Sonny Arguinzoni
Pastor Sonny Arguinzoni is an American evangelical Christian pastor and founder of Victory Outreach International, a worldwide network of Christian Churches. Since it was founded in 1967 in Los Angeles alongside his wife Julie, the church has grown its number of locations throughout the United States and in over 33 countries.[1] Arguinzoni remains involved as the organization's pastor and in the church's outreach to gang members in inner cities and individuals suffering from substance abuse.
Arguinzoni has authored four books detailing the redemption from gang life and drug abuse. In 2017, he was depicted in a biopic movie
Early life
Arguinzoni was born in 1939 in New York City. He is of Puerto Rican descent. According to his written testimony, while growing up in Brooklyn he began associating with the local Viceroy gang and began abusing heroin and other drugs. In 1960 at the age of 21 at a Teen Challenge in Brooklyn, he befriended Christian evangelist Nicky Cruz, who Arguinzoni credits as instrumental in converting him to Christianity.
Victory Outreach International
Victory Outreach consists of over 700 churches,[2] 40 percent of which are outside of the United States. Arguinzoni and his wife Julie founded the ministry in a small building in the Boyle Heights neighborhood in East Los Angeles. The couple had met while attending the Latin American Bible College and married soon after. After moving to Los Angeles, the couple began to minister to troubled individuals involved in gangs and drugs in and around the Aliso Village housing projects. They began by ministering in their own home and soon after in their small church. The ministry grew throughout different cities in California. During the 1980s, the church experienced a rapid growth throughout the United States, which precluded an international expansion in the 1990s and moving forward.[3]
According to Victory Outreach, each location maintains sovereignty and autonomy in key decision-making processes. Arguinzoni often travels to many of Victory Outreach churches to minister in person. His son, Sonny Arguinzoni Jr., is currently the Senior pastor of the Victory Outreach Church in Chino, California.
In 2017, the church commemorated its 50th anniversary[4] at the World Conference which took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Arguinzoni spoke to the crowd and at the end of the week-long conference was a banquet that premiered the biopic motion picture of Arguinzoni's life, "Sonny".[5]
Recovery Homes work
Pastor Arguinzoni helped to establish Victory Outreach's Recovery Homes Ministry, which include men's and women's drug and alcohol recovery homes. Located in inner-cities throughout the United States and around the world, the recovery homes house over 10,000 people in recovery[6].
Written works
Sonny Arguinzoni is the author of four books,[7] "Sonny," "Treasures Out of Darkness," "Internalizing the Vision," and "Vision For The Outcast," all of which detail stories of redemption and salvation from gang life and drug abuse.
References
- ^ "Sonny Arguinzoni Biography". www.sonnyarguinzoni.org.
- ^ "Sonny Arguinzoni Sr". 22 January 2015.
- ^ "The History - Victory Outreach InternationalVictory Outreach International". victoryoutreach.org.
- ^ "Victory Outreach International to Commemorate 50th Anniversary in July at World Conference in L.A."
- ^ "Sonny The Movie".
- ^ Charisma. "Former Gang Member Plan to Take Cities for Jesus — Charisma Magazine". www.charismamag.com.
- ^ "Sonny Arguinzoni - Books by Pastor Sonny Arguinzoni".