** Shares of community lender Affinity Bancshares AFBI.O rise 2.5% to $20.38

** Covington, Georgia-based AFBI adopts a stock buyback program, wherein it may repurchase up to 320,480 shares, or about 5% of outstanding shares

** AFBI has about 6.4 million outstanding shares, according to data compiled by LSEG

** Bank may repurchase shares in open market or private transactions

** AFBI stock up 16.5% YTD

(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru)

((ArasuKannagi.Basil@thomsonreuters.com;))