Cole RichardsPresident
Cole Richards is the President of The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), a ministry that serves, and serves with, Christians who are severely persecuted for their faith on the world’s most difficult and dangerous missions frontiers. This work is carried out by a multinational team of missionary leaders that responds to persecution and advances God’s eternal kingdom in more than 70 of these countries where following Christ comes at a great cost.
In addition to leading VOM’s service to persecuted Christians abroad, Cole serves as Publisher and Executive Producer of VOM’s publishing and media initiatives. This includes VOM Books and Films, VOM Radio and VOM’s award-winning monthly magazine that is distributed free of charge to more than 700,000 homes and churches each month. These ministry tools serve as a voice for persecuted Christians and inspire believers around the world with the examples of our Christian brothers and sisters who faithfully and joyfully witness for Christ at any cost.
Cole joined VOM in 2006 after living and ministering in one of the least-reached and restricted nations in the Middle East, where he, his wife and their children reached out to Muslims and supported persecuted Christians.
Cole holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering as well as two master’s degrees: one in missiology, with a focus on evangelism in the Muslim world, and one in business administration (MBA) in the context of organizational leadership. Before entering full-time ministry, Cole served as a USAF officer, focusing on the rise of Islamic terrorist groups in the Middle East.