Voice of the Martyrs' Tom White's Death an Apparent Suicide Following Molestation Investigation

Voice of the Martyrs' Tom White's Death an Apparent Suicide Following Molestation Investigation Leader of prominent persecution ministry was being investigated by police on allegations of molesting a young girl. Jeremy Weber | posted 4/20/2012 06:17PM

This week's death of a prominent persecution ministry leader is now being described as a possible suicide in the wake of a molestation investigation by local police. Tom White, executive director of The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), was found dead Wednesday morning in a warehouse at the ministry's headquarters in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, according to Tulsa CBS affiliate News on 6. Court records indicate that Bartlesville police were investigating a molestation allegation against White, according to News on ...... 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. ......... White, 65, rose to prominence in persecution circles after releasing a 1982 memoir detailing his 17 months spent in a Cuban prison. He led VOM to solid growth over the past 20 years. "He admired persecuted believers who endured hardship and possessed an eternal perspective about their faith," Gary Lane, a former spokesperson for VOM now at CBN wrote this week. "Tom worked tirelessly to share their experiences with the world. He truly was a voice of the martyrs."

Here are the VOM's official statements:

TOM WHITE: (1947-2012) print story download (PDF) email story share digg no media 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.

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. Posted: April 18, 2012 Updated: April 23, 2012 http://www.persecution.com/public/newsroom.aspx?story_ID=NDkz&ministory_ID=NjY%3d

Ephesians 6:16

10As to the rest, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might;

11put on the whole armour of God, for your being able to stand against the wiles of the devil,

12because we have not the wrestling with blood and flesh, but with the principalities, with the authorities, with the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, with the spiritual things of the evil in the heavenly places;

13because of this take ye up the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to resist in the day of the evil, and all things having done -- to stand.

14Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about in truth, and having put on the breastplate of the righteousness,

15and having the feet shod in the preparation of the good-news of the peace;

16above all, having taken up the shield of the faith, in which ye shall be able all the fiery darts of the evil one to quench,

17and the helmet of the salvation receive, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the saying of God,

18through all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and in regard to this same, watching in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints --

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@16above all, having taken up the shield of the faith, in which ye shall be able all the fiery darts of the evil one to quench,

WE Have To Be Alert at Times.

Whenever I have a Great Deep Heart Felt Contrition and Confession I can Get Thoughts That I know Are NoT Mine. When I do I Pray even More. It is Just Terrible. But We Have to Know To Pray it Through. This Man was a Great Light for Christ. We can not be unawares of this at any time.

Wev have to quench the Fiery Darts of the enemy.

The Greater the Ministry the Bigger the Target from the enemy. We have to pray more for these.

I pray for this ministry after this Horror.

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