“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). We just completed our first Germany Summit (“FORO”), in which 22 friends from the U.S. witnessed first-hand how the Lord is growing His Kingdom in this land. (Our next Germany Summit will be from Sep. 23-29, 2026; if you’d like to join us, please contact me). One of our stops was Trinity Lutheran Church in Berlin-Steglitz, where our guests could experience the “godfather” of Persian ministry, Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens, in action. I have reported on him several times in the past. Gottfried is one-of-a-kind. Serving as the sole pastor of a church with some 1,500 congregants (of whom 95 percent are Persian), he speaks fluent Farsi. During COVID, he conducted 25 Divine Services per week. At any given point in time, Trinity’s fellowship hall is also home to 20-30 men seeking church asylum. Last Saturday night, he and I had a long chat. We discussed Persian ministry, and I remarked that one of these days, the cruel mullah regime in Tehran is going to fall. I asked him whether he would ever consider moving to the lion’s den, so to speak, to do ministry with Iranians right in their homeland. He looked down and said softly that he has neither wife nor children, and would indeed take the risk of preaching Christ there. If they were to kill him for his faith, he added, “So be it…” The next morning, our group attended both Divine Services at Trinity—in German and Farsi. For my money, Gottfried is a living saint—in the best sense of the word. When his time comes, I have no doubt that he “will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (Image: Pr. Martens surrounded by some of his flock; story shared with his permission).
The Tiews in Germany 