Iran Has 80 Million People and Almost Zero Bibles. One Ministry Is Racing to Change That

Iran's Underground Church Is Exploding But 80 Million People Still Cannot Get a Bible

While the world watches Iran for signs of political upheaval, a quiet revolution is already underway beneath the surface. Iran's underground church is now among the fastest growing Christian movements on the planet, yet the vast majority of the country's 80 million citizens have no legal access to a Bible.

Dirk Smith, Vice President of Eastern European Ministries (EEM), is urging the global Church to prepare now for a potential opening in Iran. Writing in The Christian Post on March 18, 2026, Smith warned that when political doors open, they open fast, and the Church cannot afford to be caught scrambling.

When doors open, they often open quickly.

Smith pointed to the fall of the Berlin Wall as a historical precedent. When Communist Eastern Europe opened in the early 1990s, millions who had grown up with little or no access to the Bible wanted to read it for themselves. EEM was there to meet the demand then, and they intend to be ready again.

The ministry has already printed nearly 90,000 Bibles in Iranian languages and for different age groups. EEM distributes approximately 2 million Bibles annually across 36 countries in 32 languages. They have also published a New Testament in Gilaki, a language spoken in northern Iran.

Bibles are shared in whispers, hidden carefully, and passed from hand to hand.

Owning Scripture in Iran carries severe risks, including imprisonment and physical danger. Despite this, surveys estimate that at least 1.5% of Iran's population identifies as Christian, potentially over a million people. Some organizations suggest the number could be significantly higher.

In 2025, nearly twice as many Christians were arrested in Iran on charges related to their faith compared to the previous year: 254 arrests, up from 139. Combined prison sentences for Christians reached 280 years, reflecting a trend toward harsher punishments.

Smith also shared the story of an Iranian refugee who fled to Greece and found a Bible in his own language, eventually becoming involved in Christian ministry. It was a powerful example of what happens when the Word of God reaches someone who has never had the chance to hold it.

Christian Ministry Races to Print 90,000 Bibles for Iran Before the Door Opens

Iran ranked 10th on Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. A joint 2026 report by Article18, Open Doors, CSW, and Middle East Concern titled "Scapegoats" documented a sharp increase in arrests of Christians following the 12 day war with Israel.

In August 2025, Iranian state media released a video showing footage of arrested Christians, confiscated New Testaments and Christian literature, and alleged surveillance recordings of Bibles being "smuggled" into the country. The Bible Society's "temporary closure" in 1990 remains in force more than 35 years later.

The Crusader's Opinion

Eighty million souls locked behind a regime that treats the Word of God like contraband. Let that sink in. While Western Christians argue about worship styles and coffee bars, Iranian believers risk prison and death just to hold a page of Scripture in their hands. If the Church is not ready with Bibles stacked to the ceiling the moment that door cracks open, we will have failed our brothers and sisters in the most catastrophic way possible. The Berlin Wall fell overnight. Iran could be next. And when it does, every Bible that has been printed and every prayer that has been prayed will matter more than anything our comfortable Western churches have ever done. Get ready. Be the Church.

Take Action

• Donate to EEM (Eastern European Ministries) to help print and distribute Bibles in Iranian languages
• Support The Shepherd's Shield to protect persecuted Christians around the world
• Give to Open Doors which works directly with Iran's underground church and tracks persecution
• Donate to International Christian Concern to support legal aid and advocacy for imprisoned Iranian Christians
• Pray specifically for the 254 Christians arrested in Iran in 2025 and share their stories on social media using #IranChurch and #BiblesForIran
• Contact your representative and ask them to pressure Iran on religious freedom. Find your U.S. representative at house.gov