Our History

Dick Benjamin founded a church in 1959 in Anchorage, Alaska which grew rapidly during the Jesus movement of the 60's & 70's. A Bible School was etablished to train and equip these young converts who were eager to learn. In 1973, the Lord directed Dick to send out teams with a pastor to plant churches in Alaska, the lower States, and the mission field. Over the next 15 years, approximately 1500 members (60 plus teams) were commissioned and sent to fulfil their assignments to go and plant a church.

Dick's role changed to that of an apostle when it was still considered an office relegated to the early church. However, the church he pastored released him to focus on the need to assist, counsel, and cover the growing network of churches.

In 1999, Dick resigned his role as an apostle and released the entire network to find other apostolic streams to connect with. Many did, while others wanted to stick with the colleagues with whom they had longstanding relationships. In 2002 Vanguard International was formed and led by an apostolic team of five-fold ministers with a long history in the former network. Annual conferences were established and maintained, as well as a covering and identity for local churches and ministries to have an affiliation.

In 2007, it was determined by the apostolic team of Vanguard International to release Dr. Jay Zinn (www.jayzinn.com) to oversee the southeast region of churches in the network. Thus, Vanguard Network International was established and incorporated that year. In October 2007, Dr. Zinn was ordained and commissioned by the team and River's Edge Church into the role of an apostle. 


VNI Distinctives

· Barnabas apostolic in nature (gets others to help)
· Relationship is to an apostle & sister churches in the network    
· Relationship includes para-church & other apostolic networks                   
· Doctrinal unity based only on indisputable absolutes of fundamental doctirne   
· Membership requires unity only around absolutes of doctrine
· Door into membership is through relationships    
· Employs strategies to advance God’s kingdom
· Assist in the planting of churches                         
· Assist and support churches who plant churches
· A pastor and his church are in relationship with an apostle
· Covered by and accountable to an apostle and his team    
· Apostle is covered by & accountable to a team of other apostles    
· Does not ordain five-fold offices (local churches ordain them)        
· Does not take a position on “disputable” doctrines
· Position on disputable doctrines is left up to individuals
· Fellowships around absolutes & doctrinal “diversity”         
· Conferences for many streams of ministries
· Sister church problems call upon their apostle for help      
· Help is deployed through apostolic teams in the organization
· Resources provided through apostle and many ministries