Mission
Mobilize spiritual and material support to encourage persecuted Christians to persevere and proclaim the Gospel.
Vision
Facilitate greater unity within the global church by serving as a faithful channel of prayer, support, and encouragement.
Core Values
01
Dependent on God’s Word for direction
02
Reliant on the Holy Spirit through prayer
03
Edifying & unifying the church
04
Prioritizing support in areas of Christian persecution
05
Cultivating trustworthy indigenous church partners
06
Maintaining strong financial accountability & transparency
Our Purposes
How we serve the global church
Support
Persecution is a normal part of following Jesus. Many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world experience all sorts of persecution for their faith in Christ. ICR is supporting our persevering, fellow believers as they faithfully endure persecution by meeting their urgent spiritual and physical needs.
Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
Hebrews 13:3
Equip
ICR is committed to partnering with the local church by finding indigenous, godly leaders who are making disciples and building up the body of Christ. ICR comes alongside these pastors and ministry leaders to ensure that they are supported as they “equip the saints for the work of the ministry, the building up of the body”.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:11-12
Advance
ICR’s desire is for the glory of Christ to spread throughout the world. We long to see the gospel proclaimed to all the peoples of the earth. ICR supports kingdom advancement efforts through initiatives focused on evangelism, discipleship, and church planting.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
Matthew 28:18—20
Financials
How ICR Spends
Your dollar goes a long way.
At ICR, our commitment to financial responsibility and transparency is core to who we are. We strive to uphold the highest standards of accountability and stewardship, ensuring that every donation is used efficiently and effectively to benefit persecuted Christians.
Your dollar goes to helping persecuted Christians in one of three ways: projects that directly support persecuted believers with necessities in their greatest time of need, projects that equip local churches with discipleship and evangelistic materials, and projects that advance the gospel in places where it is difficult to be a Christian and among persecutors. All this work intentionally flows through the local church.
View Audits
2023 Report (Independent Audit)
2022 Report (Independent Audit)
2021 Report (Independent Audit)
2020 Report (Independent Audit)
2019 Report (Independent Audit)
2018 Report (Independent Audit)
2017 Report (Independent Audit)
2016 Report (Independent Audit)
2015 Report (Independent Audit)
2014 Report (Independent Audit)
Our History
International Christian Response was founded in 1969 through the ministry of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand. Richard endured 14 years in prison and Sabina spent three years in a labor camp for standing up for Christ in communist Romania. After Richard’s final release from prison in 1964, a group of Christians ransomed the Wurmbrand family out of Romania. Richard wrote Tortured for Christ intending to make the world aware of how Christians were being persecuted. He also traveled and spoke widely to get the message out to as many as possible.
Today, many people are unaware that Christians are being persecuted. Initially, ICR International focused on Eastern Europe, communist countries, and the production, transportation, and distribution of Christian literature. After the fall of communism, ICR International developed a renewed mission, vision, and values to continue to bring attention to what persecuted Christians are facing around the world.
ICR International has had the privilege of serving persecuted Christians for more than 50 years. ICR-USA joined this effort in 2008. Together, we have established a broad network of trustworthy churches and ministry partners in more than 50 countries.
“It was a deal; we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching. They were happy beating us, so everyone was happy.”
Richard Wurmbrand
Board Members
ICR’s board is made up of six members from various industries and walks of life. While our desire is for transparency, in the interest of security, we are not including their names here. Some of our board members travel to hostile countries. If you have any concerns or questions that are best addressed by a board member, please email board(at)ChristianResponse.org.