WHO WE ARE
Iranian Underground House Churches (IUHC)
A Mega Network of Underground House Churches in Iran
With an estimated 105,000+ members, IUHC is believed to be one of the largest underground house church networks in Iran. Founded in 2005, IUHC has grown from a small number of believers into a nationwide network of house churches across 23 provinces. Because underground house churches typically meet in small groups for security, the network is not one physical church building but a connected movement of many local communities.
IUHC is an evangelical network of Persian-speaking house churches committed to making disciples and strengthening the Church throughout Iran. Despite the risk of persecution, IUHC has worked to share the gospel, disciple new believers, and help organize house churches across the country. IUHC is an indigenous ministry that began within Iran and is led by Iranian believers. Its primary focus is to strengthen, equip, and expand the Church among Persian-speaking communities while encouraging believers to grow in their faith and share the hope of Jesus Christ with others.
Our Mission
“IUHC” and “Go and Do” provides a variety of ministry programs, including:
Biblical teaching and Bible studies. Leadership and ministry training. Advanced discipleship programs. Intensive discipleship courses. Online learning and digital resources. Specialized ministry training for church leaders. Translation of Christian articles and educational materials. Collaboration with believers in other persecuted countries to share knowledge, ministry resources, and practical experience.
Our Vision
Our vision is for every person in Iran to have the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and freely choose whether to follow Him. We pray that the Church in Iran will continue to grow in faith, maturity, and love, raising up disciples who will faithfully serve Christ and share the hope of the Gospel with others. We also envision Iran becoming a nation that sends missionaries and church leaders to serve people around the world, demonstrating the transforming power of Christ through lives marked by faith, compassion, and courage.
A Brief History about our Founder
He Started With People, Not Resources
Joshua did not begin with a large organization, a team of advisors, or a substantial financial foundation. He started with people. He invested in relationships, trusted individuals, and believed that ordinary people could accomplish extraordinary things when given purpose, responsibility, and hope. Instead of building an organization around money and resources, he built it around people and trust. One person became another. One house church became many. Through years of faith, sacrifice, and investment in people, the movement grew to more than 100,000 people.
“The great organizations do not always begin with great resources. Sometimes they begin with one person who believes in people—and chooses to trust them” -Joshua
The Islamic Republic of Iran is home to a Christian community that flourishes in secret. Joshua is one of the founders of the largest Christian groups in Iran today. It is estimated that Joshua led over 100,000 converted Christians in Iran in 2025.
Joshua was born into an affluent, religiously devout Muslim family. At the age of 9-15, Joshua became a good wrestler, and he memorized 2/3 of the Quran. At very young age Joshua rejected Islam in his mid-teens, while still not know anything about Christianity, he claimed he was a Christian. He was arrested and sentenced to 91 days in adult prison because of his claim.
After a rebellious youth he converted to Christianity and focused on his business and grew in his faith. In 2004-5, he officially began his ministry with the homeless and addicted of Tehran(Iran), and that shaped his first underground house churches. In 2006, Joshua started smuggling Gospel from Iraq and Turkey into Iran. In the same year, Joshua was arrested, tortured, and incarcerated in the notorious Evin Prison for 15 months. During that time, his group grew to 600 members.
Very soon Joshua’s ministry had more than 3,000 members. Because of security and safety concerns, Joshua left Tehran and moved to the northwest of Iran and continued his ministry. In 2011, Joshua was forced to leave Iran and flee to Turkey. In that time estimated that Joshua’s ministry had about 18,000 members. In 2011-14, Joshua was a refugee in Turkey while attending seminaries to grow in his faith, he established another house church in Turkey for the refugee community. In June 2014, His journey as a refugee brought Joshua to the U.S. in Lansing, Michigan. In 2017, Joshua was adopted by a devoted American Christian family, and together, they established the nonprofit organization “Go and Do” in the United States to represent the IUHC.
After learning English and completing his college education in the United States, Joshua began his career as a college faculty member, serving students for more than nine years. In 2022, he published his first book, Becoming Joshua, followed by Seven Colors of Heaven in 2026. Through his writing, artwork, and public speaking, Joshua shares his personal journey of faith, persecution, healing, and hope. His story and message have reached readers around the world, helping Seven Colors of Heaven become a remarkable “Silent Bestseller” phenomenon, selling more than 69,000 copies in its first month.
Joshua continues his writing journey with three new books: The Power of One Life: How Your One Life Can Change Someone, Their World, and Generations to Come, releasing September 17, 2026, The Moment You Arrive: What Americans Do Not Know About Refugees, releasing November 21, 2026, and No Crown, No Applause: The Hidden Cost of True Leadership, releasing February 2, 2027.
Throughout his academic career, Joshua has sought to create an environment of respect, compassion, and acceptance for students from many different cultural and religious backgrounds. He has mentored and supported more than 2,300 Muslim students, building meaningful relationships and sharing the Christian faith with those who expressed interest. Eventually, 184 of these students chose to become followers of Jesus Christ. His Christian outreach and the number of students who embraced the faith created tension with some of his colleagues. As opposition to his work grew, Joshua faced increasing pressure that maybe force him to leave his position as a college faculty member in Michigan.
Joshua has never received a salary or personal financial compensation for serving as the founder and pastor of the Iranian Underground House Churches (IUHC). Instead, he has supported the ministry through his own employment and personal investments, donating more than 60% of his income to advance the work of IUHC and support believers facing persecution.
His philosophy of ministry is rooted in the words of Jesus:
“Freely you have received; freely give.”
— Matthew 10:8
Joshua believes that Christian leadership is not about personal recognition or financial gain but about serving others with humility, generosity, and sacrificial love. His desire is to equip believers, strengthen the persecuted Church, and encourage people from every background to encounter the hope found in Jesus Christ.
“Underground communities develop an underground culture—one marked by authenticity, raw expression, and an independent identity. They grow naturally, free from coercion and indoctrination, much like the way Jesus formed His disciples: ordinary people whose faith became so genuine that they were willing to give their lives for what they believed.”
— Joshua
Listen to this podcast interview:
By the President of Lansing Community College, Dr. Robinson. In this interview with Joshua, they discuss his struggles as a refugee and how that guided Joshua in his educational career and the writing of his book, Becoming Joshua.
