Rev. Richard Wurmbrand (March 24, 1909-February 19, 2001) was released in 1964 after having spent 14 years in prison in Romania for his faith.
A Lutheran minister, he became internationally known as a speaker and the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs. He wrote: Tortured For Christ; Underground Saints; Christ in the Communist Prison, 1968; Stronger Than Prison Walls, 1969; and My Answer to the Moscow Atheists, 1975.
Born in Bucharest, Romania, his parents died when he was young, and he spent many years adrift in society during World War I.
He was educated at school in Bucharest, where he met and married Sabina Oster on October 26, 1936.
While on a vacation later in 1936, both Richard and Sabina were converted and baptized in the Christian faith, joining the church of the Anglican Mission in Bucharest.
Richard became a minister and pastored the Norwegian Lutheran Mission in Bucharest.
He and his wife were arrested several times by the Nazi government, and he began his underground ministry evangelizing Russian soldiers who were prisoners of war.
After August of 1944, he continued this ministry with the Russian occupation forces.
He and Sabina were active in working with the underground, unregistered church in Romania during World War II and throughout the Communist regime.
Richard was kidnapped by Romanian authorities in February 1948 following the Congress of Cults, and imprisoned in the underground Central Interior Ministry Building prison area in the center of Bucharest.
While there he was subjected to brainwashing attempts, physical and mental torture, and threats to his family.
In 1950, his wife Sabina was imprisoned as well, forced to serve as a laborer on the Danube Canal project.
She was released in 1953. Following her release, the Romanian authorities informed her that Richard had died in prison.
Richard was discovered alive in prison by a doctor masquerading as a Communist Party member.
He was released in 1956 and served as church pastor in Orsova. During this time he once again worked with the underground church.
He was rearrested in 1959 and was sentenced to 25 years for preaching Scriptures that were contrary to the Communist doctrine.
Due to increased political pressure from Western countries, he was released in 1964.
In December 1965, the Norwegian Mission to the Jews and the Hebrew Christian Alliance paid $10,000 in ransom to the Communist government in order for the Wurmbrand family to leave Romania.
This was more than five times the standard payment price for political prisoners. Although reluctant to leave Romania, other Romanian underground church leaders convinced him to leave and become a "Voice" for the underground church to the world.
Richard, Sabina, and their son Michael left Romania.
The following May, Richard testified before the U.S. Senate Internal Security Subcommittee about his experiences in prison.
In 1966 he continued to keep his promise to the Romanian underground church to become their voice when he embarked on an international speaking tour. In October 1967 he published the first issue of "The Voice of the Martyrs" newsletter, and began to establish the international offices which would assist him in efforts to inform Christians everywhere about persecuted Christians.
By the mid-1980s his work was established in 80 restricted nations with offices in 30 countries.
In 1990 Richard and Sabina returned to Romania after 25 years of exile. He retired from the day-to-day work of The Voice of the Martyrs in 1992, but remained as a member of the Board of Directors and consultant until his death. His wife Sabina died August 11, 2000.
During his ministry, Rev. Wurmbrand wrote 18 books in English, others in Romanian, which have been translated into 38 languages.
His most well-known book, "Tortured for Christ," is about his prison experiences. He received numerous honors and citations for his work during his lifetime.
His contribution to the work of Christianity will continue through his legacy of missions established around the world and the vision he provided for their leadership, as documented on the Internet site: www.persecution.com.
He is survived by his son Michael Wurmbrand, and 3 grandchildren.
Rev. Richard Wurmbrand gave the world's view of America in 1967:
<Every freedom-loving man has two fatherlands; his own and America. Today, America is the hope of every enslaved man, because it is the last bastion of freedom in the world. Only America has the power and spiritual resources to stand as a barrier between militant Communism and the people of the world.
It is the last "dike" holding back the rampaging floodwaters of militant Communism. If it crumples, there is no other dike, no other dam; no other line of defense to fall back upon.
America is the last hope of millions of enslaved peoples. They look to it as their second fatherland. In it lies their hopes and prayers.
I have seen fellow-prisoners in Communist prisons beaten, tortured, with 50 pounds of chains on their legs-praying for America....that the dike will not crumple; that it will remain free.> 1909RW001
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
1909RW001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Richard Wurmbrand, Wurmbrand Letters (Pomona, CA: Cross Publications, Inc., 1967), p. 9. John Eidsmoe, God & Caesar-Christian Faith & Political Action (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, a Division of Good News Publishers, 1984), pp. 215-226.