ABOUT THE AFM - The Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa

Welcome to the AFM Church

AFM stands for “Apostolic Faith Mission” (in Afrikaans: “AGS – Apostoliese Geloofsending“). The AFM exists since 1908 and is the first and largest Pentecostal church in the country – with 1.4 million members in SA and currently established in 28 countries of the world. “Pentecostal” means that it is a church who believes that the Spirit of God is given to believers to live dynamic and overcoming lives. It also implies that believers can demonstrate the character, love and power of their Lord, Jesus Christ, in their daily lives.

The AFM can be distinguished by two inseparable characteristics: The baptism in the Holy Spirit and the Great Commission. We received the Holy Spirit and His power to be missional (Acts1: 8). That’s why we refer to our assemblies as apostolic communities and our members as apostolic agents. We endeavor to inspire and mobilise our whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world.

The desire of the AFM is to saturate our societies with the presence of God and the principles of His Kingdom. Our uniqueness also lies in our diversity and accommodative ability. Not only are we a microcosm of our diverse society, somewhere in our 1800-plus local churches you’ll find a spiritual home where you’ll feel part of the family.

I hope that by exploring this website you will come to know more about the AFM and its activities.

Blessings and Favor!
Dr H.J. Weideman
(President of the AFM of SA)

AFM Name & Logo

Our Name

Right from the beginning of the modern-day Pentecostal movement, the name Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) was synonymous with “Pentecostal”. When the first Pentecostal missionaries came from America, they brought the name with them. Although the name fell into disrepute in America, the AFM in South Africa retained the name.

By “Apostolic Faith” the early pioneers wanted to incorporate the apostolate idea in the name of the movement. This implies a “New Testament” church, a church like in the Book of Acts, a church as it was in the days of the apostles. In doctrine and in life itself, they strived to be a continuation of the church in Acts. The addition of “Mission” links up with the apostolate idea. Just as the early church was a church of action, an outgoing church, a church for the nations, a mission-minded church, they wanted to be the same. The name “Apostolic Faith Mission” does not only make theological sense, it displays our true DNA.

Our Logo

The two prominent symbols in the AFM logo, i.e. the cross and the crown, were used in combination first by the Holiness movement of the 19th century and thereafter by the Zionist movement in America at the end of the 19th century. The AFM accepted this logo right from its establishment – probably due to John G Lake’s earlier involvement with the Zionist movement. The original symbols of the cross and the crown date back to the 4th century after Christ. In the early AFM regular reference was made to: “No cross, no crown.”

Corporate ID and Branding

For more information regarding the AFM Corporate ID and Branding guidelines, please click here

VISION & MISSION

Our Members

Our members are the most visible evidence of the AFM’s vision and mission – living powerful lives and carrying destiny-changing messages. Our members are “apostolic agents” sharing the message of God in every area of their lives.

Vision

We see a church accessible to all people, celebrating our unity and God given diversity, empowering our members for caring and changing communities to the glory of God.

Mission

The AFM is a missional church – which is a community of God’s people that defines themselves as agents of God. It is rooted in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” God sent His Son to redeem us. We confess that being missional is the activity of God Himself. This prime calling of the church is deeply embedded in the AFM since our birth in 1908.

Being a missional church is no longer understood as evangelising communities outside of the borders of South Africa. Being missional is understood as making a Christ-centred difference there where you live, work and function daily. The time to make an impact for Christ is now and the place is here.

We are dedicated to the true mission of our church:

The whole church taking the whole Gospel to the whole world.
Soaking our communities in the presence and principles of the Kingdom of God.

Missional Action

The AFM of SA is committed to daily missional actions that are explained in the AFM Missional Action Plan.

VALUES

Having clear values is like having a compass in a dense forest; they guide our decisions and actions and serve as a blueprint for how we want to live. Our values affect how we connect with others, what we want to achieve, and what matters most to us. They give us a sense of purpose and help us stay grounded when things get tough, making sure that we stay true to ourselves and stick to what is important. When we align our actions with our values, we cultivate authenticity and build trust with others. Ultimately, having clear values is not just about knowing what we stand for; it's about living a life that practically reflects those beliefs.

Integrity

We understand integrity as being genuine, honest and sincere. This quality – as with our other values, should be spontaneously associated with AFM members, pastors and churches.

Relationships

Coming from a racially divided past, and whilst celebrating our God-given diversity, we appreciate our unity as a God-given treasure. We encourage genuine and edifying relationships between believers, pastors and assemblies. We also encourage spiritual father-son and mentor-mentee relations.

Accountability

In a society where individualism is prominent, we believe that accountability is non-negotiable in the church. History teaches us that those who avoid accountability follow a path of eventual self-destruction. We expect accountability on all levels of leadership.

Excellence

In spite of our diversity and different levels of development and affluence, we encourage excellence in all church activities. Poverty is no excuse. Because we are living and working for the Almighty God who is also the God of excellence, mediocrity should be avoided at all cost.

Our Structure

In 2000, the Apostolic Faith Mission adopted a new constitution which at national level marked the beginning of a new philosophy. According to this philosophy successful, proven Christian leaders and pastors fulfill the role of apostles. At the local level desentralisation is the major effect which allows churches to develop their own policies. In the adoption of its new constitution, the AFM looked to the Assemblies of God in Australia model.

Members

Qualifications for membership are that one be born again, baptized, recognised as a member of a local assembly (church) and adhere to the Confession of Faith. Currently there are over 1.4 million AFM members in South Africa making the AFM the fifth largest religious grouping in South Africa. The AFM is known for its diversity enabling it to provide a religious home for people of various cultural identities.

Assemblies (Churches)

The AFM is a growing church that prioritse church planting and growth. It has spread to all towns and villages in South Africa. The AFM has 1800 assemblies (churches) in South Africa – which makes it highly probable that there is an AFM assembly located within your suburb. Local assemblies are led by a pastor and governing body, of which the pastor is a member. In addition to being a member of the governing body, the pastor is the assembly’s “vision carrier”. The governing body appoints pastors.

Regions

Local assemblies are organised into geographical and non-geographical regions. In the case of geographical regions, leadership forums exist which are representative bodies consisting of pastors and delegates from each assembly. Every three years each forum elects a regional committee from among its members and a regional leader from among its pastors. The committee acts as an executive and advisory body to the regional leadership forum. Each region is represented by its leader on the National Leadership Forum. Non-geographical regions in the form of networks of local churches that share a peculiar ministry philosophy, also exist. These are normally led by the senior pastors of urban mega-churches who network with a number of local assemblies nation-wide that look to them for leadership and mentorship. The AFM has 43 geographical and non-geographical regions in South Africa.

National

The AFM’s national representative body is the triennial General Business Meeting. Its main function is the election of the national office bearers which includes the president, deputy president, general secretary and general treasurer. The national office bearers always represent the significant ethnic groups within the church. Each local assembly (church) is entitled to send a pastor and a delegate as voting members. Additional voting members are of the National Leadership Forum, members of standing committees, one additional member representing each church department and one additional representative of the church’s theological training institutions. Before 2000, the General Business Meeting was known as the Workers Council, met annually, and possessed greater power. After the adoption of the new constitution, most of the body’s power was transferred to the National Leadership Forum. The National Leadership Forum, formerly known as the Executive Council, is the AFM’s policy making body and the guardian of doctrinal, ethical and liturgical matters in the church. It licenses pastors, sets standards for ministerial training and settles disputes. It also convenes the annual National Leadership Conference and the General Business Meeting. While it has power to create and implement regulations, over 50% of the regional leadership forums can veto a regulation within 90 days of its passage by the National Leadership Forum. The National Leadership Forum’s members are the national office bearers, the regional leaders, leaders of church departments and a representative of the AFM’s theological training institutions. It may appoint additional members at its discretion. The administrative affairs of the national church are under the oversight of the national officers.

History of the AFM of SA

Early History

In a country humiliated and impoverished by the Anglo-South African War of 1899-1902, a spiritual awakening became evident in 1908. As no existing church welcomed the revival in their ranks, God used John G. Lake and Thomas Hezmalhalch to start a new movement, the AFM in May 1908. Because of the openness to the work of the Holy Spirit and a strong missionary focus, the movement grew with leaps and bounds.

More in-depth AFM History can be explored at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_Faith_Mission_of_South_Africa

Celebrating Unity

Following the trend of the day, the AFM after a few years became racially separated – a condition that was many years later graciously turned around in 1996. Today a vast number of independent ministries and churches trace their roots back to the AFM. During the 2024 Unity Celebrations, Dr Henri Weideman reminded the Church of two important principles:

“Unity amongst His followers was an important prayer of Jesus. He said: “My prayer is not for them (the disciples) alone. I also pray for those who will believe in Me through their message; that áll of them may be one, Father just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” John 17: 20-21 (NIV). John describes a visible unity, for it is only a visible unity that the world can see, and which can lead people to believe in Jesus. This unity should be expressed in everything we do and say.

We must also remember that we are called to unity. In Ephesians 4:1-6 Paul says: “…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Like the Ephesian Christians, we have been called to unity and must live up to that calling. Paul urged everyone to do everything in their power to maintain unity in the bond of peace. In verse 3 Paul refers to “the unity of the Spirit,” suggesting that the unity that exists between us is a unity created by God, through His Holy Spirit.

As the AFM we have travelled somewhat on this journey. Let us continue to take hands, to grow in our relationships with one another, and to journey together. Let us commit to value and deepen the unity that we have, as we also celebrate our God-given diversity.”

There is a special video clip explaining how unity came about in the AFM. You are welcome to watch this clip on the AFM YouTube Channel:

AFM Archive

The AFM of SA has a rich collection of history - contained within the AFM Archive are items such as John G Lake’s Bible and personal diary as well as the first minute book of the Executive Council of 1908. There is information so unique that researchers from different overseas countries have already spent extensive time researching in the AFM archive. If you have a desire to visit the AFM Archive you can Contact Us.