ANALYSIS
On June 29, Christians around the world will pause to observe the Day of the Christian Martyr. Church tradition marks this as the date the Apostle Paul was beheaded outside Rome. While history often highlights prominent men who laid down their lives for the gospel, there is another deeply convicting lineage of faith: the legacy of Christian women who refused to deny their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This year, The Voice of the Martyrs is highlighting the story of Perpetua, a 22-year-old noblewoman martyred in ancient Carthage – modern-day Tunisia – in A.D. 203. But Perpetua is far from alone. Across centuries, continents, and cultures, bold, Godly women have faced their persecutors with unshakeable faith that should inspire us all.
On this Day of the Christian Martyr, here are five female martyrs whose stories remind us what it truly means to follow Christ at any cost.
Perpetua (Carthage, A.D. 203)
Perpetua was a young mother with a nursing infant when Roman officials arrested her for refusing to worship Rome’s false gods. Her father begged her to recant for the sake of her baby, but when asked at her trial, “Are you a Christian?” she simply replied, “I am a Christian.”
Led into the Roman arena, she was attacked by a rabid heifer. After being thrown to the ground, Perpetua calmly adjusted her tunic to protect her modesty and requested a pin to fix her disheveled hair. In Roman culture, loose hair was a sign of mourning and Perpetua wanted it known she was not mourning but rather joyfully preparing to meet her Creator. Ultimately, she guided the trembling sword of the gladiator to her own throat.
Perpetua’s martyrdom inspired the church in Carthage to thrive and follow Christ at any cost.
Lizzie Atwater (China, 1900)
In the summer of 1900, the Boxer Rebellion claimed the lives of more than 32,000 Christians in China. Among them was Lizzie Atwater, a missionary who was pregnant when soldiers dragged her and 10 others out to be hacked to death.
Lizzie’s legacy lives on through her final letter home, where she calmly wrote, “Dear ones, I long for a sight of your dear faces, but I fear we shall not meet on earth. I am preparing for the end very quietly and calmly. The Lord is wonderfully near, and He will not fail me.”
Esther John (Pakistan, 1960)
Born as Qamar Zia in British-ruled India, she accepted Christ as a teenager after attending a Christian school. When her family later moved to Pakistan and tried to force her into a Muslim marriage, she fled to another city where she found a missionary who provided her with a Bible and a job working in an orphanage. After completing Bible training, she moved to Chichawatni, Pakistan, where she lived with American Presbyterian missionaries. She took up evangelism among rural women, teaching them the Scriptures and working alongside them in the fields before she was killed.
There was no investigation into her death, but she is remembered today as likely the first recorded martyr in Pakistan after the country gained independence from India.
Rocio Pino (Colombia, 2011)
Rocio Pino was known throughout her Colombian community for sharing the gospel with everyone she met. Her boldness drew the unwanted attention of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
Late one night, two guerrilla fighters knocked on her door under the pretense of needing mechanical help. While her husband stepped away to assist, the men questioned Rocio about her identity. When they knew it was Rocio, they shot her three times and fled, leaving her husband and daughter to watch her take her final breath. Rocio knew the risks of the Great Commission, yet chose obedience over safety.
The inspiring stories of these mothers, teachers and evangelists should inspire us. Their sacrifice challenges those of us living in Western comfort. Are we willing to speak of Jesus when it might cost us our social standing, just as these women spoke of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, though it cost them their lives?
This June 29, I invite your church, family, or small group to join in honoring heroes of the faith. VOM has prepared a free Digital Resource Kit, including a short film about Perpetua, sermon outlines, and a guide for talking with children about persecution, all of which is available at Persecution.com/martyr.
Let us continue to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters who still face violent opposition today, and let us commit to living with the same defiant, joyful faith these extraordinary women carried into eternity.
Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, The Voice of the Martyrs is a nonprofit, interdenominational missions organization serving persecuted Christians in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to follow Christ. For more information, visit persecution.com.
