ACCTS’ founder Cleo Buxton started ministering to international military personnel by taking junior US military members on mission trips to meet their counterparts around the world. Over the past 50 years, ACCTS has continued to use this model of helping young military Christians learn to integrate their faith with their careers to develop Godly military Christian leaders in the uniformed services of the world. We do this so that one day everyone in uniform will have heard the Gospel from someone wearing the same uniform.
History shows us that when God’s people hold senior positions in a nation’s military, the inevitable national crises that arise tend to be resolved with less violence and more equanimity. Accordingly, ACCTS ministers toward three strategic goals: preparing military Christians for spiritual growth and ministry; helping establish and strengthen military Christian fellowships (MCFs); and broadening ACCTS support base to expand our ministry.
There are over 60 million military members in the countries of the world, and many young military Christians face challenges and temptations that hinder their spiritual growth as they serve. Such issues as the decline of Christianity in modern society, religious oppression, and practicing Biblical ethics in in a situational ethics culture can make it difficult develop as Christian leaders. To surmount these obstacles, ACCTS seeks to equip them with the necessary knowledge, leadership skills, and strong foundation of Christian principles to empower them to become influential leaders, who can have a positive impact for Christ upon their comrades-in-arms, their families, and their nations.
ACCTS does this through several leadership ministries such as Interaction-Rocky Mountain High, the ACCTS Exploration Program, Biblical Ethics training, International Chaplain Training, and frequent encouragement and discipleship visits to MCFs across the globe. In addition, we have helped develop similar ministries in other countries such as Brazil, El Salvador, Haiti, Mongolia, and Romania. Such indigenous ministries have proven to be equally effective in fostering spiritual growth leading to mature military Christian leadership.
Many nations send students to the US for training and education. ACCTS staff at strategic training locations offer Christian hospitality and fellowship to these students, share the Gospel as God opens the doors to do so, and connect them to other military Christians as they go on to other training sites. The students usually return home with a very different view of America, and an understanding of what it means to be a Christian in their military. Some have even become ACCTS staff!
Pray that the Lord will continue to guide and direct ACCTS in achieving these goals, as well as provide the resources to sustain and even expand these ministries.
