by David Virtue, VOL
Anglican missionary Jerry Kramer says Iran is now the world’s fastest-growing Church — “the Church always does better under a squeeze”
An exclusive interview with Anglican priest Jerry Kramer, Christian missionary to the Islamic world. He and his wife Tracy have spent nearly a quarter of a century ministering in the Middle East and Africa, bringing the gospel to the most intransigent religion in the world today. VOL spoke with the Rev. Kramer about the present political situation in the Middle East and how he is adjusting to the changing political and religious climate.
VIRTUEONLINE: Events are moving rapidly in the Middle East. Almost daily the political landscape changes. How are the changes reflecting on your ministr
KRAMER: In a sense, it’s nothing new. I’ve long told people, “If you don’t like what’s going on in the Middle East, just wait five minutes. It will get worse.” I can tell you 100% the situation for the Iranian people and the persecution of the Church are far worse today than before the conflict started. No one’s been able to work for months. Persecution is off the rails. The Mullahs can still buy top-shelf whiskey with Chinese Yuan. Not bothered a
VIRTUEONLINE: Reports say that the gospel is still exploding in Iran, with thousands coming to faith against all the odds as Christians face both Islamic persecution and war. Is that what you are hearing and experiencing
KRAMER: Iran continues to be the world’s fastest-growing Church despite the most vicious persecution we’ve ever experienced. Whoever is now in charge is worse than before. Our little team’s network is moving past 4,000+ churches there, 14 generations deep, in all 31 states. We have 1,000+ new Church leaders there lined up waiting to be trained. We can’t keep up with the pace. If you’re skeptical, come hang out with us for a bit. We have a nice guest room. I’m a good cook.
VIRTUEONLINE: What dynamics make it harder to preach the gospel in wartime situations?