"I was in a shopping center, and there was this piano there, and I started to play some Persian music. Some Persian people heard the music and I noticed they came closer and when I finished they began a conversation with us. And then we began talking about Christianity"
- Reverend Pedram Shirmast
On a regular shopping trip to Westfield Doncaster in Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs, Pedram sat down at the piano stool and began to play.
"I was in a shopping center, and there was this piano there, and I started to play some Persian music. Some Persian people heard the music and I noticed they came closer and when I finished they began a conversation with us. And then we began talking about Christianity"
Today, Revd's Pedram and Leili Shirmast lead the multicultural service out of St. Paul’s Cathedral every Saturday, followed by a Bible study and sessions designed for people from a non-Christian background. Their heart to reach Farsi-speaking people is growing, and so is their impact.
Around the same time as the experience at Westfield, Pedram and Leili happened to visit St. Paul’s. Upon hearing that 1600 visitors go through the Cathedral every day, it struck them, “What if we ‘played the piano’ from there? Imagine the conversations that might come from that!”
Now a solid congregation is forming, for a service run in both English and Farsi. Over 20 people visit each week, most of whom end up asking for prayer, or to talk. The goal of the service is threefold –
To specifically reach the Farsi-speaking community, with the hope that everyone would understand the Bible and worship God in their own language (People from Iranian, Afghan, and Tajikistan backgrounds – although there are plenty of Australians there too).
To untwist any false understanding of Christianity – to help people know that the gospel is not a Western idea and has deep roots in Eastern cultures.
And to give opportunity for people from those backgrounds to be involved in ministry at some point, creating a sense of ownership – they have a share in what we are doing.
At the Melbourne Anglican Foundation, we believe that faith communities thrive when they reflect their surroundings. Our grants support church planting and revitalisation projects that create space for people from all backgrounds to encounter and grow in faith. By backing initiatives that celebrate diversity and engage people in meaningful ways, we’re committed to expanding the Anglican Diocese’s reach and making a lasting impact across Melbourne.
