Agape Church

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AGAPE OUTREACH CHURCH OF VIETNAM


THE BACKGROUND: -Revival and ICC

The year of 1988 was a very important year in the modern day history of Vietnam.
It was the year of the beginning of the establishment of the House Church Movement in Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). God’s Holy Spirit visited many of His believers that year, bringing a great time of refreshing! Hundreds of Christians were impressed by the Spirit to evangelize and share the gospel message to the lost.

The most notable events that occurred involved many pastors, evangelists, and other believers who received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by many of the same manifestations of the Holy Spirit that were demonstrated on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in the second chapter of Acts. When the Holy Spirit fell on them they began to speak and pray in tongues, and subsequently operate in many of the gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in First Corinthians chapter 12.

During this time of outpouring and refreshing, Duong Quang Vinh, a teacher of English at the University, as well as a Deacon of the Grace Baptist Church, was strongly visited by the Holy Spirit when he attended a worship service at a house church in Thanh Da Apartments. Pastor Dinh Thien Tu was preaching on “The Servant Of God Is Like A Fire,” and as he listened to that message Brother Vinh was called to dedicate his life to serve God.

God then provided wonderful opportunities and Brother Vinh submitted himself to receiving training directly from Pastor Tu and other pastors, professors, and missionaries from abroad. God also used Brother Vinh’s English language skills to help churches in interpreting and translating Bible training courses and and theological classes organized by the Inter-denominational Christian Church (ICC).

After a year of training and serving, Teacher Vinh was appointed Church Leader of Thanh Da Church of ICC. God gave him a heart to sincerely love his students, so he set up a small Bible Study group to study the Bible verse by verse. There was no name for this informal group, it simply existed for the purpose of gathering for Bible study and other healthy Christian activities.

At the beginning there were twelve students, representing various schools: Tri Dung Business school; Hanoi Foreign Language College; Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City University of Law; Ho Chi Minh University of Economics; and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. Teacher Vinh and his students met together for weekly Bible study on Saturday afternoons in different places such as homes, dormitories, parks, and coffee shops. God had not yet revealed to him the vision for establishing Agape Outreach Church Vietnam.

STAGE ONE-AGAPE FAMILY VIETNAM 1991-1996

In March of 1991 The Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) International sent Dr. Victor Koh to Vietnam to find a representative to reorganize Campus Crusade for Christ in Vietnam. Campus Crusade had begun operating in Vietnam in 1973 but ceased operation in 1975 when North Vietnam and South Vietnam were reunited as one country. Brother Vinh had served as a staff member in charge of CCC at the Faculty of Letters, Saigon, from 1973 until 1975. He had also received a four year scholarship to go to America and study in July of 1975, but it was cancelled when the country was reunited in April of that year.

While Brother Vinh was serving as a leader of the Thanh Da ICC church, he developed a ministry of discipleship to a group of University students (as previously mentioned). He also renewed his relationship with CCC when Dr. Victor Koh visited Vietnam. For a period of time Teacher Vinh served both as an Evangelist of the ICC and a coordinator of Campus Crusade for Christ in Vietnam. While serving in this dual role it was revealed to Vinh a vision of opening a church for students and professionals in Vietnam. More and more people joined his existing discipleship ministry for university students, and it grew to 200 by Easter of 1991. At this time Teacher Vinh became the official leader of the Campus Crusade for Christ in Vietnam.

During this season, religious activities were experiencing many difficulties due to the political climate and idiology. The degree of difficulty in conducting religous activities varied according to region. God gave wisdom to Brother Vinh to use the name Agape Family Vietnam instead of Campus Crusade for Christ, Vietnam to respond to authorities when needed or required. This proved to be a very wise decision. God also send a married couple, Evangelists Kim Hong and Huu Lai to work with Agape Family as assistants. Agape Family continued to mature and grow.

During the next five years of worship, study, and other diverse activities Agape Family was forced to change locations to survive. The first location was at 122 Lo IV Cu Xa Thanh Da, District Binh Thanh, but they subsequently moved to the following locations:
Hoang Hoa Tham, Binh Thanh District, then Dang Van Ngu, Phu Nhuan District, followed by Tran Van Dang, Phu Nhuan District, and Dinh Tien Hoang, District one, Nguyen Thuong Hien, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, District three, and finally to 129 Vo Thi Sau, District three. They were able to remain there for a considerable time, as the property belonged to the Dominique Catholic Church, led by Rev Thien Cam. All the activities of Agape Family were similar to the activities of the Church: preaching and teaching the Word of God as well as praying. However, Agape Family focused more on discipling staff according to the standard of Campus Crusade for Christ International.

During this stage one period, 1991-1996 Brother Vinh was also employed as an English instructor at four different schools: Hanoi Foreign Language Center; Tri Dung Business School; Dalton English Center; and Dong Khoi English Center, all located in District one. During his employment thousands of his students had the opportunity to hear about the love of God and the salvation offered by God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In March of 1994, Brother Vinh was sent to Seoul, South Korea for one month to attend the International Campus Crusade for Christ leadership course. After completion he returned to Vietnam and continued all of his spiritual and secular activities. In September of 1994, Brother Duong Quang Vinh, along with two other evangelists working with him, K. Hong, and H. Lai were officially ordained as Pastors by ICC.

Agape Family was continuing to grow spiritually and numerically. Gradually the use of the name Campus Crusade for Christ was abandoned in order to avoid undue governmental problems. Agape Family began reaching out to other areas, such as Nha Trang, Hanoi, and Da Nang. As the church grew, difficulties increased for Agape Family. Pastor Vinh was “invited” by the police to be “interviewed” more than 20 times during this period. Thanks to the goodness, mercy, and grace of God, all the times he was being interrogated he was protected and the work of God continued.

Early in the year 1995 the leadership of Campus Crusade for Christ International asked Pastor Tu of ICC to release Pastor Vinh from his position serving as a church leader in the Thanh Da area so that he could serve full time with Campus Crusade for Christ in Vietnam. Pastor Tu agreed, and Pastor Vinh was released to more clearly focus his ministry with CCC.

In November of 1995 the educational branch of the government became aware of Pastor Vinh’s religious involvement and they cancelled his teaching contract with all government schools. Although this freed up more of his time, it also brought financial pressures to bear on Pastor Vinh.

The year 1996 was a year of productive transition for Pastor Vinh and the Church. He was freed from his leadership obligations to CCC, and enabled to pursue with all of his heart the ministry and expansion of Agape Family Church. Agape Family began to pursue a new direction with new vision. In May, 1996 God sent Pastor Vinh to Hong Kong to receive the training “ Planting a New Church”, presented by Asian Outreach. Subsequently, in September he went to Singapore for bible study and graduated from International Pastor’s School of City Harvest Church.

STAGE TWO-AGAPE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH (AFC) 1996-2001

In 1996, during the Easter season (April) and after three days of fasting and prayer, Agape Fellowship Church of Vietnam was birthed at 129 Vo Thi Sau, District three. Present in support were pastors from various house churches, and 25 students. All of Pastor Vinh’s previous staff members (Brother Hai, Sister Tam, Brother Tan, Brother Than) who worked with him with CCC continued their ministries with CCC, and Pastor Vinh started the new church plant with 25 young students.

As Pastor Vinh and the 25 students embarked on the new church plant venture, they were met with a multitude of challenges. God enabled them to overcome the many obstacles and meet all their needs. Many independent house churches joined the Agape Fellowship Church, and it began to grow. At the beginning of AFC it was blessed with a number of church leaders: Phuoc, Ngoc, and Lung in Saigon and Amathong and Amamut in Dak Lak Province.

God also sent Pastor Vinh to Thailand and Singapore to study “The Development of the Church.” Afterward, He also sent many pastors, professors, and missionaries from America, Singapore, Germany, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, and other countries to help train the constituency of Agape Fellowship Church in Christian Education and Missions.

During this “Stage Two” of the churches development ACF faced the difficulty of finding an appropriate place of worship. The church was forced to leave its location on Vo Thi Sau street in 1997 and for five years was similar to “Israel wandering in the wilderness.” The church moved to many different locations such as homes, hotels, and restaurants. It is very grateful to Pastor Buu from the CMA church who helped AGF by allowing them to worship at their location in District 8 for two years.

There were many difficulties, trials, oppositions, and persecutions during this period but by the power of Almighty God and the protection and guidance of the Lord Jesus Christ, the AFC kept on standing on her feet and developing, and demonstrating the love of Agape through the activities of the believers in the church and in the community.
This period of 1996-2001 was a concentrated time of Bible study, worker training, and development of churches in nearby areas such as Dong Nai, Long An, Tien Giang and Dak Lak.

STAGE THREE-AGAPE OUTREACH CHURCH OF VIETNAM 2001-2006


At the beginning of 2001 the five previous years without a permanent long term place of worship had taken its toll on the AFC. The number of people who regularly gathered to worship had decreased to about 30. The others had scattered, some joining house churches nearer to their homes, and some had grown cold and backslidden. (Today God has increased the numbers to nearly 170 people, including many different classes and ages of people joyously worshipping together. Today there are various departments: children, teens, youth, women, and adult. There are four church services each week including one international service in English on Sundays at 5:30 P.M. )

But this period was also one in which the church experienced some of its greatest development, and also brought many changes. God provided an excellent place to worship at 15 Tu Xuong Street, District three. The church was favored by the love of Rev. Nguyen Cong Danh and Rev. Phan Khac Tu, leaders of the United Committee of Catholics, Ho Chi Minh City, and they allowed the church to use part of their facility.
Acquiring a permanent place to worship was and is a significant milestone in the development of this fellowship.

God also gave Pastor Vinh and others in the church leadership opportunities to study His Word and to minister to His people at churches in other nations. It gives thanks to the fellowship and partnership with charismatic and Pentecostal churches in Malaysia, Singapore, America, Israel and Germany. It was especially significant that Pastor Vinh was able to attend the “Fire Conference” in Singapore in 2001. At the Fire Conference, in an upper room of Convention City, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke laid hands on Pastor Vinh and prayed for Pastor Vinh’s anointing, and God filled him with a fresh anointing.
Pastor Vinh returned from Singapore, bringing with him the fire of revival and the spirit of evangelism to the Agape Church.

Receiving a word from the Holy Spirit, Agape Fellowship Church changed its name to Agape Outreach Church, Vietnam (AOC). The wind of the spirit breathed into the church bringing an outpouring of fresh anointings. This was clearly evidenced by a strong spirit of worship, and many were baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking and praying in tongues, and worshipping in the Spirit. Many new mission fields opened up and many church workers were willing to reach out into new mission areas in Hanoi, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, and Hai Phong in the north, and Binh Phuoc in the south.

During this third stage of our fellowship 11 church leaders were ordained as Pastors, and 25 church workers were recognized as Evangelists. In 2002, by the guidance of the Lord and the delegation of the AOC leadership board, Pastor Vinh, as President of AOC organized the ceremony of ordination. This was the first one for the Agape Outreach Church. Five pastors were ordained in 2002, including Pastor Phuoc, Pastor Dung, Pastor Ngoc, Pastor Amagon, and Pastor Amamut. In 2004 Pastors Tieu, Mathong, Kha, and Dat, and in 2006 Pastors Van and Tin. Additionally, even though previously ordained while with CCC, Pastor Vinh was ordained by the Church of Glad Tidings in California, USA.

In the process of the growth and development of the church during this stage, the AOC experienced the challenges common to all churches: people, including leaders, leaving the church and often taking others with them to start new independent works. This is nothing unique to Vietnam, nor to the AOC, it has existed since the church began. The AOC has perceived these issues as a benefit to the church of God and has made great efforts to keep good relationships with those who leave.

In September 2004 Pastor Eli stopped his ministry because of his health, and in December 2004 Pastor Kha left the Church to help his father open a new church in another area.

In December of 2006 Pastor Ngoc together with other pastors left the AOC to start another group. This event caused the AOC to lose many strong evangelists, as well as some mission fields and local churches in the north and some churches in the highlands, and the Mekong Delta.

These issues always cause heartache and pain when they happen, but the leadership of Agape makes great efforts to demonstrate the love of God while hurts are being healed.

Early in 2006 (toward the end of stage 3 of Agape) some pastors of the leadership board suggested we delete the word “Outreach” from the name of the church. The board agreed, and the word was deleted. In retrospect we see that we made a mistake when we did that. When we removed the word “outreach” it seems like we began a vacation from evangelism and exploring new mission fields, and went into a spiritual sleep.

PRESENT STAGE-AGAPE CHURCH 2006-2011

Toward the end of STAGE 3 of Agape (2001-2006) we felt as if we had been on a boat with Jesus going through terrible storms. The boat seemed to be destined to become a shipwreck with everyone lost. But Jesus rose up and made Himself known in the midst of the storm. He had always been with us, but we had become unaware of His presence. No matter how bad the storms have been, the Boat of Agape keeps arriving at its destination because Jesus is in the boat.

Finally in 2006 we bagan to “wake up.” God brought new change and new challenges. We established a new leadership board, and embraced new vision and challenges in all levels of the church with a spirit of faith. A new young generation of called and chosen began to embrace the future.

We began to broaden our mission fields, and increase the number of male missionaries. We intensified our educational programs, and began training programs for new church leaders. All of our previous programs were revised and restored. God begin to visit and bless the new leadership board and the local churches spiritually and physically. God raised up many new workers and brought back some of the pastors to the church. His grace was apparent when one of the pastors on the leadership board passed away. He was an honest man, fruitful in ministry and fruitful for the Agape Church. He was well loved by the people of the church. Thanks be to God, after his death God raised up his wife and his children to take his place in the local Agape Church. In the three years from 2006 to 2009 almost all of the activities of the leadership board and local churches were stabilized and restored to strength.

At the beginning of this stage, we focused primarily on mission fields near Saigon. Beginning in 2010 God restored the spirit of evangelism to the church and opened new mission fields again in the Mekong Delta and the central part of Vietnam. Further, we developed more churches in Binh Phuoc and Quang Ngai Provinces. Step by step God preserved and preotected the church and the Holy Spirit led the church in the grace of God, spiritual gifts, and the way of righteousness. God raised up a young generation more aggressive for the Kingdom of God than the previous one.

God also helped us to recognize church leaders with good character, who had proven themselves fruitful in the local church and effective on the mission fields. They were selected to be ordained as pastors in special ordinations in 2009 and 2011. Pastor Trot and Pastor Viet were ordained in January of 2009, and Pastors Ba, Cuong, Hang, Nga, and Thoa were ordained in March of 2011.

During this season our churches experienced great blessings in every area. Also, some of our Agape Churches were designated as legal churches according to Order No. 1 of the government and the department of religion. Thanks to this official approval the leadership board and local churches have been able to enjoy favorable conditions to worship God and conduct their activities much more freely. The church has contributed many charitable and social works for the community locally, including supporting the poor and elderly. Furthermore the church has provided educational scholarships for needy students, donated blood, and distributed medical supplies. Agape has established relationships with local authorities based on mutual respect and
support for the community and its Christians, as well as all who fear God and love people.

In the Christian community the church built 6 wells, provided over 30 water filtering containers, and renovated three chapels for three local churches . Agape is presently providing $35 USD scholarships to 50 students, helping them buy books and school supplies.
The church has also provided finances to some who were very poor, enabling them to either start their own business, or find a suitable job. This frees them to be able to go to church and joyfully participate in church activities. Hallelujah!!!

The church has also opened Agape School of Ministry (ASM), connecting with pastors, professors, and missionaries from the Bible School in Vietnam, as well as overseas. Its purpose is to teach church leaders and pastors a higher level of theology, and to equip them for greater effectiveness in their ministries on the mission fields and local churches.

In the past 20 years God has sent many of His servants who are gifted and anointed with the Holy Spirit to Viet Nam to help the Agape Church train church workers, preach the Word of God, and overall build up the church. Agape Church is very grateful for their contributions, support, and prayers. We always remember them in our daily prayers.

God has also given the Agape Church good relationships and fellowship with other denominations and Christian groups in Vietnam. Among them are the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship (VEF), Hanoi Christian Fellowship (HCF), within Vietnam, and many other Christian churches, ministries, and denominations all over the world. We are grateful for these cooperative relationships which help to build up the Kingdom.

FUTURE STAGE-VISION 2011-2016

Disipleship, Leadership, and Evangelism
Beginning in 2011 the Holy Spirit has strongly stirred Pastor Vinh and many of the other Agape pastors with a strong spirit of evangelism. The primary subjects of their preaching ministries have been missions, evangelism, and church planting. These subjects have also been taught at various seminars for leaders and church workers.

The Holy Spirit is presently moving in Agape fellowship by demonstrating His power to unbelievers by gifts of healings by the laying on of hands. Many new believers are being added to the Kingdom of God. Many new churches are being planted, even more than the leadership had expected. In the early months of 2011 a new church was planted in Soc Trang Province; in April 2011 a new church in Ninh Binh Province in the north, 100 km. from Hanoi. In Ninh Binh the population was largely of a Catholic background, and when we shared the gospel of Jesus with them, it was the very first time they had ever heard it. Over 30 new believers are being discipled there and will be baptised in water in this September, 2011. In July of 2011 God used one lady who is very aggressive in evangelism to plant a new church in Nha Trang City, a beautiful seaside town, 400 km from Saigon.

We are grateful to God that He has given Pastor Vinh and his leadership the same spirit of zeal and evangelism and that they are working together in unity to strengthen and expand the Kingdom of God in Vietnam.

Pastor Vinh also had the opportunity to receive training from Dr. Naomy, former Elder of Trinity Christian Center in Singapore, in two areas: “Understanding The Original Purpose of the First Disciples Church” and “Discipleship and Leadership.” Pastor Vinh will be training all of the Agape pastors, evangelists, and new church planters in these areas. This will be the key direction for the next five years of Agape Church: winning-teaching-discipleship and leadership.

God has also raised up many young people with music talent to participate in the choir and worship team. Of special note is the group “Agape Songs” made up of 12 key young people who will lead church services in music in future crusades.

The church also has a plan to build church buildings and chapels at some local churches in the near future. We also plan to send students to study at the seminary in Vietnam, as well as other foreign countries.

Agape realizes a name is very important, especially the name of a church. A name is not simply a title, but rather it reveals the desire and future God has revealed to the senior pastor through the years. Therefore, beginning in 2011 the church will take back its previous name, “Agape Outreach Church Vietnam” (AOC). AOC will concentrate on education, Bible training, discipleship, and leadership training. It will emphasize evangelistic meetings at local churches and new church planting programs as well.

The present leadership board of AOC
President: Pastor Duong Quang Vinh
General Secretary: Ms D.N.G. Tiem
General Treasurer: Pastor D.T. Tin
Member: Pastor T.V. Cong
Member: Pastor K.V. Ba
Member: Pastor N.N.M. Hang
Member: Pastor D. V. Trot
Agape Outreach Church is in a stage of restoration, discipleship, and leadership development under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are seeking the anointing of the Holy Spirit on our Leadership Board, unity within our body, a submissive spirit among our membership, and faithfulness to God and one another. The AOC is now following the example of the original disciples of Jesus and building up the Kingdom of God in Viet Nam.

Rev. DUONG QUANG VINH ( JOSHUA )
Hand phone : 0903-630621 ;
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; Website: www.agapevietnam.com