Joe & Silk Handley

Silk & Joe

  STAFF PROFILE  

Joe & Silk Handley

MINISTRY ASSIGNMENT

Joe: Serving as CEO
Silk: Serving through prayer & WIM

Do you want to invest in the ministry of Joe & Silk Handley through A3?

Bio: Joe & Silk Handley

Background Information:

joe and silk Fall2020 webJoe and Silk (Joseph and Vasilka) met during college at Azusa Pacific University. Everyone told Silk while she was growing up that she was destined to be a pastor’s or missionary’s wife. Joe grew up in a family with a few pastors and felt called to ministry during high school.

During college, a mission trip cemented Joe’s call to a life of ministry and Silk ventured out on a short-term mission trip teaching English in Japan. Little did they know their destinies were being shaped for a life of mission.

Not long after college graduation, they started dating and almost three years later they were married. During their wedding ceremony, they asked the minister to gather their families to lay hands on them and commission them into ministry.

You can learn more about Joe's background here...

As for Silk, she’s been a lifelong educator: either in the public-school systems in Azusa and Torrance, in private christian education in Turkey and Japan, or as a volunteer at schools, churches and various children’s and youth programs. She also served as a coordinator for counseling programs for a school district. Silk holds a BA in English literature and an MA in special education. 

Family

Rachel and Quan weddingJoe and Silk have three adult children and two grandchildren. Rebecca is married to Lowell and is a social media manager and coordinator of writers. Rachel is married to Quan and is a visual journalist. John lives in London working as an economist.

Ministry Assignment

Joe serves as CEO of A3. Both Joe & Silk are privileged to serve Christ-centered leaders, helping them experience Spirit-led change through accelerating Christ-centered movements around the world. 

Words of Wisdom

When it comes to living and leading, nothing is more critical than our dependence on Christ:

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.” – John 1:4

Jesus is the most influential person in human history. When we give our lives to him, he brings steady, revolutionary change. Remember the exhortation in John 15:5 that as we “abide in Him, we will bear much fruit. Without him, we can do nothing!”

As we remain in Jesus, our lives will change and we will see him change the world!

Polycentric Leadership

PCL logo color horizJoe's own study and dissertation on Polycentric Mission Leadership have given him deep insight into a new approach to leadership, one he believes is Trinitarian in nature. His dissertation was published in 2022 and Joe is a sought-after speaker to present his findings. Joe has adopted a polycentric leadership style at A3. You can read real-life case studies and find out more about this concept at his website: https://polycentricleadership.com.

GIVE NOW!



ARTICLES RELATED TO JOE HANDLEY

 

Reflections on the Marriage & Family Module in Armenia

Armenia A3 group - Flourishing Together 1000px

By JOE & SILK HANDLEY

Read More

A3 Sustainer graph over time

Steady Support Fuels Lasting Impact

Become a monthly partner to help A3 build Kingdom momentum!

Read More

#GIVINGTUESDAY 2025 PROJECT TO LIFT LEADERS

2025 GivingTuesday purpleheart tag 4x3

Hi Friends! This year, A3 has experienced remarkable progress across many areas, and I am thrilled to see how God has blessed our efforts. And recently, I have been especially inspired by a generous friend who has offered to champion A3 with a matching grant this season.

Read More

A3 happy thanksgiving 2025 1000px

WITH DEEP GRATITUDE FOR YOU AT THANKSGIVING

Read More

Help A3 Equip Resilient Leaders facing challenges 1024x690

Renewing & strengthening leaders facing crises

What do these 3 situations have in common?

  • Typhoon Bualoi in Vietnam harms 44,000 homes, impacting many Christians.
  • Youth-led uprising in Nepal disrupts food distribution, affecting Christians.
  • Persecution in a closed country includes arrests of key church leaders, including a principal A3 faculty member.

Read More

doug joe ken A2 50th

By Joseph W. Handley
CEO, A3

Read More

Man Walking Next to the Graffiti, John 3:16 (photo courtesy of Paco Alonso via Pexels).

WEA focuses on a daring goal — ‘The Gospel for Everyone by 2033′

International (MNN) — At the end of October, nearly nine hundred Gospel workers gathered in Seoul for the General Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA).

Read More

YMCA board hong kong 2025

By Joseph W. Handley
CEO, A3

“One generation will commend your works to another.”
— Psalm 145:4

Read More

CLA article A3 global network

Embracing new sectors of societal influence 

Eight years ago, A3 sought ways to succinctly explain our ministry to new potential donors. Through a rebranding process, we drafted this tagline to sum up who A3 is:

“Changing the few who change the many”

Read More

Disciple-Making & Being Church Wherever Life Happens

spark teams dsathyadass book promo

A3/India alumnus Dr. Danny Sathyadass has a new book that I highly recommend.

Read More

A3 redefining Mission jotaka XX56320fJAY unsplash

by JOSEPH W. HANDLEY, President, A3

Forty years ago, the “edges” of mission were relatively clear. Unreached people groups were primarily mapped geographically, pioneering missions meant long journeys to faraway lands, and “access” was defined by political and physical barriers. But in today’s hyper-connected, globalized, and mobile world, the edges are not just geographical or based on ethnicity—they can be everywhere. That said, despite major progress, the frontier task remains. There are still more than 2 billion people with no known access to a viable, contextual gospel witness.1

Read More

Structure of the A3 Movement: Core, Network, Cloud

IN A WORLD THAT IS INTERCONNECTED, DYNAMIC, AND EVER-CHANGING, traditional, top-down leadership models can no longer keep up. That's why A3 has embraced a different way of leading—an approach called polycentric leadership—that’s helping it flourish as a global mission movement.

Read More

A3 launching in cameroon 0823

This month, A3 took an exciting new step forward as we launched our very first orientation program in Cameroon. What began as a simple gathering for equipping leaders quickly turned into a deeply moving encounter with the Lord — one that is already bearing fruit in the lives of participants.

Read More

meng aun hour 2025 a3 journey

When Pastor Meng looks back on his 23 years with A3, one word consistently rises to the surface: relationships. In a nation still marked by the scars of the Khmer Rouge era—when people were taught not to trust even their neighbors—relationships have become the lifeline of the church.

Read More

A3 4 Outcomes ripples 3 disciplemaking

By Joseph W. Handley, Jr.

While serving with A3 and the Lausanne Movement, we found ourselves asking a crucial question: What will it take to disciple the nations?

Read More

Leadership 101: Cultivate a deep walk with God | Joe Handley

"We have one thing that is most pivotal in leadership and that is our walk with God."

A3 president Joe Handley was asked what’s most important in leadership… See his thoughts here...

Read More

Hearing From Ken, A3's Founder

early days of japan church growth award

It’s a deep joy to introduce this special reflection from Ken, the founder of A3.

Read More

Joe and Silk Easter2025 anime web

In a world that often feels torn and divided, there’s something truly remarkable about the arrival of new life—a reminder of hope, of promise, and of the gentle power of God’s grace. Silk and I are overjoyed to share that our first grandson, Owen Oliver, has entered the world, and we are brimming with thanksgiving for this new chapter in our family’s story.

Read More

A3 Japan Spring Retreat 2025

My mission history has been mostly activist; I assume most in my field of ministry would be similar. We each accepted our call of ministry as a call to action, a charge, a task. Recognizing that I needed rest, I sought to establish spiritual practices or retreats to recharge, renew, and rebuild my energy for the task at hand.

Read More

A3 Japan Spring Retreat 2025

Reflections from the A3 2025 Spring Retreat

This spring, leaders, families, and friends of A3/Japan gathered once again for our annual retreat — a sacred space for reflection, renewal, and restoration. Amid the breathtaking backdrop of blooming wisteria, moss-laden trees, and sun-dappled streams, we explored the theme:

Read More