Afshin Ziafat is the lead pastor and an elder of Providence Church.

Born in Houston, Afshin moved with his family to their native country of Iran when he was two years old. In the midst of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, Afshin’s family moved back to Houston at age six. In the second grade, he was given a Bible by a tutor who was teaching him the English language. He read that Bible 10 years later as a senior in high school and came to faith in Christ.

Ultimately, his family would disown him because of his faith in Christ, and he began to understand the call of Christ on each of our lives—to follow Jesus regardless of the cost. In so doing, Afshin found that the reward was greater than the cost, demonstrating the truth of Matthew 16:25 – “that whoever loses his life for the sake of Christ will find it.”

Afshin received his undergraduate degree in history from the University of Texas at Austin. He went on to receive his Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages degree from Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. In 2008, he married the love of his life, Meredith. Afshin and Meredith have three young children.

Before coming to Providence, Afshin spent over a decade traveling and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in churches, retreats, camps, and conferences, also traveling into the Middle East to train Iranian pastors. Afshin serves as a council member for The Gospel Coalition and has written for numerous outlets, including Desiring God.

Invite Afshin to Your Next Event

Would you like to host Afshin at your next gathering, conference, or workshop? We’d love to learn about what your ministry and how Afshin can support your efforts. Please use the button below to tell us more and we will be in touch with you soon.