Advisors to the Board

Tad de Bordenave

The Rev. Tad de Bordenave, Founding Director

The Rev. Tad de Bordenave served in parish ministry for 25 years before founding Anglican Frontier Missions. He served parishes in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, then in South Alabama, and then at St. Matthew’s in Richmond.

After taking the Perspectives Course in 1988 his realization of the enormity of the Church’s neglect of 20% of the world moved him to begin AFM.

He and his wife, Connie, have three grown children and one granddaughter.

The Rev. Chuck Alley, Chaplain 

Chuck Alley, AFM’s chaplain, has lived faithfully according to his guiding Bible verseChuck Alley
Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

His faith has guided him through two different careers and various employers. Since 1994, Chuck has served as the rector of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church Richmond, which was the parish at which Tad de Bordenave had been rector prior to founding AFM.

Following his 1991 graduation from Virginia Theological Seminary, Chuck was the Assistant Rector at Truro Episcopal Church, Fairfax, Virginia. The major objective of Chuck’s ministry has been the education, preparation and renewal of the laity in order that they might minister in the world.

Prior to entering the priesthood, Chuck, who holds a Ph.D. in Anatomy, was a teaching and research scientist specializing in cellular immunologist. His faith permeated his work as a scientist and ultimately led to his transition from scientist to Episcopal rector:

“One could say that the change was not that dramatic, if one were to look at it as simply a shift from one form of healing to a more holistic form. Pertaining to the temporal aspect of the shift, my call into the ordained ministry was a 12 years process of experimentation and discernment, rather than a particular transformative event.”

Chuck’s wife,” Scottie”, is an enthusiastic ministry partner, loving wife and mother, and also a talented professional. Their youngest son, John, is a college student and AFM 2007 summer intern.

David Barrett

Dr. David Barrett, Senior Consultant

David Barrett is founder and president of GEM Research 30 in Richmond, VA and editor of World Christian Encyclopedia published by Oxford University Press. A native of Great Britain, Barrett received a B.A. in aeronautics and M.A. in divinity studies from Cambridge. After service in East Africa, he was a Fulbright Scholar at Union Theological Seminary, earning his S.T.M. degree, and a Ph.D. in Religion from Columbia University, New York. Dr. Barrett has been a professional futurist associated with the World Future Society for over 15 years and has published more than 280 books, article, reports on world evangelization. Dr. Barrett has worked as a consultant and advisor to AFM since it’s founding in 1993.

Wright Wall

The Rev. Wright Wall

The Rev. Wright Wall is a husband to Beth and a father to four young children. A lifelong Anglican, Wright came to Christ through the ministry of the Navigators while a cadet at West Point. He spent six years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After leaving the Army, Wright earned an MBA and spent eight years working for Accenture Strategy Consulting and Hughes Supply, Inc.

Wright earned his Masters of Divinity, Magna Cum Laude, from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) and was ordained a priest in 2009. He is working on a Doctorate of Ministry at GCTS in Outreach and Discipleship under Dr. Robert Coleman. As the son of an Army officer Wright has lived or worked in Korea, Israel, Germany, Panama and France. He has short-term missions experience in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Wright serves an Assistant Rector at the Falls Church Anglican in Falls Church, VA where he leads the Saturday 5PM service and coordinates the Men’s Ministry. He hopes to plant an international church in northwest DC in 2012.

Charles Beckett

Dr. Charles Beckett

Charles Beckett joins AFM as an advisor after decades of missions service and ministry focused on the Islamic religion. He has earned degrees from University of Richmond and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he received his Doctorate of Ministry degree in 1975. Charles also earned a Master of Arts degree in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations from Hartford Seminary's MacDonald Center in 1993.

Together with his wife, Dr. Jeanne P. Beckett, Charles founded the Foundation for Advanced Study and Training (FAST) in 1994. This organization focuses on education about Islam and Muslim practices as well as dialogue with Muslims. The organization opened the Center for Christian Understanding of Islam in Richmond, Virginia on January 15, 2002. The Center includes an extensive library of Christian/Islamic resources as well as a museum of Islamic artifacts and exhibits. While Charles retired as Director from the Center in September of 2009, he remains a co-director of FAST with his wife.