Rashin Soodmand was 13 years old when her father, Pastor Hossein Soodmand, was executed by the Iranian government for the crime of apostasy—leaving Islam to follow another faith.
Listen to understand better how VOM’s international ministry happens in the 70+ nations where VOM works, the importance of partnerships, and where Jonathan sees persecution increasing as we enter a new year; and where things are getting better for Christians—or at least not getting worse.
If you’re already in prison for your faith, and facing a possible death penalty, Petr Jasek says you can be even more bold about sharing Jesus. After all…how much worse could your situation get, from an earthly perspective?
“Brother Fahdi” spent many years doing gospel work all over the Middle East and North Africa, equipping church planters and leaders and helping to reach Muslims with the gospel message of Christ’s love.
The gospel worker in Somalia knows that his life is in danger. He’s seen ministry coworkers gunned down by radical Muslims. But he doesn’t fear death, seeing as the Apostle Paul did that “to die is gain.”
Operation World says the fastest growing church in the world is in the Islamic Republic of Iran. What is driving this incredible revival among Iranian people?
When this year began, there was talk of war between North Korea and the United States. By June, we watched video of President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiling and shaking hands. Big changes!
George will share about OM workers he has known who’ve sacrificed everything for Christ, and also how he makes tough leadership decisions—including sending mission workers into dangerous places.
With almost 90% of people in Bhutan identifying as Buddhists, those who follow Christ are a tiny minority. Pastor Rajiv, a church planter and leadership trainer in South Asia, works to reach Bhutanese people for Christ and knows what happens when someone follows Jesus in this restricted nation. Rajiv will share his own story of coming to Christ and how he was called into missions. Listen as Todd Nettleton interview this pastor on this episode of VOM Radio.
Join this week in looking back on some of the most moving moments on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio in 2023. We thank the Lord for allowing VOM Radio to share these amazing stories of the power of the gospel and God’s peace in the midst of persecution throughout 2023. We also THANK YOU for listening and praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters in hostile nations and restricted areas.
The anxious mother in India had tried everything. Her son was very sick. It seemed he would soon die. She’d been to the Hindu temples and made offerings to many Hindu gods. Nothing had worked. Her son only became sicker. Then, a traveling salesman suggested that she pray to Jesus. She did—and her son was healed! Amazed and awe-struck, the mother and son hunted down the salesman to find out more about this Jesus who answers prayers. Today, her son is a pastor and evangelist who’s travelled more than 40,000 miles sharing the gospel. God is at work in hostile and restricted nations!
That’s just one of the stories you’ll hear this week from David Witt, CEO of Spirit of Martyrdom and a former staff member at The Voice of the Martyrs. David will also share stories from his encounters with Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM’s founders, and the “holy experience” of visiting one of the prison cells where Richard was held in Communist Romania.
David will also tell how he became aware of and involved in ministry to persecuted Christians, and how God used the attacks of 9-11 to draw the attention of American Christians to radical Islam and the scriptural call to love our enemies.
Today, the ministry David leads is training up church planters and leaders in multiple countries—with an eye on training that’s easily reproducible to other potential leaders. Listen as he shares how those being trained immediately put their learning into action, and how we can pray for these frontline gospel workers.
The International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians is coming soon. CLICK HERE to access resources—including a video about a persecuted Christian in Nigeria—to help your church, small group and family pray for persecuted Christians on this important day.
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This month we are commemorating the 10th Anniversary of The Voice of the Martyrs Radio. This week we look back on one of the most powerful conversations ever shared on VOM Radio airwaves. Sister Amber spent more than a decade in Tibet providing vocational training to local people and sharing the gospel. She felt God’s call especially to work among Tibet’s nomadic tribal people. Amber watched as God brought about a great ministry breakthrough: people who’d been completely closed to her message were now asking to learn more about Jesus! But just days after the breakthrough Amber experienced persecution. Listen as Todd Nettleton interviews Amber on this episode of VOM Radio.
“People need God, but they just didn’t know it.” Sara says. It was only a short time into her outreach ministry when Sara first experienced pushback. God reminded her that Jesus faced persecution with humility and that is the model Sara tries to follow when opposition arises. Her own family’s responses to her Christian faith reminded her that she couldn’t save anyone herself but had to trust God to do the work, and to trust his timing. Listen as Todd interviews Sister Sara on VOM Radio.
