Missions Intensive to The Voice of the Martyrs

Posted On April 23, 2026

Written by Rev. Cody Wilbanks, dean of students and assistant professor of theology.

Each spring break, RBC students have a unique opportunity to grow in their understanding of that exhortation from Hebrews by learning more about suffering and the global church. This year, 17 students traveled to Bartlesville, OK, to spend a week at the headquarters of The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) for an “Intro to Missions” intensive class.

VOM serves persecuted Christians around the world where it is most difficult or dangerous to follow Christ. Pastor Richard Wurmbrand and his wife, Sabina, founded VOM after being imprisoned in Communist Romania. Since 1967, VOM has been dedicated to telling the stories of persecuted Christians to encourage support from the global body of Christ.

VOM graciously hosts RBC by letting us stay in their comfortable onsite apartments, giving us tours of their distribution center and museum, and offering us exclusive time with the leaders of the ministry.

During the week, we heard from the president of The Voice of the Martyrs and VOM’s vice president of international ministries. They gave us an excellent idea of what VOM is about and why the persecution of our brothers and sisters around the world should matter to us in America. We also heard from each of their seven regional leaders, who gave us an overview of the geopolitical situations in their regions and shared stories of God’s faithfulness and work despite the persecution of the church there. Needless to say, we were all challenged in unique ways as our vision of the worldwide church expanded.

One eye-opening moment for us all was hearing an analogy that challenged an assumption we had about ourselves. A student mentioned that we Christians in America, in comparison to Christians around the world, aren’t experiencing suffering. To that statement, a VOM worker quoted Richard Wurmbrand saying, “When they beat my feet, it was my mouth that cried.” In other words, we are all part of one body. Therefore, if the body suffers at any one point, the whole body suffers. We should feel the same way about the body of Christ. We might not be the “feet” that are feeling the immediate pain, but we are suffering with them.

The themes of prayer, unity, God’s faithfulness, simple obedience, and joy in the midst of suffering filled the conversations between our students and VOM workers. All of us were impacted in different ways, but together we gained a greater appreciation for the global body of Christ and a deeper sense of unity with our brothers and sisters suffering in unimaginable ways for their faith in Jesus.

Here are a few reflections on the trip in our students’ own words:

“The week spent at The Voice of the Martyrs provided some much-needed focus on the unity of God’s church, the certainty of His will, and my own future involvement with missions. God used this week to give me direction and encouragement in His plans for me. My time at The Voice of the Martyrs reminded me how God has shown me, through both the events of life and the testimony of His Scripture, that He is more than worthy of my feeble faith and trust.” —Daniel K.

“The intensive really tied my RBC experience together, illuminating Christ’s words: ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few’ (Matt. 9:37). For students questioning the value of their theological education, this trip powerfully reveals the tremendous need.” —Tyler D.

“The opportunity to visit The Voice of the Martyrs headquarters and meet with their regional leaders was one of the most impactful experiences of my time at Reformation Bible College. As someone who believes God is calling me to the mission field, learning about what God is doing in the global church, particularly among the persecuted church, was invaluable. We have so much to learn from our persecuted brothers and sisters, especially their simple obedience to Scripture.” —Liz K.

We are so thankful for our partnership with The Voice of the Martyrs that enables our students to have a unique experience during their time at RBC. We at the college are committed to providing high-quality theological education, and we believe that students who come to RBC are meant to be sent out to the world with what they’ve learned.

Please pray for the students who went on the trip, asking the Lord to continue to deepen their love for Christ and for the nations.