Statement of Faith
The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) was founded in 1978 when several regional U.S. school associations joined, becoming a united voice to advance excellence in Christian education. The leaders’ vision was to inspire, challenge, and resource educators and schools. First headquartered in La Habra, California, ACSI moved to an expanded facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1994. Today, ACSI serves nearly 24,000 schools in more than 100 countries.
As an association we are committed to:
Biblical Fidelity and Prayer
Immerse ourselves in the Holy Scriptures and prayer, both individually and corporately; consistently measure all association actions, programs, and resources against the teachings of the Word of God; and recognize our total dependence on Him.
Biblical Foundation and Focus on Jesus Christ
Serve schools and educators that represent a range of evangelical, Protestant backgrounds; all our schools and educators will hold to the ACSI Statement of Faith.
Members We Serve
Allocate our resources, including time and finances, in such a way as to bring maximum benefit to our members, and respond promptly to constituent needs.
Stewardship
Act with faithfulness and integrity and exercise diligence in program administration, with thoroughness and research-based expertise in the production of resources, and with fiscal accountability, realizing that ACSI ultimately belongs to God and we ultimately answer to Him for all we do with that which He has entrusted to our care.
Diverse Worldwide Constituency
Be authentically international in structure and practice, promoting international, national, and regional organizational leadership for the mutual benefit of all member schools; develop programs, resources, and services with all constituents in mind, utilizing insights learned from colleagues from around the world and evidencing the high value we place on gender, ethnic, age, and cultural differences.
Staff and Their Growth
Establish personnel resource and organizational policies and practices that encourage equitable and competitive wages, support for continuing professional growth, and commitment to collaborative goal setting, accountability, and consistent implementation of evaluation systems.
Public Engagement
Influence public policy and public perception that have an impact on Christian schools and the rights of Christian educators everywhere, seek appropriate representation to protect the rights of parents to be free to choose the educational program that in their view best meets the educational and spiritual needs of their children, and work in collaboration with families, churches, governments, and other leaders and organizations to promote school compliance with all applicable laws and to promote the ability of private individuals or groups to establish and support Christian schools without restriction or reservation.
ACSI Statement of Faith
- We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative, inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21).
- We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30).
- We believe in the deity of Christ (John 10:33), His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:35), His sinless life (Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 7:26), His miracles (John 2:11), His vicarious and atoning death (1 Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 2:9), His resurrection (John 11:25, 1 Corinthians 15:4), His ascension to the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19), and His personal return in power and glory (Acts 1:11, Revelation 19:11).
- We believe in the absolute necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit for salvation because of the exceeding sinfulness of human nature; and that men are justified on the single ground of faith in the shed blood of Christ and that only by God’s grace and through faith alone we are saved (John 3:16-19, John 5:24; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8–9; Ephesians 2:8–10; Titus 3:5).
- We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved unto resurrection of life, and the lost unto the resurrection of condemnation (John 5:28–29).
- We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:12–13, Galatians 3:26–28).
- We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19–20, Romans 8:13–14, Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 5:18).
- We believe that the term marriage has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18–25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18, 7:2–5; Hebrews 13:4). We believe that God’s command is that there be no sexual intimacy outside of or apart from marriage between a man and a woman.
- We believe that God wonderfully foreordained and immutably created each person as either male or female in conformity with their biological sex. These two distinct yet complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Genesis 1:26–27).
Our Statement of Faith is not exhaustive of all of our beliefs. The Bible, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with absolute authority regarding the proper conduct of mankind and is the unchanging foundation for all belief and behavior. The ACSI Board of Directors holds final interpretive authority on biblical meaning and application with regard to faith, doctrine, policy, practice, and discipline.
ACSI Welcomes New Vice President for Development
Colorado Springs, CO – The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ben Waterman as its new Vice President for Development. Waterman will assume the duties formerly overseen by Dr. Steve Dill, who will be retiring July 31, 2022.
Waterman will provide leadership and oversight to all development and fundraising efforts on behalf of ACSI. He and the development team will advance the mission of the Association by securing financial support from private funding Kingdom-minded investors. Waterman will also oversee the team responsible to secure financial support from state-specific tax credit and other school choice programs. Last year, this team collected and distributed over $9 million of tuition assistance grants.
He assumes his new role today.
ACSI President Dr. Larry Taylor shared his strategic vision for Waterman’s role as a member of the Association’s Senior Staff.
“The development function of ACSI will be a critical component in allowing us to reach and shape the next generation for Christ,” he shared. “Ben Waterman is a skilled leader who brings tailored expertise in the non-profit development sector. His contribution will be key in strengthening the Association as we continue our mission across the globe.”
Waterman has served in the Christian non-profit sector for more than 10 years in a variety of fundraising capacities. He most recently served as Managing Director of Development at By The Hand Club For Kids—a position in which he cultivated strategic relationships to advance the organization’s mission, raising $11 million annually and more than $40 million in capital projects.Waterman’s strategic vision grew the fundraising operation of the organization, resulting in nearly double-digit financial growth each year for five years.
Through these experiences, Waterman shared that he has “gained both knowledge and expertise from the various roles,” and that he looks forward to utilizing his knowledge for continued kingdom impact.
Prior to his time at By The Hand Club, Waterman managed a portfolio of major donors raising nearly $1 million annually as the Regional Director of Development at Taylor University in Indiana. He also provided oversight for marketing, communications and grant writing for 3 years as the Director of Development and Advancement Supervisor at Northern Seminary.
“I have always sought God’s guidance in my career,” he shared. “I have prayed diligently about this unique opportunity at ACSI and am certain that the work this association is doing is essential today. I believe my past experience has given me foundational skills in the areas of relational fundraising, team building, and team management.”
Taylor believes Waterman’s role will help open new doors for ACSI both domestically and internationally.
“The mission of ACSI has always been global, and I believe we are in a time where people are hungry for Gospel-centric education,” he said. “With a strong development function, ACSI will be fully equipped to further advance Christ-centered education.”
To learn more about ACSI, please visit the website or connect with the ACSI Care Team by calling (800) 367-0798 or by emailing 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. ACSI supports more than 5,000 member schools throughout the United States and around the world, which collectively serve approximately 1.2 million students. Through additional training programs, materials, and expertise provided to other educational groups worldwide, ACSI’s overall influence and positive impact reaches more than 26,000 schools operating in 100 countries, together serving 5.5 million people.
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