Our History
The Dream is Born
In the early 1990's ACF's senior pastor, Will Davis, Jr. was working on his doctorate and pastoring a Baptist church in Ft. Worth. During this season Will and his wife, Susie, had an itch to do two things - to get back to Austin, and to start a church that did things differently.
Will wanted to be a part of a church that focused on the person of Jesus Christ, without any denominational baggage. He also wanted to preach messages that were credible and relevant - answering questions about Christ that people were actually asking.
A Leap of Faith
In the summer of 1993 the Davises packed their bags and headed back to Austin. Due to the generosity of a willing underwriter, Will became Senior Pastor of Austin Christian Fellowship on June 1, 1993. The name was chosen to reflect a church with a heart for Austin, a desire to be distinctly Christian, and an emphasis on authentic relationships.
A Church with No People
Will had a small office, but no people. He shared his vision with friends, and a group of 12 started meeting in the home of Elliott and D'Ann Beck. In September 1993 the group moved to Wednesday nights at the Stouffer Renaissance Hotel.
The Official Launch
ACF's first official Sunday service was January 16, 1994 at the Austin Community College theatre on Rio Grande. The doors were often locked, the AC sometimes didn't work, and the numbers were inconsistent. But, the Davises learned a valuable lesson during those days - church is all about dependency on God.
The Black Building Days
In November 1994 ACF leased its first meeting space - 7500 sq.ft. in a black office building on Loop 360 near Bee Caves. It was the first place ACF could actually call "home", and the church grew to about 200 people.
Fish Theatre
The black building rent became too high in 1998, so ACF took to the road again. The first stop was Cedar Creek Elementary school in the Westlake area. The school had large paper mache fish hanging from the ceiling, so it was affectionately known as "Fish Theatre". The church quickly ran out of space for its children ministry, so the adults moved across the street to Hill Country Middle School. It was during this time that the ACF leadership began to look for a permanent location.
River Place Hilltop Discovered
In 1999 a committee of ACFers looked at 27 acres for sale just inside the entrance of River Place. After much prayer the purchase was made. Shortly thereafter, ACF was approached by a neighbor who was willing to sell an adjacent 35 acres without any downpayment. Once again sensing the handiwork of God, the deal came together in 2000. ACF moved its offices to a house on the 60 acre property overlooking the city of Austin.
Steiner Days
In order to build its presence in the area, in 2000 ACF moved its Sunday services to Steiner Elementary School and Wednesday services to St. Luke's on the Lake. Attendance averaged around 300 per week.
Pennies from Heaven
ACF soon developed a building plan and asked for pledges from its members. Church services were held in a tent on the property in 2001 and Camp Fun kids were encouraged to drop their offerings into a large bucket on stage. Kids streamed up by the dozens and all that could be heard was the clanging of coins. There was not a dry eye in the tent.
Finally a Building of our Own
On September 21, 2003 ACF's first church building was complete but without a Certificate of Occupancy.
Will led a dedication service on the patio outside the new building. God held back the rain just long enough for a plane to fly over. It pulled a sign that captured the moment well. It simply read "Yea God".
Another Miraculous Provision
Church attendance steadily rose after moving into the new building, averaging around 900 by the end of 2005. The ACF leaders began to pray for God to provide new entrances from both River Place Boulevard and 2222. In 2005, ACF was approached by the Leander Independent School District about the possibility of placing an elementary school next to the church. In March 2006, ACF sold 15 acres to LISD. From the proceeds of that sale ACF was able to pay off the debt on the remaining 20 acre Hampton tract and build the aforementioned entrances.
God Gave a Youth Building
In 2006 the congregation was presented with a plan to build a $1 million youth building without incurring additional debt. Once again, God provided the amount, and the youth moved into their own building in February 2008.
Nearly two decades later, God continues to write an amazing history at ACF. We cannot wait to see what He plans to do next!