“Today is the day for gospel ministry to North Korean defectors,” says Representative Foley. “Many churches have focused on aid ministry to North Korean defectors, giving them gifts, inviting them to parties, and even doing boarding schools for their children. But as Christians our first responsibility is to make sure they hear the gospel and then to equip them to share it with other North Koreans. We want to use our twenty-five years of experience in North Korea ministry to equip South Korean churches to do gospel-focused ministry to North Korean defectors.”   

The mailing to pastors includes a letter from Representative Foley inviting the pastors to one-day North Korean defector ministry training events at Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s offices in Daejeon (Thursday, November 13), Seoul (Thursday, November 27), and Busan (Thursday, December 4), from 10AM to 3PM. Pastors interested in attending the events can register by calling Voice of the Martyrs Korea at 02-2065-0703.  

Representative Foley says that in her letter to pastors she explains why her organization has mailed them a copy of the John Ross Gospel of Luke. 

“Ten years ago, a North Korean mission team from a large church in South Korea visited Voice of the Martyrs,” says Representative Foley. “They requested a discipleship training system for North Korean defectors, but until then, there was no gospel-centered textbook. However, by the grace of God, we are now able to introduce the ideal ‘textbook’ for North Korean defector discipleship: The John Ross Bible.”  

Representative Foley says that during the Covid pandemic, Voice of the Martyrs Korea rebuilt its ministry to North Korean defectors around the work of having North Korean defectors create an updated version of the John Ross New Testament for modern readers. 

“Missionary John Ross translated the Gospels of Luke and John in 1882 through Korean merchants,” says Representative Foley. “However, he did not preach to the merchants first to make Christians and then have them translate the Bible, but the merchants themselves translated it and met Jesus through his words. After that, the merchants asked for baptism themselves.  They even smuggled Bibles into dangerous Joseon. In this way, 15,000 Bibles entered Korea, and before Western missionaries entered Korea, they had already spread throughout Korea.”  

Representative Foley says that the Gospel of Luke sent to pastors last week is the first part of the Ross New Testament updated by North Korean defectors. In early 2026 Voice of the Martyrs Korea will publish the North Korean defectors’ updated version of the Gospels and the Book of Acts, to be followed in 2027 by the publication of the complete, updated Ross New Testament. She says the updating work is reviewed by an external committee of translation experts to ensure accuracy. But she says the main updating work is not theological but grammatical. “The John Ross New Testament was created before the standardization of the Korean language, and it was done in the Pyongan dialect,” says Representative Foley. “North Korean defectors are the most well-suited to update the work because they understand the meaning of many of the words Ross’ translation team used, which are not known to South Koreans.” 

Representative Foley says that Voice of the Martyrs Korea sent out the Bibles and is hosting the training events for South Korean pastors in order to help South Korean pastors see what is possible for gospel-focused ministry to North Korean defectors. She says the Ross Bible update is for all Korean people and that all South Koreans should read it. “The Ross Bible is the original translation of the Bible into our language,” says Representative Foley. “It is how God first spoke to us, and Bible translation experts today  still praise Ross’ translation work.” 

Representative Foley says the one-day training events for South Korean pastors are “hands-on” training events where the pastors will have the opportunity to participate in the kinds of training activities Voice of the Martyrs Korea does with North Korean defectors. 

“During the training events, we will have pastors join us in the actual work of updating a passage from the Ross New Testament, so they can see how we do this work with North Korean defectors,” Representative Foley says. “We will also have the pastors participate in the Bible drama skits we do with North Koreans, as well as learning about our gospel-focused ‘mobile camping ministry’ to defectors.”  

Representative Foley says that the goal for the training events is to challenge and nurture South Korean church pastors the same way as her organization challenges and nurtures North Korean defectors.  

“If we do so, both the South Korean pastors who nurture and the North Korean defectors who are nurtured will be able to become ‘people of the Bible’ again,” says Representative Foley. “In the past 25 years since the establishment of Voice of the Korean Martyrs, I have seen many North Korean defectors who were underground Christians in North Korea fall into materialism and focus only on making money when they come to South Korea, losing their former faithfulness.  I think this sad reality is the result of all Christians in South Korea not being able to fulfill our role well. I hope that through this event, we will share how to nurture North Korean defectors and that all Christians in South Korea will be able to unite and serve the North Korean defectors sent by God properly.” 

Individuals interested in learning more about Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s ministry to North Korean defectors can visit its website, www.vomkorea.com. South Korean pastors interested in attending the organization’s training can call the Voice of the Martyrs Korea office at the numbers shown below for more information. 

*Date: Thursday, November 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Venue: Voice of the Martyrs Daejeon Office (detailed address will be provided upon registration) 

Inquiries and pre-registration: 02-2065-0703 (Tue-Sat/9am-5pm) / 010-3174-2065 

*Date: Thursday, November 27, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Venue: Voice of the Martyrs Seoul Office (detailed address will be provided upon registration) 

Inquiries and pre-registration: 02-2065-0703 (Tue-Sat/9am-5pm) / 010-3174-2065 

*Date: Thursday, December 4, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Venue: Voice of the Martyrs Busan Office (detailed address will be provided at the time of registration) 

Inquiries and pre-registration: 02-2065-0703 (Tue-Sat/9am-5pm) / 010-3174-2065