Our Mission and Vision

LOVING GOD. LOVING OTHERS. CHANGING THE WORLD.

We exist to express the manifest presence of God. We want to reveal the Father’s goodness, walk in our identity as His sons and daughters, expand the Kingdom of Jesus, and manifest the Holy Spirit’s presence and love in and around the cities we live in. 

 

Our Leadership

Mike Ibay is the senior pastor of River of God Church in Washington, DC. He co-leads the church with his wife, Grace, as they recognize and value how God uses them together as a team. Mike is passionate to see people walk in their identity and to pursue God’s call for their lives. Grace loves to see people encounter the Lord and take His love to their families and communities. They homeschool their three amazing children and love spending time together as a family.

Prior to moving to Gaithersburg to lead RGC, Mike and Grace served as youth pastors for 16 years at River of Life Church International Christian Fellowship under the leadership of Pastors Benjamin and Marilou Uybengkee. To this day they continue serve ROLICF as Board members and consider the Uybengkees their spiritual parents.

 

Our History

In 1979: 

The roots of River of God Church go back 40 years to Maranatha Christian Fellowship (Philippines) and Maranatha Missionary Outreach led by Bishop Joseph DiSarno. Bishop DiSarno was a young leader at The Tabernacle (Orchard Park, New York) serving Bishop Tommy Reid, when God called him to the Philippines to plant a new church. 

 In 1992:

MCF commissioned Pastor Joseph Porter and his family to Rockville, Maryland, to lead a growing fellowship of believers that grew to become River of Life Church. The church grew steadily through the years.

In 2016:

When Pastor Porter retired, Mike and Grace felt the call to take up leadership of the church. Upon incorporation, they renamed it River of God Church.  

Now:

We continue to be excited for the spirit of adventure that God calls our church toward. The best is yet to come! 

 

What We Believe

• The Bible is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative Word of God.
• There is only one true God, who exists eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
• Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became flesh to reveal God and to become Savior of the world by His sinless life, death, and resurrection.
• God created humanity in His image, yet man willfully rejected God and fell into sin, bringing evil and death into the world.
• We are saved by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. This salvation means being forgiven of sin, declared right before God, restored to His fellowship, and given eternal life with Him.
• The Holy Spirit sanctifies every believer into righteousness and holiness, and He supernaturally empowers us to be genuine, powerful witnesses for Christ.
• The Church (made up of all who put their faith in Christ) is equipped to carry the ministry of Jesus, advance His Kingdom, make an impact upon the world, and disciple all nations.
• We celebrate the ordinances of baptism and communion.
• We embrace the biblical government of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
• Jesus will visibly return for His glorious overcoming Church and fulfill the promises and prophecies of God’s Word.