Iran (MNN) — Despite being technically illegal in Iran, there’s a form of media used by millions of Iranians that is difficult for their government to curb. It’s a powerful avenue that Transform Iran wants to maximize for the Great Commission … and you can be a part of it!
The answer is satellite TV. Here’s why Christian programming for this medium is so worth investing in.
(Photo courtesy of Sam Moghadam Khamsen/Unsplash)
“Consider someone’s relationship with Jesus from complete ignorance right through to personal commitment and submission,” says Lana Silk with Transform Iran. “At that first stage, they are probably Muslim — if not, sort of secular Muslim — and nervous to be considering anything outside of Islam.”
She explains that while social media tends to dominate in the West, social media can be dangerous in Iran. The Iranian government can track internet activity and impose internet restrictions and blackouts.
“[Seekers will] be looking for a way to safely explore without being detected, and the only way to truly do that is either TV or radio, where they’re anonymous and just accessing information without anyone seeing,” Silk says.
A person might watch a Transform Iran TV program intentionally or by “coincidence.” If it captures their interest, they might respond to the program’s invitation to reach out to Transform Iran.
“That journey just keeps continuing, from digital church, to a phone call, to remote discipleship, to in-person training at a secure training center in the Middle East,” Silk says. “The whole time, we’re investing in them, loving them, doing everything we know how to do to keep them safe and progressing them through their relationship, from discovery to commitment to Jesus.”
Silk estimates more than half of the Iranians who reach out to them say their first contact was a satellite TV program. This is an opportunity Christians need to make the most of in closed countries like Iran, where Silk says “we can’t walk the streets, we can’t have open meetings. We have to use digital media to open that conversation with people who are looking for an alternative [to what the Iranian government is pushing].
(Graphic courtesy of Transform Iran)
“Of course, the aim is one-to-one connection, the aim is church plants and inviting people into personal relationships [with Christ], but it starts with digital media,” she continues. “So pray for us. Help us raise awareness for the need, and go and partner with us through our website. You can designate your gift to media ministry, and it will go to this kind of work.”
Here’s one example of the quality programming you would be partnering with: Transform Iran just finished recording a socio-political TV series, for release in 2025.
“We touch on international affairs, foreign relations with everything that’s going on in the Middle East and Iran’s role in the world, and how that affects the people Iran in their day-to-day lives,” Silk says, “[These are] the subjects that are on their minds today — and of course, all with the Christian perspective. They’ve all been recorded in studios in Finland with our dear partners there who support us.”
Future topics Transform Iran has in mind are trauma counseling, freedom from addiction, apologetics, and more. They have a detailed proposal outlined for the new year and will start rolling once funding comes in. It costs only $450 to create a 30-minute program that will be aired multiple times and reach countless Iranians.
So start your partnership today! Visit Transform Iran’s website to give and learn more.
Header image courtesy of Transform Iran.
