| The Association of Military Christian Fellowships (AMCF)
traces its origins to a British Cavalry officer who while serving in India in
1851 sought to encourage officers and soldiers to meet together for Bible study
and prayer. From this the British Officers` Christian Union and the Soldiers`
and Airmen`s Scripture Readers Association were formed and these were gradually
replicated in several other European nations. In 1930 delegates from four nations,
Germany, Britain, Holland and Sweden, met for the first time in Zuylen Castle
in Holland; three of those nations had already been at war with each other, and
would very soon be locked in combat again." A Dutchman, Baron
Von Tuyll, was the first President of this International grouping. The founders`
aim was to establish an entirely non-political international fellowship with no
central organisation, no budget and no staff except for the President who would
operate from his home. In 1965 a British General, Sir Robert Ewbank, took over as President
until 1976 when he handed over to an American, General Clay Buckingham. He in
turn handed over in 1991 to a British General, Sir Laurence New. The Fifth
President of AMCF, General Lee, Pil Sup from South Korea assumed the Presidency
in mid September 2002 at a brief ceremony in Seoul, Korea attended by regional
AMCF Vice-Presidents and the leaders of ACCTS and Accts MMI. The main task of
the President is to visit and encourage nations to form and develop military Christian
fellowships. There were other directly inspired beginnings, in 1960 in Singapore,
in 1961 in Chile, in 1980 in the Dominican Republic and in 1986 in Spain; but
in almost every other case new national military Christian fellowships were formed
by God as a result of the prayerful encouragement by one nation`s military Christians
of those of another nation in accordance with the Great Commission (Matthew 28
vv 19 and 20). Today the AMCF has members in some some 120 nations, of which about
half have one or more formally established military Christian fellowships. Some
are small; there are some, notably those of Brazil, South Korea and the United
States which are very large. Whereas the first international conference was between
just four nations the most recent World Conference (2004) attracted over 130 nations.
Today the emphasis is rather upon regional conferences, normally attended by delegates
from a dozen nations. Finally, whereas initially there was just one President,
today there are additionally 14 Regional Vice Presidents. We can claim no credit
whatsoever for this steady growth; the glory belongs entirely to the Lord. But
we do rejoice to be within His will. | 
