--- title: Iranian church planter’s message to the UK church date: 2022-07-12T12:42:00+01:00 author: Alicia Edmund canonical_url: "https://www.eauk.org/resources/what-we-offer/videos-and-podcasts/iranian-church-planters-message-to-the-uk-church" section: Videos --- [ ![Farshid thumbnail](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![Farshid thumbnail](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ### Hear Farshid share his personal experience of persecution in Iran, the suffering Christ endured for us and the core of discipleship, suffering for Christ (2 Timothy 3:12) ](#%0A%09%09%09) ### Iranian church planter Farshid Fathi spent 1,820 days in prison because of his Christian ministry. Prior to his imprisonment and since his release, Farshid has played an integral role within the early underground house church movement inside Iran and the surrounding region. Few of us living in the UK will ever experience imprisonment for our faith like Farshid did. But as we live and engage in a pluralist culture, what does it mean to suffer for Christ? > The greatest manifestation of love is suffering.” #### International Freedom of Religion or Belief Conference 2022 in London #### **Learn more about this global conference and how it relates to the persecuted church** [ ![“Five years in an Iranian prison… it was worth it”](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![The Iranian Church](https://eauk.org/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,quality=90,width=400,fit=cover/https://cdn.eauk.org/image_2020-09-01_21-58-59.png) ](https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/five-years-in-an-iranian-prison-it-was-worth-it) [#### “Five years in an Iranian prison… it was worth it” ](https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/five-years-in-an-iranian-prison-it-was-worth-it) Farshid Fathi, an Iranian church planter, shares his remarkable story of spending five years in jail in Iran because of his Christian ministry [ ![Farshid Fathi](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ](/author/farshid-fathi) [ Farshid Fathi ](/author/farshid-fathi) 01 June 2022 [](https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/five-years-in-an-iranian-prison-it-was-worth-it) [ ![Freedom of Religion or Belief - Conference Focus](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![FORB](https://eauk.org/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,quality=90,width=400,fit=cover/https://cdn.eauk.org/FORB.jpeg) ](https://www.eauk.org/resources/what-we-offer/videos-and-podcasts/freedom-of-religion-or-belief-conference-focus) [#### Freedom of Religion or Belief - Conference Focus ](https://www.eauk.org/resources/what-we-offer/videos-and-podcasts/freedom-of-religion-or-belief-conference-focus) Watch Jo, Peter, Danny and Alicia share their reflections from the conference and update from the parliamentary prayer breakfast. [ Watch now ](https://www.eauk.org/resources/what-we-offer/videos-and-podcasts/freedom-of-religion-or-belief-conference-focus) [](https://www.eauk.org/resources/what-we-offer/videos-and-podcasts/freedom-of-religion-or-belief-conference-focus)