A Christian Ministry in the National Parks (ACMNP)
A Christian Ministry in the National Parks (ACMNP) originated as a student-led ministry in the Old Faithful area of Yellowstone National Park in 1951. The first services of worship were begun and led by Princeton Seminary student, Warren Ost, after he noted the growing faith-based needs of park visitors, employees, permanent residents, and his own coworkers at the Inn.
ACMNP now places ministry teams in over 25 national parks each year, from Alaska‚’s Denali National Park to the U.S. Virgin Islands, from Acadia National Park in Maine to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Every Sunday between Memorial Day and Labor Day, ACMNP Ministry Staff Members offer approximately 150 worship services at 75 beautiful sites across the country.
The ACMNP National Office is located in Denver, Colorado, and is staffed by four full-time professionals who share a love for the outdoors, a Christian worldview, and a desire to thread the two together for the ultimate purpose of ushering people into a greater understanding of God.
More than a half-century of national park ministry has created a wide-spanning ACMNP community of Board Members, Alumni, and other interested friends. These individuals affirm ACMNP by worshipping in the parks during the summer, committing to pray for our programs, and by forming local support communities to encourage and mentor the ACMNP teams in the parks.
ACMNP ... ENCOUNTERING GOD IN THE WONDERS OF CREATION!
A Christian Ministry in the National Parks embodies and extends the ministry of Jesus Christ through worship, witness, and the development of Christian leaders.
We do this by offering:
- Opportunities for worship that inspire, encourage, and bring joy to those who live, work, and vacation in America's national parks.
- Real-world contexts in which men and women explore and express their Christian faith through service and witness while growing as Christian leaders.
- Theological guidance to a wide spectrum of the Christian community to inspire people to engage in issues of faith and the environment.
- Outdoor experiences that give men, women, youth, and children opportunities to explore the meaning of their Christian faith.
ACMNP is an interdenominational movement supported by individuals, churches, and foundations across the theological spectrum. The Apostle's Creed serves as our common statement of faith.
