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The following look at how God has used the Association for Christian Conferences, Teaching, and Service (ACCTS) since 1972 was provided by Cal Dunlap, the former Executive Director, who now serves as coordinator for ACCTS' China Ministry.
1. On our July 2011 trip to China it was a joy to be with a godly senior officer in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) who, although retired, still occupies a desk surrounded by active duty PLA to whom he witnesses on a regular basis. This officer grew up in a Christian family and served a full career in the Chinese military where Christianity is not encouraged. As the ACCTS' staff travels the globe to provide encouragement to such officers, we are reminded of Cleo (Buck) Buxton, our founder, who 40 years ago was used by God to begin a military fellowship in a distant country during a similar visit of encouragement visit to just such military Christian officer.
I wonder what ACCTS' work in China will look like thirty years from now? Buck, now in heaven, may already know! This past year I asked a "40 something" couple to join the ACCTS China staff. What will China be like for them in thirty years? Much of the strength of ACCTS' work rests in the many years of developing and encouraging the relationships that God has used to help build Christian military leaders and Military Christian Fellowships (MCFs). We carry Buck's vision into new lands in a world that is changing at warp speed. At ACCTS founding in January 1972, there were MCFs in just 12 countries - today there are MCFs in 146 nations!
2. In early August 2011 ACCTS hosted a group of Chinese Christian business executives at Spring Canyon, the Officer's Christian Fellowship conference center in western Colorado. Part of ACCTS' mission is to assist in the development of Christian military leaders. In China, a key stepping-stone to achieving this objective is partnership with Chinese Christian military and business leaders to assist them in the development of more Christian leaders.
The theme of the meetings at Spring Canyon was "A Rising Phoenix: Ethical and Spiritual Development in China." As we finished up our meetings, an executive from Nanjing came up to me and said, "ACCTS walks the talk." I was surprised at both his knowledge of American Christian idioms and humbled by his assessment. I wonder how future ACCTS visits to Nanjing will be affected by our new friendship? God's plan for change in individuals, militaries, and nations sometimes seems slow, surprising, and even amazing to us, but it occurs nonetheless when we "walk the talk" with integrity, trust, and faithful obedience to His leading.
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