Amitis Tiers-Monde was founded in 1961 by some French protestant people. Its main aim was to support lay people who were witnessing as Christians in the Third World. ATM was first active in the former French colonies so, its links with the Ministry of Development Cooperation and the reservation shown by the Societes des missions evangeliques de Paris (SMEP) have hindered the influence of the association. However, new recruitment, thanks in particular to national service volunteers, and the militant third-worldism of some of its members gave some dynamism to ATM. The creation of a unit dedicated to laypeople within the SMEP, restructured in 1971, has been a success for .