Board of Directors

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acsi board photo
Front Row – L-R: Collette House, Larry Taylor (ACSI President), Linda Harrelson and Milton Gonzalez
Back Row – L-R: Jay Ferguson (Chairman), Solano Portela, Elisa Carlson, Todd Marrah, Carl Martinez and Nate Johnson
Not Pictured: Tia Gaines, Kevin Kyser and Alan Miller
Todd Marrah, Chair

Elisa Carlson, Chair-Elect

Carl Martinez, Secretary

Jay Ferguson
Tia Gaines
Milton Gonzalez
Linda Harrelson
Collette House
Nate Johnson
Joseph Kim
Kevin Kyser
Alan L. Miller
Solano Portela

ACSI’s Ministry Team Keeps Organization Anchored to God’s Word and Prayer

Oct 23, 2023, 07:09 AM by Caitlyn Harding

Colorado Springs, Colo. – The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is pleased to announce its Ministry Team—a group of highly trained school leaders focused on assisting schools in the development of their spiritual formation for their students, staff, and parents.  

The Ministry Team is concerned primarily with four areas of focus: The Great Commission; Spiritual Formation; Biblical Worldview Development; and Christian Philosophy of Education. These focus areas—with both internal and external components—will support the global vision of ACSI and will be scalable to accommodate organizational growth.

ACSI Ministry Teams

The team includes: Chief Ministry Officer Jerry Nelson, who served as Head of School at Northwest Christian Academy in Miami, Florida for 11 years; Director of Spiritual Formation Lainie Montgomery, who served as Director of Campus Ministries at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas for 14 years; Ministry Team Senior Coordinator Douglas Campbell, who served at Eagles Landing Christian Academy for 10 years, the last three years as Spiritual Life Director; and Administrative Assistant Melanie Waisukirawa, who served in Uganda as Christian Education Coordinator and Spiritual Director at Genesis Primary School for 8 years. 

ACSI President & CEO Dr. Larry Taylor believes that the Ministry Team will oversee an organizational gate that is essential to fulfill the association’s mission.

“We have the opportunity to serve thousands of Christian educators across the globe who are discipling the next generation daily,” he shared. “The ACSI Ministry Team has done great work in keeping us focused on and accountable to the Lord. As ACSI expands and embraces a truly global perspective, it is imperative that we remain committed to prioritizing God’s Word and prayer.”

Nelson shared that the team has created a key document to undergird all external activities that they will facilitate. The document, titled, “The Spiritual Formation, Biblical Worldview Development, and Integration Document,” will be the foundation of all ministry efforts. It will be available soon on the organization's website.

Projects for the team include caring for and supporting ACSI staff, creating a Biblical Unity Study Guide and Monograph, facilitating a 4-part webinar series titled, “Spiritual Formation Core Convictions and Commitments,” and building PD by Design on-demand training resources.

Nelson shared that his vision for the Ministry Team is to partner with organization staff and schools so that all can be “complete and equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

“It is a high honor to be tasked with stewarding what I believe to be the most important part of the organization’s mission—to elevate and continually give glory to God,” Nelson said. “I am appreciative of Dr. Taylor’s vision and commitment of resources to make sure ACSI remains anchored in the Truth.”

To learn more about ACSI, please visit the website at ACSI.org or connect with the ACSI Care Team by calling (800) 367-0798 or at careteam@acsi.org.

About ACSI: 

Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, ACSI exists to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. ACSI advances excellence in Christian schools by enhancing the professional and personal development of Christian educators and providing vital support functions for Christian schools through multiple services including teacher and administrator certification, school accreditation, legal/legislative assistance, and curriculum publishing. Serving more than 25,000 schools in 108 countries, ACSI helps more than 5.5 million students worldwide connect to Christian education.

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