‘Humility, and Purity of Heart’

Pastor Leo and the two Ministers Joseph & Mari Veneziano gave their personal wealth, their lives, their family time, their personal time, their hearts and their souls in servitude to their fellow man.

Willingly they have been helping the Australian community and wherever possible the peoples of many other countries, never sparing themselves with a 24hour a day, 7day a week commitment to assist others and bring the good news of the Holy Scriptures.

In 2001, Pastor Rocco Leo, who established AMI (Agape Ministries International), was joined by Joseph and Mari Veneziano who, filled with zeal for God, were keen to become a part of this Christian ministry

Pastor Rocco Leo (MOF)

Background

Pastor Rocco Leo was born in Italy in 1956 and at age 6 years in 1962 he was swimming near the seaside where he lived and he unfortunately drowned in deep sea (200m shipping channel) and was floating dead in the water for approximately 4-5 hours. His mother went searching for him and saw him floating out at sea. She couldn’t swim and there was no-one immediately there to help so she fell on her knees and begged the Lord Jesus to help her get her son out at sea.

With faith in God she proceeded to walk out into the deep water shipping channel to get her son all the while just walking on solid ground, far out to sea. An astounding miracle had taken place as people started to gather round to witness this miracle of seeing a lady walk out on solid ground into a deep 200m water way, but the depth of water at her waist did not change, all the while she was walking out about 300m. She walked so far out to sea, collected her son and brought him back to shore. Exhausted she arrived with him on her shoulder back to the beach. He was clearly dead. Many around her tried to console her saying he was clearly dead and to call the ambulance. She cried out to the Lord Jesus to bring him back and before a crowd of hundreds of people that had gathered by this time on the beach that day, clouds parted, the sun shone on his face and he coughed up water and began breathing. Hundreds witnessed this miracle and many fell on their knees in awe. The name of the Lord Jesus brought him back to life. His mother dedicated him to the Lord for His work on this earth.

Calling from God

Ever since then this man has had a major calling on his life that he has been outworking God’s Great Commission over the last 40 years of personal missionary works around the world, healing the sick, raising the dead and casting out darkness : just as the Lord Jesus commanded to be done. He has taken this seriously and it is his existence, not just a paid job by some religious order. No. He is not on any wage with benefits or with title, yet the Lord provides for all his needs. He is not one to boast of he doing the miracles, signs and wonders – he is careful to give all glory to God for the manifestation of God’s power each and everytime a healing or restoration of some kind occurs.

In late 1979, as a young man, after a life changing experience, he then decided to commit to go to Bible College. After completing his tertiary course studying a Bachelor of Ministry at a Queensland Bible College in the early 1980’s, he returned to South Australia.

Over the next 20 years Ps Leo committed his ways to walking a dedicated Christian life. Walking and emulating the life of the Lord on earth, and raising 6 children, Ps Leo was so intensively focussed on helping people out of his own resources he often devoted time to his ministry at the expense of family time. Helping anyone and everyone in need, at any time of the day or night 24/7, his ministry brought scores of people to know Jesus Christ. They were shown God’s goodness – unconditional or ‘AGAPE’ love, through a man who had dedicated his life to a holy walk so God could use him.

Many who saw the fruits of his labour (countless families, Australia-wide and world-wide), pleaded for him to open a Church and Bible College to teach the faith that the Lord had given him with power and authority. Their lives forever changed for the better through his personal ministry, people were hungry for more. The evidence of his work, restoration of families, helping the poor, sick, diseased, mentally ill, and freely teaching others about faith that moves mountains through the scriptures, was clearly visible to everyone. From the mid 80s to early 90s Pastor Leo opened his home up to anyone that needed help whether it was ministry according to the word of God or lodging or food – he did it willingly having been raised this way by his parents always helping the unfortunate in their town.

This then grew and grew as more people would visit him and seek him for his godly wisdom to overcome their life circumstances. He eventually set up regular meetings in his home and then in school halls as it was growing too big to accomodate all these people on a regular basis. But this was always done at his own expense working by day in all trades from concreting to building, tiling carpentry etc.. and freely ministering and preaching at night. Ps Leo was often solicited to join established Churches as many saw the fruits of his labour but he never did so as Jeremiah the prophet declared in the Book of Jeremiah 17:5 NKJV ‘Cursed is the man that trusts in another man and makes flesh his strength’. No, he trusted and still trusts in God alone to lead him and guide him in all ministry towards people. As such the Lord has gifted him with spiritual “eyes to see”. He has been given an ability to gently reveal to anyone that HUMBLY and sincerely asks, where the root problem or cause of any disease has started from, in order to undo the ‘legality’ of any bodily disfunction be it from the spirit, soul or body. The Spirit of God shows him and it is always accurate.

He leads a very sacrificial life, praying every night without fail, in humility before the Lord for so many people with constant fasting and sacrifices in all night prayer vigils. Even before establishing the Church at Agape in Oaken South Australia (that is his own personal building given rent free to Agape for the use of Church and Bible College) he often secretly gave to the poor in Australia not wanting any recognition having bought furniture, household goods, paying rents, paying power bills for struggling individuals, school fees without asking for anything in return, out of his own personal exertion and for years. 

His greatest desire was and still is today, to impart profound wisdom to the hearer regardless of one’s race, religion, colour, creed, or stature in society. As a result of his pure love (agape love)  and care that is selfless (just as Jesus showed us ‘THE WAY’), the manifestation of God’s power is evidenced through him with so many healings, family restorations, business problems reversed, – too many testimonials to list here in all his 40 years of ministry works.

(See only a selection of testimonials here of just the latest ones …>Missionary work in Fiji 2010-2018)

• Living such a sacrificial life as he does, he continues to go all over the South Pacific at anyone’s request,  to pray, to give fresh water, food supplies, cyclone supplies, imparting wisdom, going hundreds of miles even to the outer island communities to help anyone that is in genuine need.  In 2010 shortly after coming to Fiji, a tribal elder in an outer island requested the aid of Ps Leo and his ministers to end the 6month drought the country was experiencing. Pastor Leo imparted wisdom to the headsman of the village in the Yasawa islands in October 2010. The very next day after ministry from Pastor Leo they received a torrent of rain which caused the drought to break nationwide.
• The Father in Heaven has gifted this amazing individual with a spiritual gift of ‘revealed knowledge’ – whereby the Spirit of God will show him exactly how any problem started, the how, the what the why and how it is to be fixed, be it for healing or marriage restoration or business or finance matters. No problem is too hard for God and as Pastor has shown time and time again, in being a dedicated vessel in holiness and being in right standing with God in leading a prayerful life before God, God’s Holy Spirit will manifest with wisdom, knowledge, miracles, signs and wonders – as it is the Spirit of God manifesting through the man.

‘doing the ‘hard yards’

His shining example of a sacrificial life for others was formalised in June 2000 when AMI’s (Agape’s) Oakden headquarters was opened.

His vast experience and constantly growing Christian wisdom and knowledge has equipped Ps Leo in helping the Australian community
(without external funding or grants from local, state or federal governments, or other groups) and regardless of personal cost. All is done for the glory of God.

‘helpers dedicated to the same great commission’

Ministry Team

In 2001, to accelerate their personal Christian walk, the Church’s Ministers Joseph & Mari Veneziano relocated from Melbourne to reside at the Church in Oakden, as live-in Bible College Ministers choosing to dedicate 100% of their time and personal income to this Charity.

They performed their ministerial functions diligently over the last decade self sacrificing their lives for the Church and the community  including teaching the Church’s Youth Bible College and Youth Ministry for many years. Designed to cater to the needs of the 18 to 25 years old churchgoers, the Saturday night functions encouraged the youngsters’ growth as Christians and augmented the Church’s facilitation of impacting young families lives as the generations of parishioners committed their ways with greater dedication to emulate goodness through their lives and impact others for good .

Regular ‘wisdom and knowledge’ newsletters that were disseminated via the internet, through the ministry, both locally and to ministries overseas proved to impact many lives that changed the course of countless individuals from despondency and despair to hope and a changed future.

Being available to anyone that was in need 24 days 7days a week for over 10 years leading self sacrificed lives…has proved why the results of this ministry team was so effective…many healings, restorations, testimonies of overcoming …that no amount of incredibly oppressive persecution has deterred them from continuing the good work…

This truly lays testimony to the fact that these individuals here mentioned are not what the Lord described as “hirelings” those  hired simply for a wage John 10:10 NKJV Bible ref, but whether they have had provisions or not, they have continued to preach God’s goodness and outworking their faith therewith as a testimony of the truth being outworked.

‘The Great Commission’    

^Ref:    Mark 16:15-18 [Bible: NKJV]

v 15:     And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

v 16:     He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

v 17:     And these signs will follow those who believe: “ln My name they will cast out demons; they will  speak with new tongues;

v 18:     they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.”