About Us
Abundant River
Church International
Where We Are Now
Pastors Daniel and Connie Ong and their three children came to Ghana in 1997. Prior to that, they were missionaries in Japan for seven years, where they had planted an international church. After arriving in Ghana, they hit the ground running, and they planted their first church in August of that year, in Dome. Four years later, they started Elim International Family Church now called Abundant River Church International — with a specific outreach to the international community.
Where We Are Now
Pastors Daniel and Connie Ong and their three children came to Ghana in 1997. Prior to that, they were missionaries in Japan for seven years, where they had planted an international church. After arriving in Ghana, they hit the ground running, and they planted their first church in August of that year, in Dome. Four years later, they started Elim International Family Church now called Abundant River Church International — with a specific outreach to the international community.
God has richly blessed the ministry of ARCI. Over the years, many people have come to know Christ, and the church has given birth to Chinese, Arabic, Eritrean and Ethiopian congregations. Pastors Daniel and Connie Ong are now missionaries of Abundant River Church International to the United States. Though they remain in Renton Seattle, USA as Senior Pastors of the International Christian Centre, they oversee a network of churches. Today Pastors Gaby and Jenan Salloum are the pastors of Abundant River Church International.
Evangelism and Missions
We believe that it is the explicit message of our Lord Jesus Christ to those whom He has redeemed; that they are sent forth by Him into the world to be witnesses of His saving grace and that their primary purpose in life should be to glorify God by obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ’s command to preach the Gospel to every creature.
(Matthew 28:18 19; Mark 16:15; John 17:18; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:18 20; I Peter 1:17, 2:11)
OUR BELIEFS
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, having the same nature, attributes, and perfections and are worthy of the same homage and obedience. (Matthew 28:18‑29; Mark 12:20; John 1:14; Acts 5:3‑4; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1‑3; Revelation 1:4‑6)
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, having the same nature, attributes, and perfections and are worthy of the same homage and obedience. (Matthew 28:18‑29; Mark 12:20; John 1:14; Acts 5:3‑4; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1‑3; Revelation 1:4‑6)
We believe in the pre‑existence, incarnation and virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world to reveal the Father, and was the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person; that the Lord Jesus Christ was the creator of all things, for by Him the worlds were made. We believe that in Christ dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and that He was very God and very man, the I AM, the Jehovah of the Old Testament. We further believe in the sinless life of our Lord Jesus Christ, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His bodily ascension into heaven, and……? in earth, and under the earth. (John 1:1‑2,14; I Timothy 3:16; Acts 7:37‑38; Philippians 2:9‑10; Hebrews 7:25)
We believe that the Holy Spirit, though omnipresent from all eternity, after the glorification of Jesus Christ was sent on the day of Pentecost, dwells in every believer, unites all to Christ in one body, and is the source of all power and acceptable service. We believe that ministries are committed to the Holy Spirit including the restraining of evil in the world; the convicting of the world respecting sin, righteousness, and judgment; the regeneration of all believers; the sealing of all believers unto the day of redemption;
We believe that God sovereignly created the world out of nothing. We further believe that man was created in the image of God and by a direct and immediate act of God. (Genesis 1:1. 26‑27, 2:4)
We believe that man by wilful transgression fell from a state of righteousness and holiness in which he was first created into total spiritual depravity; a state of (add: spiritual) death in trespasses and sins in which he is held as a slave of sin and an enemy of God, being unable to attain divine righteousness by his own efforts, but must be redeemed and delivered by the power of the Gospel. (Romans 3:23‑25, 5:12‑21; I Corinthians 15:1‑4; II Corinthians 4:3‑4)
We believe that repentance and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ produces the work of justification in the believer through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Further, we believe that, owing to universal spiritual death through sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born of the Spirit. We also believe that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died as our substitute. (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8‑10)
There is water baptism by immersion for those who believe in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and want to make an outward proclamation of their faith to be willing to “die and resurrect” with Jesus. Since this must be a conscious decision and proclamation, only adults or mature persons can receive water baptism. (Acts 8:26-36; Matthew. 3:16; Matthew. 29:19-20; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-6). There is the filling or baptism in the Holy Spirit by the Lord Jesus Christ, which may occur at or subsequent to conversion. We believe that speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance is the normative evidence of this baptism. Further, we believe that, by the believers’ continued submission to the Holy Spirit, his very weakness is transformed into strength to witness for Jesus Christ in power and to live according to the will of God. (Acts 1:5, 8; 2:4, 38; 10:46; 11:28; 19:6)
We believe in divine healing for the whole man through the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 53:4‑5; Matthew 8:16; Acts 4:30, 19:11; I Corinthians 12; 9; James 5:14)
We believe that all who are united by the new birth (Ro. 10:10, John 3:3-5) to Jesus Christ are members of the universal Church, the body of Christ. We also believe that the local congregation of Christian believers is divinely instituted and is the chosen instrument of God for the furtherance of God’s work upon the earth. We believe that the local church is God’s chosen vehicle for world evangelization and the nurture of Christians. We further believe in the spiritual unity of all believers and in working together with others who believe in salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the causes of evangelism, missions and benevolences. (Matthew 16:16‑18; John 17:21; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 1:20‑23; 4:3‑10; Colossians 3:14‑15)
We believe that the whole purpose of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Therefore, we believe in the act of worshipping God with one’s total being as set forth in the Holy Scriptures. (Psalm 150; Mark 12:29‑31; Ephesians 5:18‑21)
We believe in the divinely called, commissioned, and equipped five‑fold ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers as given to the church by the Lord Jesus Christ after His ascension. We further believe that all Christians are called to be ambassadors for Christ and that all believers have been given the ministry of reconciliation. (Ephesians 4:11‑13; II Corinthians 5:20)
We believe in the doctrine of laying on of hands for: The confirming of believers to commitment and ministry in the local church. We further believe that, in obedience to the Holy Scripture, we should lay hands on no man suddenly, but that the laying on of hands confirms a ministry, which is already observable and has been proven. (I Timothy 5:22)
The confirming of one’s call by God to special ministry in the local church (Acts 13:1,3)
The imparting of spiritual gifts (I Timothy 4:14, II Timothy 1:6)
The experiencing of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:17‑18)
The ministering of healing of the sick through the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 16:16
The blessing and dedicating of children to the Lord (Mark 10:1‑16)
We believe that it is the explicit message of our Lord Jesus Christ to those whom He has redeemed, that they are sent forth by Him into the world to be witnesses of His saving grace and that their primary purpose in life should be to glorify God by obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ’s command to preach the Gospel to every creature. (Matthew 28:18‑19; Mark 16:15; John 17:18; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:18‑20; I Peter 1:17, 2:11)
We believe that all that was lost by the fall is now being restored by Jesus Christ in and through His Church and that there will be a total and ultimate restoration of all things in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. (Daniel 7:14; Acts 3:21; Revelation 21:1‑5)
Marriage is a covenant – a sacred bond between a man and a woman instituted by and publicly entered into before God. God’s plan for the marriage covenant involves at least the following vital principles:
Marriage is intended to be permanent, since it was established by God (Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:9). Marriage represents a serious commitment that should not be entered into lightly or unadvisedly. It involves a solemn promise or pledge, not merely to one’s marriage partner, but before God. Divorce is not permitted except in a very limited number of biblically prescribed circumstances.
Marriage is not only permanent, sacred, and mutual; it is also exclusive (Genesis 2:22-25; 1 Corinthians 7:2-5). This means that no other human relationship must interfere with the marriage commitment between husband and wife. For this reason, Jesus treated sexual immorality of a married person, including even a husband’s lustful thoughts, with utmost seriousness (Matthew 5:28; 19:9). For the same reason, premarital sex is also illegitimate, since it violates the exclusive claims of one’s future spouse. As the Song of Solomon makes clear, only in the secure context of an exclusive marital bond can free and complete giving of oneself in marriage take place.
Marriage is not only permanent, sacred, and mutual; it is also exclusive (Genesis 2:22-25; 1 Corinthians 7:2-5). This means that no other human relationship must interfere with the marriage commitment between husband and wife. For this reason, Jesus treated sexual immorality of a married person, including even a husband’s lustful thoughts, with utmost seriousness (Matthew 5:28; 19:9). For the same reason, premarital sex is also illegitimate, since it violates the exclusive claims of one’s future spouse. As the Song of Solomon makes clear, only in the secure context of an exclusive marital bond can free and complete giving of oneself in marriage take place.
God has richly blessed the ministry of ARCI. Over the years, many people have come to know Christ, and the church has given birth to Chinese, Arabic, Eritrean and Ethiopian congregations. Pastors Daniel and Connie Ong are now missionaries of Elim International Family Church to the United States. Though they remain in Renton Seattle, USA as Senior Pastors of the International Christian Centre, they oversee a network of churches. Today Pastors Gaby and Jenan Salloum are the pastors of Elim International Family Church.