To assist you in "being a voice for the voiceless," VOM has created an advocacy guide that will help you in encouraging prisoners while pleading for or on their behalf.

The Advocacy Guide includes sample letters; tips for when writing to prisoners, government officials, and prisoners; and other helpful resources.

Click here to download the PDF. 
Click here to contact our office if you prefer a hard copy mailed to you.

Looking for letter-writing tips online? Click here.
For prisoner names and addresses, Click here.

For more than three months, Rev. (Dr.) Andrew Brunson has been detained in Izmir, Turkey, for his Christian faith. Charged falsely with holding "membership in an armed terrorist group," he now desperately needs our help.

You can help by using the "sample letter" provided below or respectfully writing a similar letter of your own and sending it to the Interior Ministry of Turkey. Please note that the letter can be written in any language, as long as the name ANDREW BRUNSON is mentioned in large font – either within the letter or on the envelope.

The "sample letter" reads:

Dear Sir,

I am writing in regards to the imprisonment of Dr. Andrew Brunson who has served as a pastor in Izmir, Turkey, for the past 23 years.
Dr. Brunson has served according to the teaching and practice of his Christian beliefs. He does not support and is not associated with any groups or organizations operating against the Turkish State.

We request, therefore, that you take all steps necessary to ensure Dr. Brunson’s release from prison.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
(Add your signature)

Please post the letter to the following address:

Sayin Bakan Suleyman Soylu
TC Icisleri Bakanligi Icerisinde Bakanliklar
06580 Cankaya
Ankara, Turkey

Writing short, concise letters to local and national newspaper and magazine editors (both print and online) is a highly effective way of raising awareness of current issues in the global Church.

What should I write?

• Keep your letter friendly. Remember, you are Christ’s ambassador.
• Keep your letter short. Concise letters with a single point are more likely to be published.
• Keep your letter clear. State your subject and purpose in the opening paragraph.
• Keep your letter relevant. Editors typically print letters that respond to recent articles in their papers or that address current issues of interest.

What should I NOT write?

• Avoid being confrontational, abusive or offensive.
• Avoid quoting Scripture. A wise and well-balanced biblical perspective, which serves to address a crisis, problem or other evil, can be conveyed without using Scripture.
• Avoid preaching. Readers do not buy newspapers to read a sermon.

Click here to download a helpful article on writing to the media written by an editor of The National Post.

The following links will assist you in writing letters to government officials.

Government of Canada

The Canadian government's official webpages provide the names, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, etc. for members of the House of Commons and the Senate.

Foreign Embassies in Canada

Click here for a directory of addresses, telephone/fax numbers and email addresses for foreign embassies in Canada.

Foreign Embassies in the United States

Click here for a directory of addresses, telephone/fax numbers and email addresses for foreign embassies in the United States.

United States Government Websites

Official U.S. Government websites with names, mailing/email addresses, etc.
Click here for the White House
Click here for the Senate
Click here for the House of Representatives

Permanent Missions to the United Nations

Click here for a directory of telephone/fax numbers, mailing/email addresses for U.N. permanent missions.

Christians in Canada have an obligation to step up, stand up and speak up for persecuted Christians. Politicians at both provincial and federal levels should be kept informed of incidents of persecution which often take place in countries with economic and diplomatic links to Canada. They should also be encouraged to take action within their respective spheres of influence.

Equally, foreign governments should be made aware that those who have been imprisoned for their faith have not been forgotten about. The reach of your letter should never be underestimated. Once our mission managed to get three Vietnamese pastors released from jail after serving only a third of their sentences because thousands of Christians the world over flooded the Vietnamese government with cards and letters.  In another case, letters of protest to a Middle Eastern government resulted in a death penalty being commuted for a Muslim convert to Christianity.  Days later he was released from prison.  These are only two of many examples that demonstrate how significant this ministry of writing letters can be!

Some points to remember

• Letters need not be long or beautifully composed. Often a few lines will suffice.
• Letters need not demonstrate an awareness of complex political matters or a profound grasp of the truths of Scripture.
• Letters need not display a sophisticated knowledge of current affairs or international law
• For your letter to make an impact, all you have to do is express your sincere concerns about suffering Christians in persecuted countries and end the letter with a plain request.

Click here to download a helpful article on writing government officials written in the May/June 2007 edition of Faith Today.

Click here for links to government websites that provide up-to-date addresses for government officials, foreign embassies, and U.N. representatives.