Haik Hovsepian was the leader of Protestant Churches in Iran, setting an incredible example for all of us. As a young pastor, he planted a church in Gorgan, Iran in 1964. Through many trials, including the tragic death of their firstborn son, Haik and his wife Takoosh trusted the Lord and continued their ministry.

In 1982, Haik became the Superintendent of Assemblies of God churches in Iran, and he later became the representative of all Evangelical churches in Iran. Throughout the years, he stood boldly for the rights of the Iranian Christian church. He did not believe in succumbing to government pressure and chose instead to ‘tell the world’ about the plight of Iranian Christians. He said, “If we go to jail or die for our faith, we want the whole Christian world to know what is happening to their brothers and sisters.”

In 1993, when Haik received the news of an execution order for Pastor Mehdi Dibaj, a convert from Islam who had been imprisoned for almost 10 years, he worked tirelessly to bring global attention to Pastor Dibaj’s plight. His efforts led to a global outrage and resulted in Dibaj’s release on January 16, 1994 – mere days before his planned execution date.

Three days later, on January 19, 1994, Haik disappeared from the streets of Tehran. The authorities reported his death to his family on January 30th; he had been stabbed 26 times in the chest. After Haik’s martyrdom, several other Iranian believers, including Pastor Mehdi Dibaj, disappeared and were murdered.

Indeed, Haik gave his heart to Christ twice. Once, when he invited Christ into his life as his Saviour, and second, when his heart was torn apart for his faith in Christ.

Today, Haik’s legacy lives on through Hovsepian ministries. His family’s journey of daily forgiveness and healing has inspired them to follow in Haik’s footsteps, boldly sharing Christ’s message of love and hope with the world.