HISTORY OF VICTORY OUTREACH

The history of Victory Outreach began in the heart of God and in the life of Sonny Arguinzoni, a heroin addict from the hard streets of New York City. After years of drug addiction and a life of hopeless despair, Sonny was saved by the far-reaching, ever-reaching love of God.

Almost immediately after Sonny’s miraculous conversion, he began to feel the call of God into full-time ministry. Through the encouragement of his friends like Nicky Cruz and David Wilkerson, Sonny found himself enrolled at the Latin American Bible Institute (L.A.B.I.) in La Puente, California. It was while attending L.A.B.I. that he was introduced to the need of Los
Angeles.

The ghettos in Los Angeles were different from New York in many ways. Instead of blocks and blocks of tenement buildings and skyscrapers, Los Angeles was flat. The street slang was different, the culture was different; but one thing was evident to Sonny…the needs of the people were the same. God was calling him to the people he knew best, the drug addicts. With teams from L.A.B.I., Sonny began having evangelistic street meetings in the barrios of Los Angeles, reaching out to the hard-core drug user, the gang member and the ex-convict.

While he was in his second year of Bible School, Sonny married Julie Rivera, also a student at L.A.B.I. She understood the plight of the drug addict; her brother had been a heroin addict. So even then, God was preparing Julie for the ministry God was going to give her and Sonny.

After graduation, Sonny ministered as the Field Evangelist of Teen Challenge Los Angeles and then as the Teen Challenge Center Supervisor. He also ministered for a short period with the Nicky Cruz Crusades. However, in the midst of all the work and the multitudes of people in the crusades, God was causing restlessness in him.

There was a need for a church where former addicts and felons could bring their families and worship God…where they could grow and mature as Christians and participate in the life of the church.

With the assurance that God was directing his footsteps, Sonny set out to start a church. He began by going into an area called “Maravilla” in East Los Angeles, talking to the junkies and gang members who were walking the streets of “Maravilla,” – wasting their lives on killer drugs and gang honor. He began taking men into his very own home to kick their drug habits. Before long he reached one, then another, and so began Victory Outreach. The ministry of Victory Outreach became known to many as “The Addict Church” because of the many addicts that were being saved.

In 1967, they purchased a church building on Gless Street in the Boyle Heights district of  Los Angeles. Even then, in the infant stages of Victory Outreach, God was directing their philosophy of ministry – to reach, teach and to plant churches. Sonny would challenge the church with messages of a Victory Outreach whose ministry would be respected around the world.

Evangelism was pumped into their hearts, and they began to take the message of Good News to gang and drug-infested neighborhoods, and the ministry began to grow.

At that time, there was only one church and one rehabilitation home for men. As time went
on and young men caught the “Vision,” Victory Outreach began to multiply. A girl’s rehabilitation program was opened on 6.5 acres of beautiful property called the Hacienda Victoria. Two hundred acres were also purchased in Helendale, California. Today, there are over 400 Victory Outreach sites established throughout the United States, South America, Europe and Asia.

Not only did Victory Outreach grow as a fellowship of churches, but Pastor Sonny’s church
also continued to grow. From a little church on Gless Street, with a maximum occupancy of 150 people, to a church of over 4000 situated on 15 acres in the City of La Puente. As a team, Sonny and Julie have weathered the storms of ministry together as well as reaped the blessing of ministry together. No matter what the circumstance, they’ve always remained back-to-back partners. Julie continues to be a strength and encouragement to her husband and their five children. Her attitude and affection has had a marked influence on the ministry of Victory Outreach throughout the years. She currently oversees United We Can and United Women In Ministry.

The years of ministry have solidified and clarified their calling and mission. They don’t believe they are really doing something new. But in fact, are only telling an old, but powerful story – the Good News of Jesus Christ to as many people, as often and as far as God sees fit to send them. And so after 30 years of ministry, they believe that this is only the beginning for Victory Outreach.

In the years to come, they want to continue seeing strong churches and training centers established so that more young men and women will be able to go to the uttermost parts of the world to preach the Gospel!

VICTORY OUTREACH MISSION STATEMENT

Victory Outreach is an international church-oriented Christian ministry called to the task of evangelizing and discipling the hurting people of the world with the message of hope and plan of Jesus Christ. This call involves a commitment to plant and develop churches, and training centers in strategic cities of the world.

Victory Outreach inspires and instills within people the desire to fulfill their potential in life with a sense of dignity belonging and destiny. Victory Outreach works cooperatively with others of mutual purpose in accomplishing the task before us.

CAUSE, CORPORATION AND COMMUNITY – 3 C’S

COMMUNITY – FAMILY ACTS 2:42 1 TIM 5:1-2

The church is a community; we are a family. This is why we call each other brother, sister, spiritual mom and dad. We can express and receive love, security and a sense of belonging in a family.

Usually it is the weakest person in a family that receives the most attention. Victory Outreach has been instilling the concept of family into its members since the beginning.

God has raised up a people that were no people. Many of the people working in the ministry of Victory Outreach today would not normally qualify as a pastor or licensed minister in other
denominations or movements.

We have a sense of dignity and belonging because we are a family that God Himself raised up to become a unique ministry that works with the hurting people from inner-cities worldwide.

CAUSE – ARMY MATT. 16:18 1 SAM. 17:29 2 SAM. 18:5-17

The cause is the army of the Lord. We are an army with a mission that God has given us to reach the world. We are a mighty army set aside to do battle against the powers of darkness through obedience and loyalty.

Having the same mindset is essential for conquering new lands for the Lord. While in a family
the basic values that are instilled are love, acceptance and respect; in the army the values are a
sense of mission, strategy, accomplishment and finances. In having these same core values, we
will continue to experience VICTORY after VICTORY!

CORPORATION – BUSINESS 1 COR. 14:40

Besides being a family and an army, the church also functions as a corporation. This is the business aspect of the ministry. We have our Victory Outreach International office which is fully staffed with individuals that are dedicated to the worldwide expansion of Victory Outreach through “United We Can”. This will become our future financial stability.

Each local Victory Outreach church strives to become a well-polished, business-run church.

We recognize and believe in accountability to leadership in all aspects of the vision. Decisions are made for the benefit of the total organization.