When the Church Must Dwell in Hope: Dr. Mehrdad Fatehi on Iran’s Unrest, Theological Formation, and the Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

In this timely episode of Dwelling Conversations, Dr. Mehrdad Fatehi offers insight into the present suffering and struggle of the Iranian people, while also reflecting on what God may be birthing through the pain... and the vital role the Church and her leaders are called to play in such a time as this.

Dr. Fatehi was born in Iran and came to faith as a young man, eventually serving as a pastor and Bible teacher during the turbulent years following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. As pressure on Christians intensified, especially for those involved in leadership and theological training, he was forced into exile, leaving Iran in the late 1980s.

Settling in the United Kingdom, Dr. Fatehi pursued formal theological education, completing advanced studies in New Testament while carrying with him a deep pastoral burden for the church he had left behind. Exile, for him, was not an escape from ministry but a re-location of it. From outside Iran, Dr. Fatehi discerned a calling to serve the growing underground church in Iran through deeply rooted theological formation.

PARS Theological Centre was launched in 2010 to train pastors and church leaders inside Iran and throughout the global diaspora. Through distance learning, mentorship, and contextual theological education, PARS has become a lifeline for house church leaders in Iran and the Iranian diaspora who shepherd and serve under constant pressure.

Dr. Fatehi’s story is one of calling birthed from suffering, exiled turned vocation, a life shaped by loss of homeland, yet marked by faithfulness to Christ’s church. His work reflects a conviction forged through suffering: that when the church is persecuted, it does not merely need courage, but clarity; not just zeal, but deep theology capable of sustaining hope, endurance, and love in the face of fear.

For more on PARS Theological Center: https://parstheology.org/

Thank you, Callan Brown, for the theme song for this episode: Only For A Time https://doorofhopepdx.org/media/6m2b4jq/only-for-a-time-callan-brown-8-10-25

Questions for Mitchell or an idea for a story to share on Dwelling Conversations? Redeemitall12@icloud.com

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