Our History

Word of Life Assembly of God Church was formed in July 1997 in Owings Mills, MD, under the leadership of its founder, Rev. Scott Erickson. Over the years the church grew into a multinational church with members in attendance from several different nations, including: Ghana, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Rwanda, Republic of the Congo, Australia, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and ofcourse America. Given the diverse nature of the congregation, the name Word of Life International Church was adopted as a reflection of what God was doing in the assembly.


In 2000, Rev. Scott Erickson felt the leading of the Lord to move on to another assignment. He was succeeded by Rev. John Hill, Rev. David Yannatone, the late Rev. Ron Wienke, Pastor Chris Sakai and Rev. E. Don Cox respectively who led the assembly until 2013.


On March 31, 2013, Rev. Ivan Brooms assumed the role as Lead Pastor. The church, under his leadership, continues to show God’s love to its community and to create an atmosphere that makes people feel welcome so they can meet the one who loves and knows them better than all others, Jesus.


Our goal above all is to glorify God, and a close second is to reach life seekers in Reisterstown and all across the Greater Baltimore area with the good news of God’s love. We seek to show God’s love in a practical way to those in the community through acts of kindness and service and to have a Sunday morning service that is both inviting and relevant to those who are frustrated with the establishment church or who have never attended church. We are committed to family life and to fulfilling the Great Commission with the heart of the Great Commandment. Please join us!


Our Staff

Senior Pastor:Reverend Ivan Brooms, D. Min

Youth Director: Mia Brooms

Music Director: Alex M. Abcede

Secretary: Marcia DeMinds

Our Church Board

Deacons/Deaconesses:

Sharon Oliver

Gretel Ramsay

Reverend Wanlis Campbell

Desire Bihinda

Our Beliefs

Our Beliefs At the very core of Word of Life International Church are these principles from the Bible which influence our actions as individuals, and as a family.

Every person Has What it Takes To Change the World: Jesus' life proved that from a very few people with powerful, intimate relationships, the face of the entire world can be changed. Inside every person is a distinct blend of characteristics that are an essential component in God's plan to restore the world. In essence, you and I matter! We believe that God has equipped us with all of the tools necessary to live the best possible life, and it is a blessing to give all that is in the Kingdom of God to anyone who will receive it.

Generosity: We believe that love is one of the distinguishing characteristics of God, and generosity is the best evidence of love. We cherish the New Testament accounts of the new partners in God's family sharing all of their possessions with one another and changing everything about their lives to uplift their neighbors, and even people in the far reaches of the earth. Central to who we are is a love for God, and love for others. Sharing our wealth, and being generous to our community is our proof that God's love operates within us.

Jesus is Our Leader: We recognize Jesus, the messiah, as the leader of Word of Life International Church, not a person, group, or religious organization. While recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe every local church should be self-governing and independent from any denominational control. This is consistent with the Assemblies of God stance, called “a voluntary, cooperative fellowship” with us. We are a group of people who seek a deeper understanding of Jesus' teachings and who desire to be free to pursue that journey. Unnecessary religious and legal obligations hinder that spiritual pursuit, and we are proud to be free to worship in a way that is beneficial to our partnership.

Spirit-led living: We believe the only way to live a Christian life is by God’s Spirit within us. We seek to practice to daily become aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and to exercise powerful change on God's behalf. He has given us the keys to His household as heirs alongside Him, and we strive to act with power and authority to make a strong difference in our world. We are not a social club. We are not irrelevant. We are sons and daughters of the living God, and invite you to join us as such.

Bible as our Ultimate Authority: God's truth is revealed in every facet of this universe. God is all, and is in all. As part of His creation He has specifically revealed Himself in certain ways, and to certain people throughout history. The canonically-accepted documentation of this special revelation – the Bible – serves as the ultimate authority on every matter which it addresses. We practice and encourage daily Bible study, and advocate powerful methods for doing so. The Bible is the basis for everything we believe!

Our Mission

To carry out the Great Commission with the heart of the Great Commandment.

We want to change the world! The Great Commission states: “Go and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19, 20). What does that mean? Go and make followers of Jesus. We believe that when you follow the message that Jesus taught in the Bible, you live the best life possible. At Word of Life, we want to change the world one life at a time and help each person to live a life of freedom, peace, and hope.

We give God our best! The first half of the Great Commandment states: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37 and Deuteronomy 6:5). The original Hebrew word that was used for love in the verse was Ahav. Ahav translates to “I give.” We associate love with a feeling, but when Jesus said it, He meant so much more. That is why we give our best to God. We believe that we should give God more than just a time slot in our lives, but that our entire lifestyle should revolve around Him and His heart and priorities.

We give Others our best! The second half of the Great Commandment states: “Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). Just as “Ahav” (Hebrew for love) was used in the first commandment, it also applies to the second. Jesus was saying for us to give to others just as we give to ourselves. At WOLIC, we believe in showing God’s love in practical ways to others. We believe that the way we show God that we love Him is by loving others. We believe that we love God by generously giving our time, talent, treasure and everything at our disposal towards making His greatness known throughout the world.