There has been a flow of information about Youcef Nadarkhani, who is facing execution in Iran for conversion to Christianity.
He is routinely identified as an ‘evangelical Christian pastor’.
This description may not mean what many of us would take it to mean.
From a post on an Iranian Christian news website.
Youcef Nadarkhani has been reported in both the secular and Christian media and periodicals to be under a death sentence for his conversion from Islam to evangelical Christianity. He was arrested on 12th October 2009, in the city of Rasht in the northern part of Iran, where he had been the pastor of the underground church there. He is reported to be the evangelical pastor of “the Church of Iran”. However, what might come as a shock to many evangelical believers is that Pastor Nadarkhani is actually one of the leaders in a growing cult in Iran, which is linked with the Oneness Pentecostalism (Jesus Only) cult, which is non-Trinitarian, believes in baptismal regeneration, and is very closely linked and supported by the United Pentecostal Churches outside of Iran. They -with less than 200 members inside Iran- greatly admire and follow the teachings of an American preacher, William M. Branham, who claimed to be the last of God’s prophets on earth, that the doctrine of the Trinity is from the devil, and only those who are baptised in Jesus’ name are saved.
This information should in no way hinder or deter every means of advocacy against the death penalty being carried out.
Youcef Nadarkhani is facing execution because of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But as Christians and Christian churches pray for, and act on behalf of this situation, they should do so fully informed about what they’re doing.
If anyone had definitive information which demonstrates Nadarkhani’s beliefs are Trinitarian and evangelical I’ll amend this post.
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