A Pastor's Rise During Iran's Revolution
Haik Hovsepian Mehr was born in 1945 in Tehran into an Armenian family. At 15, he joined the Pentecostal Assemblies of God, and in 1981 became the superintendent (bishop) for the Assemblies of God in Iran. He was responsible for increased collaboration between evangelical churches after the Iranian Revolution.
Refusing to Sign the Lie
In 1993, the Iranian government pressured church leaders to sign a declaration stating they would not allow Muslims or Muslim converts into their churches, and that Christians enjoyed full rights in Iran. Haik was one of only two leaders who refused to sign.
"How can I sign something that is not true?" he asked.
Standing Up for Christian Persecution
When his friend Mehdi Dibaj was sentenced to death for apostasy, Haik could not remain silent. He obtained a copy of Dibaj's courtroom defense and circulated it throughout the Western world. The London Times published it in full. Governments and human rights organizations condemned Iran.
On January 16, 1994, under international pressure, officials released Dibaj.
The Ultimate Price for Faith
Three days later, on January 19, Haik left his home to meet a friend at the Tehran airport. He never returned.
On January 30, Iranian authorities contacted his family to identify his body. His 20-year-old son Joseph had to look through pictures of mutilated corpses before finding his father. Haik had been stabbed 26 times in the chest.
The Iranian government blamed terrorists, but a UN investigation concluded that the government had executed Haik to "decapitate the Protestant community."
More than 2,000 people waited three hours in bitter cold for his graveside service in Tehran. Memorial services were held around the world.
Haik's wife Takoosh and children continued his legacy through Hovsepian Ministries, supporting the church in Iran. Haik's sacrifice was not in vain: Christianity in Iran has grown explosively since his death.
