and My burden ls light (MAIT. 11: or portlons 9f l! were quoted by over 28-30).'" This passagette{ns the ,tuL- ^i *ha conveits a6 attractlve Dart of 2V"'of the aanrraitq ao uelnfu the most attractive -part of the posnel meaease. PerhaDs thls ls an lndlcatlon of the wearlness we gospel meaaage. Perhaps many and-unrost and unrost of many Muelltns undor the lnpossiblo yoke and crushl-ns burden of Islam. 0ther verses less frequently ol crushins versee quotecl r"ntionEa were JN. ?' f 6. I4r161 1112. -ontlnnirt wena ,TN- 3:16, Iltr15. 1r12. Some vrsea ouotgcl by lust one belrever lnclude ACTS 4rL2l RElf. 31201 rIN' 11t2J1 npn. z' 8,9r lmnT. t3t44-45r R0M. ?r 15-25. was

u9,

50.

both the love of God

The second most attractlve part of the Chrlstian rellglon was the observance of the sacranonto, both the Lordra Supper and baptlsn. other Eignlflcant aspects included the liberty to talft dlrectly wtth God and the Blbllcal pattern of uhristian

for Hls

own and

thelr love for others.

marriage.

5L.

1?

28%

persecution by soclety and nelghbors

MATT., and JN.

tant to the converts included GEN.' JoB' CAL., ISA.,

ACIS'

12

L)

. the or I vrl{h a
rnai

converts

is consialered to be most effectlve ln a relationship, although church attendance should not be neglected. Several. othels stressed the importance of prayer and of modeling the consistent Christ-Iiko-1ife. Conversatlon with Musllnrs should be without argumentatlon and crltlciem. Two converts suggested empLoyln[ the Old Testanent in witnessing while another-consldered tire 6oncept from the Quran of Jesus as the Sprlt of God as belng effectlve. Unfortunately, it was notsd that only 5B/," of the converts contributed to establlshlng these prlnclples.
Personal friendship
one

to

one

53.

4gcgnlabl.e Pgop1e for Reachtne MusLims. The converts concluded that ln MusJ.lm eyes the people sharin8 Chrlst who are most acceptable are (with 4f bellevers contrlbutlng)r 39 (83%) Muslim convert Asian (from other country) 25 (53/"1 Iranian pastor Westerner q (36%l mlsslonaiy other (Pakistani)

(r7/,)

^11

54,

Identlfvins With and. Shgwlle l,gye to thg Unbeliever, Suggestlons s loVE to the unbeliever in order to effectlv6ly communlcate tf,e gospel were general-ly a reetatement of the princlples of demonstrabLe love and personal friendshlp (see 52). Just a few speclflc suggeetlons were given. The effectiv communlcator wlll eeek to understand the Muslim's rolielon before dlsouselne and presenting his own thoughte. H6 will know the unbeLlever's thoughts and be wilLlng to llve on the sane Level, i.e. eatlng with thern and evon being poor lf he is poor. As a frlend the' communicator should not ehow hls knowl"edge untll there i.s interest In the unbeliever and should be*a frlend and not a teacher. And his behavlor shouLd nanifest Love, peace, and happlness, for 'ia Musllm certainLy wants thego gifts for hlmself." The believer mlght also gLve books to read or offer to take the unbel"iever to church. furtherine the Interest of Inouirers. Recommendatlons for cultivatlng the lnterest of unbeLlevers who have shown an lnitial response to Chrlst wsre baEed upon the foundatlons of friendshlp, acceptance, and avallabllity (see 52 and 541, Christ ls to be taught and presented as a nodel for nen. His love as exenpllfled In JN. 1Jrl3 ls to be emphaslzed. the Blble should be explalned to remove any tntel-Lectual" dlfficulties, fhe bellever should open hib home to the unbsliever showing hlm famlly Love aird accepttng him as a

of th6 famlly. Also the importance of prayer and fellowship in a church wer6 stressed by many. 56. Maintainins Opportunitles for Wltneseine to MusLlms. HlpB for one wltnessing to Musllns antl desirlng to malntain that wltness were generally a restatenont of what was alroady oxpressed. The converts' bellef in the need and power of piayer is evidenced by thelr frequent exhortatlon to pray. In encounterlng a Muslim one is to "enter by hls (the Musllmrs) own thlnking.u One convert oncourages, upon lnltlal contact, to ask about fsl"am to discern the degroe of tho Musllmre comnltnent to Islam. Another dlscourages agalnst referrrlng to Jesus as the Son of God or as Lord. Agaln, many emphasise that ln order to keep open opportunltles for leadlng Musllns to Chrlst the bellevsr must not arguor crltlclze or becone angry. fronlcallyr aLthough the da1ly llfe culture of the Mlddle East ls often characterizd by deceit tn the form of lylng and steallng, one of the most slgnlficant qualltlee a bellever should manlfeet to a Muslim is sincerity. Also desplte the problem of dletrust ln ths Musllrn soclety ,four bellevers speclfioally Btated that flnanclal altl or Feourity shoul"d be enployed in keeping open opportunitiea for wltness. fhe dlfficuLtlss of thls practlce wero prev!.ous)-y discussed (see 45), 5?. Most Responslve Muslims. Musllms who are youthfuL, educated, to be, on the opinton of the converts, @nd most open and responslve to Chrlst. The personal data of the converte thenselves generally supports those concl.usJ"ons, for most had recelvetl Christ by tholr early twentlos and had aLso recolved some high schooL levol of education at a rnlnlrnun (see 2, 1B). However, a Bignlfieant nunber of the converts were formerly fanatical Muslins (see 13). Other factors vlewetl ae tendlng to rnake MusLlms more reaponslve were a troubled or seking heart and a wearlness of the laws of Islam. AbouL f/" of those replylng felt that the Shia sect of Islan is the most rsponslve group of Musllns to the 6ospel.
membor

58.

to live. 59,60. Church I,lfe and Ministrv. fheee questlons concernLng the church'e mfnistrv to the believer and the bellever's service ln the church were consldereal briefly and not specifically. Most of the bellevers look to the church for contlnued teachlng and

HelBtng the tlew Muei.in Convert. Fron the perepectlve of way6 for both the lndlvldual @t Chrlstlan anal the church to help a now Musllm convert face problems and persecutlone focused In four areas. They ehould be supported through prayer, wlth Love, by physlcaL or eaf,thly asslstanco, andl ln frlendshlp and fellowshlp. Frlendship should lnclude invltatlons lnto the hone and asslstance might l"nvolvo helping the new convert socure.a job or flnd a place

14

r5

the church and the home. severar converts arso desire nru.r"" from the church on thelr beharf. rn regard io ttre-Jec"fii-i,ii.t tiriT irrev-coiiia-tJiilr--'^ " help the church through falthful wltnesslng, by the elvlng of their time and money, and through consiSi;ent attefrAancE.
of- the question, . the converts state

preachlng. and regular fellowship and encouragement

ln

both

61, 62, 5Ul teLt, It was nroaressing, .!p ZW it ias regressln!, and the remaining-22/, could-see it"eitner iau"n"f"g o; faili;A Ul-cL."About half of the last group were hopeful for advance] ThBweaknesaa of Chrlstlani"ty were polni;ed out more readlly {han the strengtltu.. A.variety-of r"aio"J-*e""-iiliid,-tili-;;"i eeg, vq I ntvo were not illustratect wlth examples. A lack of witnessins I and w6re not wltnessing prayer, .weak-faith, dlsunity, jealousy, slander, ana-o-tic[-- of prayerf weak.faith, dlsunity, Jealousy, and a lick needed teachlng comprleed the causes -oi ctrrtstiint{t,; ;;;i;_-teaching ;;il_ nggs. Slgnificantly, one beLiever felt Ctrrtsttinit;,;mo"" the ioi. wlrnesslng by nationals and another the need"""a the church for to be ln th hand6 of lrantans. 63. i"g*g,!f,1" Ii"g. ACall only about lJyo expreesod their opinlons or ml.ssl-ons tn Iran. The maJority, approxlmately 6O/o, com_ mended.and supported mlssloni, uui'wftirout-aeiaiiine' ihe strengths of miesions. weaknesses of mlsslons in rran were drrected at nlseionafles as welL as thelr mlsslon organlzatlons. severar felt mlselons were hindored because.of the reign of rel.am. some report tnat Musllms_eay that mlssionaries ar6 politlcaffv motivai'ea-ana their efforts are mlxed wi.th colonization. "O"e-;p.opirut" sensed even before the revolutlon against tne Snair iirii sl'buations were changing and 6oon pEople wouta uJ""ot misslonaries. One believer arso firt^that minyno{ ir."-"tirr in vlew chrlstianity as a foreign religlon. esid"e i;;om-tilfs disadvantage.of slmpry being-a forergner rn a foreiln -iand, the .rrrestyre.and practlces of missionarles were also cilticiz6d. some say that mlsslonarres witness malnly among the ctrrisiians, 1.e. Armenians and.Assyrians, and not arnone Muittms. others say 'Lhat miesionaries thlnk too muoh about-proviaini foi'ttretr fanl"lies and do not l-ive saoriflclalty, belne more Eoncerneo with tuxurtes than with wltnessrne. -fritne",ii"i-lppJii:J-io be merely an occupation for mlssiSnaries. e.a-riiiii"l mlsslonarles ',don,t know Eastern knowledge ancl live lVeaterners.r' perheps some of thls critlErsm is-noi 1ilie resitrnate but it le a remlnder to th mrssronary to te irr irirneE-to arr nen so that somo may be won to Ctrrist. 54. lU]e+ona4re-ll,Jry!.- T4" composlte portralt of an rranian.B verslon or an ldeal- misslonary shall be hence described. Concerlxing his character he shouLd be righteous, lovlng, kind,

patient, and warm blooded, i.e. sincere. He should not offend, nor,avenge, n-or incite anger. His behavlor anong nen must be as Christ'sl his heart must bo for franlans. He-ls to be fearlese like Peter in witnessing so that no one can say he doos not have the Word. And hls humlllty must be after the pattern of Chrlst who cild not count others ietter than Hlmeeli but enptied Hlnself. Ho ts to accpt others as God accepts them, to live s1mply, and to heLp wlth physlcaL and welL-ag lplrltual needs. In coming to fran he must push asids all forelgn thought and leave the llfe of Arnerlcl behlnd, Ho is to ba a master of the Perslan language and customs, fullv understanaling the splrlt of Iran. He must understand Islamand b as shrewd as a snake yet lnnocent ae a dove. He must not interfere wlth polltlcs but rathor tet hls lleht in Chrlsl, shine before nen. I{e nuet not oontrol (Lord over) the church nor a1low nony to be hle rnotivation foi wltnesslng. In fact, ho should have a socular Job so that he may bo dependent on no one, Finally, ln order to corununicate the gospel with al"L men he must become lranlan even aa Chrlst becaile iuhen lle entered the earth 100fi hunan. Such iB the perslan's mlssionary to lran.
65,

produced a few freeh reEponseE arot

inslg hts

gu

- show th lmportance of the church - lnvlte peopla lnto your home - learn the eulture - be.engaged ln wltneeslng (odo lt" as soneone has gaIc, - go to th peoplo and lnvlte thern lnto your 1ife - havo simple and conprehenelble ohurch meetlngs - us radio
CONCLUSIONS

"God knows." Such ls the reolgnatlon of the MusLim of the Middle East as he determlnistically views life tn light of the all-powerful soverelgnty of God. So could the reiponse be of this wrlter as he has sought to assLnilate the thlni<tne and experiences of flfty-five converts to Chrtst predominantly from lelam and to deterinlne connon trends then deilve helos a-nd principlea for effectlvo evangelien of Muslins. His llmiiation has been that ho has never worshipped the Savior ln the persian tongue amidst Perslane on Persian soll. It ls noted that tho respondento themseLves dld not seem to have formulatecl many dlstlnct prlnciplen for the evangeli.zatlon of Musllms. More thorough coneideratlon and extensive reply could have been hoperl for in many caaes. In compillng and reportlng the results quotes and paraphrases from the English translations (by Dr. Cate) of the converts

16

enphaslzed. This was to glve a flavor of a Nlusllrn's thlnklng. An overall lmpresslon from the survey ls that the needs of lost men transcend the culture of Islam. Truly, this is what the Blble says. Muslins need to bo forglven of their sln, need to be lovod, and need intlmate frlehdshlps. Ultimately, fslam cannot meet these needs. The Chrlstian worker must also guard against preJudices. Fanatical Musllms can come to see the surpassing glory of Chrlst as Godrs !!49! revelatlon to nall. And they can be brought to ropentance and new Llfe wlthln days or woeks and not necesearlly years by the gospel, the power unto salvation. Tho nlssionary wlll. be more effective as he trains MusLilr converts to evangelize Muslirns (see 53). He hlmself wllL open his home ln frlendshlp to Muslln lnqulrers. The rnlsslonary must propare the new convert to face persecutlon and teach him fron the yord of God how to persevere vlctoriously through it. Muslim converto also requlre teaching on the Biblical view of marrlage and about how to establish Chrlstian homes. The gospel must a16o be continually oonflrrned anil expounded to the new professlng bellever (see 47). And the pararnount duty of the misslonary Is to learn the language and th6 oustoms of the people. Gotl knows whon He has chosen in Christ before the foundatlon of the world to be hoLy and blameless ln Hls slght. Among Hls holy ones yet to be are many Musllrns who are in need of hearing about the person and work of Jesu Chriet.
own words have been