The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is the name of several related Christian organizations founded through the influence of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand in such countries as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. These VOM missions raise awareness of the fact that hundreds of thousands are killed, tortured, imprisoned and harassed for being Christians each year. These organizations also provide practical assistance to persecuted Christians throughout the world. They are funded through donations and are not subsidized by government support. There is no world headquarters for The Voice of the Martyrs, as each organization is an independent, self-supporting entity. The American office of VOM is headquartered in Bartlesville, Oklahoma USA. The Canadian office of VOM is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

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Organization & Philosophy

All of the VOM missions are members of an international group of autonomous missions founded through the influence of Richard Wurmbrand who voluntarily co-operate through the International Christian Association (ICA). While each country's mission has its own goals and performs actions on its own, they also cooperate through the ICA in sharing information and jointly funding international projects.

ICA members are guided by five main purposes, these being:

To encourage and empower Christians to fulfil the Great Commission in areas of the world where they are persecuted for their involvement in propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We accomplish this by providing Bibles, literature, radio broadcasts and other forms of aid.
To give relief to the families of Christian martyrs in these areas of the world.
To undertake projects of encouragement, helping believers rebuild their lives and Christian witness in countries that have formerly suffered communist oppression.
To equip local Christians to win to Christ those who are opposed to the Gospel in those countries where believers are actively persecuted for their Christian witness.
To emphasize the fellowship of all believers by informing the world about atrocities committed against Christians and by remembering their courage and faith.

History

The Voice of the Martyrs was started in 1967 by Richard Wurmbrand, who was a Romanian Lutheran pastor when Romania was taken over by the USSR in 1944. He was imprisoned for 14 years for preaching Christianity and was eventually brought out to the west after a ransom was paid for his release.

He testified before the US Senate about the treatment that Christians received under Communist governments, and through his influence, several missions were founded around the world to help support Christians who suffered under Communist persecution. After the fall of communism in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, these missions expanded their focus to include those suffering religious persecution in Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist societies.

Publications

Each mission associated with The Voice of the Martyrs publishes a regular newsletter for distribution in their own country. Each issue focuses on Christian persecution in a specific global region, and offers testimonies as well as outlets for readers to aid those featured. The Canadian[1]and U.S.[2]missions of The Voice of the Martyrs each publish a free, 12-page newsletter every month.