Pastor Jahan
Knows How to Get AttentionPastor Jahan Binai-Faal is a former Muslim who now leads a growing church in Norway. His journey to faith began in Iran, when his daughter El-Ham fell seriously ill. The imams prescribed fasting and sacrifices, but nothing helped. After giving blood for her surgery, Jahan prayed to Jesus at a church — and she recovered, though at the time he did not immediately credit Christ.
The family fled Iran in 1988 and received asylum in Norway through the United Nations. They lived a largely secular life, but allowed their children to attend Sunday school, reasoning that "God is God." Then his marriage nearly collapsed and social services became involved. In that crisis he remembered a Bible he had been given in Turkey and read Matthew 11:28 — "Come to me, all you who labour... take my yoke upon you."
Jahan stopped smoking, read the New Testament eight times, and gave his life to Jesus at a Billy Graham convention in Norway in December 1990. His wife Nasrin and the rest of the family followed — she said it felt as though she had married "a new person."
Today Pastor Jahan and Nasrin lead a church movement in Norway serving Afghani and Iranian communities. His approach is simple: build friendship first, let people see something different in his family, and let conversations about faith follow naturally.
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