Frequently Asked Questions

Who is AFM?

AFM is an independent mission agency, a non-profit 501c3 organization, founded in 1993, and based in Richmond, Va. AFM sends missionaries to the 25 largest and least evangelized peoples on earth.

What is Frontier Mission?

Frontier Mission is different from local mission (e.g., feeding the homeless in a US city), different from national mission (e.g., providing relief for hurricane Katrina), different from foreign mission (e.g.,painting a church in Honduras). Frontier Mission is evangelism where there is no indigenous church (or multiplying church) in areas like N. Africa, the Middle East, India, China, and Indonesia.

What does AFM do?

AFM sends missionaries to the 25 largest and least evangelized peoples of the world. Each group is over 1 million in population and has less than 5 other mission agencies working with them. These ethnic peoples are based in parts of N. Africa, the Middle East, India, China and Indonesia. AFM missionaries may engage in direct evangelism or use business, academic or other platforms to plant churches. They also partner with local churches, agencies and other Christians to plan strategies to see indigenous churches planted and multiplied.

What has AFM accomplished since its founding in 1993?

AFM has sent about 35 missionaries to 9 out of the 25 targeted ethnic people groups.
AFM has established strategic partnerships with Christian leaders in Nigeria, India, Singapore, SE Asia and partsof the Middle East.
AFM, with Anglican Bishop Inyom of Makurdi (Nigeria), has helped train 12 Nigerian pastors to reach ethnic groups in non-Christian parts of Africa.
AFM has also partnered with a church planting movement in India through the mission of Dr Ponraj of the Bihar OutreachNetwork.
AFM has established close relations with the Anglican Diocese of Singapore where some of our missionary training has been conducted.

How does AFM relate to The Episcopal Church, the Network, AMIA, CANA, the Anglican Communion, and Other Churches?

AFM is first and foremost a mission agency that wants to see indigenous churches planting more indigenous churches on the frontier. Because AFM believes that the gospel can be more fruitfully expanded by churches working together rather than in isolation, AFM is committed to partnering with churches of any denomination: Anglican, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist, independent, etc. Our common wish is to see indigenous churches established and we welcome churches, individuals, dioceses, provinces, and other agencies to partner with us in mission. AFM is independent of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion and Other Churches. AFM is not an official part of an established denomination.

How will September 30th impact AFM?

AFM will continue to work with churches that make frontier missions a priority. In this uncertain time of re-alignment of Anglicanism in North America, AFM will make every effort to ensure frontier mission is part of the DNA of new church plants, existing churches, existing and emerging ecclesial structures.

What is AFM’s official view of the actions of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in 2003?

AFM’s Board officially rejects as contrary to Biblical Authority, and therefore invalid and without legitimacy, the actions of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the USA in confirming the election of Gene Robinson as Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire, and in permitting the creation of liturgical rites for the blessing same gender unions.

How does AFM relate to other mission agencies?

AFM enjoys good working relationships with a variety of mission agencies including: the International Mission Board of Southern Baptists, South American Missionary Society, Church Missionary Society, Global Teams, etc.

In addition, AFM is a member of several mission networks such as the Tibetan Peoples’ Resource Network, the Turkish Network, Anglican Partnership for Global Mission, the New Wineskins Missionary Network, the Center for Christian Understanding of Islam, China Source, Central Asia Fellowship etc.

How is AFM funded?

AFM is funded through the generosity of about 30-40 churches and several hundred individuals who give monthly, for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas offerings, and throughout the year or for special projects. Each missionary is required to raise their own financial support. AFM has a 10% administrative fee for financial, health, and pension services for missionaries.

What is AFM’s doctrinal position?

AFM believes the Bible is “God’s Word Written”, in the Holy Trinity, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for the salvation of the world, in the Second Coming of Jesus, in the body of Christ as the church where God’s pure Word is preached and the Sacraments duly administered, the priority and urgency of mission and evangelism in obedience to Our Risen Lord’s commands, and the historic Christian faith set forth in the Nicene/ Apostles’ Creeds, the 39 Articles, and the classic Prayer Book tradition.

What is AFM’s philosophy of mission?

AFM takes “ethnic” people as the building block for mission strategy rather than a political nation-state. So, AFM understands God’s promise to Abraham that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3) as referring to ethnic people groups, rather than to political or geographical units. AFM will, for example, target the Miao people rather than the country of country of China where they live. We understand that the blessing promised to Abraham only comes through Jesus Christ as explained in Galatians 3:13 “He (Jesus) redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Sprit”.

What is AFM’s model for mission?

AFM trains missionaries who are not simply front-line mission personnel, but are strategic coordinators at or behind the frontier. Their unique role as strategy coordinators has them conduct research, advocate for a people group, raise prayer support, liaise with other agencies, and facilitate a church planting movement among an ethnic group that has no church.

Why is “Anglican” in AFM’s name?

AFM was originally founded as an independent missionary society to address the lack of focus within the Anglican Communion on frontier mission. While AFM values its heritage within the theology of the continental Reformation in the sixteenth century because of the biblical emphasis on the Word of God, the Sacraments, and the need for worldwide evangelism, AFM does not place Anglicanism above the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are Christians first and denominational labels must come second. AFM has a unique opportunity to connect with 77million Anglicans (the third largest body of Christians in the world), many of whom are conservative/ evangelical/ orthodox in their beliefs and practices of the Christian faith.

Does AFM plant “Anglican” churches?

AFM wishes to see churches planted that are led by indigenous, ethnic leaders from different people groups. We are more interested in having churches planted than in planting churches of a particular denomination. Our goal is to extend the Kingdom rather than a denomination. We are flexible and ecumenically minded about this topic for frontier mission.

Who is the Executive Director of AFM?

The Rev. Julian D. Linnell, Ph.D directs AFM. He has served as a field missionary for 5 years in China/ Taiwan, as a pastor in the US for 4 years, and as a researcher and professor for 12 years in universities in the US and overseas. Educated at Cambridge University, England, he holds Masters Degrees in Geography, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and Divinity. His Ph.D is in Educational Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania. He has published articles on second language acquisition, teacher education, and apologetics. He is available as a speaker for mission conferences, seminars, preaching, and consultation.

How can I get involved in AFM?

Apply as a missionary with AFM to serve on the frontier
Pray daily for one ethnic people who do not have a Christian church yet
Contact AFM to ask how to promote one ethnic people in your church (through AFM’s Bridge Builder Program)
Support AFM financially through regular monthly giving or through your will, estates, etc
Ask your rector to include AFM on your church’s annual mission budget or for special offerings at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter or Epiphany.

What is AFM’s internship program?

AFM offers a flexible, customized internship for 3+months for individuals over the age of 18. Our purpose is to expose interns to frontier missions through a focus on a particular ethnic people from among the 25 largest and least evangelized groups on earth. Interns raise financial support for this position, but are also given a stipend. They will have the opportunity to do research in the US and also to travel to their ethnic people for first-hand experience. These are available on a rolling basis throughout the year. Interested? Contact our office for an application form (804) 355 8468 or email info@afm-us.org.

What are some of AFM’s goals for the future?

AFM wants to send 5 new missionaries in 2007-2008 to the frontier to work with ethnic peoples
AFM wants to connect with 10 new youth pastors and 5 college Christian groups to promote frontiermission in 2008
AFM wants to increase the number of prayer groups supporting AFM from 3 to 6 in 2008
AFM wants to increase the number of churches who financially support AFM from 40 to 60 in 2008
AFM wants to offer frontier mission awareness days in Jacksonville, FL, San Antonio, TX, Philadelphia, PA, Boston, MA in 2007-2008
AFM wants to participate in training 50 Nigerian missionaries to start churches among Muslim groupsin the Middle East
AFM wants to partner with church planting movements in India (Bihar Outreach Network)