A Note From New Executive Director, Michael Acker

Thank you for the opportunity to briefly introduce myself. 

I’d love to hear from you and about your involvement with go as well. 

My email is michael.acker@goonthemission.com.

So who am I? Here’s the short of it.

My dad was a drug smuggler. My mom was a witch. I became a minister.

True story. Those three sentences show the grace and leadership of God! If God can change my family, he can save anyone. Here’s a bit more of the story: 

At a young age, after my parents became Christians, almost immediately I was immersed in a life of service in our community: soup kitchens, international missions through YWAM (including smuggling Bibles into communist China) and eventually as missionaries in Mexico, where my family and I dedicated ourselves to aiding impoverished children and initiating food and education programs.

Returning to the U.S., I felt a call to ministry, leading me to Northwest University. There, I balanced full-time work with ministry internships and was part of a church plant. After college, I embraced vocational ministry starting out as a kids and youth pastor and then as the Lead Pastor of New View Church in Stanwood, WA followed by Citipoint Church in Mount Vernon, WA. These faith communities flourished, launching outreach programs and growing in impact. Additionally, I led the Board of Directors at GO on the Mission for several years, participating in many trips and Sponsorship Sundays. It was during my early pastoral career that I met my wife, Taylor, while attending a conference. Soon after marriage followed a five-year struggle with infertility, which thankfully ended with the birth of our son, Paxton.

After eighteen years of pastoral ministry, a career shift came unexpectedly when I was recruited for a sales position during a summer BBQ. This led to a thrilling role in corporate sales which gave way to providing corporate training and executive communication coaching birthed from authoring a book. The corporate work brought new experiences both draining and rewarding, but during it all I had a desire to engage in more vocational ministry and to “equip the saints for the work of ministry.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

In the fall of 2023, Taylor and I agreed that I would transition back to ministry-focused work, becoming the next Executive Director at GO on the Mission. 

As the new Executive Director of GO, I’m elated to partner with others to help break children out of the cycle of poverty. I love the projects and trips GO is engaging in with our international partners! Personally, I know that sponsoring kids changes lives both for the sponsor and the sponsored. 

I look forward to the years ahead and would love to hear from you about how you became involved with GO. Please feel free to send an email or give me a call and we can connect!

Michael Acker

michael.acker@goonthemission.com

360.692.2231 ext. 3