Dr. Al Janney and a group of his peers met in August, 1972, in Miami, Florida, to form the non-profit corporation called the American Association of Christian Schools. Dr. Janney then served from 1972 until 1992 as the Association’s first president. At the first recorded AACS board meeting, held in Dallas, Texas, on November 30, 1972, Dr. Janney set forth the question: “Where is the separatist organization, on a national level, that will champion our cause?” Thus was the need for AACS clearly voiced and firmly established. AACS became a national outgrowth of its predecessor, the Florida Association of Christian Schools (FACS), which had been founded in 1967 to help its member schools in Florida. Having experienced the hurdles and opposition being thrown up against the fledgling but mushrooming Christian school movement in the United States, Dr. Janney began traveling to other states in an effort to help them organize Christian school associations. AACS sought to provide leadership to the newly-formed state associations by providing legislative protection and high-quality educational programs and services.

From 1972-78 the AACS Office was located in Hialeah, Florida. The Association expanded during those years, both in number of member schools and in services offered. In 1978 Dr. Arno (Bud) Weniger, Jr., was hired as Executive Vice-President to assume responsibility for day-to-day operations; the AACS Office was moved to Normal, Illinois; and additional staff members were hired. The non-profit, tax-exempt organizational status of AACS was clarified in 1980. In 1985 Gerry Carlson, Field Director since 1978, was promoted to Executive Director. The organization opened an office in Fairfax, Virginia, just minutes from downtown Washington, DC, in June of that year. The work of AACS continued to flourish; and AACS membership experienced steady growth during the ten years of Dr. Weniger’s leadership (1978-88), with the number of member schools passing the 1,000 mark in 1982. In 1988 Dr. Richard Harris became Executive Vice-President, Jim Lowden was appointed National Field Director, and Connie Blanton was hired as Coordinator of Services.

Dr. Janney retired in 1992 as AACS President after twenty years of faithful and distinguished service on behalf of Christian education. Dr. Carl Herbster became President, and the AACS National Office was moved to Independence, Missouri. The AACS Education Office, under the leadership of Dr. Charles Walker, was established in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1993. Under Dr. Herbster’s leadership, AACS continued to expand and provide high-quality services to its member schools. In 1998 AACS purchased a four-level building in the Capitol Hill Historic District within one block of the U.S. House of Representatives office buildings to house the AACS office in Washington, DC. The AACS Legal Office was established in Atlanta, Georgia in May, 1996.

Times change, people change, and the specifics of programs change. However, the mission for AACS has remained virtually unaltered: to provide legislative protection and high-quality educational programs and services to member schools nationwide.