At a time when most headlines from that Moslem country are about geopolitical strife and death, this dramatic series about the life of Christ is gaining traction there.
The Chosen, the all-time crowdfunding leader among media projects, is going global, including in the Islamic world. As we recently reported, the app for the show - a rock-solid Christian production created and directed by Dallas Jenkins, who is a devout Believer - has been downloaded more than half a million times in nearly 200 countries.
Very prominent among them is Iran. With a population of more than 80 million, it's no great surprise the program has gained some followers there. But according to a recent social media post from the team behind The Chosen, its app is now among the 100 most popular in that nation. That is, indeed, a surprise, particularly when you consider that the Iranian government actively persecutes Christian converts in the country: the formal name of the nation is, after all, the Islamic Republic of Iran.
On the the other hand, there is a well-documented and growing hunger for the Gospel there, with conversions to Christianity and underground house churches spreading rapidly. Some estimates now put the number of Christians as high one percent of the population, meaning more than 800,000 Iranians. And many Westerners involved in full-time missions work believe the church in Iran is experiencing the most dynamic growth among Islamic countries, if not in the entire world.
So it would seem The Chosen is one more instrument the Lord is using to reach His chosen ones inside Iran. Join us at Christian Film Blog in praying for the people of that nation, and particulary for our brothers and sisters in Christ who face real trials and persecution for their faith. And if you would like to help make this show more readily accessible there and around the globe, consider contributing to the program's "Pay it Forward" campaign.