Every second Sunday of the month, I take the train from Hamburg to Wolfsburg (the home of Volkswagen) to fulfill a dual role: to conduct a Farsi/German Divine Service in the local SELK congregation, which is blessed with numerous Iranian members but who are currently without a pastor able to do Persian ministry. My other task is to visit a Riga Luther Academy student who lives there—the first one from Iran. Having converted to Christianity over a decade ago, “Petros” has been teaching others in Iran about Christianity on YouTube for years. But his #1 goal in life is to hone his skills and become a Lutheran pastor. He assists me in the Divine Service and reads the Farsi translation of my sermon and—on occasion—the lectionary readings in Farsi. This practical work supplements his seminary studies which are primarily online. Petros and his wife picked me up from the station, and we had time for a cup of coffee at a local restaurant before church. It was a most uplifting conversation. This lovely Iranian Christian couple fled from Iran several years ago, escaping persecution from the government. I asked whether they would remain in Germany if/when the regime falls. “When that happens, Christianity will bloom in Iran. We expect 70 to 80 percent of the population to convert” [a number I hear over and over again, by the way]. “I’ve been teaching Christianity to Iranians over the internet for years. I can’t wait to do that in person,” Petros responded, his voice choked with emotion. He continued: “We are so grateful for the missionaries from the U.S. and Finland (the LCMS and “LEAF,” a Finnish missionary organization) who are learning Farsi to bring Christianity to Iranians here in Germany. But once the “iron curtain” falls in our homeland, we will need thousands and thousands of Lutheran pastors who are Farsi *native speakers.*” I placed my hand on his shoulder: “And God willing, after you graduate from Riga Luther Academy, you will be among them, Petros.”
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