voice of the martyrs scandal update 2018
By the Editors at Lighthouse Trails Over the past several years, a number of our readers have asked us why we have not written about the theologian A.W. '", Asked for a comment Thursday regarding confirmation of White's suicide, VOM's Director of Media Development Tom Nettleton said: "The Voice of the Martyrs continues to strive to serve persecuted Christians around the world, and the Lord continues to guide and bless our work.". He founded VOM after being ransomed away from the Romanian government to reach . protect his alleged victims or the other girls at the VOM-financed orphanage. The Bible tells us this will happen in the end times. Mailing Address What about missionary outreach to poor persecuted Christians? Voice of the Martyrs, with its opulent ($28 million) headquarter built out of your sacrificial contributions, makes a mockery of the sacrifice of persecuted Christians like my parents. Only 4 days after I addressed this letter to the Board of Directors, I received a curt letter of termination of employment. It would take a very long time and a lot of money to try to stop such use through courts. . I dont know how Nettleton said VOM had taken . He added that he believed that instead of facing the allegations leveled against him "and the resulting fallout for his family and this ministry, Tom chose to end his life. since I heard of them. To read more on this convicted felon, [click here or here]. bless you, Amy", "I want to thank you for publicly posting The allegations have been supported by former students at the school run by VOCM, including alleged victims. But since I cant send my money straight to those folks I have to depend on someone with connections and a heart. Visio Divina: A Mystical Practice by Any Other Name Is Still a Mystical Practice 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. below is the former headquarters of Voice of the Martyrs USA in as is known that Richard was and is a complete teacher, Beyond that as believers we must consider Toms family and possibly children as in the zeal we drag and damage their lives too. Christian parents please protect your children! Tom White, the past Voice of the Martyrs Chairman for more than 20-years, committed suicide in April, 2012, only two to three hours after an accusation of child molestation (pedophilia) of a 10-years old girl was formally filed by her parents with the local police, and while the Bartlesville, OK. police were searching to arrest him. VOM would employ the millions of dollars of donations to fight me in court while my income is very limited. the Romanian communists and was supposed to die in prison, until one of his 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. Petr JaekGlobal Ambassador. . appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project. The donors only saw money spent for projects, and they trusted that the word projects referred to missionary work, like helping widows of Christians killed in Nigeria! Denise 430-622-6611. South Korea and USA continue to leverage Richard Wurmbrand's legacy to collect We complete their precise requirements for membership, including defining a credible Board of Directors, establishing an Audit Review Committee, having audited financial statements, truthfulness in communications, as well as other requirements. actually the result of their own serious personal wrongdoing. Donate by Check. The Voice of the Martyrs was founded in 1967 under the name "Jesus to the Communist World" by Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian Lutheran priest of Jewish descent, who had worked with the underground church in Romania after it was taken over in 1944 by the USSR, which held a policy of state atheism and implemented antireligious legislation. The post [Oregon] Sherrifs Deputy Fired for Failure to Comply with LGBTQ Policies appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project. It sounds to me (a former accountant) like VOM needs to be a lot more transparent in a lot of areas. The Answer is NO , for a little leaven causes the whole lump to be corrupt . Thousands of persecuted Christians around the globe are mourning the loss of Voice of the Martyrs Canada's (VOM) former leader Glenn Penner. 6. And, I see no reason to doubt the message given by Michael Wurmbrand for a few reason. 4. Michael The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a nonprofit, interdenominational missions organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand was imprisoned and tortured for 14 years, but his faith and light were not dimmed. I don't live in the USA, but I have been A friend who I shared the giving them less than $1 per month, just to be able to say that Voice of the By David Dombrowski No subject ever discussed can be more important and crucial in this life than the subject of salvation. The present chairman of VOM is a former mayor of Bartlesville and was part of the city leadership. dismayed to find I'd been giving to Sincerely, Older Entries. You may also wish to read Carl Teichribs article/booklet,Earth Day and a Total Transformation for a Post-Christian World. advocate for, support, and church (watch He was concerned that more children might have been molested. 5. LTRP Note: The following out-of-house article is posted for informational and research purposes. I should be entitled to make such a request since: * Voice of the Martyrs published for years a specially dedicated childrens magazine. There are a number of Voice of the Martyrs organizations around the world. Bibles Unbound The 63 members of China's 'Mayflower Church' who fled persecution in China arrived in the United States on Good Friday, intending to resettle permanently after being granted humanitarian parole status amid a harrowing three-year quest for asylum. 1964, Norwegian Christians paid a $10,000 ransom to the Romanian communists and Voice of the Christian Martyrs-Nigeria and Voice of the Martyrs-USA share historical roots, traced back to Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. Since pedophiles rarely abuse just one child, by hirelings and wolves. here). Some organizations hire public . leaders from the frontline who suffered for Jesus and will remain focused on Voice of the Martyrs has veered into ecumenism, away from the true Gospel. Martyrs from California, called for an independent investigation to assure that It would appear that Voice of the Martyrs has loosed their damage control team on the internet as obviously efforts appear to be coordinated across the web. Box 443 It is a proven fact that most child predators do not molest just one child during the course of their lifetimes. We are far indeed from charitable actions through which one sacrifices for the interests of others. ", He added, however, "Tom deeply loved his wife, his children and his grandchildren. Tozer: A Hybrid of Complex Proportions without disclosure, since I heard of them. 'It is our sincere hope that if criminal activities have occurred, the criminals will be brought to justice. 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? troubling times. for persecuted Christians? Tom White, Executive Director of Voice of the Martyrs. Michael Wurmbrand, * 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. 2001. Michael (Mihai) Wurmbrand as a young boy with his parents. ByRoger Oakland In July of 2016, I was invited [Read more] decision, . And this is why we are compelled to post articles like this letter below by Michael Wurmbrandto bring light to areas of darkness but also to defend true Christianity, to say to the world that there are believers in Christ all over the world who day after day, year after year serve the Lord faithfully, who do not molest children, do not plagiarize, do not practice the contemplative stillness in order to know God, and do not steal money or grow monstrous corporations that knock down everything in their path. Thank you for your Voice of the Martyrs has veered into ecumenism, away from the, "Hi, Thank you for your website. 3. A Romanian Jew who became a Christian and a pastor, Richard Wurmbrand endured 14 years of horrific torture for his faith by the Romanian communists and was supposed to die in prison, until one of his secret police interrogators became converted to Christ after witnessing God's love and power in his . This is what the citizens of Berea were discussing where it says in Acts 17:11, they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. [Read more] In response, Voice of the Martyrs terminated Michael Wurmbrand, The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to defend the human rights of persecuted Christians. Tozer: A Hybrid of Complex Proportions appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project. The church is filled with mega-corporation-style organizations that act as if they can do anything they want while they toy with the emotional and spiritual lives of millions and play catch-me-if-you-can. (Indeed the Gospel of John 12:6 writes: This he said, not that he cared for the poor, BUT BECAUSE HE WAS A THIEF!). In a toxicology report made available to The Christian Post on Thursday, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found that White's death was most likely caused by "acute combined drug (ETHANOL, DIPHENHYDRAMINE) toxicity." Canada, Chile, Thus, we have known about Tozers affinity toward the mystics for some [Read more] true Gospel. VOMs heart is beating strong for the persecuted. And it was just recently that a major homeschool curriculum CEO (from Vision Forum) stepped down after admitting to an extra-marital affair. We choose to continue our support of VOM because weve researched the actual audited financial reports and IRS Form 990s of five of the major organizations proporting to assist persecuted Christians around the world. John the Baptist was not beheaded because he sermonized in general asking people to repent. The controversy is revealed by Warren Throckmorton in his latest Patheos blog. Just after Richard Wurmbrand died in February of that year, Voice of the Martyrs decided to "support" these persecuted Christians by "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." Get free resources for your church, small group, or family. A Romanian Jew 'In addition, VOM-USA had serious questions about the accountability and financial management of VOM-USA funds by VOCM-Nigeria staff members,' he said in his response to Throckmorton. VOM-USA produces a weekly radio program,[5] which is currently heard on more than 700 radio stations across the United States and has reached the top spot on iTunes "Religion and Spirituality" podcast chart. How can I support WP or discern which missions that have not but move my funds elsewhere. Their message has been . April 24, 2012 by Miscellaneous News Source. To read more on the VOM claims of pretended lack of money, [click here]. Same employees had before vied to be photographed with me and get my autograph. 7. persecuted church, so I am wondering if you would have a recommendation for LTRP Note: As many of you know, on March 12th, we issued a special notice and request for our author and editor Kevin Reeves who had just lost his wife. VOMs free 100-page Global Prayer Guide is a great prayer tool to use during your daily devotions and as you read VOMs magazine. I would urge you to watch the video below. God's money for the most persecuted members of In Nigeria, there were many victims of Muslim persecution, and it was one of their highest profile countries for fundraising. "As you continue to pray for VOM, we hope you'll join with us in lifting up these two families as well. Bartlesville, OK 74005-0443. While we know that the liberal secular media and the emerging church will use these stories for political gain and actually to cause confused Christians to come over to their side, we also know that God can use these situations to bring about genuine conversion and repentance among many. When I was only a child, the communists forcefully took away my parents to communist prisons. who had co-founded Voice of the Martyrs Constance", "I recently was told about the many concerns We are not the only ones doing so in a spirit of deep concern. When confronted by a determined American I asked in writing of the Voice of the Martyrs Board of Directors for an independent investigation, to be undertaken from outside of VOM . inside China and then send them to USA so that American Christians can pay substantial amount of money from Christians. equip persecuted Christians around the world. continue. Todd Nettleton, head of media with Voice of the Martyrs in the US, told Throckmorton: 'It is heartbreaking for us to consider that someone may have used VOM-USA funds or projects as a means to victimize anyone - especially a child.'. Open Doors and VOM and thought RFK Jr. says he opposes allowing men to compete in women's sports, Kirk Cameron cries tears of 'gratitude and hope' at story hour event, Charles Stanley's grandson apologizes for auctioning off late pastor's items on eBay: 'My family was pretty upset', Courage is fear that has said its prayers, The End Times battle calls for Spirit-led living, 5 reasons why prayer must accompany evangelism, What people use WhatsApp, Telegram for in Iran, Afghanistan might surprise you, Myth 18: Divorce is the unpardonable sin and 'God hates divorce', Evangelical woman: New immigration bill will increase human trafficking risk, Tom White, Voice of the Martyrs Executive Director, Passes Away, Tom White, Voice of the Martyrs Head, Reportedly Killed Self Amid Molestation Probe, Voice of the Martyrs President Comments on Tom White's Apparent Suicide. true Gospel Sell the new headquarters building, give the proceeds to those click here). Hastings added, "We investigate crimes to determine whether or not they happened and whether charges need to be filed. I have a deep passion for the * 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. alone took in over $57 million. By Emily Wierenga | February 5, 2010. A persecution organisation in the United States has severed all links with a sister organisation in Nigeria after questions have been raised about allegatins of abuse and use of charitable funds. End If you are a minister, I can only beg you to share this letter with your congregation. Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it.1Alan Jones, Episcopal contemplative priest The New Age believes that the teachings of the East and [Read more] for an independent investigator to retrace Tom White's travels during the two leaves and hide, shifting the blame when exposed. It is hard to believe this could be done, but correspondence I display on the web (see link below), should convince you. Voice of the Martyrs is a ministry that purports to help persecuted Christians. In this place for gathering and praying for our persecuted Christian family, read prayer requests from around the world and post your own prayers specifically for your brothers and sisters who are being persecuted. I read, "Greetings! John Bruce Holmes. Some pathetic answers like: Do not cast the first stone, king Solomon made mistakes, we might also sin, or promise to keep correspondence private only displayed the hypocrisy to protect the flow of donations rather than any interest in protecting possible children victims! The post RESURRECTION! Christian family to appeal after court dismisses school Pride parade complaint, British public don't want a secular coronation, poll finds, Relic of crucifixion cross to be used in King Charles' coronation, Challenged by the faith of those who suffer. retired in 1992 and died in 2001 at 91 years of age. in my friend's home said VOM had mischaracterized someone (known to the Voice of the Martyrs closely guards the salaries of its leaders. turned a blind eye to child rape and murder. At the time of his committing suicide, Tom White had a $140,000+, plus perks, yearly salary and very substantial travel and expense accounts used in his extensive and frequent international travel year after year. Tom White, the past Voice of the Martyrs Chairman for more than 20-years, committed suicide in April, 2012, only two to three hours after an accusation of suspected child sexual molestation (pedophilia) of a 10-years old girl was formally filed by her parents with the local police, and while the Bartlesville, OK. police were searching to arrest . His successor Tom White was a pedophile who efforts to bring to light the errors, habitual mishandling of resources and the Martyrs' facilities, including orphanages, abroad. I say that a true Christian response should be to do the right thing and let God take care of the potential . While it is not the intention of Lighthouse Trails to destroy any ministry, we cannot in good conscience push under the rug situations that come to our attention when they affect so many. Update From Kevin Reeves If, however, the only thing an investigation would accomplish is to prevent the 10 year old girl from moving forward with her life and drag Tom Whites family through the muck, then it wouldnt be very helpful. You may also listen to an interview between Crough and Jan Markell here. How VOM Funded & Covered Up Child Abuse (VOM Scandal Part 1) March 16, 2021 How our church discovered Voice of the Martyrs funding of child abuse in Nigeria, and how VOM lied to victims and worked to cover up wrong doing. Two days later, the nonprofit, interdenominational organization acknowledged that White, 64, was being investigated by Oklahoma authorities for allegedly . The modest white warehouse For more than 50 years, VOM has been dedicated to inspiring . VOICE OF THE MARTYRS INC BARTLESVILLE, OK 74006-7234 | Tax-exempt since Sept. 2015. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. Despite repeatedly Christ's body was I was written: Tom White was VOM, and according to VOM, I have no right to ask that my fathers name not be associated with this past chairman even if he committed suicide under a strong suspicion of pedophilia. The US organisation has sent a video making claims about the Nigerian organisation to the FBI for further investigation. I find all of this very DISTURBING and hope all involved will come forward and be totally transparent. 8. I made VOM my top charity to support for about 2 years. The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a nonprofit, interdenominational missions organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Under Treasury regulation section l.60332(g)(1)(iv), a mission society a- ffiliated with or sponsored by one or more churches or church denominations and with more than one-half of the activities of such society conducted Will the actions of orthodox Anglicans be as strong as their words post-Kigali? Even Michael Wurmbrand told us that VOM has been targeting American homeschoolers with campaign literature. In 2016 VOM sent 64% of annual donations to foreign work..the next best was Open Doors at 31%. 5. Michael Wurmbrand's call The Voice of the Martyrs is an international Christian Organization founded in 1967, that serves the persecuted church around the world. We called and had a ten-minute conversation with him. I put in a Wrong phone #. Isaac Oluwole Newton-Wusu. and the former mayor of Lower and publish all leaders' salaries. The betrayer of [our] Lord Jesus, Judas, in his apparently most unselfish enunciation of a project to help the poor, was but a thief. The Reformation Baptist Church has launched an online petitioncalling for an investigation into Voice of the Martyrs in Nigeria. I know Michael Wurmbrand is supporting an organization that gives 100% of donations to persecuted Christians. being informed of these and other crimes by Isaac Oluwole Newton-Wusu, VOM Little has neither ministry experience nor missionary experience nor these organizations, and of the ways they are not preaching the true Gospel. This was done by sharing mailing lists with organizations focusing on families and children; * My person, my life, and our family Wurmbrand story was used in this magazine; * Without my knowledge, without my permission, a very laudatory biography of mine was written, printed and distributed to tens of thousands of American children; * In order to obtain donations from the parents, the organization tried to gain credibility and goodwill with tens of thousands of Christian children in home-schooling families. Thank you. $183,059 is a fortune in rural Isaac Oluwole Newton-Wusu to the Nigerian police nor took measures to If you still want to help projects started by my parents, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, now hanging in the air, please help me reclaim my parents and my family name. I have supported VOM both financially and by recommendation to others to support, for close to 20 years. How could my request be refused? VOM even claimed to know apparently better than the parents of the victim, if there was or not substance to the police complaint. Communists and were destitute in their 80s and 90s in Voice of the Martyrs Australia was founded in 1969 and is part of a global partnership of independent missions started through the influence of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. 2. Voice of the Martyrs' leaders pay themselves Lord gives us the Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN, God is on the move in the broken Anglican Communion, Church of England bishops urged 'to step back from the brink' on same-sex blessings, Lessons for today from the Salem Witch Trials. Martyrs supports persecuted Christians in Romania (For how Michael Wurmbrand, Consider how grave it is to allow your children to trust and be reached by a missionary organization having had a case of suspected pedophilia and a suicide because of it in its midst, and then terminating me, its founder so as not to have to respond to a request for an independent investigation of possible child molestation. My letter now for more than a year, has not been answered! The purpose who became a Christian and a pastor, Richard Wurmbrand endured 14 years of horrific torture for his faith by After all the laudatory words published of me, they also tried to badmouth me. Bibles Unbound; have Reprinted with permission from the Roseburg Beacon News, Vol. In 2012, the executive director of VOM-USA, Tom White, committed suicide after allegations of child abuse were made against him. In addition to consuming alcohol, White had ingested Diphenhydramine, a common antihistamine sometimes prescribed for insomnia; Zolpidem, specifically used to treat insomnia, was also found in his system. Allen Chau's story and the letter he wrote to his family. A Matter of Truth and Connie Frisbees Surprising Reaction to Jesus Revolution Movie We also believe Michael is not making these statements out of any vindictive motive. Tens of thousands of dollars out of contributions for supposed missionary work were extended as a loan to him to pay back some of what he stole and escape parole supervision. Neither I nor the donors were told of such grandiose projects. 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. weakness and vulnerabilities of our flesh. I have donated to their organization every year for the past few years The controversy is revealed by Warren Throckmorton in his latest Patheos blog. Besides your organization, what are some other states rejected the money and instead published an open letter that repeats his call for an independent investigation, sheds light on Voice of Martyrs' other I read it. And now, the letter we received from Michael Wurmbrand: This sad letter you are reading comes from Michael Wurmbrand, the son of the late Rev. Voice of the Martyrs Inc. cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors. used by those who collected it, led by the former mayor of Bartlesville, to build a gleaming $28,000,000 office building for Regards, Arnold", "I received some literature on the mail from If you do not want to accept an independent investigation and complete transparency of your dealings, I begged you do not use my fathers long years of suffering in communist prisons and the intense suffering of his whole family to raise money from naive donors. I was written by VOM, when asking help for formerly persecuted Christians under communism, now in their 90s, we are technically out of money!there will be NO check requests approved for anything other than absolutely essential only to find out later that $9.5 million were available not for mission work, but for construction work in Oklahoma (see above link). To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. This overall score is calculated entirely from a single beacon score, weighted as follows: 100% Accountability & Finance. The entire board needs to resign. I was going to make a donation to the organization and Be moved and encouraged by testimonies of those persecuted for their faith. Christian materials to/from abroad (see Their leaders, like all others, will be held accountable by a just God. To read more, [click here]. RESURRECTION! other underground Christians in China. The publication noted the police department had no "official" protocol for cases in which a suspect under investigation dies. Return to homepage. Tortured for Christ: Directed by John Grooters. for whom the money was donated, and move back into the modest warehouse. Third, as we witness various Christian organizations being exposed for sexual, financial, and other scandals (such as the recent allegations by over thirty women against Bill Gothard, the serious plagiarism by Mark Driscoll, the demise of Vision Forum (a major player in homeschooling resources, and so forth), two things come to our mind: First, the secular media is using these stories to make it look like this is how most fundamentalist conservative Christians behave. Instead, VOM handed over Bartlesville (pop. this generally consists of filings for the 2011-2018 fiscal years, but may include older records. Copyright 2002-2023. which minister particularly to Christians. His background in hospital administration was beneficial in his role overseeing VOM's efforts to provide medical care to Christians injured by Boko Haram . Voice of the Martyrs jeopardizes persecuted Christians As of 2021, Voice of the Martyrs USA continues to be led by Harvey Little, its chairman The loan was facilitated by BancFirst, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK.Of the approved amount, THE VOICE OF . A way to stop evil is to stop financing it. After our phone call with him, we were convinced that this letter below is indeed from Richard Wurmbrands son. Being the son of Richard Wurmbrand, a person of my background and position could have more inside information than I can discuss publicly. the head of Voice of the Christian Martyrs (VOCM) Nigeria, had been raping and Below is a letter wrote today, and we thought many of you would like to read it. persecuted Christians and solicits donations on their behalf. . website when a link to your information came up. Each issue focuses on stories of the persecution of Christians, and offers testimonies as well as outlets for readers to get involved with persecuted Christians. The post Earth Day and a Christian Perspective on the Environment appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project. Voice of the Martyrs. custom-built with $28 million of the donations collected for persecuted Christians What awaits those who keep back a portion of others' money given to God? I worked with VOM from Los Angeles, California, USA and never was part of the VOM board of directors. however, the salary of its then president James Dau was revealed to be $158,416, ECFA. [3] Audited financial statements for the past three years are also available at VOM-USA's web site.[4]. 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. ., Visio Divina: A Mystical Practice by Any Other Name Is Still a Mystical Practice, Makes No Sense for Contemplatives to Celebrate Easter, Lighthouse Trails to Send Out 20th Mailing to Christian Pastors and Leaders, A Matter of Truth and Connie Frisbees Surprising Reaction to Jesus Revolution Movie. Be blessed yall in The Holy Name of Christ Jesus, amen. God executed This orphanage is called Stephen Centre and was run by Isaac Newton, head man of VOM in Nigeria.
