AFM Board Members

• Steve Fisher, DDS, Chair
Steve Fisher attended La Sierra College and Walla Walla University for his undergraduate work and graduated from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry (DDS). He served in cross-cultural missions for over 18 years on the island of Saipan. Together with his wife, they established an SDA presence on the island by building a clinic, planting a church, and building an elementary school.

• Bruce Bauer, PhD, Vice Chair
After completing a BA in Theology, Bruce Bauer spent 15 years in Japan, five years in Micronesia, and three and a half years in Cambodia as a front-line missionary. Throughout these years, he studied during his furloughs to better equip his ministry, completing an MA (Religion), an MA (Missiology) and his Doctor of Missiology studies. After returning to the U.S., Dr. Bauer taught missions at Andrews University for 26 years before retiring. He remains the editor of the Journal of Adventist Mission Studies.

• Conrad Vine, DMin,  AFM President
Born into a pastoral family, Elder Vine grew up with his twin brother and two sisters in homes across the UK. After graduating with a business management degree (1995), he served in the UK public healthcare system before God led him to ADRA (1996). Initially serving in Azerbaijan, Elder Vine served with ADRA through 2002 in a variety of roles worldwide. Following seminary training at Newbold College (2002-2004), he and his wife Luda began their pastoral ministry in London, UK. After serving as Secretary-Treasurer in the Middle East Union, they transitioned to pastoral ministry for four years in Minnesota before Elder Vine answered the call to serve as President of Adventist Frontier Missions (www.afmonline.org). Conrad and Luda were married in December 1999 and regard their marriage and two children as a personal blessing from a loving Heavenly Father.

• Ellen Corbett
A champion for redemptive relationships and emotional wellness among missionaries, Ellen Corbett served with AFM as a Student Missionary in Cambodia during the 2015-2016 school year and then was AFM’s Training Assistant each year for 2017-2020. In this role, she helped to equip Student Missionaries as they prepared to launch and helped returning missionaries debrief and process their mission experience at the annual re-entry program. Ellen represents AFM to donors across Canada and is completing her Doctor of Optometry degree at Ferris State University.

• Arnold Hooker
Trained as both a furniture maker and a chaplain, Arnold Hooker served for 28 years with AFM. By God’s grace, he led the planting of multiple new congregations in Cambodia. He also served in Development, as a Field Director for SE Asia & Oceania, and as an AFM Ambassador-at-Large. During his 28 years with AFM, Arnold served alongside all five AFM Presidents (1995-2023) in 33 countries on five continents, thus enabling him to bring an incomparable wealth, breadth and depth of experience to the AFM Board.

• Joseph Kidder, PhD
Following more than 20 years of successful pastoral work and completing his doctoral studies (DMin), Joseph Kidder began teaching at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, where he has continued for the last 22 years. He travels extensively all over the world, teaching people, pastors and churches how to have a vibrant and authentic walk with God. Dr. Kidder has written nine bestselling books and hundreds of articles on Worship, Leadership, Church Growth and Spiritual Growth. Mentoring the new generation of pastors is one of the joys that thrills his heart. To be close to His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Dr. Kidder takes daily prayer walks, often with some of his students. The main thing about Dr. Kidder is that he loves Jesus and wants everyone to love Him.

• Tom Mullen, MD
Trained in family and preventive medicine, Tom Mullen served with his wife and family at the SDA Scheer Memorial Hospital in Nepal before transferring to Pakistan to coordinate the training of village health workers at the Pakistan Adventist Seminary and College for over 15 years. Because of his passion for missions and the health message, he has also served as the NEWSTART physician/Medical Director at Weimar Institute and in private practice in the U.S. state of Georgia. An AFM Board member since 2005, Tom and his wife Bethany regularly participate in missionary retreats, providing counsel, prayer support and encouragement for AFM missionaries worldwide.

• Dwight K. Nelson, DMin
Born in Tokyo as a missionary kid, Dwight Nelson served as a pastor for fifty years (forty years at Pioneer Memorial Church). Pastor Nelson has also served as the speaker for New Perceptions television, is a writer, and is the husband of Karen and Papa for three granddaughters.

• Alex Niculaescu
Alex Niculaescu brings a wide variety of cross-cultural ministry experience to the AFM Board, particularly from Europe, Central America and Central Asia. His experiences combatting human trafficking have given him unique insights into the depths of human depravity and the beauty of the gospel. He currently serves as a district pastor in the Michigan SDA Conference.

• Susan Payne
After serving with her husband as front-line missionaries in Papua New Guinea, Susan Payne served with AFM for over 20 years in various leadership roles, primarily as the Development Director, until retiring in late 2022. Susan continues actively participating in deliverance ministry, training missionaries worldwide and equipping local congregations and pastors in this much-needed ministry. One of her greatest joys is watching Jesus set people free from the snares of the enemy. With undergraduate degrees in biology and nursing and a wealth of front-line experience in missions and spiritual warfare, Susan was elected to the AFM board in September of 2023.

• Boubakar Sanou, PhD
Boubakar Sanou, DMin, PhD, currently serves as an Associate Professor of Mission and Intercultural Leadership at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Andrews University. His cross-cultural experience includes ministry in Peru, Russia, India, Kenya, Zambia and the United States.

• Douglas Tacket, DO
Since completing his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, Doug Tacket has served over 30 years as a family physician in southwest Michigan and northern Indiana. He has been actively involved in missions since his academy days, particularly in West Africa. He has served on the boards of various schools and not-for-profit organizations, including AFM. He lives in his hometown of Berrien Springs, Michigan, with his wife of nearly 40 years. The Tackets have two adult daughters.

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