Voice of the Martyrs Helping 1,200 Persecuted Christians in Ethiopia
The ministry has internal checks to ensure the donations are reaching those in need.
In a recent supporter email, Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) mentioned its project in the North Shewa region of central Ethiopia where it has helped 1,200 Christians who are being persecuted with food, clothing, shelter, medical supplies, and Bibles.
MinistryWatch contacted VOM to gather more information about the project’s details.
Although Ethiopia has a majority Christian population, the North Shewa region, with its population of 1.8 million, is majority Muslim, according to Todd Nettleton of VOM.
Nettleton told MinistryWatch that VOM has seen a significant increase since 2019 in the amount of Christian persecution in the country. As radical Islam grows there, so does Christian persecution.
In 2020, civil war broke out. The region is also a hotbed for ethnic and religious tension, so VOM sent local teams to visit churches and local contacts to assess whether the harm was occurring as a result of war or Christian persecution. They determined war was being used as a cover to target Christians.
VOM officially got involved in 2021. It deployed resources to help rebuild churches that had been burned and to provide immediate assistance to those suffering. Nettleton says VOM tries first to source materials in the local area or region rather than shipping them internationally.
VOM has two priorities in a situation like the one in North Shewa: replace what is lost and then focus on unmet needs. The second comes after the “dust settles,” and VOM evaluates what needs remain among persecuted Christians after other humanitarian relief has fizzled out.
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Though VOM provides help directly to persecuted Christians, it often impacts neighboring Muslims. As Muslims witness Christians being part of a much larger community — the global church — that is willing to help in the midst of their need, it is a testimony to the Muslims and a contrast to their experience, Nettleton explained.
Additionally, Christians who receive help often share it with their neighbors, he said. When someone in a desperate situation is willing to share, people notice.
In addition to working with local churches and denominational leaders, VOM also partners with Global Call and Bethany International in its work in Ethiopia.
Nettleton says VOM team members regularly check on the projects and meet with the church leaders, and that they have a robust system for tracking money and expenses.
“I think as a donor I would feel comfortable knowing there really is a lot of effort being put into making sure this [project] does fit what VOM is about — which is helping persecuted Christians — and that the money is actually getting to the people who need it,” he remarked.
If donors respond to the email, their donation will go to a general persecution response fund similar to the response described in the North Shewa region.
If donors want their money to go specifically to the project in Ethiopia, however, they can earmark the donation for that purpose, Nettleton said.
VOM earns a high donor confidence score of 85 in the MinistryWatch database. Its financial efficiency rating is 4 out of 5 stars. VOM is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, but because it does not publish its IRS Form 990s, it receives a “C” transparency grade.
Main photo: Children run down the street after school in Ethiopia / Photo by Taylor Flowe / Unsplash / Creative Commons
