I just returned from a phenomenal week with three teams that are vital to the ministry of A3:
- Our International Board of Directors
- The A3 Vision Council
- A3’s Women In Ministry Leadership Team
It was a thrill to spend a week with so many men and women who embody our vision of a vibrant community of Christ-like leaders.
You may have heard that 2017 will be the 50th anniversary of A3. Even though it is still 2016, we are already celebrating BIG TIME!
A3 began in 1967 with the entrepreneurial spirit of our founder. Early on in his ministry in Japan, he asked a key Japanese pastor to share his vision. This pastor shared his heart for the country. When the pastor finished, he asked our founder to share his vision for Japan. Our founder’s answer set the tone and spirit for A3 that continues today:
“My vision is to empower your vision!”
Our founder’s response was to launch the unique learning-community approach that is now known as A3. Our founder credits Doug Birdsall, A2’s third president, with the wisdom and foresight to bring a gift for strategic focus to A2’s ministry. Doug birthed our 2020 Vision for Japan while he also led the expansion of A2’s disciple-reproducing ministry into Mongolia, Sri Lanka, India, and other countries in Asia.
Today, we are a remarkably diverse community spread across 11 countries, soon to welcome the Philippines as the 12th country in the A3 family. The momentum is building for our April 2017 Jubilee in Jakarta, where we both will celebrate the last 50 years and look ahead to what God has for us in the future. It’s going to be exciting—and we would love for you to join us!
I’ll never forget our founder’s words to me the night I was installed as president just over eight years ago:
“Joe, I just returned from __________ [one of the largest and most influential countries in the world] and met with 40 of their top pastors. Half of them have been trained by A3. It’s the West Point of Christian Leadership Development and you are equipping the Field Marshals of the Church. There’s a problem, though: A3 has plateaued and there are pastors all over Asia that are desperate for this process…
“You Have Got to Expand this Mission!”
Those words ring in my ears to this day!
We are seeking God to serve 20 countries by the year 2020. As this photo shows, this is just one of many innovative goals we believe that God has placed before us.
Pray for us as we seek to fulfill this God-sized mission AND join us in celebrating 50 years of Jubilee!
Joe Handley
@jwhandley
P.S.: We need your help! If you’d like to know how you can participate in our 50th Anniversary Celebration, drop me a line at
- More information about A2’s 50th Anniversary: https://www.asianaccess.org/a250
