The mission of Abilene Christian University (ACU) is to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world. In 1986, the Gerontology Center was established as an effort to meet the needs of service and leadership within an aging population.

Since 1986, the Pruett Gerontology Center has worked to develop a curriculum in the study of aging, to respond to church and community service needs, and to develop a resource center to serve informational needs of individuals and organizations. The Center has sponsored numerous workshops, conferences, and short courses to address needs and issues in aging now being faced by churches, families and communities.

The mission of the Pruett Gerontology Center is to provide a program of study on aging that will prepare students for careers related to late-life within societies and religious communities throughout the world, serve the Abilene area community and Abilene Christian University as a resource of information on aging issues, and to assist in the development of ministry programs within Churches of Christ or religious groups with similar convictions.