About us
Australian Faith Community Nurses Association (AFCNA)
The Australian Faith Community Nurses Association Incorporated is winding up as an Australian registered body after almost 30 years of service. Following a Special General Meeting of the board and members of AFCNA held on 22 January 2026, a special resolution was passed to close the association before 30 June 2026. We will close all operations effective 31st March 2026.
We are excited to add it doesn’t end there, because you will be able to continue to get educational and professional support from the Spiritual Care Association (SCA) which serves a global multidisciplinary membership to advance spiritual care. Australia will have an advisory group to support the ongoing vision of Faith Community Nursing via the Nursing division of SCA to promote Faith Community Care and spiritual care in our region. We thank you for your ongoing support and we trust you will join us in the next chapter and participate in the larger global network of the Spiritual Care Association.
AFCNA Facilitates Faith Community Care and Faith Community Nursing
Faith Community Care offers a unique approach to addressing many current problems in health, aged, disability and community care, by mobilising the many gifts and strengths of local churches in innovative ways to address contemporary health and social issues.
AFCNA is an incorporated professional association and a registered charity in Australia. We are a member of the Australian Council of National Nursing and Midwifery Organisations (CoNNMO). AFCNA commenced in 1996 to support the specialty of Faith Community Nursing in Australian Christian churches.
AFCNA prepares people of faith to provide compassionate care to the whole person (body, mind, spirit, relationships). In 2022 AFCNA expanded its vision to include the development of compassionate Faith Community Care, recognising a unique opportunity to blend the knowledge and skills of health professionals with people who have specific caring knowledge, skills, gifts, and/or lived experience.
To find out a bit more about AFCNA read:
- AFCNA: Find out who we are, what we do and why we do it
- Faith Community Care (FCC): is health-promoting pastoral care using the gifts of specifically trained volunteers and people with health professional knowledge and skills to effectively care for people in the faith community and reach out to the community that church serves.
- Health and Pastoral Care Ministry: consider the benefits of adding a ‘Health’ promoting focus to your ‘Pastoral Care’ activities. Visit our resource page to download your copy.
Here’s how AFCNA supports effective Faith Community Care:
What else does AFCNA provide?
- Education and Training:
AFCNA provides you with excellent Christian continuing professional development opportunities. Our on-line ‘Education hub’ equips and supports you with faith-based education, information and resources so you can provide effective Faith Community Care. We also provide regular webinars and online tutorials via Zoom.
We also provide registered nurses with specific professional education for the specialist Faith Community Nurse (FCN) role.
- Resources: AFCNA provides you with resources to support your work and ministry
- Community of Practice: An opportunity to meet with your peers, interact, share ideas, communicate concerns, celebrate wins, encourage colleagues and pray for one another. Click here for Events to register for the next one
- Membership: Gives you full access to resources and networks, and discounts on professional development opportunities from your Christian professional nursing organisation.
How can I participate?
AFCNA wants to promote compassionate faith communities. We’d love to see every Christian faith community across Australia promoting whole-person health and providing effective, compassionate care to people in need within their faith community and the community they serve. You can participate in this vision by learning more about AFCNA and partnering with us today to make this vision our reality!
To grow your understanding subscribe to our mailing list or better yet, become a member and support the vision and mission of AFCNA to promote the role of Faith Community Nursing via Faith Community Care within Australia and beyond.
Like’ our Facebook page and ‘subscribe’ to our You Tube Channel to keep up-to-date with AFCNA and resources for FCNs and Faith Community Care
AFCNA invites you to be part of God's work in the world!
AFCNA is continually finding ways to engage, nurture, equip and network our members. We welcome partners who can help us provide our community with holistic and compassionate Faith Community Care and Faith Community Nursing