Emmanuel Iranian Congregation priests, the Reverends Hoda Ameri and Kaveh Hassanzadeh. Picture: supplied.

Dr Lesa Scholl 

The Melbourne Anglican

The Reverends Hoda Ameri and Kaveh Hassanzadeh are former refugees from Iran who are committed to bringing their deep sense of God’s love to Melbourne’s Persian community.

In the course of a few years the pair have planted Farsi-speaking congregations in various locations in the diocese, including Keilor. 

The recent opening of their new Emmanuel Iranian congregation in Reservoir marked another milestone in Ms Ameri and Mr Hassanzadeh’s journey.

The new congregation will accommodate a significant number of worshippers who would normally have to travel to Keilor to attend services.

The ministers understand very well what it means to be able to worship God in one’s heart language.

Ms Ameri will never forget the sense of inclusion she felt the first time she experienced a service in Farsi.

For Mr Hassanzadeh, hearing a Farsi song in a main English service for the first time was profound.

“It was just beautiful,” he said.” My heart beat so fast.”

They said having a Farsi service was important to their community because it did more than nourish them spiritually.

“Church is not just a religious community, it’s a home, a family. Someone’s happiness is the happiness of the others. We are so connected to each other,” Ms Ameri said.

The pair believe Persian language and culture are significant factors in the identity of their Farsi-speaking congregation, and say many aspects of this culture are closely aligned with Christian ethics—from hospitality to respecting elders and looking after others.

Ms Ameri and Mr Hassanzadeh are convinced Christianity makes their culture make sense.

Integrating Christianity, “renews our culture,” Mr Hassanzadeh said.

The inclusion of rich Persian traditions of music, song, and dance in their services made congregation members feel rooted in their culture, and open their hearts more to God and each other, they believe.

Although language is not a barrier for being able to worship God, being able to understand the service made a difference in one’s discipleship and for developing a deeper understanding of the faith, Ms Ameri said.

She and Mr Hassanzadeh have many times observed people being transformed through having the opportunity to develop stronger faith and connections with each other.

But they are very clear that their heart, and the new congregation, is not just for the Iranian community.

They have a vision for a multicultural and cross-cultural ministry with multiple languages, and hope the Reservoir congregation will be a place of welcome and inclusion for people of other backgrounds.

The ministers have been making sure that the services there include languages other than Farsi.

The second song is always in English, and recently they included a Turkish song for their congregants from Türkiye.

“Different languages, different tribes,” Mr Hassanzadeh said, “for the glory of God.”

Dr Lesa Scholl is an honorary professor at the University of Exeter and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.