Persecution Blog

Bombers Attack Center in Christian Area of Jos, Nigeria

Suspected Islamic extremists throw explosive, injuring at least four.

JOS, Nigeria, April 25 (CDN) — One person was killed and nine others were injured last night after suspected Islamic extremists attacked a TV viewing center in a Christian area of Jos where a crowd had gathered to watch soccer.
 
At about 10:15 p.m. at the viewing center, one of many such establishments popular in Nigeria for watching soccer matches, the attackers drove past the site and threw an explosive device at hundreds of Christians watching the match, eyewitnesses told Compass.
 
Some 10 minutes after the bombing, security agents evacuated the injured to Janvak Hospital just a few meters away. Medical personnel at the hospital were treating four of them under strict supervision of police and other security agents. Plateau state spokesman Pam Ayuba reportedly said one person died in the blast.

 
Soldiers and police under the Joint Military Task Force charged with keeping peace in embattled Plateau state cordoned off the area around the establishment. Authorities have not ruled out members of the Islamic sect Boko Haram as suspects.
 
The bombing marks the second time in two weeks that the Christian area has been attacked. Boko Haram, which seeks to impose a strict version of sharia (Islamic law) throughout Nigeria, was suspected of a detonating a bomb a few meters from the center during Easter celebrations that injured five Christians. Various churches in Tudun Wada, Jos, commonly use the site as a base for evangelistic campaigns aimed at social venues in the area.
 
Christian and Muslim communities live in close but separate quarters of the Tudun Wada area of Jos, and the attacks have heightened tensions between them. The area comprises eight churches – Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Bishara 2, Angwan Yashi, ECWA Good News Church, Assemblies of God Church, Redeemed Peoples Mission, Solid Rock Church, Deeper Life Bible Church, and Christ Way Baptist Church.
 
Suspected Islamic extremists bombed three TV viewing centers in Christian areas near Jos on Dec. 10, 2011. A few minutes into soccer match televised at Yangwava Television Viewing Center at Ukadum village, a bomb went off, killing 31-year-old Joshua Dabo.
 
During the same game, bombs exploded at two other viewing centers in predominantly Christian areas of Jos, injuring at least 10 others, including four in critical condition and two in a coma (see “Christian Areas of Jos, Nigeria Bombed, Killing One,” Dec. 15.)
 
Plateau state, in central Nigeria, has been especially volatile recently as it lies between the country’s predominantly Muslim north and Christian south. Nigeria’s population of more than 158.2 million is divided between Christians, who make up 51.3 percent of the population, and Muslims, who account for 45 percent. The percentages may be less, however, as those practicing indigenous religions may be as high as 10 percent of the total population, according to Operation World.
 

James E. Dau: Letter from the President

Dear Friend:

My name may be unfamiliar to you, but I have served VOM as Chief Operating Officer for nearly 13 years and have served as both COO and President for the past five years. In addition, I served as a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot in Vietnam and retired with the rank of Colonel. I am humbled and honored to serve at VOM.

My first overseas trip with VOM was as part of a ministry team delivering Christmas Care packages in Egypt. Since that time, I’ve had the privilege of meeting with and delivering your aid to our persecuted brothers and sisters in many nations where Christians face persecution.

Overseeing an organization with the scope and reach of VOM involves many challenges, but the joy and gratitude expressed on the faces of our courageous persecuted family always remind me of how privileged I am to share in this great work.

God has blessed VOM with a dedicated team of workers and leaders, and I am grateful to be part of this leadership. I’ve never been the “public face” of VOM and probably never will be. We have relied on many others to fulfill that role, including our late Executive Director, Dr. Tom White, which unfortunately brings me to the purpose of this letter.

No day in the history of my work at VOM has been more difficult than Wednesday, April 18th. That morning, we learned that Tom had taken his own life. Like everyone on our team, and probably like you, my first question was, “Why?”

We don’t have all the answers to that question, and we never will this side of eternity. But we do know some of the events that led up to his tragic death.

The day before, allegations were made to authorities that Tom had inappropriate contact with a young girl. I personally believe that rather than face those allegations and the resulting fallout for his family and this ministry, Tom chose to end his life.

No one in leadership at VOM was aware of the allegations at the time of Tom’s death.

There is no doubt that Tom deeply loved his wife, his children and his grandchildren. And there’s no doubt that he was passionate about serving the persecuted church. As one of our directors stated, “He truly was a voice for the martyrs.”

All of us at VOM are deeply saddened by these events. Our hearts are broken. Yet God has called us to continue his work of standing with persecuted Christians around the world.

In serving alongside Tom for more than a decade as a ministry leader and friend, I am honored to have seen the work that God performed through Tom and through VOM. Our friendship and close working relationship make his death and the circumstances very hard. Yet my loss is small compared with the loss Tom’s family is now feeling. Our hearts and our prayers go out to them, and I know that you will want to pray with me that “The God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3) will be their Rock during these difficult days.

The work God has called VOM to fulfill — originally through the vision of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand in a Romanian prison cell — is much bigger than any one person. God has done an amazing work over the past 45 years in establishing this ministry to stand with those who are persecuted for their faith.

None of this could have been accomplished without our faithful friends who, led of the Spirit, encourage us, pray for us and contribute generously to support this work.

VOM has always been a ministry that relies on God moving His people to help the persecuted church. From the beginning, Pastor Wurmbrand traveled widely to spread the stories of the persecuted church, and people gave. We will continue to follow the model he established by freely sharing the stories of persecuted Christians and supporting them in their suffering.

We are continually humbled by the faithfulness of our readers who support this work. In effect, this is your ministry and we are merely God’s facilitators. We thank you for all the encouraging notes we have received in the past week; they have been a blessing beyond measure.

There are many exciting opportunities ahead. With God’s help, we will continue expanding our ministry to serve those who are persecuted and to make their voices heard. We do not know why or when tragedy will fall, but we do know that God is in control and desires us to be in fellowship with His persecuted body (Phil. 3:10).

On behalf of those who are suffering for their faith and my co-workers here at The Voice of the Martyrs, I thank you for standing with us during this difficult time and humbly seek your ongoing prayers.

James E. Dau
President
The Voice of the Martyrs

Kids of Courage Letter from a Child

One of the minstries of The Voice of the Martyrs is the Kids of Courage ministry, which has its own website at www.kidsofcourage.com , and today I was delighted to see a lovely letter from a girl in Virginia.  The reason this touches my heart is because if a child can take a moment to write a letter to a ministry that is helping persecuted Christians around the world, how much more so, those of us who are adults take action for our persecuted brothers and sisters.

Well done Susannah!

Dear VOM,
My name is Susannah S. I am 10 years old and I would like you to know that I am praying for you. I think that you are doing very well. I hope that you understand what this must mean to Christians who are being persecuted for their faith. I think that you are really brave to go into the countries where Christians are restricted. Love and God bless.

Please visit the Kids of Courage website for all of your VBS needs and child friendly resources to educate your child about the persecuted church.

Muslims Burn Down Catholic Church in Sudan

We've been asking for prayer for months for the Christians in Sudan and today's news is another sobering reminder of the daily Christian persecution happening to believers in this nation.

The following is from The Christian Post:

Hundreds of Muslims incinerated a Catholic church complex in the capital Khartoum amid growing hostilities between the Arab-dominated Muslim government of Sudan and the newly independent, predominantly Christian nation of South Sudan.

A mob of several hundred shouting insults at southerners torched the church in Khartoum's Al-Jiraif district Saturday, The Associated Press reported. The church complex, which included a school and dormitories, was mostly used by southerners.

Fire fighters could not put out the fire, according to witnesses.

Full story here.

Encourage Christian Prisoner Tohar Haydarov

Every week we like to share with you a person who is in prison because of their faith and stand for Jesus Christ.  This week I'd like to remind you about Tohar Haydarov who is currently in a Uzbekistan prison for allegedly "selling narcotic or psychotropic substances in large quantities", however members of the church believe that he has been falsely accused and instead really been put in prison for his faith in Christ.  It has been confirmed that he is serving a ten year sentence.

Sentence Confirmed; Prisoner Shown Letters
A judge recently confirmed Tohar's ten year prison sentence, for charges church members say are false. "The court correctly stated the criminal act of Tohar Haydarov, and the punishment was given in proportion to the act, taking into account the public danger of the act," the judge wrote.

Prison authorities recently showed Tohar some of the many letters sent to him, but he is not allowed to read them, because "there are too many citations from the Bible in them."

Please pray for Tohar and please take a moment today to write him a letter using our Prisoner Alert page.  Right now we have recorded that 3842 letters have been written to Tohar, let's see if we can make that number rise to 5000.  Please click here to write your letter now.

The Voice of the Martyrs Statement Concerning the Death of Tom White

Updated: April 23, 2012

April 20, 2012

The Voice of the Martyrs statement concerning the death of Tom White:

The events of the last week are tragic. On Wednesday we learned that Tom White, VOM’s executive director, had died.

Allegations were made to authorities this week that Tom had inappropriate contact with a young girl. Rather than face those allegations, and all of the resulting fallout for his family and this ministry and himself, Tom appears to have chosen to take his own life.

None of those in leadership at VOM, including our Board of Directors, were aware of these allegations at the time of Tom’s death.

There is no doubt that Tom cared about his wife, his children and his grandchildren. And there’s no doubt that he cared about VOM.

We are deeply saddened by these events. Our hearts are broken.

However, the work that God has called VOM to do is bigger than any one of us. There are persecuted Christians who need our help. The legal process will go forward, and we will continue serving with our persecuted brothers and sisters.

We appreciate the many who are praying for our work, and we encourage you to join us in praying for Tom’s family during this difficult time, as well as the family of the alleged victim.

A letter from VOM’s president will be posted on our web site, www.Persecution.com, next week.

 

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A letter from VOM’s president will be posted on our web site, www.Persecution.com, next week.

Walter Thomas White

Born: October 29, 1947, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Died: April 17, 2012, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Tom White worked with The Voice of the Martyrs for more than 30 years. He served as VOM’s executive director for more than 20 years, during which time the ministry saw incredible growth in its outreach to the worldwide persecuted church. Under Tom’s direction, the ministry relocated its headquarters to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, in 1991.

Tom married Maria ‘Ofelia’ White of San Jose, Costa Rica, on Dec. 8, 1973, and the couple had two children, Dorothy and Danny.

While teaching English in the Cayman Islands in the late 1970s, Tom made repeated flights over Cuba, dropping hundreds of thousands of gospels provided by The Voice of the Martyrs (then called Jesus to the Communist World). The gospel drops were a response to Fidel Castro’s ordered destruction of 100,000 Bibles, which were ground up in sugar mills. In May 1979, Tom’s private plane crashed on a Cuban highway. He was arrested and sentenced to 24 years in prison for his evangelistic work.

During his imprisonment at Combinado del Este Prison, Tom was able to fellowship with imprisoned leaders of the persecuted church. After many prayers and letters of appeal from U.S. legislators, Mother Teresa and Christians around the world, Tom was released to be reunited with his family on Oct. 27, 1980.

Tom told the story of his work and imprisonment in the book God’s Missiles over Cuba. Tom also wrote other books, numerous articles and a monthly column in VOM’s newsletter, which is distributed to more than 500,000 homes in the United States. In addition, he contributed to the million-selling book Jesus Freaks, written by the Christian music group D.C. Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs.

Tom traveled to more than 100 countries, including many dangerous areas, in order to meet with and deliver aid to persecuted Christians and to document their testimonies for Christians in the West. He was in high demand as a speaker, sharing stories of the many persecuted Christians he met and worked with in his travels. Just weeks before his death, Tom traveled to China, where he met secretly with underground Bible school students.

Tom received many honors over the years for his heart and diligence in presenting the plight of the persecuted church. In May 2001, Oklahoma Wesleyan University awarded Tom an honorary doctorate of ministry for his work on behalf of persecuted Christians worldwide. This award recognized his lifelong contribution — through books, videos and articles — to the body of knowledge about the modern-day persecution of Christians as well as his call to appropriate Christian study and response.

Tom will be remembered for his ministry service and as a lover of people, adventure, literature, poetry and life. His enthusiasm for life will be missed by all who knew him.

Additional information, including information about memorials and services, will be made available at the appropriate time. We deeply appreciate your prayers for Tom’s family and for VOM during this time.

 

Believer Awaits Appeal Decision after 'shaking the faith' of Muslims

Algeria (MNN) ― Algeria is earning its keep as country number 23 on the Open Doors World Watch List for the worst persecutors of Christians.

Voice of the Martyrs, Canada and Voice of the Martyrs, USA recently cited two separate accounts of persecution in Algeria.

An Algerian Christian was sentenced to five years in prison for "shaking the faith" of Muslims last May. Currently, "Kadar" is awaiting a decision on his appeal.

Kadar, who regularly shares his faith with Muslims in the city of Oran, was discussing his belief in Christ with a man at an outdoor food court last May when the man became angry and accused Kadar of insulting Muhammad. Police arrested Kadar and found a large amount of Christian materials in his apartment.

After Kadar was convicted, the judge gave him the maximum sentence of five years in prison even though the prosecutor had recommended a lesser sentence. Kadar is now out on bail awaiting the decision.

Another case has been much more hopeful. An Algerian evangelist, "Azad," had been a believer for several years when his father chased him out of his family home. Azad's in-laws even threatened to take away his wife if he continued to evangelize. A few months later, Azad was fired from work.

In the midst of the battle, Azad told a VOM worker, "I am so discouraged, and I feel hatred against God." He stopped reading his Bible or going to church.

Recently, though, Azad asked a Christian friend for something to read. The Christian gave him "Tortured for Christ," a book written by VOM's founder about his experiences in prison. The book had a profound effect on Azad, and he decided to accept his plight and recommit to the Lord.

Life is not easy for believers in Algeria. Pray that the Lord will give believers undergoing persecution peace and strength, and even more opportunities to share the Gospel. Ask that the Church will continue to grow in Algeria.

Only One Sadness: Not Being Fully Given to Jesus

I pray as you read today's devotion, you draw near to the Lord.  God bless you.

The Communist prison of Jilava was especially harsh. The broken windows let in the bitter winter cold. Some of the prisoners had even frozen to death. There was no sympathy for Christians at Jilava. In fact, they often endured “special” beatings from the cruel guards.

    One of the new prisoners, Archmandrite Ghiush, was a pastor in the city of Liberty, Romania. As Archmandrite anxiously looked around his new “home,” he noticed a familiar face—a man who had served with him in Liberty. It was Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. “How could he still be alive?” Archmandrite wondered. “No one has heard from him in nearly eight years.” The two faithful pastors embraced. Archmandrite smiled, grateful for an old friend to help him through the horrific sufferings he was about to endure.
    

But Pastor Wurmbrand did not smile. He felt saddened to see such a fine pastor in prison. He began to worry about him. Would he survive the cold and the cruel treatment? Would he go mad, as others had done? After eight years in prison, Wurmbrand knew what was to come.

    The two friends sat silently for a while. Finally Richard broke the tension and softly asked, “Are you sad?” To his amazement Archmandrite simply replied, “Brother, I know only one sadness: That is not being fully given to Jesus.”

It is difficult to read the true stories of Christian martyrs without feeling emotionally drained. The natural reaction is one of sadness and a sense of pity for the innocent who died such horrific deaths. However, the heroes and heroines of the stories would wish for an altogether different response. They hoped their sacrifices would inspire others toward like-hearted commitment, not pity. Certainly, their deaths touch our hearts. But the realization of our own paltry faith ought to break our hearts in two. That is truly sad. Are you challenged beyond earthly sympathy towards repentance for your own complacency? Do you have a divine sense of determination as a result of your reading? Ask God to stir your resolve to live for him today.

Source: Extreme Devotion

Jesus Is...

Today I wanted to end the week by leaving us with some focus on who Jesus Is.  This picture is a wonderful reminder.  I pray as you go into this weekend that you are reminded of how much the Lord loves you.  Please pray for the persecuted church this weekend.

VOM-USA Prayer Update for April 20, 2012

Thank you for sharing these prayer requests and praying for them today. 

Nigeria--Fulani Herdsmen Raze Christian Villages in Central Nigeria
Source: VOM Contacts

Matthew 5:13–15

Fulani herdsmen have stepped up attacks on predominantly Christian villages in the central Nigerian state of Nasarawa this year. Four villages were attacked between April 2 and April 6, leaving 14 people dead, including Reverend Samuel Peter and the wife of Reverend Samson Akwe. The Fulani people are traditionally Muslim, and although no churches were destroyed, no properties owned by Muslims were damaged. Whole villages were displaced by the violence, in which the herdsmen burned homes, damaged crops, food stores and valuables. The four attacked villages are predominately inhabited by the Migili and Eggon tribes. Residents said the clashes came after the herdsmen allowed their cattle to graze on and destroy the residents' crops. Christians in Nigeria have experienced wave after wave of violence this year in attacks like these and in a bombing campaign carried out by a terrorist group. Thank God for those who are committed to staying in the north to shine Christ's light.

Algeria--Persecution is God's Plan for My Life
Source: VOM Contacts

2 Timothy 1:8–9

An evangelist in Algeria has recommitted himself to the Lord after struggling for months following some persecution for his faith. "Azad" had been a believer for several years, but became discouraged after his father chased him out of his family home, and his wife's family threatened to take away his wife if he continued to evangelize. A few months later, his boss fired him. He told a VOM worker, "I am so discouraged, and I feel hatred against God." He stopped reading his Bible or going to church. But one day, he asked a Christian friend for something to read. The Christian gave him Tortured for Christ, a book written by VOM's founder about his experiences in prison. The book had a profound effect on Azad and he decided he could accept persecution for his faith. Azad understood something he couldn't see before; that he could accept the persecution he experienced as part of God's plan for his life. Thank God he can now share in suffering for the gospel.

Kenya--Christian Meeting Bombed by Radicals
Sources: VOM Canada, Compass Direct News

Psalm 23

On March 31, a bomb attack at an outdoor worship service killed two Christians -- a woman and an eight-year-old boy -- and wounded more than 30 in the Kenyan city of Mtwapa. Five hundred Christians from 16 denominations were attending the outdoor service when a hand grenade was thrown towards the pastor's podium. Muslims were also holding a meeting near the scene of the attack, where the Islamic preachers could be heard all the way to the Christian conference vilifying Christianity. Kenyan officials blamed members of al-Shabab, a radical Islamic group in nearby Somalia, for the bomb attack. The Kenyan government had issued a warning of a possible attack by the militants during Easter. Pray for God's peace for the families.

Latin America
VOM Program

Pray for believers in Latin America, where VOM is helping repair house churches that are falling apart and adding room to those which need more space for worshippers. Government regulations make it next to impossible for any kind of church construction, even upkeep.