The Strategic Needs Analysis of Leadership within The Persian Church

The Strategic Needs Analysis of Leadership within The Persian Church

Nathan Rostampour | 2023

Abstract

The leadership within the Iranian church needs to experience a revolutionary change. I have heard and experienced many good and bad things about the Iranian church for years. One of the good things is that the Iranian church is one of the fastest-growing evangelical populations in the world. However, there are challenges when something grows in number rapidly, and leaders need more time to be ready for change and to solve problems. Now is the time for the Iranian church to focus on healthy and biblical church leadership and transform the Iranian church. As a leadership coach and consultant, I have written this consulting report which is a strategic needs analysis to help leaders plan for a revolutionary change in the Iranian church. I designed a questionary with seven questions, and I interviewed 30 Iranian house church leaders and 70 Iranian house church members.

Based on the analysis of the results, I discovered the areas of urgent need for Iranian secret house churches in Iran. All Iranian church leaders and members of those churches showed their strong desire for healthy and thriving church leadership and discipleship within the Iranian church; however, they constantly face challenges and problems that are pushbacks for the church leaders and their members. According to Open Doors USA, the Iranian church is in 9th place among the most persecuted churches in the world. Therefore, Christians in Iran have many security concerns. Moreover, due to the limitations of Christians, there are not enough opportunities for the Iranian church to train ministers and make mature believers. These limitations have caused trouble for the church and its members, who are unsatisfied with their leaders’ performances and their churches’ care toward them.

Although there are security concerns and limitations in the Iranian church, the major problems are related to the leaders’ weaknesses and their unhealthy leadership within the Iranian church. According to my research, these are the main areas the Iranian church needs to focus on and make revolutionary changes to help Iranian believers grow healthily and enduringly.

• Working on leaders’ character and skills.
• Providing safe online education for secret house church leaders.
• Leadership coaching, mentoring, and accountability.
• Unity among Iranian church leaders.
• Building a healthy and biblical leadership culture.

To accomplish this vital goal, the Iranian church must invest more in leadership training and start by working on leaders’ character and their personal challenges through coaching, mentoring, and counseling, and help them overcome the adverse outcomes of unhealthy leadership styles and the Islamic culture that have negatively impacted the leadership in the Iranian church. The Iranian leaders must unite, and further researchmust be conducted to see how they can grow together and help their churches thrive amid limitations and persecution. The good news for the Iranian leaders is that Jesus has already promised that He is and will be with them in this rewarding and exciting journey (Matthew 28:18-20).