About Us

Read more about who we are, the vision and goals that guide us, and how we got started.

Equipping leaders for churches that thrive

Our mission is to equip and serve church leaders and other Christ-followers for God’s mission in the world. In so doing, we provide tools to help you lead more skillfully and we offer resources and conversation partners to nurture your spiritual health. Ultimately, we hope that the services we provide will help local congregations and the church at large to flourish.

As a team, we work diligently to expand our offerings and to address the ever-changing landscape of congregations in the 21st century.

WHOM WE SERVE

In the spirit of our Stone-Campbell heritage, we welcome opportunities to work with any churches and leaders who seek the types of resourcing we provide and who choose to utilize our services. Because of our context and experience, we are best equipped to serve those in a free church tradition – one without formal denominational structures.

With an expanding portfolio of resources, we offer resources for a variety of Christian leaders: ministers, church planters, ministry directors, chaplains, elders, small group leaders, and those who simply are committed to a robust Christian witness.

Our guiding values

1. Hope—Since God is active and at work, leaders in thriving churches embrace hope as a way of living out leadership.

2. Gospel—The gospel of Jesus Christ means that God is present and active in the church and in the world. Leaders look for and respond to God’s action.

3. Mission—From the conviction that God is on mission in the world, and that God has a preferred future for every congregation, leaders seek to participate in God’s mission in their local contexts.

4. Relationality—Since the Triune God models relationality and community, leaders in thriving churches value community and attend to a broad range of voices in the community.(Relationality, mutuality, trust).

5. Church—Because congregations are manifestations of the Body of Christ, and all members are endowed by the Holy Spirit with gifts for the edification of the church, leaders value community, attend to a broad range of voices in the community, and seek to draw younger generations and persons from the margins into their work in the Kingdom  

6. Traditioned Innovation—Leaders recognize that imagining the future requires the best parts of a congregation’s past. To embrace innovation, leaders must blend the old and new.  

7. Engaging leadership—Leaders engage prayer, engage in discernment, and engage others for ministry. Theological imagination, surprise, curiosity–tasks for leaders.

Our Goals

Our desire is that, having participated in equipping, programs, and offerings from the Siburt Institute, leaders would: 

1. Grow in their attention to God’s presence and action.

2. Demonstrate courage in obedience to God’s action.

3. Cultivate a non-anxious spirit throughout their leadership.

4. Engage in theologically informed imagination through their leadership practices.

5. Trust outcomes to God’s action.

6. Posture themselves as faithful stewards of what has been entrusted to them. 

7. Perceive themselves and their emotions accurately as they maintain relationships and cope with challenges. 

8. Prioritize collaboration and mutuality within a healthy leadership system.

our History

Abilene Christian University has long endeavored to support the work of churches and church leaders. Whether one thinks of early revival services that took place on campus, the decades of Lectureship and Bible Teachers’ Workshop gatherings, or the ministry and consulting work from individuals like Dr. Paul Faulkner, Dr. Carl Brecheen, or Dr. Charles Siburt, ACU personnel have labored mightily for the good and benefit of leaders in local congregations. Upon the death of Dr. Charles Siburt (see below), ACU established the Siburt Institute in 2012 in Charles’s memory and as an extension of his ministry. The establishment of the Siburt Institute intends to reflect the university’s ongoing commitment to engage with congregational leaders and to support and resource the vital work of churches across the nation. Royce Money, ACU chancellor, was the institute’s first executive director, and Carson Reed now serves as executive director for the Siburt Institute and vice president for church relations.

OUR NAMESAKE, DR. CHARLES SIBURT

The institute bears the name of the late Charles Siburt, who was affectionately known as the “church doctor.” Charles was a respected churchman who committed his personal and professional life to understanding the complex needs of congregations struggling with communication, conflict resolution, administration, and leadership training. He was a beloved mentor and father figure to countless numbers of students, providing encouragement and counsel long after they transitioned into ministry. You can read some of his famous sayings, affectionately dubbed “Charlie-isms.”

Dr. Siburt joined the Abilene Christian University faculty full time in 1988 and was one of ACU’s leading voices in churches for over 20 years. Formerly ACU’s vice president for church relations, he also served as associate dean for ministry programs and services, O.L. and Irene Frazer Professor of Church Enrichment, director of the Doctor of Ministry program, and director of the Center for Church Enrichment. Read more.

In 2023, our associate director, David Kneip, sat down with Royce to talk about Dr. Siburt, his ministry, and his legacy; you can listen to that interview at our podcast page or by clicking on the play button in the box below.