377:, where he spent three years in solitary confinement. This confinement was in a cell twelve feet underground, with no lights or windows. There was no sound because even the guards wore felt on the soles of their shoes. He later recounted that he maintained his sanity by sleeping during the day, staying awake at night, and exercising his mind and soul by composing and then delivering a sermon each night. Due to his extraordinary memory, he was able to recall more than 350 of those, a selection of which he included in his book
38:
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486:, was published in 1967. In several of them, he wrote very boldly and emphatically against Communism, yet he maintained a hope and compassion even for those who tortured him by "looking at men ... not as they are, but as they will be ... I could also see in our persecutors. a future Apostle Paul ... the jailer in Philippi who became a convert." Wurmbrand last lived in
385:
his physical torture included mutilation, burning and being locked in a large frozen icebox. His body bore the scars of physical torture for the rest of his life. For example, he later recounted having the soles of his feet beaten until the flesh was torn off, then the next day beaten again to the bone, claiming there were not words to describe that pain.
444:. That testimony, in which he took off his shirt in front of TV cameras to show the scars of his torture, brought him to public attention. He became known as "The Voice of the Underground Church", doing much to publicise the persecution of Christians in Communist countries. He compiled circumstantial evidence that
388:
During his first imprisonment, Wurmbrand's supporters were unable to gain information about him; later they found out that a false name had been used in the prison records so that no one could trace his whereabouts. Members of the Secret police visited Sabina posing as released fellow prisoners. They
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Wurmbrand was released from his first imprisonment in 1956, after eight and a half years. Although he was warned not to preach, he 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. He stated that
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in 1964. Concerned with the possibility that
Wurmbrand would be forced to undergo further imprisonment, the Norwegian Mission to the Jews and the Hebrew Christian Alliance negotiated with Communist authorities for his release from Romania for $ 10,000 (though the going rate for political prisoners
217:
After serving a total of fourteen years, he was ransomed for $ 10,000. His colleagues in
Romania urged him to leave the country and work for religious freedom from a location less personally dangerous. After spending time in Norway and England, he and his wife Sabina, who had also been imprisoned,
397:. Their only son, Mihai, by then a young adult, was expelled from college-level studies at three institutions because his father was a political prisoner; an attempt to obtain permission to emigrate to Norway to avoid compulsory service in the Romanian army was unsuccessful.
381:, which was first published in 1969. During part of this time, he later wrote about communicating with other inmates by tapping out Morse code on the wall. In this way he continued to "be sunlight" to fellow inmates rather than dwell on the lack of physical light.
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in that he worked with
Christians of many denominations. Wurmbrand is remembered for his courage in standing up in a gathering of church leaders and denouncing government control of the churches. He was arrested on 29 February 1948, while on his way to a
470:
In 1990, he and his wife returned to
Romania for the first time in 25 years. The Voice of the Martyrs opened a printing facility and bookstore in Bucharest. The new mayor of Bucharest had offered a storage space for the books under former dictator
324:. When the government attempted to control churches, he immediately began an "underground" ministry to his people. Wurmbrand was a professor in the only Lutheran seminary in his country. Though a devout Lutheran priest, Wurmbrand was highly
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claimed to have attended her husband's funeral. During his second imprisonment, his wife Sabina was given official news of his death, which she did not believe. Sabina herself had been arrested in 1950 and spent three years in
405:
was $ 1,900). He was convinced by underground church leaders to leave and become a voice for the persecuted church. He devoted the rest of his life to this effort, despite warnings and death threats.
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was born in 1941. Wurmbrand and his wife (known as
Bintzea to her friends) converted to Christianity in 1938 due to the witness of Christian Wolfkes, a Romanian Christian carpenter; they joined the
463:
organisation 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
475:'s palace, where he had spent years in confinement, praying for a ministry to his homeland. Wurmbrand engaged in preaching with local ministers of nearly all denominations.
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agent, leader, and coordinator directly paid from Moscow. Like other
Romanian Communists, he was arrested several times, then sentenced and released again.
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emigrated to
America and dedicated the rest of their lives to publicizing and helping Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs.
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Moore, Charles E.; Keiderling, Timothy (2016). "Chapter 26: Richard and Sabina
Wurmbrand: Persecuted from 1948-1964, in Romania".
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for a short while, his father died when he was 9, and the Wurmbrands returned to Romania when he was 15.
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Lutherans and the Longest War: Adrift on a Sea of Doubt about the Cold and Vietnam Wars, 1964–1975
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Tortured for Christ: A Celebration of Richard Wurmbrand's Life One Hundred Years After His Birth
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In April 1967, the Wurmbrands formed Jesus to the Communist world, later renamed
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were incompatible. Wurmbrand preached at bomb shelters and rescued Jews during
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Jesus Freaks: Stories of those who stood for Jesus: the ultimate Jesus Freaks.
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Richard & Sabina Wurmbrand Official Web Page Approved by the Wurmbrands
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on the canal. Sabina's autobiographical account of this time is titled
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Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders: 50 True Stories of Daring Men of God
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Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies
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Mother's Day sermon (French). May 8th 1988, Québec City Canada MP3
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English & Romanian Richard & Sabina Wurmbrand facebook
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He died at the age of 91 on 17 February 2001 in a hospital in
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Bearing Witness: Stories of Martyrdom and Costly Discipleship
256:, but returned clandestinely the following year. Pursued by
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Wurmbrand, the youngest of four boys, was born in 1909 in
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He wrote more than 18 books, the most widely known being
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15 August 1986: 42+. General OneFile. 15 January 2010.
1053:"Underground Evangelism: Missions During the Cold War"
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Wurmbrand, who passed through the penal facilities of
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He married Sabina Oster on 26 October 1936. Their son
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1 March 1999: 68. General OneFile. 15 January 2010.
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If That Were Christ, Would You Give Him Your Blanket?
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Alone With God: New Sermons from Solitary Confinement
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2 April 2001: 31. General OneFile. 15 January 2010.
478:Wurmbrand wrote 18 books in English and others in
171:(24 March 1909 – 17 February 2001) was a Romanian
202:. He experienced imprisonment and torture by the
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241:in a Jewish family. He lived with his family in
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805:Trial and Triumph: Stories from Church History.
875:. Plough Publishing House. pp. 160–165.
118: 1936; her death, 2000)
807:Canon Press & Book Service, pp. 283–88.
400:Eventually, Wurmbrand was a recipient of an
937:Bartlesville, OK: Living Sacrifice Book Co.
768:Richard Wurmbrand: The Voice of the Martyrs
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691:Torchlighters: The Richard Wurmbrand Story
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721:. Harvest House Publishers. p. 88.
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290:twice—first as an Anglican, then, after
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248:As an adolescent, he was sent to study
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1238:Inmates of the Danube–Black Sea Canal
986:and The Voice of the Martyrs (1999).
284:Church's Ministry among Jewish people
1278:People from Palos Verdes, California
1228:Converts to Anglicanism from Judaism
743:"Obituary: Pastor Richard Wurmbrand"
697:Tortured for Christ - The Nazi Years
308:as the first step to establishing a
16:Romanian Lutheran priest (1909–2001)
1218:Burials at Rose Hills Memorial Park
861:, Zondervan Publishing, 1972, p. 89
190:ten years before, he publicly said
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540:Answer to Moscow's (Atheist) Bible
416:Achievements, influence, and death
227:Answer to Moscow's (Atheist) Bible
186:descent. In 1948, having become a
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1273:People detained by the Securitate
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990:Bethany House Publishers, p. 67.
693:– animated DVD for children 8–12.
1099:The Richard Wurmbrand Foundation
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666:With God In Solitary Confinement
605:My Answer To The Moscow Atheists
533:Answer to Half a Million Letters
379:With God in Solitary Confinement
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1138:Richard Wurmbrand audio sermons
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967:, Thomas Nelson, 2002, p. 244.
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783:. Lexington Books. p. 76.
546:Christ in the Communist Prisons
432:. In May 1966, he testified in
412:, the Romanian Christian poet.
264:), he was arrested and held in
210:, which maintained a policy of
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1288:Romanian anti-communist clergy
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717:Redmond, Shirley Raye (2020).
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482:. His best-known book, titled
442:Internal Security Subcommittee
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1178:20th-century Anglican priests
918:Could We Survive Persecution?
916:Mathewes-Green, Fredericka, "
836:, Zondervan Publishing, p. 87
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318:Socialist Republic of Romania
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1203:American Evangelical writers
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685:Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand
627:The Answer to Moscow's Bible
616:My Correspondence With Jesus
587:Jesus (Friend to Terrorists)
42:Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand
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1263:Inmates of Văcărești Prison
1027:Wurmbrand, Richard (1967).
933:Wurmbrand, Richard (1986).
845:Wurmbrand (1967), pp. 51–52
621:Reaching Toward The Heights
569:If Prison Walls Could Speak
10:
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1069:10.1177/026537880702400203
1041:Wurmbrand, Sabina (1970).
803:Hannula, Richard M (1999)
558:From Suffering To Triumph!
142:Lutheran Church of Romania
1258:Inmates of Pitești prison
1243:Inmates of Doftana prison
1193:21st-century evangelicals
1188:20th-century evangelicals
1031:Living Sacrifice book co.
779:Settje, David E. (2006).
563:From The Lips Of Children
552:Christ On The Jewish Road
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1303:Romanian torture victims
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1253:Inmates of Jilava Prison
1248:Inmates of Gherla prison
1198:American anti-communists
1140:including some in German
1051:Gouverneur, Joe (2007).
895:Wurmbrand (1967), p. 198
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286:(CMJ UK). Wurmbrand was
823:Wurmbrand (1967), p. 35
420:Wurmbrand travelled to
963:Voice of the Martyrs,
859:A Ransom for Wurmbrand
834:A Ransom for Wurmbrand
519:100 Prison Meditations
363:Danube–Black Sea Canal
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1233:Evangelical Anglicans
1223:Clergy from Bucharest
832:Moise, Anutza (1972)
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1029:Tortured for Christ.
581:In God's Underground
499:Torrance, California
457:Voice of the Martyrs
301:. In 1944, when the
173:Evangelical Lutheran
84:Torrance, California
679:Tortured for Christ
654:Tortured for Christ
484:Tortured for Christ
461:interdenominational
408:He was a friend of
345:Wurmbrand in prison
223:Tortured for Christ
152:Tortured for Christ
1283:Romanian Anglicans
1012:Christianity Today
922:Christianity Today
687:– documentary DVD.
648:The Total Blessing
633:The Oracles of God
347:
320:had a doctrine of
258:Siguranţa Statului
1149:Richard Wurmbrand
1127:Richard Wurmbrand
1044:The Pastor’s Wife
946:Sobran, Joseph. "
790:978-0-7391-1532-9
728:978-0-7369-8133-0
643:The Sweetest Song
473:Nicolae Ceaușescu
395:The Pastor's Wife
165:Richard Wurmbrand
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95:Priest, professor
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1132:Mari Români
906:read online
753:26 December
673:Videography
504:Mari Români
438:U.S. Senate
1162:Categories
1006:"Briefs /
704:References
492:California
326:ecumenical
233:Early life
154:and others
54:1909-03-24
1085:145093057
1077:0265-3788
1008:The World
446:Karl Marx
367:Văcărești
270:Comintern
239:Bucharest
192:Communism
188:Christian
180:professor
100:Spouse(s)
62:Bucharest
480:Romanian
450:Satanist
314:Red Army
296:Lutheran
288:ordained
281:Anglican
243:Istanbul
148:Writings
984:DC Talk
612:, 1975)
600:, 1986)
426:England
402:amnesty
355:Craiova
351:Pitești
294:, as a
277:Michael
250:Marxism
208:Romania
120:
112:
108:
66:Romania
1083:
1075:
994:
971:
879:
811:
787:
725:
657:(1967)
507:poll.
448:was a
422:Norway
375:Jilava
361:, the
359:Gherla
299:priest
254:Moscow
184:Jewish
178:, and
176:priest
130:Church
1081:S2CID
511:Books
459:, an
260:(the
114:(
110:
1153:IMDb
1073:ISSN
992:ISBN
969:ISBN
950:."
877:ISBN
809:ISBN
785:ISBN
755:2021
723:ISBN
371:Cluj
225:and
194:and
73:Died
48:Born
1151:at
1129:at
1065:doi
1010:."
494:.
440:'s
252:in
206:of
182:of
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1079:.
1071:.
1061:24
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1055:.
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850:^
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490:,
467:.
452:.
424:,
365:,
357:,
353:,
333:.
214:.
116:m.
64:,
1087:.
1067::
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885:.
793:.
757:.
731:.
608:(
596:(
56:)
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