The Voice of the Martyrs / VOM

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The Voice of the Martyrs listed by MinistryWatch.com as a 2008 Shining Light ‘Top 30’ Exemplary Ministry.

MinistryWatch.com desires to see overall giving to Biblical Christian values increase and as such we developed this format to highlight those ministries which are exemplary. This ministry is one of the “best ministries” and outstanding examples when we consider Philippians 4:8 and weigh and take account of those ministries that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Identifying a diversity of the best ministries is challenging given the selfless work that so many do for the cause of Christ. No one is able to give to every ministry that one values as we are not possessed of unlimited resources. It is best to make an assessment of our options and make discerning decisions. MinistryWatch.com’s assessment looked at the following seven areas when considering those to make the list:

1. Transparency
2. Truth Claims
3. Values/ Worldview
4. Sectors/Functions
5. Resourcefulness
6. Red Flag Issues
7. Consultation

A fuller explanation of our evaluation criteria is on the front page of MinistryWatch.com. A foundational premise was to shine a figurative light on those ministries that were "Christian" more than in name only. Ministries were chosen that were not just marketing to Christians as a market segment for "Christian donor money", but ministries that had theological underpinnings and Biblical values that determined their actions. Organizations that relied more on a secular motivation and means were excluded as well as those “ministries” that seem to view the organization as their own vehicle as a business to make money rather than a love to maximize ministry to others and to let their light shine for the glory of God.

Inclusion on this Shining Light list does not mean this ministry or other listed ministries are perfect. No ministry is perfect and any that look long and hard enough may find areas for improvement; as no doubt most legitimate ministries are aware of areas to improve and have their own to-do list. Only you can decide for yourself with confidence if a ministry shares your values and with your giving plan. As far as MinistryWatch.com’s assessment, given the criteria that we followed, this ministry rose to the top.

This is just another step in our mission of encouraging Christians to give more of their talents and resources to Kingdom-building efforts. In short, we wish to help spread the Gospel of Christ by helping Christians give more and more effectively to the works of the Lord. If the Lord uses our list as part of that process, we will have been a blessing to both those ministries who have been ‘good and faithful servants’ with the Lord’s resources and to Christian donors who are seeking to be good stewards of their giving.
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MinistryWatch.com’s Take
January 2003
By Dan Wray, Research Fellow



They being dead, yet speak...
Among the final words spoken by the Lord Jesus to His disciples before His ascension was an assurance that He would be with them “always, even unto the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Sustained by this blessed promise, Christians from that day until now have committed everything to the cause of spreading the Gospel, many giving their very lives though their voices still echo. Paul knew such commitment, having been chosen of God “to be His witness unto all men,” specifically, of what he had “seen and heard” (Acts 22:15; cp. Acts 26:13-18). Such was also the commitment of Richard Wurmbrand, bond slave of Jesus Christ, 14 years a prisoner in Communist Romania for the cause of the Gospel.

Conceived in suffering
In 1944, with communism infiltrating the Romanian church, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand began an underground effort to spread of the Gospel among communists and the Russian army. On a Sunday morning in 1948, Wurmbrand, a Romanian Jew, was abducted during his preparation for his ministerial duties, disappearing without a trace. Suffering what has become a hallmark of religious oppression and human rights indignities, Wurmbrand’s loved ones were variously misinformed that he was dead, that he had recanted his religious faith, even that he had renounced his wife and family and had remarried. From his abduction in 1948 until his ultimate amnesty, Wurbrand spent 14 years in prison, 3 years in solitary confinement. Beaten and tortured innumerable times, more bizarre forms of cruelty included expectation of family visits, only to wait in futility, tormented by the suggestion that family and friends had deserted him. In truth, no such visits were ever prearranged or granted. Wurmbrand’s wife Sabina, also the target of abuse, labored three years in prison camps while Christian friends cared for the Wurmbrands’ only child, Mihai. In 1964, after several near death illnesses, Richard Wurmbrand was granted freedom. He eventually left the country with his family upon payment by friends of a $10,000 cash ransom to the Romanian government.

In 1966, facing threats of retaliation by Communist Secret Police, Wurmbrand testified before the U.S. Senate subcommittee on exploitation of religion under Communism, exposing 18 visible scars which gave witness to the years of systematic cruelty in Romanian prisons. Refusing to criticize western uninvolvement, Wurmbrand simply plead repeatedly that the free world simply refrain from endorsing governments whose policies supported torture and persecution of their own citizens. The following year, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand established The Voice of the Martyrs for the following purpose,

• To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission while under persecution...
• To give relief to the families of Christian martyrs...
• To equip Christians to win their persecutors to Christ...
• To undertake projects to encourage, build up and rebuild...
• To emphasize the fellowship, courage and faith of saints persecuted for their faith...

Fellowship of Suffering
VOM is neither a church nor a denomination, existing internationally as a non-denominational ministry of service in support of the suffering church at large, for the purpose of drawing attention to the plight of Christians persecuted, even killed, for spreading the Gospel. With more than 30 offices worldwide and an interdenominational presence in over 50 countries, the ministry takes its central motivation from Hebrews 13:3, “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them who suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”

Matters of faith and practice are governed by a Statement of Faith covering what most evangelicals would call cardinal doctrines, including,

• Belief in the origin, inspiration and authority of Scripture as the Word of God
• Belief in the triunity of the Godhead, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Ghost
• Belief in the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, vicarious and atoning death, His bodily resurrection, and His personal return in power and glory
• Belief in regeneration by the Holy Spirit as essential to the salvation of the lost
• Belief in the present indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit enabling godly living
• Belief in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost
• Belief in the spiritual unity of believers in Christ

Mouthpiece for Martyrdom
Through news bulletins, publications and relief projects, VOM gives voice to the plight of Christian martyrs wherever they are found.

The Web: Billed as a compliment to other ministry information outlets, www.persecution.com offers varied news and wire service glimpses into the plight of present day suffering among Christians. Web site visitors can access VOM’s Prisoner List, a lengthy and comprehensive global composite of detainees, replete with personal histories, contact information and case by case analyses of suffering, and suggestions for effective response from supporters. News of prisoner release is also posted in the list, with thanksgiving, along with answers to frequently asked questions about how to petition appropriate institutions of government in the United States and abroad. Interactive web visitors can also access and view up to six rotating, regularly updated breaking and current news features. News updates may be posted within hours of the events.

VOM member services include “pass coded” access to member pages, prayer fellowships, media rooms and archival news information of a sufficiently delicate nature that unmonitored public access would almost certainly compromise the safety of Christians in some countries. Additional levels of registered member access to delicate and discretionary information provide still greater safeguards for those whose daily lives under persecution are already compromised.

Monthly Newsletter: A complimentary monthly newsletter entitled The Voice of the Martyrs, offers in-depth accounts of suffering saints as well as editorial and guest analyses of the state of Christian martyrdom worldwide and some suggestions for bringing this issue into clearer focus throughout the free world. The newsletter also provides opportunity to feature the ongoing influence of Richard Wurmbrand’s writings for those unable or disinclined to purchase his books.

Books and Publications: As with many ministries of this kind, donor-purchases of books, dedicated publications and other tokens of the ministry help to publicize the work and inform the Christian community, as well as providing a needed source of support revenue. Since his death on February 17, 2001, Richard Wurmbrand’s devotional meditations and accounts of suffering for the cause of Christ have continued to proliferate under the auspices of the ministry he began, as have the writings of his wife and others. Available literary works include selections from John Piper, and Church historians James and Marti Hefley, and current VOM Director, Tom White.

Donor involvement
Additional donor opportunities range from “Action Packs,” - individualized relief packs with life essentials such as toiletries, clothing and Gospel enclosures, to monetary gifts. Personal items must be carefully packaged to strict standards published on web member pages. VOM does not encourage accrual of credit card debt, but cautiously accepts such donations through secure credit card processing sites. Additional ministry opportunities are available for those desiring more extensive personal involvement.

“...this is acceptable with God.”
The Apostles witnessed repeatedly to their prison bonds for the sake of the Gospel (2 Cor. 6:5; Phil. 1:7-16), with thanksgiving (Phil. 1:3; 4:16; Rom. 12:13;Eph. 6:18-20). After the events of Pentecost (Acts 2:4; 4:13-20; cp. Lk. 22:31-33), these brave ones counseled concerning the virtues of suffering for Christ (1 Pet. 2:19-21). In anticipation of the cross, Christ had warned of impending persecution and torment, asking, “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? (Matt. 20:22) Without a trace of rhetorical nuance, the question resonates today. In the words of the Christian hymn and with voice that cannot be stilled, Richard Wurmbrand and thousands of faithful Christians have answered resoundingly, “Lord, we are able!”