The Acton Institute was founded 33 years ago out of the spare room of my Grand Rapids, Michigan, apartment in a down-and-out neighborhood. Like most start-ups, we bootstrapped it, working long hours with very few resources. Today, we boast an international staff of 40-plus superstars furthering our mission around the world, including an international office, and host thousands of participants at our conference events each year. Yet one thing has not changed: our mission. Acton Institute’s mission is to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles.
You may have received our publication Acton Notes in the past. This new publication, Spire, is replacing that periodical. When we visit the old towns of America and villages around the globe, what is it we see when the town first comes into view? Jutting above the roofscape of the village is a spire, often from a house of worship, pointing our eyes toward heaven. The Acton Institute encourages leaders to look up and see the spire—to rediscover the religious and moral principles that make up our economic and social way of life together. We are in the business of inspiring hope. The secular powers of this world can be coercive and constraining, but freedom is found in the light of truth. We thank you for joining us in our efforts to promote a free and virtuous society.
In this issue, we hope to inspire you by telling the stories of some of the amazing people who make our work possible.
