Scott grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC and New York City. After attending Purdue University, he joined the staff of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He has served InterVarsity for more than 40 years in various leadership roles around the New England region. He still works part-time for IVCF, continuing to develop a unique partnership with Campus Ministry at Assumption University in Worcester, MA. He is passionate about building bridges across places of historic division amongst the people of God. He has been shaped over the years by the life and thinking of people like St. Maximus the Confessor, Philip Melanchthon, Flannery O’Connor, John Lewis, Chiara Lubich, Robert Mulholland, Justo Gonzalez and T-Bone Burnett – along with many saints who never wrote a book or produced a work of art but whose Jesus-shaped life has influenced his. Scott lives in Worcester, MA with his wife and not as close as he’d like to his three adult daughters (and two grandsons!).
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Fr. Bob Miller – Chair (Michigan City, IN)
Israel Chaffin (Memphis, TN)
Rev. Dr. Craig Higgins (Rye, NY)
Tom Masters (Oakbrook Terrace, IL)
Dr Juan Medina (Tucson, AZ)
Dr. Elizabeth Woodard (Methuen, MA)
- STAFF
Scott grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC and New York City. After attending Purdue University, he joined the staff of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He has served InterVarsity for more than 35 years in various leadership roles around the New England region. He still works part-time for IVCF, continuing to develop a unique partnership with Campus Ministry at Assumption University in Worcester, MA. He is passionate about building bridges across places of historic division amongst the people of God. He has been shaped over the years by the life and thinking of people like St. Maximus the Confessor, Philip Melanchthon, Flannery O’Connor, John Lewis, Chiara Lubich, Robert Mulholland, Justo Gonzalez and T-Bone Burnett – along with many saints who never wrote a book or produced a work of art but whose Jesus-shaped life has influenced his. Scott lives in Worcester with his wife and not as close as he’d like to his three adult daughters (and new grandson!).
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Alexei Laushkin – Co-Chair (Herndon, VA)
Fr. Bob Miller – Co-Chair (Michigan City, IN)
Doris Haugen (Tumwater, WA)
Tom Masters (Oakbrook Terrace, IL)
Greg Metzger (Southern California)
Rev. Tony Williams (Salisbury, NC)
Dr. Elizabeth Woodard (Methuen, MA)
STAFF
Scott grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC and New York City. After attending Purdue University, he joined the staff of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He has served InterVarsity for more than 40 years in various leadership roles around the New England region. He still works part-time for IVCF, continuing to develop a unique partnership with Campus Ministry at Assumption University in Worcester, MA. He is passionate about building bridges across places of historic division amongst the people of God. He has been shaped over the years by the life and thinking of people like St. Maximus the Confessor, Philip Melanchthon, Flannery O’Connor, John Lewis, Chiara Lubich, Robert Mulholland, Justo Gonzalez and T-Bone Burnett – along with many saints who never wrote a book or produced a work of art but whose Jesus-shaped life has influenced his. Scott lives in Worcester, MA with his wife and not as close as he’d like to his three adult daughters (and two grandsons!).
LEADERSHIP
COUNCIL
Fr. Bob Miller – Chair (Michigan City, IN)
Doris Haugen (Tumwater, WA)
Tom Masters (Oakbrook Terrace, IL)
Greg Metzger (Southern California)
Rev. Tony Williams (Salisbury, NC)
Dr. Elizabeth Woodard (Methuen, MA)
OUR FOUNDER,
JOHN H. ARMSTRONG
After 20 years as a pastor, John founded what would eventually become The Initiative in 1991. Throughout his public ministry, he consistently ‘took the initiative’ to build friendships across divisions in the Church, embodying the witnessing love that Jesus prayed for in John 17. His deep commitment to prayer, sharing his life with Christians from other traditions, and working tirelessly for greater missional unity formed the template for our way of life and three practices.
John retired in 2019, but continues to be active in The Initiative, mentoring young leaders, and writing. Two of his recent books are The Transforming Fire of Divine Love: My Long Slow Journey Into the Love of God (Cascade Books, 2025) and Tear Down These Walls: Following Jesus into Deeper Unity (Cascade Books, 2021).
The Initiative 2024
John Armstrong George Koch Interview
“The Marks of the Church,” Presented by Rev. John H. Armstrong at The Congregation at Duke University Chapel, Durham, NC
“Our Greatest Apologetic,” Presented by Rev. John H. Armstrong at The Congregation at Duke University Chapel, Durham, NC
“Tear Down These Walls: God’s Love and Our Unity in John 17:20-24,”
Presented by John H. Armstrong at The Congregation at Duke University Chapel, Durham, NC
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