The Africa Freedom Mission Team
Brent Roberts
President and CEO
Brent has over 7 years’ experience as a missionary in Zambia, Africa. While there, Brent oversaw the financial management of a non-profit called Action Zambia and led their pastor training for discipleship making. In 2010, Brent and another missionary founded Eleeo Project, a rural ministry that used conservation farming to train pastors and local leaders in the elementary truths of a Christian discipleship. In addition to this, Brent oversaw the development of a rural ministry center that provided training and housing for short-term visitors to reach the rural villages of Chikankata. Brent has a great network of relationships throughout Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda & Zimbabwe which are invaluable to foundations of Africa Freedom Mission.
In addition to his experience in missions, Brent has undergraduate and master’s degrees in business and over 13 years’ experience in business analysis and consulting. He hopes to use his education, skills and experience to expand the footprint of Africa Freedom Mission and to expose more people to the privilege of loving and serving the Lord abroad.
Austin Panter
DIRECTOR OF STATESIDE MINISTRY
Austin is an incredible leader who wants nothing more than for the gospel to reach the ends of the earth. Austin has spent many summers in Africa serving in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe. He’s as extroverted as they come and has such a passion to see other students impacted and growing in their relationship with the Lord. His heart is to equip and disciple team members. Austin’s role in AFM is to oversee all stateside operations for the ministry and get people connected to the heart of The Great Commission. He will also lead and disciple team members in our different fields, travel and assist in cultivating strong relationships with our ministry partners, and coordinate all movement/itineraries within each field. Austin plays a very important role in bringing unity and development to our staff and teams.
JULIA THIEL
EXeCUtive Admin
Julia has spent the past year serving with AFM both internationally and stateside. She grew up in San Antonio, Texas and graduated from the University of Oklahoma this past May with a degree in Sports Management. Julia’s passion is people and she has had a traveler’s heart from a very young age. At 22 years old, her deepest desire is for every nation to hear the good news.
Julia’s involvement with serving and leading teams in both Zambia and Zimbabwe has set a fire in her to actively be the Hands and Feet of Jesus. She believes that sharing the heart of Jesus does not start when you go overseas or end when you return home, it’s a life lived out. That’s why she’s here. Not everyone is called full time overseas, but every believer is called to live a life for Jesus wherever their feet are. She oversees all the Administrative responsibility on stateside ministry and also assists with all administrative operations on Africa Ministry.
Julia will be assist AFM with leading teams internationally as well. She will also spend a lot of her time here in the States assisting AFM with events and ministry with young adults around the country. We’re so excited to have Julia on our team.
Steve Shives
Lead Trainer for Discipleship and Equipping
Steve has been married to his wife Noel for 43 years. He has 3 grown daughters and 4 grandchildren. Steve started preaching at the age of 17 and was asked to assume his first pastorate at the age of 19.
Steve has over 40 years of pastoring and teaching experience in the Untied States. Steve was Senior Pastor over 3 churches in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. He also served as a teaching Pastor in 2 other churches.
Steve has also travelled as a conference speaker for the Body of Christ in 22 different states. While working as a teaching pastor and conference speaker, he helped to develop ministry for men, training for leaders, small groups, discipleship training and equipping classes for adults.
Steve’s passion is teaching, training and making disciples through the sharing of God’s word.
He hopes to use the gifting, experience and call of God to aid AFM in developing leaders for the future to carry the Gospel of Jesus wherever they are called to serve.
Mena Fox
Recruiting Coordinator and leadership Trainer
Over the past 3 years, Mena has led or been a part of teams to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda. She’s an amazing leader of leaders and has invested in the lives of so many of AFM’s team members. Mena joined AFM’s staff in September of 2022 and is handling all of AFM’s online recruiting. In addition to this, she is an integral piece of both Stateside events, leading teams in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and discipling other young adults in their faith. Mena is very involved in leadership in her local church young adult ministry and a very active part of her community.
Ellie LEImberger
International admin
Ellie Leimberger is from Richmond, Virginia and graduated from Liberty University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Ellie has a heart to come alongside other believers, being empowered by the Holy Spirit, to be presented as a living sacrifice and vessel for Jesus. She is passionate about walking in discipleship while bringing the Gospel to the nations.
Ellie’s involvement in missions began on her first mission trip to the Dominican Republic in 2017 where the Lord set her heart on fire to actively walk in the Great Commission. Since then, she has been a part of multiple missions in both Ethiopia and Zambia. Ellie’s work includes planning and logistics support for mission teams traveling internationally with AFM.
carly dugan
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MARKETING
Carly Dugan graduated from James Madison University in 2020 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Media Arts & Design with a concentration in Digital Video & Cinema, with a minor in Christian Studies. Carly has been to Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Zambia as a missionary. Carly is also a volunteer YoungLife leader alongside of her husband, Tyler Dugan, who is the Young Life Area Director in Botetourt, Virginia. They both have a heart for high school students to be known, loved, and impacted by the life-changing truth of the gospel.
Her role as the dedicated Director of Digital Marketing is to highlight, document, and portray the gospel and what the Lord is doing on the mission field through documentary filmmaking, and then connecting it back to western culture. Her desire is to give the voiceless a voice AND a platform for him/her to be heard and recognized. Carly is responsible for telling the story of those impacted by the gospel within AFM through our social media, AFM app, Podcast, our web presence by short form video, testimonial films and documentaries. Carly is an integral part in shaping the culture of AFM and giving all of you a tangible representation of what life on the mission field looks like.
alex trotter
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT
Alex is a recently graduated student from the University of North Georgia with a bachelor's degree in Film and Digital Media with a concentration in film production.
Ever since Alex was a kid, two things have been the top priorities in his life, Jesus and creating with a camera. Over recent years, Alex has discovered ways to couple his faith with Jesus by creating content that is inspired by the Holy Spirit. Alex views God as the ultimate Creator and his ability to create is a way for him to glorify and reflect the very image he was designed to be.
Alex has a huge heart for discipleship among local church bodies and desires to see people trained, equipped, and mature in Christ to be sent out among the nations.
Alex has spent his summers serving in many different places such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mexico, as well as Florida and South Carolina in the states helping families who have children with cancer at a retreat called "Lighthouse Family Retreat"
Alex's role with AFM is the Digital Content Manager, overseeing all social media, YouTube, and podcast creation + maintenance. He also will help with the creation of a documentaries for the ministry, covering topics like life in Africa, faith overseas, as well as the stories of specific ministries AFM partners within Africa.
Laban Mwelwa
africa director
Laban Mwelwa is an associate pastor at Lusaka South Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia, and also is the Director of Africa Freedom Mission within Africa. Through his work with AFM, he is responsible for cultivating ministry partner relationships, providing leadership training to many church leaders across Africa, and overseeing the logistical operations to facilitate short-term mission teams.