Victory Outreach International
One of the smaller but faster growing movements within the “Christian” church scene here is in the United States and abroad is called Victory Outreach International church movement. Over the couple of years many disturbing things along with good things have been said about this movement. With so many allegations and statements being made about this organization we at Empowered by Christ feel that an look at what this group is about is warranted.
Let’s take a look at some of the basic facts of Victoria Outreach International.
While the Victory Outreach church movement might seemingly look rock solid by its profile and statement of faith put forth on its website. It is what a group or movement does in actuality that we need to look at to discern if there are problems with in that movement. This is the case with the Victory Outreach church Movement. Anyone can put out a good website or statement of faith to lure people to them. Does what they say on their website at http://www.victoryoutreach.org match what they practice at their churches?
This in its self is where the problem lies. What Victory Outreach International puts out as their statement of faith and holds as their values don’t match what many of their churches teach. Over the past couple of years many people have been coming forward and out of this group with honorific stories of mistreatment, shunning, leader worship, and over all poor theological teaching that are cultic in their nature. While some of these complaints and allegations must be taken with a grain of salt, this does warrant some concern about the movement. Any time there a large numbers of reports about a group or movement speak contrary to what the movement or group is supposedly teaching we have to question the legitimacy of that group or movement.
One thing that we found of great concern while investigating this movement is that Victory Outreach’s lack of availability of media content. This movement seems to be very much in to guarding it sermons and making them this for “members only.” This is troublesome to say the least and makes one wonder what they are trying to hide from the general public at large.
Another disturbing thing we noted it that while this movement claims that every church is an; “independent fellowship of churches with each local church having complete sovereignty and autonomy, also being both self-governing and self-supporting.” It would seem that they are very much of a single controlled organization that is controlled by its international Founder and President Sonny Arguinzoni. This in its self makes one question who are they following? Are they following God and His Word or Founder and President Sonny Arguinzoni?
As so often with many of these groups the problems with them don’t present themselves to their members or even the general public until you yourself are label the problem, by then you are so close to fire you end up getting burnt. Often time’s movements like Victoria Outreach seem openly friendly and supporting of their members and those who are down and out. They often use a technique called Love Bombing. This technique is where an individual or group will prey upon those who are down and out with extra amounts of exuberant love and support with their overall goal to be to convert them to their way of thinking. Then if and when the person they “Love Bomb” starts to question what is being taught with in the movement those people find them self on the receiving end of being shunned or labeled as an out cast.
While there seems to be some real disturbing questions about Victory Outreach International and it’s overall motives in comparison to what it puts forth on its website we must not through out all 700 churches with the bath water. We must look at each church on an individual basis and question each of those churches and their teaching and alliances to their international foundation. If you or you know someone who is attending a Victory Outreach make sure you question them and be a Berean and take what you are being taught back to what the Word of God says. Make sure you take the time to question your pastor and do some of your own investigating and find out if what you are being taught is what the Word of God is teaching.
[1] http://www.victoryoutreach.org/aboutus/victory-outreach-history.asp
[2] http://www.victoryoutreach.org/aboutus/victory-outreach-governance.asp
[3] http://www.victoryoutreach.org/aboutus/victory-outreach-structure.asp this
[4] http://www.victoryoutreach.org/aboutus/victory-outreach-structure.asp
Let’s take a look at some of the basic facts of Victoria Outreach International.
- The Victory Outreach Church movement started back in 1967 and is now a network of over 700 churches in 30 different countries including here in the United States.[1]
- The Victory Outreach movement is headed by Founder and President Sonny Arguinzoni, who has been in charge of this organization for 41 years.[2].
- Victory Outreach is an independent fellowship of churches with each local church having complete sovereignty and autonomy, also being both self-governing and self supporting.[3]
- Each church of Victory Outreach is a part of a region within a district and is required to adhere to the Statement of Faith and Core Values as set forth by Victory Outreach International.[4]
- Victory Outreach holds to the basic tenants of Orthodox Christianity as stated on their belief page, http://www.victoryoutreach.org/aboutus/victory-outreach-beliefs.asp. While they do believe in the continuation of the gifts.
While the Victory Outreach church movement might seemingly look rock solid by its profile and statement of faith put forth on its website. It is what a group or movement does in actuality that we need to look at to discern if there are problems with in that movement. This is the case with the Victory Outreach church Movement. Anyone can put out a good website or statement of faith to lure people to them. Does what they say on their website at http://www.victoryoutreach.org match what they practice at their churches?
This in its self is where the problem lies. What Victory Outreach International puts out as their statement of faith and holds as their values don’t match what many of their churches teach. Over the past couple of years many people have been coming forward and out of this group with honorific stories of mistreatment, shunning, leader worship, and over all poor theological teaching that are cultic in their nature. While some of these complaints and allegations must be taken with a grain of salt, this does warrant some concern about the movement. Any time there a large numbers of reports about a group or movement speak contrary to what the movement or group is supposedly teaching we have to question the legitimacy of that group or movement.
One thing that we found of great concern while investigating this movement is that Victory Outreach’s lack of availability of media content. This movement seems to be very much in to guarding it sermons and making them this for “members only.” This is troublesome to say the least and makes one wonder what they are trying to hide from the general public at large.
Another disturbing thing we noted it that while this movement claims that every church is an; “independent fellowship of churches with each local church having complete sovereignty and autonomy, also being both self-governing and self-supporting.” It would seem that they are very much of a single controlled organization that is controlled by its international Founder and President Sonny Arguinzoni. This in its self makes one question who are they following? Are they following God and His Word or Founder and President Sonny Arguinzoni?
As so often with many of these groups the problems with them don’t present themselves to their members or even the general public until you yourself are label the problem, by then you are so close to fire you end up getting burnt. Often time’s movements like Victoria Outreach seem openly friendly and supporting of their members and those who are down and out. They often use a technique called Love Bombing. This technique is where an individual or group will prey upon those who are down and out with extra amounts of exuberant love and support with their overall goal to be to convert them to their way of thinking. Then if and when the person they “Love Bomb” starts to question what is being taught with in the movement those people find them self on the receiving end of being shunned or labeled as an out cast.
While there seems to be some real disturbing questions about Victory Outreach International and it’s overall motives in comparison to what it puts forth on its website we must not through out all 700 churches with the bath water. We must look at each church on an individual basis and question each of those churches and their teaching and alliances to their international foundation. If you or you know someone who is attending a Victory Outreach make sure you question them and be a Berean and take what you are being taught back to what the Word of God says. Make sure you take the time to question your pastor and do some of your own investigating and find out if what you are being taught is what the Word of God is teaching.
[1] http://www.victoryoutreach.org/aboutus/victory-outreach-history.asp
[2] http://www.victoryoutreach.org/aboutus/victory-outreach-governance.asp
[3] http://www.victoryoutreach.org/aboutus/victory-outreach-structure.asp this
[4] http://www.victoryoutreach.org/aboutus/victory-outreach-structure.asp
