The Voice Of The Martyrs
The Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, interdenominational organization with a vision for aiding Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ, fulfilling the Great Commission, and educating the world about the ongoing persecution of Christians.
VOM is headquartered in Bartlesville, Oklahoma with thirty affiliated international offices, and an enormous team of servant-hearted volunteers. Explore the website listed below to learn more about VOM’s history, founders, current projects, and vision.
Internet Link: The Voice Of The Martyrs
Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselved also in the body. (Hebrews 13:3)
Voice of the Martyrs is an international organization that:
- Identifies governments that persecute and attempt to silence Christians.
- Locates and helps persecuted Christians.
- Provides useful tools on their website so you can pray, advocate and minister to persecuted Christians.
The work God has called Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) to fulfill — originally through the vision of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand in a Romanian prison cell — is much bigger than any one person. God has done an amazing work over the past 45 years in establishing this ministry to stand with those who are persecuted for their faith.
VOM has always been a ministry that relies on God moving His people to help the persecuted church.
From the beginning, VOM’s founder, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, traveled widely to spread the stories of the persecuted church, and people gave. VOM continues to follow the model this Completed Jew and Lutheran pastor established by freely sharing the stories of persecuted Christians and supporting them in their suffering.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus sends out His disciples on two occasions: in Matthew 10 and again in Matthew 28. On both occasions Jesus gives the disciples specific instructions, but neither time does Jesus tell them to go to places where their message will be well received. He doesn’t tell them to ask permission to share the gospel or heal the sick. And He doesn’t tell them to poll the villagers first to measure their receptivity to the gospel.
In fact, Jesus’ words in Matthew 10 would not be considered hopeful or positive by the world’s standards. He tells the disciples that they will be delivered up to government officials and will be “scourged” or terrorized by religious leaders. He tells them that families will reject them and even have them killed. To leave no doubt about how they can expect to be treated, Jesus summarizes their situation as “sheep among wolves,” telling them that they will be “hated by all” for His Name’s sake.
Still, He said “Go!” and His disciples went. They had a mission to accomplish — reaching all nations with the gospel (Matthew 28:19).
Our brothers and sisters who are persecuted for their faith understand this connection between mission and persecution very well. Some have faced situations to which we cannot even imagine how we would respond. And in a nation like Nigeria, where Christians in the north have been targeted by Muslim extremist groups, Christians either face violence or know they COULD face violence at any time. Many have even watched their children suffer because of the parent’s association with Christ.
But you should notice that Jesus speaks the words about the persecution His followers can expect to face IMMEDIATELY before He sends the disciples on their first mission (Matthew 10:5-39). In his book In the Shadow of the Cross, Glenn Penner wrote “The timing is suggestive of the fact that Jesus wants His disciples to know that mission and persecution are inseparable. When done in the spirit of Jesus, you cannot have one without the other. When done in the spirit of Christ, mission has always taken place in the shadow of the cross … Survival in not to be their prime concern. They are to be committed to accomplishing the purposes of God, even if it means their death.”
The mission of Voice of the Martyrs is to serve those Christians who choose to stay and share the gospel in hostile situations. They know the risks, but they wisely count the cost when they pick up their cross (Luke 14:27-28).
We know that one day we will all stand before God’s throne and give an account of our part in accomplishing His mission. As believers, we are promised that as we share in Christ’s sufferings we will also share in His glory. Our persecuted brothers and sisters may never experience that glory on earth, but through Voice of the Martyrs, we can stand with them as they maintain their witness in hostile areas until they reach eternal glory. Although we rely on the Lord to do the final work of giving reward to those who continued to trust in Him in spite of persecution, through the Voice of the Martyrs we can bring them comfort is some small way. Through the Voice of the Martyrs we hope to aid Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ. In this small way, we hope to do our part to fulfill the Great Commission, and finish well ourselves.