We have a bit of good news from our friends in Iran. Brother Behrouz Sadegh-Khandjani, a young pastor in Tehran, has been cleared of apostasy charges (converting from Islam). The court cleared him of this charge because he proved that he was never a Muslim, and therefore could not have left the Muslim faith. He has however been indicted and tried with “crimes against the order,” but was released on bail and is back at home with his family while waiting for a verdict. He has been in and out of prison over the past four years for simply being a Christian minister.

We still have no word on any changes for Brother Youcef Nadarkhani, another young pastor from northern Iran, who remains in prison awaiting appeal on his conviction of apostasy and the resulting death sentence. Brother Youcef was first imprisoned when he protested the Islamic teaching of his children in their school. Iran’s constitution allows for freedom of religion, and Brother Youcef saw this teaching of his children as an infringement of his constitutional rights.

Today, these two brothers and many others like them, are holding to their faith despite the extreme persecution by the Iranian government. Please continue to remember them in your prayers.