Sixth Anniversary Banquet 10/29/2022
Ephesians 3:20-21 1 Corinthians 12:12-21
We are here to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the River Of Life Church International, to celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month, and to recognize how God has used various members of the Body of Christ to help in its growth and vision for the future.
In Jesus Christ we serve an incredible God, who does some incredible things, through some very ordinary people.
The scriptures tell us in Ephesians 2:20 that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. In other words, God thinks, God plans and God carries out things on a level way beyond us.
God uses things and circumstances in our lives, that we wished have never occurred. God uses various parts of the body of Christ, around the world to accomplish his plans.
We are tempted to forget, that the God we pray to here, is the same God that’s listening to the prayers of others on the other side of the world.
The seed for the River of Life Church International, was planted out of pain and struggle. I want you to go back in time with me for a moment.
Imagine what it was like, to have your country being torn apart by a civil war. You can hear gunfire, and you know the rebels are closing in. You’re terrified as you see people running for their lives.
Because you, worked for the government, the rebels are after you. They catch up with you and you are arrested. You are from the same village as the vice-president, and they insist you tell them where the vice-president is hiding. You have no idea where the vice president is. You’re just a lowly government worker.
That’s the situation Joseph Samuel Banaci found himself in, in his home country of Liberia in 1990. He’s praying to God for help.
But the rebels demand they tell him something he does not know. They start beating him without mercy or remorse.
There’s a severe blow to his kneecap. His body is wracked with pain. They keep asking him the same question. Blow after blow hits him. They beat him until he passes out, and they leave him for dead. He’s out for hours before others can help him. The recovery is a slow process.
His desire to know the will of God for his life is increasing as he continues to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Preaching in Liberia and other surrounding African nations. He goes to the country of Guinee to learn more about the bible at the Abundant Word Bible College.
Dr. Pangio is at the College teaching and preaching as he travels from the US to go over the world doing conferences and helping to establish bible schools and colleges.
There in the African nation of Guinea, Rev. Banaci meets Dr. Pangio. Because Rev. Banaci speaks French and English he becomes Dr. Pangio’s guide and security guard. At the end of the conference, Dr. Pangio attempts to give Rev. Banaci money in payment for his services.
Rev. Banaci declines the offer of money and says, “what I want from you is to be my spiritual father. I need someone over me in my ministry.”
Dr. Pangio accepted the role and declared Rev. Banaci to be one of his sons. It was one of the best deals Rev. Banaci would make in his ministry.
He returns to his country of Liberia. The pain in his knee reminds him of that awful day of beating. Then God who thinks in ways we could not imagine, gives Rev. Banaci a call to go and serve as a missionary in South Korea.
The average temperature in Liberia in January is 91 degrees. In Seoul South Korea the temperature in January is usually between 5 and 14 without windchill.
You can’t find a snowflake in Liberia. Snow is everywhere in South Korea . That cold was not going to be good for his knees.
There are blacks everywhere in Liberia. There are not that many blacks in Korea. Koreans go to work from 8 am to 8pm often 6 days a week. Yet that’s where God sent him as a missionary to reach people for Christ.
Once in South Korea, the pain in his knee was becoming more unbearable, and the cold didn’t help. He went to the hospital only to discover he had a broken knee cap. It would cost him $7000 for the surgery. He had no money for the surgery.
That’s when God used another part of the body of Christ to make a difference for him. He went to the Catholic Charities in South Korea.
He explained that he was a missionary, and that he needed surgery but didn’t have the money for it. Catholic Charities sent him to their largest hospital in Korea and performed the operation for free.
It was there in South Korea, that God planted the desire in Rev. Banaci to establish the River of Life Church. God took him 8,401 miles to the east on another continent to give him the vision for River of Life Church. The first River of Life Church was born there in South Korea.
Rev. Banaci was convinced that he was to go back to Liberia and to start a new church in Monrovia. Once he got the little church started, and purchased land for the building, he felt called to go the United States to further his education. He turned the new church over to a local pastor until he would return. The second River of Life Church came into being.
God then sends Rev. Banaca 4,772 miles west to another continent to further his training in Pennsylvania, earning both his Bachelors and Master’s Degree. God used Dr. Pangio to make the trip to the United States possible.
Rev. Banaci began work and established the third River of Life Church International in Philadelphia. It was difficult for him trying to support himself, because he didn’t have a work permit. He found himself out of funds and homeless.
Dr. Michael Pangio and Rev Joann Pangio came to his aid with spiritual and financial support. They were there working hard to get the necessary legal immigration paper work to keep Rev. Banaci in the United States.
Even after spending thousands of dollars, Immigration officials denied his application three times to stay in the country. Yet the Pangios’ commitment to support him in ministry did not wane.
He came to Cleveland to be with a relative only to find himself homeless again because of being unable to work without a permit. God rallied the Body of Christ from Youngstown and Elyria through Dr. Pangio & Rev Joann and Rev. Kelvin Roberts and Minister Kellie to provide a place for him to live in Cleveland. They made his early rent payments for an apartment.
Even though things were difficult, in his heart Rev. Banaci knew he should start another branch of the River of Life Church in Cleveland. He sought advice from his mentor Dr. Pangio who encouraged him to start the work.
It was six years ago, that this congregation finally began to take shape. Pastor Kelvin was here for many of the early services offering himself wherever he could, preaching, praying and serving for the cause of Christ.
Once again, Rev. Banaci turned to Catholic Charities for assistance. He wanted to know if they could help him find a church home while launching a new church. He also wanted to know if they could help him with his immigration status by helping him to get a work permit and maybe even a green card.
Catholic Charities gave him the name of 3 churches they recommended he visit. The one church to respond to his situation was New Life at Calvary with Pastor Toby, Pastor Kellie, and Pastor Rick as its pastors.
He came with Pastor Kelvin to visit the church, only to discover Pastor Kelvin he grown up at this church as kid.
Pastor Toby and I believed in what God was calling him to do, and we personally aided in assisting the congregation with the rent at the church in which he was worshipping.
When the doors closed for that location, the session of the New Life At Calvary voted to open its doors to give a physical home for the new River of Life Church Intl here in Cleveland, and here we are today. Two churches working together to reach this community for Christ.
But where would the church be if Rev. Banaci had been deported back to Liberia. In May of 2016 the Obama Administration issued a decree that Liberians were ordered to leave the US and return home because the civil war was over and they were no longer in danger. Rev. Banaci’s future in the US looked very dim.
Once again Catholic Charities rose to the occasion. They provided him with free legal services helping him to obtain a work permit and a green card.
God went further than any of us had originally thought or imagined. God did not stop with a work permit. God did not stop with a green card.
God went all the way for Rev. Banaci to become a naturalized United States citizen. He is now free to travel back and forth between the United and States and Liberia for both personal and ministerial services.
No church can prosper through the work of one person alone. God has brought good and faithful leaders to River of Life Church that have greatly enhanced its ministries.
Sister Laura who interprets the messages into French has been an outstanding leader and comes from the country of Ivory Coast. Her presence allows the church to reach out in French to others online on Facebook and here in the congregation.
Elder David Sarko has been with River of Life Church since day 1. He was the first elder of the congregation and has been doing a great work in the life of the church.
Elder George Toe has established himself as one of the prayer warriors in the congregation. Every church needs those who will make intercessory prayer for the pastor and congregation a priority. He is becoming a young Timothy in the ministry and Rev. Banaci is training him as a future preacher.
Koffee Guedo has come alongside in the ministry with his gifts to be the financial secretary of the church and is doing a great job keeping the church operating within its financial means. He moved his family from Philadelphia to serve specifically in this ministry.
The congregation is celebrating what God has done and is doing, while seeking God for its future. It has applied to join the same denomination as New Life At Calvary, known as ECO-A Covenant of Evangelical Presbyterians.
The congregation is looking to Pastor Kellie to help them in the transition process. If they complete the process, they will be the first ECO church with Liberian and Ivory Coast heritage.
The congregation has a heart for their brothers and sisters in Africa. Their goal is to build a building for the River Of Life Congregation in Liberia and to help the congregation to grow there.
All the money donated and raised through this weekend event, will go to starting the building of the church building. You can still make a donation to make it a reality.
The amazing thing is that God orchestrated this whole event. Rev. Banaci could not have possibly foreseen, how God could use one of the worst beatings in life and, and turn it into the establishment of four congregations on three different continents, using five different denominations to pull it all together.
River of Life Church, God has invested a lot of resources from different parts of the Body of Christ to bring you into existence. Be strong and courageous and do the work God has called you to do.
You have every reason to celebrate! God is just beginning to celebrate you.
