ACE was founded in 2002 by Evangelist Richard Gunning of RTU Ministries from Belfast, Northern Ireland. For some years Richard had increasingly seen the value of cooperating with other evangelists and ministries on the mission fields. In the summer of 2001, just after speaking in the great summer mission convention at Sarons Dal in Norway, Richard felt the Lord strongly speaking to his heart and clearly confirming this vision.

In September 2002 Richard organised the first ACE conference in a hotel in Belfast attended by 16 evangelists from different ministries and countries, this was the birth of ACE! Since 2002 a growing number of evangelists have met once a year each September for the annual ACE conference. ACE has continued to grow as the Lord has led different ministries and ministers to work together, from time to time, under the ACE “umbrella”.

Having laid the foundations for the ACE network and seen it grow and develop Richard felt it right in December 2015 to start to hand over the prime leadership role to the next generation.

Jonas Andersson from Sweden was appointed as the new chairman of ACE in January 2016 whilst Richard continues to sit on the board.