Words and photos by Dean Koh.

OMF Singapore works closely with missionaries and their sending churches to ensure their needs are well-taken care of, whether the missionaries are on the field or back home in Singapore.

One of the key staff members at OMF Singapore who continually helps to deepen the missionary-church-agency relationship is the Personnel Manager, a role held by Ms Serene Lum for the past four years.

Serene shares about how her past experience as a cross-cultural worker has helped her in her current role.

Q: Could you tell us more your role as Personnel Manager (PM)?

A: As PM, I oversee all our SG members (long-term missionaries) sent out by their sending churches through OMF. Care and supervision is mostly administered when they are back for their Home Assignment like making sure they get an organisational debrief of their last term’s work and getting rest and retreat or even to see a counsellor for emotional debrief as well as to check in with our Medical Advisor on their health checks.

The 5’Rs’ of Home Assignment (HA) are:

1.   Rest
2.   Reconnection with Senders/Supporters
3.   Re-equipping for future ministry
4.   Re-affirmation of personal call and sender’s commitment
5.   Reconciliation of outstanding issues

As such, fostering closer relationships with their sending churches, usually the missions pastor or missions chairperson is also vital in linking agency’s protocols and support to that of the church’s expectation of the missionaries.

Q: What do you think are the most satisfying aspects of your job – any particular events or examples come to mind?

A: Growing and deepening the symbiotic relationships with missionary-church-agency and to have opportunities to come alongside the church in her missional endeavours. Another area that is satisfying for me is engaging and integrating our missionaries in their personal growth and development so that they not just survive but thrive in that field of ministry God has called them to do and be.

One of our members who was the first to be sent out from her sending church. The church leaders rallied behind her and they were willing to learn and continue to have ongoing dialogue with OMF, even after all the paperwork, references, assessment were meted out, the church was in agreement for OMF to help them especially in missionary care matters and how the church can come alongside their sent out missionary and to care and give practical help for her mother who is on her own now. There was mutual deference and glad submission to one another in the Lord for the sake of the gospel and that to me that spoke volumes of what it means to be family.

Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your role and reaching out to your staff and members? What adjustments did you have to make?

A: I don’t think COVID-19 had a major impact on my role as PM but it was more of doing things differently like having more Zoom sessions and Zoom allows us to also see one another face to face online.

One adjustment was not being able to observe the non-verbal vibes. You somehow feel like you are losing touch with humanity and even yourself – Zoom meetings can get quite mechanical and sometimes boring.

Q: As a former OMF missionary, how do you think your past experience has helped you in your current role?

A: I am still a missionary and I think everyone should adopt and live a kingdom-missional mindset and lifestyle. Having worked cross-culturally and integrating life with people groups have helped me identify and understand what some of our cross-cultural workers face on the fields, in their teams or challenges and frustrations they go through even with the people group they are called to serve.

I can easily relate to what they are trying to say and share – their joys, frustrations within and without – we share similar experiences and encounters even if our fields are different.

Q: What challenges do you experience in your role as Personnel Manager? For those who are interested to explore being a Christian missions worker, what are some golden tips or advice you would give?

A: Every missionary, every church is different and dynamic. We encounter different sets of life challenges and not everyone fit in the same mould. As PM, I may not have all the answers or know-how or even the capacity to fully understand what our missionaries go through especially when they have to deal with sickness, emotional duress, crisis or even taking care of elderly parents or caring for the sick. I am learning to let go and let God work in His time and on His terms. I am thankful that I am not alone in all these but that I have a team to discuss matters through and to lean on them for morale support and encouragement.

If you are exploring as a cross-cultural worker, overseas or home-based– the best advice is to tell it to another cross-cultural worker or your missions pastor at least. Be willing to be mentored. Communicate early. Let the church know you by getting involved in church ministries.

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