Share Share on Twitter In a small church in Melbourne’s far south-eastern suburbs, Reverend John Smith stands with his arms outstretched, palms facing the sky, delivering prayers in a powerful Persian monologue. The 41-year-old is encircled by worshipers, all Iranian-born Christian converts, just a small selection of the more than 500 he’s baptised himself. This scene is the realisation of a calling that, more than a decade ago, he almost gave his life to heed. Born in Iran to a Muslim family, he attended mosque until he was 18, when, as an adult, he learned of crimes committed by his imam and began to question his religion.