OUR STORY
1971
Allen & Alice Stickney moved to Kenya
1974
Allen served as Associate Pastor a Park Cities Baptist Church
(furlough years)
1977
Allen & Alice return to Kenya with their children
1981
ACO was founded and became a 501c3 Nonprofit
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 continent that will be the catalysts in forming the changes in the next 25 years.
1986
The Stickney family returned to Dallas and Alice began teaching at Trinity Christian Academy
1998
Allen & Alice requested to return to East Africa to survey & plan a collegiate Ministry for the International Mission Board (IMB)
1999
Tom & Kerry got married
2008
Allen Stickney passed away July 6th after a hard fought battle with cancer
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.
2009
Alice returned to Kenya to continue ACO
2010
Tom & Kerry join ACO as Executive Director and move to Kenya
2012
Alice retired from the mission field after 43 years
2015
ACO Rwanda started, bringing to fruition Allen & Alice's 1998 survey and plan to grow student ministry. It was only after the launch that Tom learned this vision of his parents.
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.
2016
ACO's New Beginnings Crisis Pregnancy Center founded by Ann Otieno
2017
Pamoja Community Center started on the Islamic Coastal area of Kenya
2019
Tom & Kerry relocate to Dallas to care for Alice & Kerry's mother but continue to spend 3 months a year in East Africa
2023
Victor Otieno becomes Director of Operations in Africa to work alongside Tom in leading ACO
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. Together, this staff is 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.