Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association

Also known as: IFMA

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

The Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association (IFMA) was formed in 1917 by nondenominational faith missions. These missions, exemplified by J. Hudson Taylor's China Inland Mission, primarily focused on proclaiming the Gospel and often worked in areas not occupied by other missionaries. They operated with a philosophy of trusting divine provision for financial support, though they did communicate their needs to a broad constituency. The IFMA saw significant membership growth in the 1950s and, by the 1980s, comprised 38 organizations. Since the 1960s, IFMA has collaborated with the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies on various projects and has addressed social issues, including an educational program on AIDS, as part of its mission.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Christianity
Orthodox and nondenominational missions
…societies joined together in the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association (IFMA; 1917). Since the 1960s they have cooperated with the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association (EFMA; 1945), the missionary arm of the National Association of Evangelicals (1943), and, at the international level, with the World Evangelical Fellowship (1952). Membership in the Association…
Read More
…societies joined together in the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association (IFMA; 1917). Since the 1960s they have cooperated with the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association (EFMA; 1945), the missionary arm of the National Association of Evangelicals (1943), and, at the international level, with the World Evangelical Fellowship (1952). Membership in the Association…
Read More