http://www.persecution.com/ The Voice of the Martyrs
Wurmbrand, who passed through the penal facilities of Craiova, Gherla, the Danube-Black Sea Canal, Văcăreşti, Malmaison, Cluj, and ultimately Jilava, spent three years in solitary confinement. His wife, Sabina, was arrested in 1950 and spent three years of penal labour on the Canal.
Pastor Wurmbrand was released in 1956, after eight and a half years, and, although warned not to preach, resumed his work in the underground church. He was arrested again in 1959, and sentenced to 25 years. During his imprisonment, he was beaten and tortured.
Eventually, he was the recipient of an amnesty in 1964. He became known as the 'The Voice of the Underground Church', doing much to publicize the persecution of Christians in Communist countries.
In April of 1967, the Wurmbrands formed Jesus to the Communist World (later named The Voice of the Martyrs), an interdenominational organization 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. The Voice of the Martyrs opened a printing facility and bookstore in Bucharest. He preached about God together with pastor Ioan Panican.
The Wurmbrands had one son, Mihai. His best-known book is entitled Tortured for Christ, released in 1967.
Pastor Wurmbrand died in Glendale, California. In 2006, he came fifth among the greatest Romanians according to the Mari Români poll. |