by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - A historically significant former Assemblies of God church building in Iran has been put up for sale by the country’s authoritarian Islamic government after first being forcefully closed to its congregation, Article 18 reports.
The latest Iranian church building to be advertised for sale on a state-run website called Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order (EIKO) is the former Assemblies of God church in Gorgan, northeast Iran, Article 18 reports. The church was led by a number of well-known Iranian pastors, including three who were murdered on account of their Christian faith.
The Gorgan church was founded by Pastor Haik Hovsepian, who became the head of all Assemblies of God churches in Iran before being murdered in January 1994, Article 18 said.
“As with many other Christian properties in recent years, the Gorgan church has since followed a familiar pattern of forced closure, years passing, and then, when all is almost forgotten, clandestine confiscation and gradual appropriation by the Iranian state,” Article 18 explained in its report.
The church has been placed for sale at 6.3 billion rials, around $150,000, which according to the EIKO site is an “exceptionally good offer,” Article 18 said.
Ruled by a harsh regime that is intolerant of Christianity, Iran ranks 8th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.