St. Mark’s Church began partnering with AFM when their rector, the Rev. Mark Tusken, providentially met AFM’s founder, The Rev. Tad de Bordenave. From the days when Tad’s office was a ping pong table in the basement of his house, St. Mark’s has been committed to prayerful and financial partnership with AFM, including AFM in its annual mission’s budget.
In a striking example of “prevenient grace” (God going before us), two St. Mark’s families had a connection with Asia. First, a member of the Mission Commission named Mike traveled there on business where he met two AFM cross-cultural workers, Doug and Elaine, whom St. Mark’s eventually helped support for several years. Moreover, a family from St. Mark’s adopted a little baby from an orphanage there. So what are the odds? One baby, one businessman, and one missionary family all connected with one city in Asia! Clearly, our amazing God providentially brought St. Mark’s and AFM together for the sake of the unchurched. Part of St. Mark’s mission statement reads, “We seek to bear witness to the truth of God in Christ.” Regarding their mission, a St. Mark’s staff member writes, “It’s been our privilege to see the Lord at work in Asia and around the world through Anglican Frontier Missions. We are grateful for the partnership and blessed to see his grace poured out through our relationship.”
AFM is also profoundly grateful for the blessings of partnering with St. Mark’s. Our partnership deepened on Sept. 26-27, when St. Mark’s invited AFM Executive Director, The Rev. Chris Royer, to teach a Saturday Seminar on reaching Muslims, following it up on Sunday with a sermon calling for greater faith and missional action. Years ago the Apostle Paul modeled partnership with the Philippian Church. Later he wrote, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now” (1:4-5).
These sentiments reflect AFM’s relationship with St. Mark’s, and St. Mark’s with AFM: thankfulness for a collaborative and mutually edifying partnership to reach the nations for Christ!
