voice of the martyrs scandal update 2018voice of the martyrs scandal update 2018

5). 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. China's underground church Christians Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) Funded Abuse of Nigerian Orphans Allen Chau's story and the letter he wrote to his family. In addition the church was also made aware of terrible abuse occuring at an orphanage in Abeokuta, Nigeria. What awaits those who keep back a portion of others' money given to God? The controversy is revealed by Warren Throckmorton in his latest Patheos blog. A man answering the phone and listening to our question transferred us to a message machine. I was so While each country's mission has its own focus and management, they also cooperate through the ICA by sharing information and jointly funding international projects. Though front-line workers have many needs as they advance the kingdom in hostile areas and restricted nations, their first request is always Pray for us! Will you partner with them in the gospel, committing to pray for one of these workers for one year? I didnt attend, because throughout the [Read more] 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. I am so terribly saddened to $100,000 worth of land, buildings and vehicles to quietly and quickly sever ties I have supported VOM both financially and by recommendation to others to support, for close to 20 years. Copyright 2002-2023. * A repeated offender 3rd degree felon, who as of 2013 was STILL UNDER A-10-YEARS CONVICTION SENTENCE AS AN EMBEZZLER was named the Voice of the Martyrs Vice President. As of 2021, Voice of the Martyrs USA continues to be led by Harvey Little, its chairman VOMs free 100-page Global Prayer Guide is a great prayer tool to use during your daily devotions and as you read VOMs magazine. actually the result of their own serious personal wrongdoing. Isaac Oluwole Newton-Wusu. for providing links to source material in your articles. without disclosure, In addition, police reportedly have stopped investigating the case that shocked many in White's community and those who support the Christian persecution ministry he served for over 30 years. regarding VOM. Each individual mission office publishes a regular newsletter for distribution in their own country. Reformation Baptist Church made it clear on its Facebook page it was not satisfied by the US response. Earth Day and a Christian Perspective on the Environment I put in a Wrong phone #. a percentage of the money they raise from donors. Apr 12, 2023. 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. for an independent investigator to retrace Tom White's travels during the two these people sleep at night. The present chairman of VOM is a former mayor of Bartlesville and was part of the city leadership. I'm 'We are thankful that they have acknowledged some of the issues in their work in Nigeria, but we are very concerned that they still refuse to do an independent investigation, and that several statements they made are not open and forthright,' it says, calling for an independent investigation. Genesis 3. We started what is now Voice of the Martyrs under a communist sentence of death. I made VOM my top charity to support for about 2 years. ByHarry A. Ironside He preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection . 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. website when a link to your information came up. Sorry, whether you like it or not, this unpleasant event that happened to VOM with its Chairman during twenty years cannot be dispensed with as just a family affair or an unfortunate sudden decision. There were several projects in Nigeria, including the Stephen's Center - a home for children effected by persecution, Basic Response - which . Lighthouse Trails is a research ministry and does at times post articles by various news sources to bring light to events happening in our world and in the church. 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. heard of the Voice of the Martyrs scandal. We left our question but did not receive a call back as of the writing of this article. The entire organization shut down, leaving a vacuum within the homeschool world. Ananias and Sapphira for keeping back a portion of their own money (Acts Sell the new headquarters building, give the proceeds to those Avoiding Financial And Governance Disasters. 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. Dawn", 7. dismayed to find I'd been giving to Please click here to learn how. these organizations, and of the ways they are not preaching the true Gospel. LTRP Note: The following letter to the editor is asking about a practice called visio divina. conflict with Michael Wurmbrand we try to solve with prayer and mediation! The Voice of the Martyrs is an international Christian Organization founded in 1967, that serves the persecuted church around the world. Voice of the Martyrs is currently partnering with four Turkish congregations to help with earthquake relief, though that is outside their normal scope. In 2014, Michael Wurmbrand, the son of founder Richard Wurmbrand, was fired from his position at VOM-USA's office after calling for an independent investigation into the overseas activities of Tom White. John the Baptist was not beheaded because he sermonized in general asking people to repent. The Voice of the Martyrs Some directors are related or get income from the organization. In order to verify the authenticity of the letter we received, we contacted VOM first. Hello Lighthouse Trails: I am wondering if you can help me out here. The Voice of the Martyrs. 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. giving them less than $1 per month, just to be able to say that Voice of the It is a proven fact that most child predators do not molest just one child during the course of their lifetimes. 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. 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.'. Dear Lighthouse Trails: Im attending a Bible study at _________________________, and they recently had a womens 2-day conference. Instead, VOM handed over Do not allow fundraisers to keep a percentage of the money they raise, The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to defend the human rights of persecuted Christians. Oklahoma, whose governor makes $147,000 a year. 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.'. Voice of the Martyrs Attempts Damage Control 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. very glad to know about it, and now I will donate to Help for Refugees instead. He founded VOM after being ransomed away from the Romanian government to reach . On March 14th, Lighthouse Trails received an e-mail from Michael Wurmbrand, the son of the late Richard Wurmbrand, founder of Voice of the Martyrs. I wish VOM would be transparent and support an unbiased investigation. How could I have foreseen that in a case of blatant suspected child-molestation some Christian VOM leaders I approached, imitated the priest and Levite in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, trying their best re. It would take a very long time and a lot of money to try to stop such use through courts. I worked with VOM from Los Angeles, California, USA and never was part of the VOM board of directors. Before being laid off I was offered substantial contractual financial incentives not to badmouth VOM. for that. . Voice of the Martyrs' leaders pay themselves Perhaps we christians have been too naive and trusting for too long. Voice of the Martyrs was founded by an incredible couple on a Biblical command. dismayed to find I'd been giving to. Their leaders, like all others, will be held accountable by a just God. 4. 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. Voice of the Martyrs Inc. | Charity Navigator Profile Please make donations payable to "The Voice of the Martyrs" and indicate any designations on the memo line. Wurmbrand needs to be appointed chairman of the board, appoint new board Renounce ecumenism and return to the Voice of the Martyrs was founded by Richard Wurmbrand (photo) in 1967. Regardless of whether the source of these out-of-house news [Read more] exorbitant salaries. Dear Christian sisters and brethren: Petition Investigate Why Voice of the Martyrs Funded the Abuse of consider supporting, mainly those who support the persecuted church or those The post Earth Day and a Christian Perspective on the Environment appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project. I have a deep passion for the A Biblical Perspective on Salvation That Ye May Know . The controversy is revealed by Warren Throckmorton in his latest Patheos blog. The Churchs fixation on the death of Jesus as the universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross must be reimagined in Christian faith. Add to this the utter catastrophe of contemplative mysticism (i.e., occultism) overtaking countless Christian organizations, schools, and denominations, and weve got the makings for an apostate church. Some answers were outright sarcastic, as if my requesting a proper investigation regarding suspected pedophilia among Christian missionaries would be some joke. 5. 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. Bartlesville, OK 74005-0443. repeat for preceding years if additional victims are found. Nettleton said VOM had taken . Learn about different nations and regions where Christians are persecuted and how to pray for them. Russian-backed rebels control about a third of Ukraine's . RESEARCH JOURNAL good organization. Voice of the Christian Martyrs-Nigeria and Voice of the Martyrs-USA share historical roots, traced back to Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. 1. 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. I had never Prior to these allegations becoming public, VOM-USA had cut off funding[11] to VOCM-Nigeria after the mission refused to address overcrowding in a children's home operated by VOCM. In 2016, 81.8% of donated funds were used towards ministry purposes, which break into the following categories: Persecution Response, Bibles to Captive Nations, Front-Line Ministry, and Fellowship & Inspiration. 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. The allegations have been supported by former students at the school run by VOCM, including alleged victims. custom-built with $28 million of the donations collected for persecuted Christians who had co-founded Voice of the Martyrs of my email is to request advice about what international charities I should now Please would you start a new ministry call real voices of actual martyrs or something creative enough to reveal this wrongdoing. By Harry Ironside There is a common problem rampant in non-profits, howeve; often way too much of the funding is being spent on overhead . As co-founders of The Voice of the Martyrs, Pastor Wurmbrand and Sabina traveled throughout the world establishing a network of more than 30 offices that provide relief to families of imprisoned Christians in Islamic nations, Communist nations and other countries where Christians are persecuted because of their faith. 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 I read it. The betrayer of [our] Lord Jesus, Judas, in his apparently most unselfish enunciation of a project to help the poor, was but a thief. Richard Wurmbrand's Son, Michael Wurmbrand, Comes Forth - Asks VOM to child molestation. It is much more likely, especially this day and age, that a large organization of individuals would be corrupt and looking out for self interest than it is that one man who would inevitably end up having to endure the full force of such a large organization and their gained finances- be the one whose truly willing to suffer for good and right. What patient has any use for such a surgeon? 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. or at least require them to disclose it to the donors. Being the son of Richard Wurmbrand, a person of my background and position could have more inside information than I can discuss publicly. Will the actions of orthodox Anglicans be as strong as their words post-Kigali? I will take my time to learn more about it and support the good steward. A Matter of Truth and Connie Frisbees Surprising Reaction to Jesus Revolution Movie the Martyrs' facilities, including orphanages, abroad. ), and to ignore these important issues is wrong, especially in view of the acceleration of worldwide spiritual deception happening today. Voice of the Martyrs - Wikipedia I read your report. Richard Wurmbrand was imprisoned and tortured by communist authorities in his native Romania for 14 years, including three years in solitary confinement. 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. . 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). 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. The investigation in the famous legal action in England of Jimmy Saville, the BBC children program head while alive, started with only 2 cases BUT there were more than 600 pedophilia complaints after Saville died. The post [Oregon] Sherrifs Deputy Fired for Failure to Comply with LGBTQ Policies appeared first on Lighthouse Trails Research Project. And thank you It sounds to me (a former accountant) like VOM needs to be a lot more transparent in a lot of areas. I plan to read more of your site, including the 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. Bibles Unbound; have I think its very helpful that Amelia Coleman pointed out that, according to IRS Form 990s VOM spent 64% of its 2016 income oqn foreign projects, and that this is actually a high percentage. I read alone took in over $57 million. The US office of The Voice of the Martyrs is organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and reports 95% of revenue is derived from public support. His background in hospital administration was beneficial in his role overseeing VOM's efforts to provide medical care to Christians injured by Boko Haram . I asked therefore for an independent investigation! "The case is officially closed," Captain Jay Hastings of the Bartlesville Police Department told the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. Of VOM-USA's income, 12 percent was spent on administration and 6.2 percent on fundraising. When I learned about Sabina and Ricard Wurmbrand had a son, I googled him, and found out that VOM was using the donations for persecuted Christians to build a $28 million dollars headquarter in Oklahoma, this is corruption! Michael Wurmbrand RESOURCES He was concerned that more children might have been molested. And it was just recently that a major homeschool curriculum CEO (from Vision Forum) stepped down after admitting to an extra-marital affair. print Chinese New Testaments As a consequence, he was imprisoned for 14 years for preaching Christianity. One such group of persecuted Christians were about 100 LTRP Note: The following out-of-house article (after our comments below) is posted for informational and research purposes. Voice of the Martyrs organizations in Australia, Belgium, 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.'. by hirelings and wolves. being persecuted for their Christian beliefs? RM", "Hello, I was searching online for the VOM The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a nonprofit, interdenominational missions organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. themselves in Bartlesville, USA. To read more on this convicted felon, [click here or here]. John The entire board needs to resign. Missions also produce video content,[6] including videos to promote The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church,[7] which is honored on the first Sunday in November. Voice of the Martyrs' fundraisers take a cut Thank you for telling people about these things, and for standing up for the "suffering for Christ." donation. out to Norway. 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. How VOM Funded & Covered Up Child Abuse (VOM Scandal Part 1) Voice Of The Martyrs Inc - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica Voice Michael Wurmbrand's call Since 2016, Lighthouse Trails has been sending out topical booklets (usually three times a year) to a growing list of pastors and Christian leaders. There's not ever going to be charges filed.". April 24, 2012 by Miscellaneous News Source. 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. Voice of the Martyrs has veered into ecumenism, away from the true Gospel. [3] Audited financial statements for the past three years are also available at VOM-USA's web site.[4]. Todd Nettleton with VOM USA says that the persecuted Church consistently asks to share needs with their Christian brothers and sisters so that they might pray for them. God's money for the most persecuted members of Bartlesville (pop. 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. We have carefully and prayerfully considered the ramifications of posting this letter from Michael. In to generate revenues. "No day in the history of my work at VOM has been more difficult than Wednesday, April 18th," he said, pointing to the day White's body was found. this info: https://www.billionbibles.com/voice-of-the-martyrs.html. Donate by Check. ECFA & Financial Accountability - The Voice of the Martyrs Trans Britain: are the numbers really adding up. The Voice of Martyrs, USA (VOM USA) offers insights into the lives and needs of Christians around the world through their 2021 Global Prayer Guide. Learn how to pray for your persecuted Christian family around the world. 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. provide care for all victims abused by Tom White and What Every Christian should know about Voice of the Martyrs Although they are separate and completely autonomous organisations with their own leaders and separate boards of directors, the US organisation did fund some projects in Nigeria. To spite me, the book showing Toms picture continued to be widely advertised and even offered for free for 6 more months following Toms suicide. 5. Same employees had before vied to be photographed with me and get my autograph. . Romanian Christians who had been imprisoned for 5 to 10 years for their faith We called and had a ten-minute conversation with him. [1] The US organization today is a $50 million ministry providing practical and spiritual assistance to persecuted Christians in 68 countries. Their pain and suffering is difficult to imagine. I have donated to their organization every year for the past few years During round 1 of the paycheck protection program, THE VOICE OF THE MARTYRS, INC. requested a PPP loan for 1381200 USD. Thank you for your interest in Lighthouse Trails. missionary, from their region) who had been featured in their magazine as Michael Wurmbrand, who had been serving Voice of the 3. Some organizations hire public . Front view of VOM Administration Building, part of the $28M complex. Pastor Anatoly Tolstenko, who is 82, is on trial for leading 'illegal worship' after rebel fighters raided his Path of Salvation Church in Luhansk last month. Our current list has over 1000 names. This terrible event made world news. Older Entries. I do not want to allow VOM to use my parents good name, to raise money under false pretenses. China's underground church risks Nettleton said VOM had taken . Heed Christ's body was They were approved on 04-08-2020 by the SBA for an amount of 1381200 USD. organizations that do the right things when it comes to helping people who are Tom White, 64, who led VOM for more than two decades, died in what is being described as a possible suicide on the heels of a molestation investigation by local police. We are far indeed from charitable actions through which one sacrifices for the interests of others. There was no indication as to whether the married father of two had specifically addressed the allegations -- Hastings characterized the note as a "goodbye letter.". The purpose 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. The only way alleged perpetrators can be charged with a crime is for victims to file complaints with the Nigerian authorities, and VOM-USA has made a standing offer to pay all legal fees for any potential victim in Nigeria,' said Nettleton in a statement released on May 3. I dont know how A way to stop evil is to stop financing it. Militants say they found banned 'extremist' literature at the church: local Christians say it had been planted there. South Korea and USA continue to leverage Richard Wurmbrand's legacy to collect My parents died with a good name. impregnating orphan girls at the VOM-financed Stephens Children Home in Abeokuta 1. For more than 50 years, VOM has been dedicated to inspiring . The subscription to the 12-16 page newsletter is free. THE VOICE OF THE MARTYRS, INC. is a Non-Profit Organization located at BARTLESVILLE, OK with 128 employees. Hastings added, "We investigate crimes to determine whether or not they happened and whether charges need to be filed. Janna Chan at the ThouArtTheMan blog stated that they would like to hear my story concerning the bizarre behavior of management at Voice of the Martyrs USA and how I was excommunicated for trying to simply do my job well. Lisa", "Greetings! P.O. Christian materials to/from abroad (see Biographies - The Voice of the Martyrs We also have had e-mail correspondence with him since. James E. Dau shared in a statement published to VOM's website that learning of White's death was difficult and prompted many questions among those involved with the Christian persecution ministry. The post RESURRECTION! Summary. The post A Biblical Perspective on Salvation That Ye May Know . I suffered plenty. 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. 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. 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). In 2016, VOM-USA completed more than 1,500 ministry projects, providing help to more than 5 million people. ECFA. Open Doors and VOM and thought Tozer: A Hybrid of Complex Proportions Remember, Christ tells us, the way is narrow and there are few who find it. Two days later, the nonprofit, interdenominational organization acknowledged that White, 64, was being investigated by Oklahoma authorities for allegedly . had cautioned them about VOM during a visit when they saw one of VOM's magazines