VIETNAMESE MOTORBIKE EVANGELIST MURDERED IN MARCH IS 2026 INTERNATIONAL MARTYRS DAY HONOREE
A Vietnamese motorbike evangelist who was beaten to death as he was returning from a gospel ministry trip this past March is the Voice of the Martyrs Korea International Martyrs Day honoree for 2026.
The ministry honored Brother Phát* with a plaque on its Martyrs Timeline this week and released a video about the martyred Vietnamese Christian to commemorate this year’s International Martyr’s Day. The video, which is available for use by churches, small groups, and families, is available at www.vomkorea.com/en/dotcm. (*The martyr’s actual name has been changed for the safety of surviving family members.)
“According to church tradition, June 29 marks the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul, so Christians around the world take time this week to honor the legacy of those who have sacrificed their lives for the advancement of the gospel,” said Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley.
She said one of the reasons her ministry is honoring Brother Phát is to help Christians understand that martyrdom of Christians is continuing today.
Vietnamese motorbike evangelists
“Christian martyrdom is not ancient history,” said Representative Foley. “Brother Phát laid down his life for Jesus just a few months ago.”
On March 11, 2026, Brother Phát, a motorbike evangelist, was beaten to death after returning from a gospel ministry trip into the mountains of Vietnam.
“Brother Phát was a faithful evangelist who preached the gospel in many rural villages in the mountains of Vietnam,” says Representative Foley. “He, and others like him, travel by motorbike across rugged landscapes, including extremely muddy and rocky jungle tracks. These Vietnamese pastors and evangelists ride on their motorbikes and proclaim the gospel and plant churches, even though they face hardship and persecution.”
Representative Foley says that several months before his death, local authorities destroyed Brother Phát’s home as a warning to stop his gospel ministry. But Brother Phát continued his gospel ministry work.
“On March 11, 2026, Brother Phát was returning home from a ministry trip and he was viciously kicked off of his motorbike,” says Representative Foley. “After falling to the ground, he was beaten and left in a ditch on the side of the road. He died from his wounds on the spot.”
Voice of the Martyrs Korea CEO Pastor Eric Foley and Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley pray as they unveil the new plaque on the Martyrs Timeline honoring Brother Phát from Vietnam.
Brother Phát is survived by his wife and family.
“On this International Martyr’s Day, we celebrate the life and ministry of Brother Phát, and we encourage believers to pray for his wife and family and for his fellow motorbike evangelists, who carry on his work even today. His life and theirs have been marked by faithful service despite persecution. To the world, they may look like poor Vietnamese peasants. But they are great in the Kingdom of God.”
Representative Foley says that although Brother Phát’s story is violent, the Voice of the Martyrs’ videos about his martyrdom and the martyrdoms of other Christians have been made so that they are suitable for viewing by all ages.
According to Representative Foley, International Martyrs’ Day is an opportunity for churches around the world to learn about Christians facing martyrdom today, particularly in the more than 70 countries where there are restrictions on the practice of the Christian faith.
In recent years the ministry has honored martyrs from India, Central Asia, China, Colombia, and Africa. Videos for each martyr are available at www.vomkorea.com/en/dotcm for individual viewing as well as use by churches and small groups.