History

In 1930, Australian university students gathered to hear English evangelist Dr Howard Guinness. With single-minded devotion to Christ, he spoke on the power of the gospel to transform lives. Students were convicted: they needed to tell people about Jesus on campus. Taking up the call to evangelism, Christian groups formed on university campuses across Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, and Brisbane.

Guinness returned to Australia three years later to encourage the fledgling groups. Small evangelical unions began in Perth and Adelaide, and in 1936, this national network became the Australian Inter Varsity Fellowship (IVF).

The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) formed in 1947, and Australia was one of its ten founding members.

To reflect the affiliation with IFES, the Australian IVF changed its name to the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES) in 1973.

Through the late 70s and early 80s, AFES began to lose its focus on the cross of Christ, and under God, new General Secretary Andrew Reid sought to revive the movement.

Richard Chin takes up the National Director role – one that he will serve in for 23 years. Richard's steady, Christ-like leadership saw AFES grow to 60 campus groups with around 4,500 students involved.

COVID hit AFES just as hard as everyone else, and campus groups shifted to online. The National Training Event moved to a livestream, and then regional events in 2021.

In 2024, AFES groups across Australia partnered together in a season of evangelism – a National Mission, inviting friends and classmates to "Meet Jesus".

After 23 years as the National Director, Richard Chin will be succeeded by Pete Sorrenson. Pete brings a life of commitment to student ministry and mission, from serving as the Student President in his university days, as a Ministry Apprentice with AFES, leading the staff team at Deakin University, and more recently serving as Regional Team Leader for Victoria, on the National Leadership Team and Executive.