New Role for Annette Arulrajah as Associate General Secretary
We are delighted to announce that Annette Arulrajah will be starting a new role as an IFES Associate General Secretary on 1 May 2023. She will have particular focus on deepening fellowship and strengthening the sense of global community among our national movements.
Many of you will know Annette as she is the current IFES Regional Secretary for East Asia and over recent years has been involved in a number of global IFES initiatives such as the Scripture Engagement team and World Assembly. She also led our online service of lament and hope during the pandemic. Annette is a servant-hearted prayerful leader with a deep appreciation of God’s work through our weaknesses and a vision to continue to see him glorified in our lives and ministry. She has a commitment to investing in others and a special ministry of accompanying, encouraging and developing young leaders.
The emphasis of this new role is more pastoral than managerial. As Associate General Secretary Annette will work with Tim Adams (IFES General Secretary) to strengthen our experience of IFES as an interdependent community that cares for, prays for and supports one another. As part of this she will develop and lead initiatives to deepen relationships between staff and national movements across national and regional boundaries.
Annette, who was born in Malaysia and still lives there, came to faith in Jesus at the age of 15. She studied computer science at university and immediately went on to be a staff worker with FES Malaysia. She has enjoyed 35 years of her adventure with IFES ministry. She describes it as the school which grew her faith and taught her the rhythms of following God’s heart. She became General Secretary of FES in 2002 before joining the IFES East Asia regional team in 2011, and then serving as Regional Secretary since 2017. Along the way, Annette also studied Counselling and graduated with a Master's degree.
Reflecting on the worldwide community of IFES, Annette asks us to pray that: “God would use us as instruments working together to inspire a coming-together of IFES as a global Fellowship and family of God. May we be in prayer together and see God move mightily. May we stand together in solidarity and urge one another to faithful witness. And may God use us to raise a whole new generation of faithful young leaders.”
Tim Adams writes: “I am so grateful to God that Annette has agreed to serve as Associate General Secretary. I am thankful and excited that Annette will bring her deep dependence on God and conviction of his faithfulness, along with her wonderful sense of fun, to the wider IFES community beyond East Asia. I am looking forward to seeing how God will use her and us in the years to come.”