Mission Statement

Alaska Christian Ministries was founded by Eileen Starr, who served as its executive director for 37 years, until she passed away in September of 2018.  Following seminary, Eileen was planning to go to either Nigeria or Sierra Leon, Africa, but because of unrest there, Americans were having difficulty getting visas, so instead, she went with SEND International to Alaska, on what was to be a “temporary assignment.” She ended up staying here for the remaining 47 years of her life!  

She worked as a medical technologist at Faith Hospital in Glennallen, as well as Professor of Christian Education and Director of Student Christian Service Ministries at Alaska Bible College. About this time she was “adopted” into a native family, and they became extremely important to her. 

In 1981 Eileen founded Alaska Christian Ministries, which conducted equipping events for SS teachers & pastors in Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula, Sitka, Fairbanks and Juneau. In 2003, 650 people attended one of the conventions. She wanted to equip people to serve in their local church, and she had a passion for effective, theologically sound ministry that allows a church to impact its own members and its community. Eileen also started the Anchorage Children’s Ministry Network to foster interchurch cooperation of ministry to children, especially at-risk children. She put on Spring Break Day Camps and the Thanksgiving Blessing food distribution.

She also consulted with individual churches about their Christian Education programs. Her expertise was in curriculum and problem solving. Over the years she had many articles printed in academic journals. In the late 1980’s Eileen decided to pursue more training in Christian Education and earned her Ph.D. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School near Chicago. In 1994, Eileen began annual, month-long trips to Far East Russia, where she conducted teacher-training seminars. 

In the summer of 2018, Eileen was losing weight, and a visit to several doctors revealed that she had pancreatic cancer, which neither surgery nor treatment could help. She passed away quietly at home, into the arms of God, on Thursday morning, September 20, 2018.

We have completed our first year of parenting classes without our dear friend and founder Dr Eileen Starr.  Please join us in keeping these programs in our Anchorage communities.  Donate now or call our office for how you can help