The Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe (AFM) has announced the postponement of its Youth Conference that was scheduled to take place in April at the Rufaro Conference Centre in Masvingo. The church cited low revenue inflows as the reason for deferring the conference, which is part of its strategy to counter the negative impact of its financial challenges.
According to a notice sent to all Provincial Chairmen, Provincial Secretaries, Provincial Overseers, and Provincial Treasurers, the AFM has been facing significant challenges over the past three years, including court battles, the establishment of new structures, and the clearance of legacy issues. As a result, the church has been unable to mobilize adequate financial resources to meet all of its obligations, and in some cases, has been unable to meet its commitments.
At its recent meeting, the National Executive Board of the AFM noted that the revenues being generated and remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Fund were currently below expected levels and were not covering all of the church’s costs. To address this, the Board resolved to take some drastic measures, including deferring the National Youth Conference, March/April Provincial Spiritual Conferences, and National Ladies Conference.
The church will also implement an urgent manpower audit to rationalize the number of its employees and implement a wage freeze in USD under the current wage levels. Additionally, all provinces will be levied an amount based on the principle of equity to raise the required funding.
The AFM expressed regret for any inconvenience caused by these changes and appealed to all Provincial Boards and Leadership to ensure that the levied amounts are collected and remitted promptly. The church hopes that these interventions will yield long-term benefits and overcome the temporary challenges it is facing. The AFM is grateful for the unwavering support of its members in this endeavor.
