Committed to the Great Commission

I write this immensely grateful for God’s faithfulness. In every season, He remains faithful. As we look across the two-year conference period, we have emerged from the disruption of the pandemic in 2021, to a sense of renewal and refreshing across our churches. It is exciting to see the sparks of revival igniting all across the land. In light of this, the theme of ‘Outpouring’ is timely for our 2023 National Conference.

ACC Family

I’ve always viewed our Movement as a family. The ACC Family consists of more than 3,300 credentialed pastors, their families and incredible ministry teams, who give of themselves daily to share the love of Jesus across their communities. We all found ourselves out of our comfort zone during the pandemic restrictions; yet how wonderful to hear stories of how pastors and churches came alongside to support and cheer each other on. We rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Loving others

It was a similar story during the floods that devastated many parts of Australia in 2022 – local churches and chaplains reached out to help those who lost their homes and their livelihood in the raging floodwaters.

This is the body of Christ at its finest. The ministry that happens day in and day out in local communities –praying for the sick, visiting the prisons, feeding the hungry, providing shelter for the destitute. There may have been some dark days in the two-year conference period, but this is truly when the Church has shone the brightest.

Add to this the generous response to our ACCI appeals for aid across the globe. Funds have been received from across our nation for the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan (2021), the tsunami that hit Tonga (January 2022), for the refugees of war-torn Ukraine (March 2022), and more recently, the survivors of the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria (February 2023).

Local church life

There is no doubt that the pandemic affected church life during restrictions. Online services provided a new pathway for connecting with people, but as church services in buildings retumed in 2022, the desire for face-to-face gatherings ‘in the room’ resumed. We have learned to embrace a ‘new normal’ in church life. By the start of 2023, reports from across our States reveal strong church attendance and health across the spectrum of church life.

How incredible that during these past two turbulent years, we added 71 ACC church locations. Church Planting continues to be a key focus of our Movement, and there is great momentum in this space as we believe for 500 churches to be planted in the next ten years. Just as exciting are the reports that many churches have gained brand new facilities in this time. Church buildings send a strong message to our communities that we are here to stay for the long haul.

Good reports

We are thankful to God for the fruitfulness of our extended ministries in the past two years. There have been some great highlights and milestones worth celebrating in this season.

We rejoiced at the news in February 2022 that Alphacrucis received registration as a University College. This makes Alphacrucis the first Pentecostal higher education institution of this level in Australia’s history. This year, our national college celebrates 75 years of training and equipping people for the work of the ministry, and we look forward to a new generation of leaders emerging from this excellent tertiary education facility.

Youth Alive is celebrating four decades of ministry to teenagers across our nation. Over these 40 years, records reveal that we have seen some 320,000 young people respond to the Gospel! Youth Alive continues to serve the next generation, reaching young people, raising up leaders and resourcing local churches. Chaplaincy Australia remains at the coal face of helping people and communities in the midst of crisis and trauma. The launch of the dedicated hotline 1800chaplain in November 2021, manned by trained chaplains, provides a safe and confidential place for people to receive comfort, support and, where needed, referral to other services.

You can read many more great testimonies in the following reports by our State and National leaders.

National gatherings

In 2021, many conferences and events moved to online platforms – including a virtual PanAsia Missions conference, Indigenous Zoom event and online Community Engagement Summit.

We can only marvel at the window that enabled us to hold our 2021 National Conference in person on the Gold Coast, before Covid restrictions were reintroduced and borders were shut again.

By 2022, there was great rejoicing when every State Conference was able to meet in person; the PanAsia conference was held in Thailand; and dynamic Youth >

Alive rallies gathered hundreds of teenagers in every state.

We have continued to use online platforms for shorter national gatherings – such as one hour Mentoring Seminars and National Prayer meetings. These enable us to gather across the nation and beyond in unity.

Prayer

Our commitment to prayer has become stronger than ever. All ACC churches are encouraged to launch every new year with a prayer strategy that involves a dedicated period of time of prayer and fasting. In 2023, we introduced a live Nationwide Prayer on Zoom, with hundreds joining in the time of fervent prayer led by our National Executive and State Presidents.

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank Pastor David O'Keefe for heading up our ACC Prayer Network over the past decade. He has co-ordinated a team of faithful intercessors who have continually covered our pastors and their families in prayer.

National Matters

In recent years, we have seen many attempts to pass legislation at State and Federal level that has potential to limit the freedom of religion in our nation. This has required ongoing engagement behind the scenes, with numerous submissions, prepared and led by Pastor Mark Edwards on behalf of our movement. I’d like to express our great appreciation and thanks for all he has given to engage in this challenging space. There is still much work to do and we need everyone to lean in and support these important efforts to secure religious freedom for future generations.

Leadership

Our Movement is blessed with incredible men and women who step up to lead at various levels across our regions, states and nationally. We are incredibly grateful for every one who serves as a leader, be it on State Executive teams, boards or leading national departments.

I myself have been so grateful to be supported by such a wonderful National Executive team in the past two years. Each one has brought something unique to the table and made a strong contribution to our Movement through their designated offices and portfolios. Our new Vice President, John Hunt, stepped into this role at the 2021 Conference, and he also carries the responsibility of Director of ACCI. John has done an outstanding job! Likewise, Sean Stanton, our National Secretary, is a great gift to us all, ensuring we are in standing with best practice and good governance across the board.

My deepest appreciation goes to Brad Bonhomme, Joel Chelliah, Matt Heins, Ally Cawthorn, Corey Turner and Mark Varughese – they have helped steer our Movement with wisdom, grace and strength. I’d like to take the opportunity thank each of them, and their families and churches for releasing them, for their faithful commitment to serve in this two year conference period.

I’d particularly like to honour and thank Brad & Alison Bonhomme and Corey & Simone Turner, who have prayerfully decided not to stand for the next term. We will be publicly acknowledging their service at Conference for their unwavering commitment and service nationally.

Winning souls and making disciples

No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, our call to preach the Gospel is still the heart of all we do –to tell people the good news about the incredible love of God for a lost and dying world.

My prayer for the future is that there is a burning passion all across our Movement, to continue to see lost souls won for Jesus, disciples made with strong foundations in the Word, families strengthened and the next generation raised up.

All across our Movement, may we remain committed to fulfill the Great Commission – to make Jesus known across our nation and the nations of the earth. He is the answer and hope for humanity.

Wayne Alcorn ACC National President