Posted on 04/24/2012 7:02:30 PM PDT by sreastman
Shocking Circumstances Surrounding the Death of Voice of the Martyrs Executive Director
by Steve Eastman, Faith Issues
It’s always shocking when someone dies before their time, especially if there are no apparent health issues. But shocking has been taken to a whole new level in the death of 64 year-old Tom White.
To its credit, The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is confirming much of what the media is reporting. You can find this statement on the ministry’s website: “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.”
According to the Associated Press, White disappeared April 17th. Bartlesville, Oklahoma police Chief Thomas Holland, who’s listed as a member of the Board of Directors, is deferring comment to Captain Jay Hastings. The police spokesman says April 17th is the same day the department learned the allegations about a 10 year-old girl.
VOM employees supplied authorities with a letter from White, suggesting he may have been suicidal or fleeing to avoid investigation. An autopsy is expected to determine the cause of White’s death.
According to the ministry’s website, “None of those in leadership at VOM, including our Board of Directors, were aware of these allegations at the time of Tom’s death.”
Voice of the Martyrs was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who spent 14 years in a Romanian prison for his faith in Christ. Tom White headed up the ministry for over 20 years.
© 2012 Faith Issues.com
This sort of thing wouldn’t happen if clergy were allowed to marry.
LOL!
Are you being facetious? I hope so, because the alternative is that you’re intellectually lazy and willing to apply prejudice (and a corresponding confirmation bias) at the drop of a hat:
“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.”
It is just too good an opportunity to smear Christians.
My statement can’t possibly apply to the deceased guy since he was married. Therefore my statement does nothing to denigrate him or his memory.
My statement is a commentary relevant to the general topic of ministers involved in scandals.
Pray for Voice of the Martyrs...
This sort of thing wouldn’t happen if clergy were allowed to marry.
Ann Barnhardt believes the same.
In a war, it is far more effective to take down your enemy’s leaders that a mere foot soldier.
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
I had a friend who was a Marine sniper in Vietnam. One of his kills was an NVA colonel who was standing at a blackboard, giving a lecture to troops sitting on three rows of benches.
My buddy dropped him from 1400 yards.
Can you imagine the psychological impact on those troops? You are getting a lecture in a supposed safe area, then the colonel drops without you hearing the sound of the shot?
Satan does the same. He gets far more press from a Christian leader falling suddenly that from a hundred “ordinary” sinners.
“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” 1 Cor 10:12
Just seems to me the louder people proclaim their causes, the more skeletons they have in their closets.
We ALL have closets. We are all sinners saved by Grace if we so choose. (GRACE = God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense)
We ALL have closets. We are all sinners saved by Grace if we so choose. (GRACE = God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense)
You: one-trick pony.
This sort of thing wouldn’t happen if clergy were allowed to marry.
Tom White did have a wife, children and grandchildren.” The apostle Paul says in 1 Cor 7:7-9,17 I would like everyone to be unmarried, like I am. However, each person has a special gift from God, one this and another that. I say to those who are unmarried, especially to widows: It is good for them to remain like me. However, if they cannot control themselves, they should get married, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. Nevertheless, everyone should live the life that the Lord gave him and to which God called him. This is my rule in all the churches. Seems it didn’t get to the church in Rome, why?
A tortured conscience combined with egoism is probably the single common denominator in the evil perpetrated against innocents.
The Church heeds this, for sure.
The Church discipline of celibacy is actually the way the Church lives out and heeds this very Scripture; the special gift of priestly ordination is reserved for those who can control themselves. In fact, the Church makes it quite clear to those seeking ordination that such self-mastery is required to the point that volunteering for priestly ordination includes volunteering for celibacy. Celibacy is NOT imposed - it is chosen. In fact the Church even understands there can be exceptions and a small number of married men can receive priestly ordination.
If anyone understands this rule of Paul, it is Rome.
I have a problem with “self-mastery”. If you don’t get it from God, then you don’t have it. But He (Jesus) said to them, “Not everyone can accept this saying, except those to whom celibacy has been granted, because some men are celibate from birth, while some are celibate because they have been made that way by others. Still others are celibate because they have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.” Matthew 19:11-12
I just read the letter I received in the mail today from VOM. This was news to me.
I could have written your post, almost word for word.
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