History

100 years of history all started as a mission to Tibet in 1921

Asia Christian Services has become a movement of evangelists and workers across SouthEast Asia.

J. Russell Morse and his wife Gertrude accepted a call to go to Tibet from the Missionary Pioneer Doctor Albert Shelton in 1921. After one seven-year term in Tibet, the Morse family moved east to western China to evangelize among the Lisu tribe. The family with four children, and coworkers who came to help, successfully led to thousands of converts. They worked steadily for over 20 years including through World War II, until China fell to communism and drove them into Northern Burma in 1949. In Burma they continued work among the Lisu and added a new outreach to the Rawang Tribe including translating the Bible into that language. Political changes forced then to permanently leave Burma in 1965. With tens of thousands of Christians and church leaders in their footprint, part of the family relocated in Thailand to continue working with the Lisu and other hill tribes in that country.

Locals On The River With Boats

In 1966, LaVerne Morse the youngest son, established Asia Christian Services to empower the tribal leaders still in Burma to continue the missionary work. He worked tirelessly through his lifetime in his role as a Missions Bible College Professor in the USA and the Director of ACS. He continually challenged Asian leaders with annual visits and many letters using his six fluent Asian languages. He guided them to move south and plant churches throughout the country and to cross the tribal and language barriers to as many of the 152 Burmese tribal groups as possible. Leadership training centers and Bible Colleges were established throughout Burma and Thailand. Radio broadcasts into remote tribal areas in new languages were begun. Bible translations into the native tongues of the new tribes were also initiated.

Volunteers Building Church
Woman Being Baptized

Over 40 tribes now have reproducing churches planted by these workers. A reproducing church is one that is sending out evangelists to establish churches in other places within that tribe and to reach new tribes. In some of these 40 tribes, every village has a church. Ministry to children has opened the understanding of closed-minded parents. Wells and water projects have opened the doors to new communities. Medical work and disaster relief are often bridges to reach the new areas. Through these native missionary evangelists, churches have also been established across the borders of Bangladesh, NE India, and Thailand. LaVerne also led strategic outreaches and gave council and wisdom to evangelize into Cambodia, Laos, Viet Nam, India, and Malaysia.

ACS empowers Asian national missionaries to reach the unreached, plant churches and disciple believers. Your financial support adds fuel to the fire of evangelism that is burning in the hearts of these native workers. Regular monthly support of $100 to $200 will empower a native evangelist to relocate to a new unreached tribal area.

Thank you!

This missional movement is continuing forward with no end in sight!

Local Children Smiling

LaVerne Memorial

Fancy Divider
Russel Morse Headshot

Russel LaVerne Morse

January 4, 1929 – August 2, 2016

LaVerne Morse has gone to heaven…

Last evening at dinner LaVerne Morse transitioned to Heaven. He had been in good health and yesterday had spent time in his office at the home of his daughter Marcia. He spent the afternoon with Lois and had dinner with her and his friends at the Mason Christian Village. As he was finishing dinner, he leaned back and died.
LaVerne went to China as a newborn and was raised there and served with his parents and brothers until WWII. He graduated HS in Tulsa, OK and began College at Minnesota Bible College. He transferred to CBS as a junior and graduated from CBS in 1954. He and Lois went to Burma in 1955 and had a profound impact there. He later became the Missions Professor at CBS for 23 years, and through that time he influenced numerous students to spread the Gospel around the world.
He married Lois Elliott, the daughter of George Mark and Kathryn in 1953 and they were married 63 years with 5 children, 20 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. And, his “spiritual” children and great grandchildren are too many to count.
He founded Asia Christian Services in 1964. Through this mission he has trained thousands of leaders. He modeled evangelism and loving one another. He helped in spreading of the Gospel in a number of ways. He influenced the starting of multiple Bible Colleges, radio broadcasts, medical evangelism through clinics and medical kits, Bible translations, the printing of Christian literature and church planting efforts in many new previously unreached tribes.

LaVerne Morse Memorial Fund:

LaVerne’s entire life has been about encouraging and empowering others to continue in spreading the good news. Gifts given to this fund will facilitate Asian evangelists to pioneer church planting in new areas of South East Asia. Memorials can be sent to the LaVerne Morse Memorial Fund of Asia Christian Services.

Asia Christian Services Address

9378 Mason Montgomery Road, Suite 326
Mason, OH, 45040