Allen and Alice Stickney, Co-Founders of ACO, dedicated their lives to discipling, investing, and launching faithful, availability, and teachable young people in Kenya for over 40 years. Today, a number of those students have become the foundation of the ACO ministry team that spans across 10 countries in East Africa. ACO, built on the principles of Engaging, Equipping, and Empowering the next generations, relies on an indigenous staff and volunteer team to continue to invest in the exploding youth population on the contient that will be the catalysts in forming the changes in the next 25 years.

Following Allen Stickney's passing in 2008, the ACO Board of Directors took on the responsibility of guiding the ministry forward. Recognizing the need for a new generation of leadership, they approached individuals with a passion for discipleship and a connection to Allen and Alice through mission experiences in Kenya. The Board knew passing the torch to Allen’s son, Tom, was the right direction when he shared his inclination towards ministry in Africa.

Tom and his wife, Kerry, both graduates of Ouachita Baptist University, believe in the “power of presence” in their approach. A shared desire to introduce individuals to the life-changing truths found in the Gospels and guiding them towards a lasting and growing relationship in faith. Their lifestyle is reflected in their open-hearted hospitality and commitment to walking alongside others in their faith journeys. Despite the challenges of moving their young family across the world and establishing a consistent growth in the work, Tom and Kerry remained steadfast in their servant leadership roles of leading ACO over the past 2 decades.

Since taking over ACO’s direction, the work has expanded its reach to 10 countries, thru 6 different ministries under the ACO banner. The organizations growth remains rooted in the elder Stickney’s foundations, today seeing their vision increasingly led by opportunities that ACO Staff feel led to begin. Partnering with the Matt and Kelly Elmore in 2017, ACO launched Kuza, the digital discipleship platform aimed at engaging the youth of East Africa with relevant resources.

Today, the Stickney’s divide their time between Dallas and Nairobi, engaging with donors and supporting ACO's ministries. At the heart of ACO is the underlying desire to empower local staff in East Africa and user in the new generation of a US based partnerships. The Elmore’s reside in Nairobi, dedicating themselves to continuing to transfer the creative and leadership of the digital discipleship efforts. Together, these families are committed to being a part of the growing “Young Africa” that will culminate with a population of 2.5 billion people on the continent by 2050 with a median age of 19.