Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).
Converting to Christianity is illegal in Iran and Afghanistan, as it is in most Muslim countries. And so, Baptisms are extremely rare. No wonder the greatest desire of many Persian refugees arriving in Germany, is to be washed in the waters of Holy Baptism.
Do some of them wish to be baptized solely for tactical reasons, because it might improve their chances of being granted asylum? Yes. But there are also many who really believe in Jesus and in Baptism wish to receive the forgiveness of their sins and eternal life, as Scripture promises.
Be that as it may, all of them have heard for years that Baptism improves their chances of being granted asylum in Germany—for the believers, an added benefit of Baptism if you will.
But that is yesterday’s news.
This past Sunday, we took our FORO 2026 travelers to visit Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens (wearing the black and white sweater) at Trinity Lutheran Church (SELK) in Berlin-Steglitz. Some 1,400 of Trinity’s 1,900 members are Iranian and Afghan. And so, it comes as no surprise that the Berlin court system regularly summons him to testify regarding the Christian faith of his parishioners who are applying for asylum in Germany.
Dr. Martens shared with us the shocking news that the greatest hindrance to his ministry comes not from Muslims but from the Berlin government, since most of “our judges are anti-Christian.” In addition, he said, most believe that all converts to Christianity are fakes and opportunists.
In fact, even if the pastor has known the applicant for years and can attest to his Christian identity, the judges will almost always ignore his testimony. More often than not, Dr. Martens’ parishioners are denied asylum—even if they have been Christian for years and are very active in the congregation.
The adage that “Baptism improves your odds of being granted asylum,” is now reversed. At least in Berlin, Baptism decreases one’s chances of getting to stay.
How can this be?
In recent years, Berlin’s government—which, of course, plays a role in appointing judges—has moved markedly to the left. To make matters worse, some members of the Left Party (currently the largest political party in Berlin) are influenced by anti-Christian Muslim individuals or networks.
This trend does not bode well for the future of Berlin—or for Germany with its growing Muslim population. But Jesus promises that those persecuted for righteousness’ sake are blessed—if not here on earth, then in the Kingdom of heaven!
[Some of our FORO guests; photo courtesy of Rev. Charles Ferry].
