John H. Armstrong served as a pastor for two decades before formally beginning ACT 3, originally called Reformation & Revival Ministries. Initially he asked four people who had been a vital part of his life and ministry to form the original board of directors. The goal of this board was quite simple at first: publish a quality theological journal that would serve the leadership of the church by promoting reformation and revival. This journal was published for sixteen years.
Prior to the beginning in 1991 several different factors contributed to the formation of the ministry. For over a decade Dr. Armstrong led a regular pastors group in Wheaton, Illinois, called the Whitefield Ministerial Fellowship. This group had the purpose of encouraging reformation and revival among local pastors. Through these meetings the idea of the quarterly journal was actually born. An extensive network of friendships was built through this ministerial fellowship. These friendships eventually led to the wider ministry of Dr. Armstrong to pastors and church leaders internationally.
Dr. Armstrong began to devote more time to equipping leaders through writing and editing. Providentially, he had received a great deal of formal training in both writing and editing. With the expansion of his writing ministry invitations to preach and lecture increased.
In late 1991 Dr. Armstrong began to sense that God had opened a door for expanding a ministry of church renewal focused on leaders and churches. He sought the counsel of family, close friends, fellow pastors, and his church leadership. Their collective counsel was that God was calling him apart to lead ACT 3. A recognition and commissioning service was held to send John in May of 1992. Hands were prayerfully laid upon John in a unique service on his last Sunday as pastor.
Those who counsel and guide this ministry are answerable to various churches. Many members of the board of ACT 3 are elders and pastors themselves. Dr. Armstrong is himself under the ministerial oversight of the Illiania Classis of the Reformed Church in America and a member of First Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois. John also has an advisory team of over thirty pastors and lay leaders from around the country. John is a minister of Word and sacrament (serving in a non-local church capacity). He has been sent by the church to serve the church. This spiritual, moral and ethical accountability is taken very seriously.
ACT 3 is not a self-perpetuating organization but a mission built around the spiritual gifts of a servant of God. When John's ministry ceases our structure will most surely change. For this reason we do not desire to invest money into property and long-range development. Further, we have no plans to build a large full-time support staff. Presently we have an administrative assistant and a part time editor besides Dr. Armstrong. We employ other part-time staff to serve on a contractual basis to accomplish tasks such as development and management.
At present our view is that the work we do surrounds Dr. Armstrong's teaching, writing and encouragement. Whatever work might remain after God completes Dr. Armstrong's ministry could be significnatly changed, turned over to an existing ministry or simply cease to exist. Significant parts of the ministry could be merged with an another ministry in our network of friends. Our belief is that God has raised up a man and a ministry. Such a ministry exists to support the work of the man God has called to serve. Building permanent organizations around gifted individuals should not become an end in itself. This was the way evangelicals, and many other Christian traditions, generally viewed this type of ministry before second half of the twentieth century.
We seek to allow God to meet our regular needs through faithful donors and churches. We do not aggressively solicit funds but simply make our needs known and ask God to provide through our friends. We have followed this philosophy from the beginning.
We do not charge set fees to serve churches, missions or institutions. We do specifically ask those who invite us to cover our expenses. We believe that there are “no little people” thus we believe there are “no little churches.” To make only a large, affluent church the focus of our ministry would be a denial of our history and calling.
Special equipping seminars and forums may have a modest tuition cost per student. Please contact us if you have questions.
You may subscribe to our ACT 3 Weekly through which you will receive regular articles on theology and social/cultural issues that have bearing on the present state of the church. In addition, weekly prayer requests are included in this online mailin and can be found on this Web site. You can subscribe to ACT 3 Weekly for free by clicking here. You can also sign up to be a donor via this Website.
Yes. The size of your church or ministry does not determine our decision. We charge no special fees and wish to serve as widely as possible. All requests for ministry must be put in writing and addressed to our office, or submitted through our convenient online speaking request form. Requests will then be considered.
ACT 3
PO Box 88216
Carol Stream, Illinois 60188
Phone : (630) 221-1817
E-Mail: info@act3online.com
