ACT International began in 1973 with a clear calling and a bold vision. Its founder, Dr. Byron Spradlin had already spent years serving as a musician, songwriter, Bible teacher, church planter, pastor, and professor. In 1970, he wrote down a defining assignment from God that would guide the rest of his life: "To disciple and mentor people from music and the arts, weaving them into the life of the church, missions, and marketplace ministry around the world." What started as a step of obedience has grown into more than five decades of faithful service, shaped by Byron’s deep passion for worship, imagination, and the role of the arts in God’s mission.

In its early years, ACT focused on discipling artists, helping them discover their place in God’s Kingdom. By the 1980s, the ministry expanded its vision to emphasize culturally sensitive worship in church planting, recognizing that the gospel is most powerfully expressed through the languages and artistic forms of each culture. Since 1990, ACT has served as a mission sending agency, mobilizing creative ministers across the globe. Today, ACT International supports over 500 ministries from every major artistic discipline, serving in more than 50 countries. As a nonprofit, interdenominational mission organization, ACT exists to find, equip, and mobilize artists, innovators, and missionaries for Christ’s redemptive work.

At its heart, ACT International is committed to helping both artists and the Church flourish together. ACT provides coaching, accountability, organizational support, and administrative systems so that creative leaders can pursue their unique calling with confidence and sustainability. At the same time, ACT works to help the Church recognize and embrace the vital role of the arts in evangelism, discipleship, and worship. In a world increasingly shaped by creativity and imagination, ACT addresses a critical need by bridging the gap between artists and the Church, equipping creative ministers to share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, and ensuring that some of the Church’s most gifted servants are not lost, but fully engaged in God’s global mission.