Haik Hovsepian Mehr
Encyclopedia
Haik Hovsepian was an Iran
ian bishop and Christian
martyr. He was the Bishop of the Jama'at-e Rabbani church (part of the Assemblies of God
church movement) until his death. The life of Bishop Haik, who preferred the humble title of Brother Haik except when dealing with government authorities, began in 1945 in Tehran, Iran as the firstborn of an Armenian middle class family. Haik later became the eldest of four brothers: Edward, Roubik and George. Just as Iranian born individuals consider themselves Muslim, Armenian born individuals consider themselves Christian. Nonetheless Haik professed Christ as his personal savior when he was 15. In 1966, upon completion of his mandatory military service, Haik married Takoosh Ginagosian. In 1967 , he pastored his first church in Majidieh, a suburb of the capital Tehran. Not long afterwards, he served in the military and was stationed in Gorgan, a city in Mazanderan, a northern province of Iran near the Caspian Sea, where he established a house group.
Tragedy struck one evening in 1969. Haik, his wife Takoosh, and their six-month old child were traveling from Tehran to Gorgan with an American missionary family when the car rear-ended a tractor-trailer without reflective lights. The adult passengers survived, but the four children aboard were killed. Both Haik and Takoosh suffered broken legs and were not expected to walk again. Despite physical and emotional pain, they recovered use of their legs and within a few months they returned to Gorgan where they faithfully served for fourteen years amid much hardship and persecution.
While Armenian
by ethnicity, Hovsepian had a strong motivation to evangelise Iranian Muslims. He was an outspoken Christian apologist
and evangelist
and a gifted musician. Many of his sermons and songs are still available on the Internet. (www.hovsepian.com)
He was responsible for initiating increased collaboration between evangelical
churches within Iran
after the Iranian Revolution
. He was the Chairman of the Council of Protestant Ministers of Iran.
Hovsepian spoke up for the rights of Christians in Iran. In 1993 he was one of only two church leaders to refuse to sign a declaration stating that they would not allow Muslims or Muslim converts into their churches. He also refused to sign a statement that Christians enjoyed full rights in Iran. He compiled a detailed report on violations of religious freedom and invited Professor Reynaldo Pohl, the United Nations
Special Representative to Iran, to visit the country and meet Protestant ministers and government officials to discuss these violations. He also met the Ministry for Islamic Guidance for Minorities to call for the government to respect the rights of religious minorities set out in the 1979 Constitution
. Bishop Haik Hovsepian and the denomination he represented, the Assemblies of God, were ordered to comply with the following directives: (1) Church services could not be held in Persian
, the official language of Iran; (2) Church members must be issued membership cards and produce them upon attendance; (3) Membership lists, complete with addresses, must be handed over to governmental authorities; (4) Meetings must be confined to Sunday, not Friday the officially recognized day of worship; (5) Only members could attend Sunday meetings; and (6) New members could only be added to the membership and admitted to meetings once the Ministry of Information and Islamic Guidance had been notified. Haik deliberately disobeyed and defiantly declared, "Never would he or his ministers bow down and comply with such inhumane and unjust demands" and that "our churches are open to all who want to come in.”
He was killed after protesting about the treatment of his friend and colleague Mehdi Dibaj
at the hands of the Iranian government. Haik’s committed campaign for Dibaj paid off. On January 16, 1994, Dibaj was released. Three days later Haik vanished from the streets of Tehran. Haik’s death was reported to his family on January 30, 1994. While the government initially denied all involvement, Iranian Christians and independent observers claimed that he was murdered for his beliefs.
Takoosh and her four children (Rebekkah, Joseph, Gilbert, and Andre) eventually immigrated to California, to be surrounded by a large diaspora of Armenians and Persians, including family members and friends from Tehran. Takoosh and her children are frequently asked to speak at conferences, and their children are in different Christian ministries. Haik’s brothers who are active pastors are also ministering outside Iran.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian bishop and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
martyr. He was the Bishop of the Jama'at-e Rabbani church (part of the Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
church movement) until his death. The life of Bishop Haik, who preferred the humble title of Brother Haik except when dealing with government authorities, began in 1945 in Tehran, Iran as the firstborn of an Armenian middle class family. Haik later became the eldest of four brothers: Edward, Roubik and George. Just as Iranian born individuals consider themselves Muslim, Armenian born individuals consider themselves Christian. Nonetheless Haik professed Christ as his personal savior when he was 15. In 1966, upon completion of his mandatory military service, Haik married Takoosh Ginagosian. In 1967 , he pastored his first church in Majidieh, a suburb of the capital Tehran. Not long afterwards, he served in the military and was stationed in Gorgan, a city in Mazanderan, a northern province of Iran near the Caspian Sea, where he established a house group.
Tragedy struck one evening in 1969. Haik, his wife Takoosh, and their six-month old child were traveling from Tehran to Gorgan with an American missionary family when the car rear-ended a tractor-trailer without reflective lights. The adult passengers survived, but the four children aboard were killed. Both Haik and Takoosh suffered broken legs and were not expected to walk again. Despite physical and emotional pain, they recovered use of their legs and within a few months they returned to Gorgan where they faithfully served for fourteen years amid much hardship and persecution.
While Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
by ethnicity, Hovsepian had a strong motivation to evangelise Iranian Muslims. He was an outspoken Christian apologist
Apologetics
Apologetics is the discipline of defending a position through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers Apologetics (from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers...
and evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
and a gifted musician. Many of his sermons and songs are still available on the Internet. (www.hovsepian.com)
He was responsible for initiating increased collaboration between evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
churches within Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
after the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
. He was the Chairman of the Council of Protestant Ministers of Iran.
Hovsepian spoke up for the rights of Christians in Iran. In 1993 he was one of only two church leaders to refuse to sign a declaration stating that they would not allow Muslims or Muslim converts into their churches. He also refused to sign a statement that Christians enjoyed full rights in Iran. He compiled a detailed report on violations of religious freedom and invited Professor Reynaldo Pohl, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Special Representative to Iran, to visit the country and meet Protestant ministers and government officials to discuss these violations. He also met the Ministry for Islamic Guidance for Minorities to call for the government to respect the rights of religious minorities set out in the 1979 Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
. Bishop Haik Hovsepian and the denomination he represented, the Assemblies of God, were ordered to comply with the following directives: (1) Church services could not be held in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, the official language of Iran; (2) Church members must be issued membership cards and produce them upon attendance; (3) Membership lists, complete with addresses, must be handed over to governmental authorities; (4) Meetings must be confined to Sunday, not Friday the officially recognized day of worship; (5) Only members could attend Sunday meetings; and (6) New members could only be added to the membership and admitted to meetings once the Ministry of Information and Islamic Guidance had been notified. Haik deliberately disobeyed and defiantly declared, "Never would he or his ministers bow down and comply with such inhumane and unjust demands" and that "our churches are open to all who want to come in.”
He was killed after protesting about the treatment of his friend and colleague Mehdi Dibaj
Mehdi Dibaj
Mehdi Dibaj was an Iranian Christian convert from Sunni Islam, pastor and Christian martyr.Dibaj became a Christian as a young man and joined the Jama'at-e Rabbani Church, the Iranian branch of the Assemblies of God. After the 1979 Iranian revolution he encountered difficulties...
at the hands of the Iranian government. Haik’s committed campaign for Dibaj paid off. On January 16, 1994, Dibaj was released. Three days later Haik vanished from the streets of Tehran. Haik’s death was reported to his family on January 30, 1994. While the government initially denied all involvement, Iranian Christians and independent observers claimed that he was murdered for his beliefs.
Takoosh and her four children (Rebekkah, Joseph, Gilbert, and Andre) eventually immigrated to California, to be surrounded by a large diaspora of Armenians and Persians, including family members and friends from Tehran. Takoosh and her children are frequently asked to speak at conferences, and their children are in different Christian ministries. Haik’s brothers who are active pastors are also ministering outside Iran.
External links
- http://www.hovsepian.com
- http://www.acryfromiran.com
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-haik-hovsepian-mehr-1391238.html
- http://www.baylor.edu/truett/journal/index.php?id=20622