AFES (Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students)

What AFES (Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students) does

AFES (Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students) is a non-profit Christian student ministry founded in 1930 and formally constituted as the Australian Inter Varsity Fellowship in 1936, renamed to AFES in 1973. It operates a national network of 60+ campus-based evangelical student groups across all eight Australian states and territories, serving approximately 4,500 university students through Bible studies, fellowship, leadership training, and evangelism. Its core products include the Campus Groups (weekly Bible studies and student-led community), the National Training Event (NTE, an annual December conference), FOCUS (international student ministry in six languages), the Uncover Bible study resource, the Meet Jesus evangelism initiative, Horizons (a six-month cross-cultural missions discernment program), and a Resource Library. AFES is a founding national member of IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) since 1947 and partners with 10 mission agencies and local churches to deliver its programs.

The organization employs 84 staff and is headquartered at Suite 1/40-42 Gardeners Rd, Kingsford, NSW. Its revenue model is donation-based: AFES is a registered Australian charity (ABN 91 509 626 599) funded entirely through voluntary financial contributions from individual supporters, graduates, and partnering churches, with no fees charged to student participants. Donors can direct giving to specific staff members or campus groups, and the organization maintains separate streams for prayer partnerships, financial support, legacies, and trusts & foundations. There is no proprietary technology platform; ministry delivery is in-person through campus groups, supplemented by the website, social media (Instagram, Facebook), email newsletters, and the resource library.

Name

AFES (Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students)

Legal name

Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students

Website

https://afes.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AFES is a non-profit Christian student ministry operating 60+ campus-based evangelical student groups across Australian universities, serving approximately 4,500 students through Bible studies, leadership training, and evangelism, funded entirely by donations from supporters and partnering churches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Educational Student Ministry Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Missionary Training Colleges & Schools (EDAHAKAF)

Keywords

• Campus ministry
• Christian student groups
• Bible study resources
• Student evangelism
• Missions discipleship

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney, NSW

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Financial Partnerships: AFES operates as a charitable ministry funded primarily through donations from supporters, graduates, and churches. Financial supporters can donate to specific staff members or campus groups.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AFES operates a national network of 60+ campus-based Christian student groups at universities across Australia. It provides Bible study groups, evangelism training, conferences, international student outreach, missions discipleship programs, and an online resource library for university students, all delivered free of charge through student-led groups supported by trained staff workers.

Product overview

AFES (Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students) is a national network of 60+ campus-based Christian student groups operating across Australian universities. The organization offers a unified ministry platform consisting of local Campus Groups as the core offering, supplemented by the annual National Training Event (NTE) conference, the FOCUS international student ministry, the Uncover and Meet Jesus evangelism resources, the Horizons missions discipleship program, and a Resource Library of articles and guides. These programs work together to equip students to know Jesus and make him known on campus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Campus Groups Local Christian student groups operating on 60+ university campuses across Australia, providing weekly Bible studies, prayer meetings, fellowship, social activities, and outreach to fellow students. Each campus group is student-led and supported by trained AFES staff workers.
• National Training Event (NTE) Annual national conference where university students gather for main sessions, strand groups, electives, and shared life, with the goal of being transformed by the gospel, trained in the gospel, and sent with the gospel back to campus. Newcomer friendly.
• FOCUS (Fellowship of Overseas Christian University Students) Ministry specifically for international students studying in Australia, offering welcoming Christian community, friendship-making, and opportunities to explore Christianity. Available in Japanese, Korean, Bahasa Indonesia, Vietnamese, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), and Cantonese.
• Uncover Bible study resource that pairs copies of the Gospels of Mark and Luke with discussion questions and videos, helping students in Australia discover more about Jesus from the Bible.
• Meet Jesus Evangelism initiative and resource that helps students introduce Jesus to their friends through weekly Bible talks, Bible study groups, and social activities on campus.
• Horizons A 6-month missions discipleship program for AFES students discerning suitability for cross-cultural ministry. Includes pre-trip training, an overseas cross-cultural exposure trip, and debriefing, in partnership with 10 mission agencies.
• Resource Library Online library of articles and guides for students covering topics such as making friends at university, sharing faith, starting university well, and asking big questions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,500 students involved across 60+ campus groups
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Church Missionary Society (CMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMS is one of 10 mission agencies partnering with the Horizons program. They host teams, provide trainers, mentors, and front-line workers for the cross-cultural ministry discernment program.
• Evangelical Church of Christ (ECM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECM partners with AFES Horizons program to provide exposure to cross-cultural ministry and host participant teams during overseas trips.
• GRN (Gospel Recordings Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGRN partners with the Horizons program to provide training, mentorship, and exposure to global mission work for AFES students.
• InterservecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterserve is one of 10 mission agency partners in the Horizons program, providing front-line worker exposure and mentorship for students discerning missionary calling.
• Operation Mobilisation (OM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOM partners with AFES Horizons program to provide cross-cultural ministry exposure and mentorship for students exploring global mission.
• PioneerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPioneers mission agency partners with AFES to host teams and provide mentorship for the Horizons cross-cultural ministry program.
• SIM (Serving In Mission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIM partners with AFES Horizons program to provide exposure to missionary life and ministry during overseas trips.
• Wycliffe Bible TranslatorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWycliffe partners with AFES Horizons to provide students with insight into Bible translation and language ministry work globally.
• IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFES is a national member of IFES, the global network of evangelical student movements. Australia was one of ten founding members when IFES formed in 1947. This affiliation provides connection to student groups worldwide.
• Local ChurchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFES values local churches as the primary expression of the body of Christ. Churches partner with AFES by sending ministry apprentices, providing prayer and financial support, and welcoming student participants into church community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students): Global parent network of evangelical student movements and AFES's founding-member affiliation; coordinates similar national movements in 180+ countries and provides shared training, resources, and mission partnerships.
• UCCF (Universities and Colleges Christian Federation): UK evangelical student movement and the source of AFES's Uncover Bible study resource; operates a similar model of campus-based Christian groups and training events across British universities.
• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (USA): Largest evangelical student movement in the United States operating campus chapters, missions programs, and the Urbana missions conference; structurally analogous to AFES with student-led groups and staff support.
• FES (Fellowship of Evangelical Students, Singapore): Singapore evangelical student movement and IFES member; operates campus Bible study groups and outreach among university students in Asia, with comparable programs and ministry approach.
• Power to Change (formerly IVCF Canada): Canadian evangelical student movement with campus groups, missions focus, and student discipleship programs; operates an IFES-aligned model very similar to AFES in Canada.
• Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship (New Zealand): New Zealand evangelical student movement and IFES member; runs campus groups, training events, and missions programs with a comparable structure and student base to AFES in a neighbouring geography.

Broad incumbents

• Navigators Australia: Australian branch of the international Navigators movement; runs campus-focused discipleship programs and 1-on-1 mentoring among university students, overlapping with AFES's Bible study and mentoring offerings.
• Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ): Large global evangelical organisation with campus ministry as one of several lines (alongside global missions, family, leadership); broader portfolio than AFES but operates overlapping campus outreach in Australia and internationally.

Others

• SCM (Student Christian Movement) Australia: Ecumenical, progressive student Christian movement active in Australian universities; serves a similar student audience with faith exploration groups but with a different theological posture and lighter organisational footprint than AFES.
• Australian Catholic Students Association: Catholic counterpart campus ministry active across Australian universities through chaplaincies and student groups; serves the same university-student segment with parallel faith-formation offerings but distinct denominational focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/afes.au
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afes-australian-fellowship-of-evangelical-students-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AFES (Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students)