The Apostolic Council for Educational Accountability (ACEA) was formed during the New Apostolic Reformation Educator's Summit, convened in Colorado Springs June 2-3, 1998.  This was the first time that 100 educators, representing 65 base institutions (and several hundred satellite schools), from various apostolic networks, were able to meet together on a peer level and to begin to build relationships.  It soon became evident that the participants had come with very similar agendas even though they were moving in different apostolic streams.  For example, one network, because its primary target was college campuses, needed its workers to aim for earned graduate degrees.   The educators from another network stated that they occasionally have to read their exams to their students because they are training illiterates, among others.

The essential challenge facing the group, representing the training programs of the New Apostolic Reformation, immediately became evident.  How do we maintain positive personal relationships, mutual support, camaraderie, peer-level interaction, interdependence, broad accountability, institutional integrity, and our own autonomy in the face of such academic diversity?

The Creative Alternative

Intercessors, some of whom were on site, but most of whom were home-based, were beseeching God to visit the summit with a spirit of wisdom and revelation (see Eph 1:17), and God answered their prayers.  Through C. Peter Wagner, the convener of the summit, God revealed the concept and the basic design of the Apostolic Council on Educational Accountability.  The ACEA is not a new form of accreditation, but rather it is a creative alternative for academic accreditation  It is a way that apostolic training institutions can receive the desired ongoing peer-level evaluation and mutual accountability while maintaining the integrity of their individual callings from God.