Bicycles to Baptism — Liverpool

Bicycles to Baptism

Thank you to our friends with The Antioch Partners who are living and working with Shapoor in the UK. This story is just one example of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit among the Persian-speaking community, and we are glad to share it with you. Also, thank you to the congregations and donors who are making stories like these possible! The Outreach Foundation is helping to coordinate a handful of visits to join Shapoor’s work during 2023. Click HERE for more information on upcoming Outreach trips.

When we first met Mohammed, Parham, Soheil, Pouya, Artum, and Jabal back in February, their warmth, friendship, and desire to learn more about Christianity and Christ were evident. Soheil was already a believer and had fled Iran after his house church had been broken up by the religious police. The other guys were either not yet believers or quite new to the faith. They were placed in accommodations by the government about nine miles outside the city, had little to no access to public transit, and were not legally allowed to work. Even coming to church was difficult, since walking could take several hours.

Through your partnership, we were able to provide them with used bicycles. Since then they have peddled the 45 minutes to church, more often than not through rain and cold, two to three times per week. More importantly, they have grown in their faith and their understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ. One of the highlights for us these past months in the UK has been our relationship with these guys. There have been many firsts for them and for us. One was their baptism back in July. 

After coming to faith in Christ, they began requesting to take the next step of following Christ in baptism. Over the years Shapoor has learned that it is important to not rush this step but as we watched their growth and faithfulness, by July it seemed the time was right. A team from First Presbyterian Church Greenville, South Carolina, was here with us which only added to the encouragement and support for them as they took this step of faith. For each of these men, having grown up Muslim, this very public declaration of faith had significant implications and meaning. We had the baptism in the Mersey River, which is part of the saltwater inlet that opens out to the Irish sea. It was thankfully one of the hottest days of the summer, which made the baptisms at New Brighton beach all the more visible as it seemed most of Liverpool had headed to the beach for the day.

It was an honor and a blessing to be a small part of these men’s journeys and to stand with them and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One of the men was deeply moved and shaken with tears and weeping as he made this step of faith. His deep gratitude and surrender to Christ touched me very deeply, as well. Pastor Shapoor, Pastor John from Frontline Church, Pastor Brian Stewart, and I officiated. It was a good thing that the four of us could take turns baptizing as we baptized 24 Iranians and Afghans who came to profess their faith in Christ. It was a humbling and amazing moment in their lives and in ours.

God is working in amazing ways in our midst, often His work goes on quietly and unseen in the hidden places of the heart, but steps like baptism are also important as it is a moment to cement, remember and publicly witness to the work of God.

During the baptism, we were reminded that we live and serve in the UK where less than 2% of the population would consider themselves active in their faith as Christians or regularly attend church. A number of Brits came over to ask what we were doing. Many did not know the gospel or understand baptism. It was a wonderful opportunity for some from the Greenville team to connect with curious Brits and share their faith with them. When the news is so full of extremism, to see men and women professing faith in Christ and embracing the gospel of grace, love, and forgiveness was a powerful moment indeed. We give thanks to God for His work in these new believers’ hearts and for their willingness to take this step of faith.

Please keep them in your prayers as their faith journey has only begun and there are many challenges ahead. Learning to breathe in the freedom and the grace-filled air of life in Christ is a true unknown for these new believers and so contrary to everything they have ever experienced when they think of religion, prayer, and how we relate to God and to others.

Special thanks to Rip Parks, a member of the team from First Presbyterian Greenville who painted the watercolor from the baptism. We are not showing the faces of those baptized because of potential negative implications for them and their families back in Iran and Afghanistan.