In 2013, Joel Lam left his job as the
Asia Pacific Managing Director at a
Norwegian Company and enrolled into
a Discipleship Training School (DTS)
with YWAM Singapore. Captivated by
God’s heart for Kingdom leaders in the
nations, Joel joined as a YWAM staff in
2014 and became the base leader in
2017. Describing his personal calling
as ‘facilitating breakthroughs for K
ingdom-minded leaders’, Joel is
personally invested in shaping a culture
of servant-leadership that mirrors the
heart and life of Jesus Christ.
How do you define leadership?
When it comes to leadership, 1 Corinthians 4:1 – “This is
how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and
stewards of the mysteries of God” – is a verse that
comes close to my heart. ‘Servants’ comes from the
Greek word huperetes, which means ‘under-rower’, an
oarsman who served in the lowest level of a ship. They
were generally slaves chained to their post and often
perished when ships sank. ‘Steward’ comes from the
Greek word oikonomos, which means ‘house manager’.
This refers to the steward who supervised and was
accountable to the house master for the affairs of the
household. Leadership is about serving others with total
humility and not the attainment of position. Doing so
makes it possible to prepare the ‘house’ or move the
‘ship’ towards God’s purposes. I strive to serve with my
utmost for the highest. And at the same time, esteem
myself as God sees me.
How has your faith influenced your view of
leadership?
Jesus served without any fanfare. He was unjustifiably
misunderstood, yet He was secure in His identity as the
Messiah. Wherever He went, He carried Himself with
esteem and dignity. He also washed His disciples’ feet
and modelled what it means to serve humbly, as the
‘highest of the Highest’.
Do you see this kind of leadership expressed
in YWAM?
I do. One of the beauties of YWAM is the way which our
Serve,
as
From left to right: Esther Aw, Virla Brownell, Joseph Chean, Joel Lam,
Hudson Kim and Grace Lam. May they all soar on wings like eagles.
international and intergenerational community live and
work together. We genuinely care for each other and do
not strive to outdo one another. Our YWAM leaders do
life together, from leading schools to helping with work
duties. Seeing service in action allows others to catch
the posture of servant-leadership. YWAM strongly
values discipleship, which affirms but also cares enough
to confront and correct in love when necessary. It is not
easy, but is one of the most loving ways we can serve
each other. hours discussing, praying and challenging one another. If
appropriate, we will proceed to address these issues
corporately. As we deem it our mission to be a vibrant,
discipling community, our discipleship must take place
at every level, be it one-on-one, in a small group, team or
the community and it is crucial that we cultivate a space
where our people feel safe, as they learn from one
another and across all generations. God’s heart is for us
to be united in heart, mind and spirit, and we aspire to
become better together.
These expressions of discipleship undergird our every
response to God’s seasonal calls. In this season, I do
believe that God is leading us to be an apostolic and
pioneering mission; to keep our arrowhead focused, and
go where the gospel has not gone. To steward this well,
we need to be both a disciple and a discipler, to serve
others and speak the truth in love. What do you hope to see in YWAM during
your leadership?
What steps have you taken to shape the
culture in YWAM?
I believe that personal renewal precedes corporate
renewal. Before the leadership team brings any change
to the YWAM community, we need to undergo that
change first. We come together to identify issues that
may be uncomfortable to talk about. It could concern
individuals, the team or the community. We then spend
I want to see a greater zeal amongst YWAMers, to see
YWAM Singapore move towards the vision and mission
that God has for her. Whilst student enrolment in our
schools and reaching people through our mercy
ministries are significant, I feel that it is even more
important to have a heart for God’s vision.
I want to see everyone discipled. Not for the sake of
numbers, but to know that as many as possible have had
the privilege of becoming more and more like Christ. I
also hope to see increased servant-heartedness in the
things that we do, where all of us are willing to serve
whole-heartedly and with dignity, knowing that we are
called by God.
He
served
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