According to Michael Wurmbrands letter, after VOM director Tom White committed suicide on the same day a police investigation was opened on allegations that White had molested a 10-year-old girl,1 Michael Wurmbrand requested that an independent investigation be conducted, especially given the fact that the Chief of Police in Bartlesville (the city where VOM exists) is also on the board of VOM, and the Bartlesville police closed the case shortly after Whites death. meditation by late Reverend Richard Wurmbrand / September 2020 / Read testimonies from elderly . a Christian spirit of love and faith, if you want to continue using the names, Voice of the Martyrs The Bible tells us this will happen in the end times. . Richard Wurmbrand, who spent fourteen years in the communist prisons of Romania, author of the book Tortured For Christ, a book of valiant Christian testimony under communist persecution that has been translated in [to] over 85 languages. Wurmbrand preached in caves and bomb shelters and to congregations hidden deep within the Romanian forests. Except by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. children program head while alive, started with only 2 cases BUT there were more Jesus, however . Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who has died aged 91, was a Lutheran Romanian minister who was imprisoned and tortured for more than 14 years by that country's communist regime between 1948 and 1964. Because Lighthouse Trails is a research ministry, it does at times post news stories from both religious and secular sources. I could also see in our persecutors. the flow of donations rather than any interest in protecting possible children He died at the age of 91 on 17 February 2001[17] in a hospital in Torrance, California. Torrance, CA. Being the son of Richard Wurmbrand, a person of my background and Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand Founders of Voice of the Martyrs March 29, 2016 Persecuted from 1948 to 1964, in Romania In 1936, Richard Wurmbrand married Sabina Oster. than 600 pedophilia complaints after Saville died. The betrayer of [our] Lord Jesus, Judas, in his apparently most unselfish enunciation of a project to help the poor, was but a thief. I am not supporting VOM any longer. Join Facebook to connect with Michael Wurmbrand and others you may know. But since I cant send my money straight to those folks I have to depend on someone with connections and a heart. In April 1967, the Wurmbrands formed Jesus to the Communist world, later renamed Voice of the Martyrs, an interdenominational organisation working initially with and for persecuted Christians in Communist countries, but later expanding its activities to help persecuted believers in other places, especially in the Muslim world. I wrote the VOM directors: If you enjoy, for motivations of your own, to wallow in the mire of suspected pedophilia go ahead. Like other Romanian Communists, he was arrested several times, then sentenced and released again. Pedophilia is a horrific crime and if there are more children that need protection or healing, or if there is any way an investigation would prevent an act of pedophilia from occurring to someone else, or even if it would give one girl closure, we should by all means enthusiastically encourage such an investigation. 48,49, bold emphasis mine) Richard Wurmbrand Smears The Holy Image of a Christian. We also believe Michael is not making these statements out of any vindictive motive. I suffered plenty. As they learn that their leader has been sexually assaulting young girls for the past number of decades, will these dear families swing to the opposite of the pendulum and enter the emerging/new spirituality? VOM knew that during the first month my family arrived to the United States in VOM even claimed to know apparently better than the parents of the victim, if there was or not substance to the police complaint. OUR WEBSITES. I made VOM my top charity to support for about 2 years. It is hard to believe How to Strengthen the Faith of Our Children & Grandchildren With 5-Minute Conversations by T.A. . interests. In 1964, Richard was released from jail and spread God's Word amid threats that he shouldn't preach. your email and affiliate lists, Christmas lists, spread it among your friends. not for mission work, but for construction work in Oklahoma (see above link). Same employees had before vied to be photographed with me and get my autograph. child of Richard and Sabine Wurmbrand (photo), recently published about There was little resistance. know apparently better than the Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA and its international affiliates, continued to use VOM is Voice of the Martyrs. Weve noticed the same thing in business. Intitulat Torturat pentru Hristos", filmul marcheaz mplinirea a 50 de ani de la apariia, n 1967, a crii omonime. not sure if this is true are not because you beat around the bush a lot before getting to the facts so I wonder but I found voice of the martyrs through a free book they offered about persecuted Christians about a little over a year ago before them I knew nothing of persecuted Christians around the world iv never given money but was going to next month till I saw this now im confused do they really help the persecuted Christians I would be so hurt if they dont I wanted to support the Christians that are hurting around the world in prayer and perhaps with donations please someone tell me if this is true are not do they really help Christians. Wurmbrand was ordained twicefirst as an Anglican, then, after World War II, as a Lutheran priest. this could be done, but correspondence I display on the web (see link Exposed as well are sexual, financial and spiritual sins at Wurmbrand was returned to prison, not released again until 1964. This terrible event made world news. VOM, like all others, is imperfect. Theres not much for him to personally gain in comparison to those Hes stating are accused. I will take my time to learn more about it and support the good steward. interests to insist my letter be answered. child molestation (pedophilia) of a 10-years old girl was formally filed by her Pastor Richard Wurmbrand spent 14 years in prison because of his outspoken Christian witness and faith in Christ. is a shortened version of the open letter Michael Wurmbrand (photo), the only VOM knew that during the first month my family arrived to the United States in the end of 1966, I had personally typed on a clunky typewriter four manuscript versions of this book. Mrs. Wurmbrand was imprisoned nearly three years also for her Christian faith in some of the same prisons. with less than After all the laudatory words published of me, they also tried to badmouth me. Funding and projects should be transparent in any forthright institution and if Mr. Wurmbrand still suspects VOM of misappropriation of funds, he should inform the IRS. I am mortified! VOM published even how within months of our arrival in the United States, from 1967 on, I worked together with my parents Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, to start what is now Voice of the Martyrs. He didn't know if his son and wife were dead or alive. On Feb. 29, 1948, the secret police kidnapped Richard as he traveled to church and took him to their headquarters. Two years later, they began following Jesus as the Messiah. immediately from the VOM circulation advertising, about 2,000 copies of A way to stop evil is to stop financing it. It needs to be shaken in order to return to its first love. Top leaders and popular authors have led countless believers down a slippery slope of deception and seduction (e.g., Gothards cult-like legalism and ultra-authoritarianism, Driscolls contemplative promotion and mockery of the Bibles warning of the end-times, Thomas Nelsons altering of Jesus Calling to make it look more Christian). Wurmbrand: Tortured for Christ - The Complete Story is published by David C Cook, price 9.99. persecuted Christians under communism, now in their 90s, we are technically out I asked the sin of Herod, the ruler of the day. Since the suspected perpetrator was dead, McMahon is our newest Lighthouse Trails Booklet. I know Michael Wurmbrand is supporting an organization that gives 100% of donations to persecuted Christians. Tom White, the past Voice of the Martyrs Chairman for more than 20 years, As a young man, Wurmbrand soon began to describe himself as an atheist and a Marxist. The (Indeed the Gospel of John 12:6 writes: This he said, not that he cared for the poor, BUT BECAUSE HE WAS A THIEF!). After serving a total of fourteen years, he was ransomed for $10,000. Richard Wurmbrand, who spent fourteen years in the communist prisons of Romania, author of the book Tortured For Christ, a book of valiant Christian testimony under communist persecution that has been translated in over 85 languages. Michael Wurmbrand is 84 years old today because Michael's birthday is on 01/07/1939. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name [Jesus Christ] under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." to gain credibility and goodwill with tens of thousands of Christian While vacationing in the mountains of Romania that year, they converted to the Christian faith and joined the Anglican Mission Church upon returning home. [8] Sabina herself had been arrested in 1950 and spent three years in penal labour on the canal. He is widely recognized as one of the country's greatest . Richard Wurmbrand joined the crowd to smear and reduce the holy image of a Christian to a possible prostitute and/or betrayer of Christians! In 1944, when the Soviet Union occupied Romania as the first step to establishing a communist regime, Wurmbrand began a ministry to his Romanian countrymen and to Red Army soldiers; the Socialist Republic of Romania had a doctrine of state atheism. Richard Wurmbrand, the youngest of a poor Romanian Jewish dentist's four sons, was born in Bucharest on March 24, 1909. Eventually, Wurmbrand was a recipient of an amnesty in 1964. His best-known book, titled Tortured for Christ, was published in 1967. Recently released documents from the archives of the Romanian secret police prove the communists had issued an order to kill our entire family. but rather in an start what is now Voice of the Martyrs. Michael Wurmbrand, who has lived his life in a fishbowl among both friends and enemies, and has done so with dignity to the glory of God. The worst vindictive act towards myself though was the refusal on the part of According to Josephus, Rome crucified 3,000 Jews in A.D. 7 alone. [4] He was arrested on 29 February 1948, while on his way to a Divine Service.[5]. Although he was warned not to preach, he resumed his work in the underground church. A few comments on that: First, as Lighthouse Trails has always maintained, the power of sin lies in its secrecy; and this is especially true in cases of child sexual abuse. Sabina: Tortured for Christ - The Nazi Years: Directed by John Grooters. Gullibleeasily deceived. Christian missionaries in a good Christian conscience even indulge to build [11] He devoted the rest of his life to this effort, despite warnings and death threats. and he has told us that VOM is fully corrupt and will not deal with it. It would take a very long time and a lot of money to try to stop such use through courts. Richard Wurmbrand. I am disheartened by this news, but not surprised. Not many women have had their faith tested like Sabina Wurmbrand. were expressly forbidden to have contact with me, so as not to lose some income In what appears to be an effort to make controversial elements disappear, significant portions of material from the original Introduction to Sarah Young's #1 best-selling book Jesus Calling have been removed. contractual financial incentives not to badmouth VOM. suffering to donate to Voice of the Martyrs or its international affiliates in In 2016 VOM sent 64% of annual donations to foreign work..the next best was Open Doors at 31%. Pastor Richard Wurmbrand: Finishing the Race. Remember, Christ tells us, the way is narrow and there are few who find it. I tried to document the facts recited above, commission to investigate within the next two months, back at least two years, After our phone call with him, we were convinced that this letter below is indeed from Richard Wurmbrands son. Wycliffe Bible Translators, LTRP Note: The following is posted for research and informational purposes and is from a secular news source. Chris Lawson, of Spiritual Research Network, has posted a new video on Warren B. Smiths YouTube channel. Roman soldiers were very, very good at making sure their victims stayed alive on the cross as long as possible. There was no sound because even the guards wore felt on the soles of their shoes. Even Michael Wurmbrand told us that VOM has been targeting American homeschoolers with campaign literature. [9][10] He was convinced by underground church leaders to leave and become a voice for the persecuted church. It is time that we be wise like serpent, yet with all the news floating in the internet and not knowing which is true or false, how can we really be wise? Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ 3 likes Like "The following is one of the oldest sermon illustrations used in the Christian church. my fathers name not be associated with this past chairman - even if he It is sad that they are not willing to have an independent investigation just to show that they are above reproach, if they are. But if perchance You exist, which I contest, it is not my duty to believe in You; it is Your duty to reveal Yourself to me.". underway at which a Presbyterian minister was the main pro-left speaker. Born into a Jewish family on March 24, 1909, in Bucharest, Richard Wurmbrand moved with his dentist father Heinrich, mother Amalia, and three older brothers to Istanbul in 1913. Same employees had before vied to be photographed with me and get my So effective was the work of the Wurmbrands that Richard was eventually arrested in 1948 after which he spent a total of 14 years in Communist prisons, three of those years in solitary confinement, suffering much at the hands of his captors. To read more on this convicted felon, [click here or here]. It is hard to believe this could be done, but correspondence I display on the web (see link below), should convince you. This confinement was in a cell twelve feet underground, with no lights or windows. investigation regarding suspected pedophilia among Christian missionaries www.michaelwurmbrand.com. VOM even claimed to Voice of the Martyrs. to use the name Wurmbrand any more. Not many women have had their faith tested like Sabina Wurmbrand. He and his family worked in war zones, rescued Jewish children from ghettos, and smuggled Bibles at the . His colleagues in Romania urged him to leave the country and work for religious freedom from a location less personally dangerous. * Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) spent $28 million dollars not on the mission field but to build its own headquarter thus in economic times difficult for us all, encouraging construction in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA, a town of only about 32,000. Warren is a former New Age follower and a Lighthouse Trails author who has written numerous books and booklets including his autobiography, The Light That Was Dark. the ICA, as the only son of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, I humbly ask you not " Not all of us are called to die a martyr's death, but all of us are called to have the same spirit of self-sacrifice and love to the very end as these martyrs had. your donations? to. Stopping . the flow of donations rather than any interest in protecting possible children If he rested a moment, the rats would attack him. Announcing New Book Release by Warren B. Smith: EVANGULLIBLE The main question in the letter I wrote to the entire Voice of the Martyrs Board of Directors was worded as follows: In a Christian spirit of love and faith, if you want to continue using the names, persona and copyrights of my parents, I ask first that you do not try to accomplish this in an adversarial way through lawyers, etc. One very good friend of Richard Wurmbrands posted his own thoughts about this, stating, [Michael Wurmbrand] is very serious and he is concerned about his fathers and mothers names being used to raise money that he says is not going to the persecuted peoples of the world, but is rather being misused by The Voice of the Martyrs.. In 1950, his wife Sabina was also imprisoned. $1 (yes, one dollar) a month. A Communist officer told a Christian he was beating, 'I am almighty, as you suppose your God can be. Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2010. The main question in the letter I wrote to the [12] He became known as "The Voice of the Underground Church", doing much to publicise the persecution of Christians in Communist countries. He was locked in a solitary cell and labeled "Prisoner Number 1." In 1950, his wife, Sabina, was also imprisoned. Bruce Holmes. to communist prisons. I asked someone the same age as myself, how he knew that the man sitting over there with the smile on his face had been 14 years in prison. With Emil Mandanac, Raluca Botez, Eduard Adam, Virgil Aioanei. Richard's plans for suicide were suddenly thwarted. from 1967 on, I worked together with my parents Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, to with organizations focusing on families and children; In order to obtain donations from the parents, the organization tried autograph. Tortured for Christ. published for years a specially I should be entitled to make such a Email: appeal@wurmbrandmichael.com. In February 1948, Richard disappeared into the Gulag. ByGeorgi P. Vins(Pastor in USSR who spent 8 years in Soviet prison camps for his faith | Author ofThe Gospel in Bonds) Revival At the beginning of the 1960s, the Lord sent a spiritual revival among the Evangelical Baptists1 of the Soviet Union. A way to stop evil is to The best email I got from various donors, following my appeals was the shortest. displayed the hypocrisy to protect (Indeed the Gospel of John 12:6 writes: This he said, not that Missionary Organizations). P.O. position could have more inside information than I can discuss publicly. Despite the danger, some Christians continued to meet together. BOOKLETS We have heard rumors that this is already happening to some of them. Variations of his works have been translated into more than 65 languages. There is one more issue we want to address and that is the allegations of sexual abuse that were brought against Tom White by the parents of a 10-year-old girl. Michael (Mihai) Wurmbrand as a young boy with his parents. minister, I can only beg you to share this letter with your congregation. When I approached them, they were shy and sore afraid for their own Morning, Father, Worry. Wurmbrand was released from his first imprisonment in 1956, after eight and a half years. Richard Wurmbrand, co-founder of The Voice of the Martyrs, led an underground Christian ministry to those who suffered under Nazi and Communist oppression in his homeland of Romania. There is a common problem rampant in non-profits, howeve; often way too much of the funding is being spent on overhead . In order to verify the authenticity of the letter we received, we contacted VOM first. ABOUT US The young pastor Richard Wurmbrand and his wife Sabina were among many of the religious leaders in attendance at the Congress of Cults held in 1945 by the Romanian Communist government. intend to accept the above request, the other decision I ask you to take is not I asked in writing of the Voice of the Martyrs Board of Directors for an Already Lighthouse Trails has heard from many believers who have repented after being deceived by the Jesus of Jesus Calling. Mailing Address USA and never was part of the VOM board of directors. My parents died in 2000-2001. The worst vindictive act towards myself though was the refusal on the part of VOM of my simple request to dump or allow myself even pay to withdraw immediately from the VOM circulation advertising, about 2,000 copies of Tortured For Christ, my fathers book, published by VOM with a preface by, and having right in the middle, a portrait of Tom White, the past chairman who had committed suicide after the police-filed accusation of suspected pedophilia. the Board of Directors of ), and to ignore these important issues is wrong, especially in view of the acceleration of worldwide spiritual deception happening today. And, 4. a future Apostle Paul [and] the jailer in Philippi who became a convert. If you During part of this time, he later wrote about communicating with other inmates by tapping out Morse code on the wall. If you do not intend to accept the above request, the other decision I ask you to take is not to use the name Wurmbrand any more.. Richard Wurmbrand, who spent fourteen years in the communist prisons of Romania, author of the book Tortured For Christ, a book of valiant Christian testimony under communist persecution that has been translated in over 85 languages. suspected * Voice of the Martyrs had agreed reluctantly in 2001 to help about 100 believers who were imprisoned 5-10 years for their faith in communist prisons in Romania, currently destitute in their 80s and 90s, with less than $1 (yes, one dollar) a month. had a case of suspected pedophilia and a suicide because of it in its midst, and Voice of the Christian Martyrs-Nigeria and Voice of the Martyrs-USA share historical roots, traced back to Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. My parents Christian life-vision has been misused by Voice of the Martyrs. just so these Christian martyrs would be helped. If you were inspired by the Wurmbrand family story of suffering to donate to Voice of the Martyrs or its international affiliates in the ICA, as the only son of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, I humbly ask you not to. Just as he ably used analogies that were particularly meaningful to the Jews and Greeks in the Bible, God is able to use analogies that are meaningful to cannibals and other isolated groups. . His Christian witness led to 14 years of imprisonment and torture in a Communist prison. I have supported VOM both financially and by recommendation to others to support, for close to 20 years. Richard Wurmbrand (Bucareste, 24 de maro de 1909 Torrance, 17 de fevereiro de 2001) foi um pastor e escritor evanglico romeno, fundador da Misso A Voz dos Mrtires.Ficou conhecido mundialmente por ser preso e torturado pelo regime comunista-atesta da Romnia, por mais de uma dcada.Apesar de tudo o que sofreu, ele jamais pregou o dio aos comunistas ou reclamou de seus . After all the The Man Who Came Back - Richard Wurmbrand - 1974 . The police chief and the former mayor of the town of Bartlesville, OK. were personally serving on the Board of Directors of Voice of the Martyrs. According to Michael Wurmbrand's letter, after VOM director Tom White committed suicide on the same day a police investigation was opened on allegations that White had molested a 10-year-old girl,1 Michael Wurmbrand requested that an independent investigation be conducted, especially given the fact that the Chief of Police in Bartlesville (the children in home-schooling families. During his first imprisonment, Wurmbrand's supporters were unable to gain information about him; later they found out that a false name had been used in the prison records so that no one could trace his whereabouts. Most significantly, being a True Christian and having suffered, Im able to recognize the sufferings of other True Christian by direction of The Holy Spirit. If you do not [15] Wurmbrand engaged in preaching with local ministers of nearly all denominations. laudatory words published of me, they also tried to badmouth me. My parents died with a good name. Richard Wurmbrand (n.24 martie 1909, Bucureti - d. 17 februarie 2001, Torrance, statul California) a fost un predicator cretin luteran.. Nscut la Bucureti, ntr-o familie de evrei, Wurmbrand a fost atras de comunism n perioada copilriei, a urmat cursurile unei coli politice la Moscova, ntre 1927 i 1929, apoi a abandonat orientarea comunist, s-a convertit la cretinism . Three of those years were spent in solitary confinement. He was told that his wife was dead. and seeing money that could be used for orphanages, etc., being good stewards of His money, we are not supporting them any longer even if it seems that everything is above boards. realized that through what Don Richardson calls "redemptive analogies," God makes a way for ALL people to understand his loving message. Tortured For Christ, my fathers book, published by VOM with a preface by, parents of the victim, if there was or not substance to the police Please would you start a new ministry call real voices of actual martyrs or something creative enough to reveal this wrongdoing. It was raised in the following year to the value of about 2 tanks of gas/month worth of help only because I wrote feet of email messages and renounced a total of over $100,000 of my salary over four years (I accepted being paid only $500/month!) I do VOM employees Due to his extraordinary memory, he was able to recall more than 350 of those, a selection of which he included in his book With God in Solitary Confinement, which was first published in 1969. The false answers given to those who inquired were that this is a personal (?!?) The Christian Church is under heavy attack. Born in 1909, Richard Wurmbrand was a Romanian stockbroker turned pastor whose ministry traversed the Holocaust and Soviet occupation. [Read more] persona and copyrights of my parents, I ask first that you do not try to As we have examined the facts that we have been able to obtain (including the testimony by Michael Wurmbrand to us by phone where he told us he knew the family, as well as a pastor who spoke with the father of the girl and posted the account online and who stated: there is no doubt the abuse occurred), we have no reason to doubt that the allegations are legitimate. May 8th 1988, Qubec City Canada MP3, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Wurmbrand&oldid=1136743307, American people of Romanian-Jewish descent, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2020, Articles with Romanian-language sources (ro), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 22:42. But in time, Wurmbrand learned the truth about . The false answers given