Senior Leadership
I am inspired by the faith, courage, and reverence for God by Christian educators around the world! It reminds me of the story recounted in I Samuel 17 about David defeating Goliath. In verse 29, David’s response to the inaction of his
elder brothers and the Israelites especially encourages me. He boldly and nobly answers the call to action by asking, "Is there not a cause?”
I can think of no greater cause than to partner with you as you advance Kingdom education. We fully believe that authentic devotion to the Christian faith and academic excellence are mutually reinforcing. There are not two or three forms of excellence, but rather an ethos that is cultivated throughout every facet of our schools. Faith is not separated from learning but rather integrated intentionally, resulting in a distinctive Christian worldview.
Scholarship and learning become an integral component to the maturation process known as discipleship. Thus, becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ, the ultimate objective of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20), is the prize for which we strive; it is the highest form of excellence! It is certainly conceivable that we could produce students with the spiritual depth needed to enter our pluralistic society and not fall prey to empty philosophies. Rather, they would be equipped to saturate the marketplace to which God has called them with confidence, purpose, and an eternal perspective.
ACSI’s ongoing mission is to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. We want to serve you as you continue to cultivate and sustain a flourishing school. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you—thank you for your obedience to God’s call on your life—you are indeed making a difference.
Dr. Larry Taylor, President & CEO, ACSI
larry_taylor@acsi.org
719-867-0200
ACSI Senior Leadership
Dr. David Balik
Vice President of USA
Dr. Gavin Brettenny
Chief Strategy Officer
Kevin Buelke
Chief Finance Officer
Cindy Dodds
Chief of Flourishing Initiatives
Michael Epp
Senior Vice President of Global
Brett Henry, J.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Sevenstar
Vice President, Educational Resources
John Klingstedt
Chief Operating Officer
Christi Lynn
Vice President, Communications & Engagement
Chris Loncar
Vice President, Human Resources
Jerry Nelson
Chief Ministry Officer
Philip Scott, J.D.
Vice President for Legal Affairs
P. George Tryfiates
Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs
Susan Verheul
Vice President, Executive Initiatives
Dr. Cecil Swetland
Vice President for Development
News and Press Releases
Christian School Educators Embrace AI Risks, Benefits
OTTAWA, ON & COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – A new study finds that around 38% of Christian school educators use artificial intelligence (AI) at least sometimes at work. An almost equal proportion (37%) reports never using AI. Those findings come from "Navigating AI in Christian Schools," a report published by think tank Cardus based on an Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) survey of educators (teachers and leaders) at its member schools.
The report also found that:
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70% of educators report being at least somewhat familiar with AI
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87% of educators agree that AI can help teachers save time and effort
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60% of educators agree AI can help teachers create more effective curriculum and lesson plans
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Only 18% of educators indicated their school banned students’ use of AI
ACSI President & CEO Dr. Larry Taylor believes educators’ faith should inform how they leverage AI.
“I believe AI has tremendous potential, but it’s imperative that we exemplify how to use it in a Christ-like, biblically honoring way,” he shared. “This report is extremely timely as we navigate the new norms that AI has already brought into the world of education.”
Despite educators’ familiarity with and use of AI, they’re also concerned about the potential downsides of the technology for students. Many worry that AI could lead students to cheat, stunt their critical thinking skills, invade privacy, or even undermine students’ faith. In fact, educators’ top use of AI is to detect student plagiarism. They also use it to find teaching ideas and resources, or to prepare emails and lesson plans. Dr. Lynn E. Swaner, a report co-author, President - US at Cardus and ACSI Senior Fellow, says many Christian schools are only just starting to come to grips with how widespread AI has become.
“Ever since ChatGPT exploded onto our screens in 2022, Christian schools have had to navigate their way toward finding the appropriate place for AI,” Swaner said. “Hopefully, our study will help educators see the big picture of how Christian schools are finding their way through the world of AI and spark conversations about how AI fits within their school’s mission and values.”
ACSI Director of Research Rian Djita echoed Swaner’s sentiment, stating, “This ground-breaking research, the first of its kind in Christian education, positions ACSI as a leader in navigating the potential of AI in Christian schools."
"Navigating AI in Christian Schools" is freely available online and is the first of many conversations ACSI and Cardus will provide Christian education leaders on this new technology in the coming months.
Media Inquiries:
Caitlyn Harding
ACSI – Corporate Communications & PR Manager
613-899-5174 719-867-0243
media_inquiries@acsi.org
Daniel Proussalidis
Cardus – Director of Communications
media@cardus.ca
About The Association of Christian Schools International
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) exists to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Serving more than 25,000 schools in 108 countries, ACSI helps more than 5.5 million students worldwide connect to Christian education.
About Cardus – Imagination toward a thriving society
Cardus is a non-partisan think tank dedicated to clarifying and strengthening, through research and dialogue, the ways in which society’s institutions can work together for the common good.