A former executive with Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is calling on VOM President Cole Richards and other VOM leaders to resign, saying Richards has become “a tyrant” and “it’s time to clean house.”
Jason Peters, VOM’s former chief of connection, made the bold statements in a video posted on YouTube this morning. This follows The Roys Report’s (TRR) exclusive exposé yesterday in which 10 former employees accused Richards of deception and retaliation against VOM employees.
Despite signing a non-disparagement agreement (NDA), Peters was one of the 10 who spoke to TRR. Today, he apologized for his own part in VOM’s deception, which he said the organization has cultivated in public while behind the scenes it’s “gone off the rails.”
Peters specifically called out Cole Richards—a pseudonym the VOM president uses allegedly because VOM works in countries hostile to Christianity.
“The man who calls himself Cole Richards, the current president of the Voice of the Martyrs, shifted into a bit of a tyrant, to be honest with you,” said Peters. “The bottom line is this: Cole Richards needs to leave VOM . . . And before God, I say, it’s time to clean house.”
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Peters and other whistleblowers have asked VOM’s board for a third-party investigation into alleged misconduct, but to date have not received a response.
Richards responded to the video with, “Dr. Peters left our staff nearly seven years ago (7/25/17).” Richards has denied the whistleblowers’ accusations in written answers and in a Zoom interview for yesterday’s TRR article.
In today’s video, Peters said Richards originally used his real name with VOM. But when Richards shifted to a pseudonym, it caused a “subtle shift” in Richards’ leadership that allowed Richards to misuse his authority.
“With anonymity comes freedom, and it’s not always the best freedom,” Peters said.
Peters said he left VOM because of Richards’ style of “you’re with me or you’re against me.”
Peters added that while still employed at VOM, he had recruited a man to become a director but wondered how the man would work with Richards’ authoritarian leadership style. When Richards didn’t promote the man to director, Peters protested, saying in a meeting he thought it was wrong.
“Let me just say that was my last executive staff meeting,” Peters said. “Cole literally said these words to me—he said, ‘I feel like lately you’ve been out of sync with me.’ What interesting language. You’re with me or you’re against me.”
Peters said he had “lived in fear” while working at VOM, a fear that kept him quiet for years after signing an NDA with his severance package. Peters said after he recently heard stories of others who “crossed Cole” and then lost their jobs at VOM, he decided to speak to TRR.
“Finally, I’m like, I’ve got to be honest about this,” Peters said. “Ephesians 5 says we need to walk in the light . . . Honestly there needs to be a full cleaning of the house and I pray that that happens because I want to see the mission continue.”
Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado.
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11 Responses
There will be no investigation as VOM is a scam. There is no evidence anywhere that they do much of anything to help the persecuted overseas. People just give them millions and this current leadership tells everyone “Trust Me!” Anyone who looks at the evidence logically will come to the same conclusion: you cannot trust them with your hard earned mammon. The suicide of Tom White. The lies of Jim Dau concerning Tom White. The comments made by the son of the original founder highlighting how Dau hired a VP with a conviction for embezzlement! What kind of organization would a child molester create? The Nigerian VOM president running an orphanage where he, just like White, was molesting the orphans.
I’m not familiar with your examples, but have personally seen VOM help the persecuted overseas in Asia.
A simple question: when, where and how? And do not tell me it is classified. Such things only raise more questions then provide answers.
The only example I am aware of is a case of gross mismanagement. A friend I met volunteering, before he wasted two years at Gospel for Asia and another 7 for a spinoff of it, was sent to attempt a rescue of a VOM construction project overseas. The local project manager had wasted money creating a foundation that was many times too big for the project budget. He went out and attempt to salvage the project, which proved impossible because there was not enough money left to finish it, and when he left the same incompetent man was left in charge. So the only case I know of for sure was money that was wasted. God only knows how much has been embezzled by whom and how many more child molesters were recruited by Tom White into the global network. The Nigerian one is the only to have surfaced so far, but where you see one cockroach you can be sure that there are more. Satan is the one who hides in the darkness, Jesus commanded us to do ours in the light of day.
They might help some individuals, but probably only a fraction of the donations actually make it to persecuted people. We know millions were raised for prosthetics in Nigeria, but the clinic in Nigeria never received the amounts donated for Nigeria.
You clearly have a personal vendetta. Many of the things you are saying are grossly conflated or else flat out lies. I would encourage you to examine your heart and motives. VOM has done great things for the persecuted Church worldwide.
That is because every single fruit that I personally know of coming out of VOM is bad. Jesus did talk about testing of fruit did he not? Critical for prophets, very useful for “ministries.” But please keep personally attacking me instead of dealing with the controversies anyone can find on the VOM Wikipedia page. It just shows you care nothing about the least of these: the children, that have gotten the worst of what VOM has had to throw at them. I find it incredulous that a ministry claiming to serve persecuted adults refuses to be bothered with the children that they have helped to persecute. I am with the founders son: this thing you call a ministry is a dumpster fire! Everyone touched by it gets burned. I know of no one who has left employment there who did not get burned in the process. And yes, I once moved to Bartlesville, volunteered, and worked there so I have a informed opinion. And I am not lying about anything. Are you Mr. Fierstein?
My wife & I spent from 1992 to 2011 researching ‘American Christianity’ across the USA & volunteered with several churches & ‘Christian ministries.’ We were gobsmacked at the totally ungodly attitudes of the CEO’s & pastors. We witnessed dishonesty, corruption, wickedness like I never knew existed in such entities. As a result, I wrote a book declaring God’s true salvation message & His plan to bring healing to America. Amazon or B&N have ‘A Nation Broken.’ It’s a must read for anyone who truly loves America.
I spent 8 years writing the VOM blog and trying to wake up the church and it was like pulling teeth to get people to care.
Can someone be considered a whistleblower if they haven’t worked for an organization for almost a decade? How do they know their information is even still accurate? How can the news source trust that their information is accurate?
Just seems odd that Peters sat on this supposedly crucial information for 7 years.
I worked with Jason at VOM. He was so kind, authentic, willing to work hard, and dedicated to his job. I believe him.
Danielle Routh
If you knew the mental abuse Cole Richards put Dr Peters thought for so many years you’d be ashamed of yourself to ask such a question. Cole was a terrible bully to Dr Peters. No one deserves what Dr Peters had to put up with from Cole especially no one working at a Christian Ministry.