Staff Workers &
Volunteers
National Support Team
For a ministry and its workers to thrive, "administry" is a necessary part of the mission. Caring for those who labour in the harvest field amongst international students is an important mandate. Workers need to know that someone is there to support them whether it be through management, human resources, communications, or financial concerns.
At the ISMNZ National Office, the team works hard to meet these practical needs for our workers. But more than that our hearts are to care for and pray for all who serve (full time, part time, volunteers, alumni, interns). We echo this prayer of Paul as we serve ISMNZ:
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:9-12
Allen Tie
National Director,
Auckland
Allen joined ISMNZ as National Director in April 2017. His appointment follows a lengthy and rigorous recruitment process, with applications received from around the world.
A Malaysian, Allen gave his life to Christ at 15. While at university in the 1980s, Allen received help from the Christchurch Asian Navigators for four years that developed his personal walk with Christ and provided a deep grounding for his 30 years of serving God in the market place. He is married to Goh Swee Lee and they have two adult children. Allen is fluent in both written and spoken English and Chinese. He holds a New Zealand permanent residence.
The ISMNZ Board is impressed with Allen's deep faith and reliance on God. Allen has experience working with other Christian organisations and he understands the needs of returning students. Furthermore, Allen's expertise is in business operations, discipleship, mentoring and providing leadership. He successfully developed teams in start-ups and established new companies. While working in senior management at multinational companies, Allen secured contracts with major companies such as Dow, ExxonMobil, Shell, Bayer, BASF, and other multinationals. Allen is working toward being a qualified coach. The Board believes Allen is the right person to lead the ministry at this time.
Of his appointment, Allen says, "The harvest is not the problem. The call is to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers. But I cannot pray for God's solution and not willing to be His solution! I recognised that the work is plenty and the rebuilding of the walls needs foundational leaders - the kind that dares to dream big and think generational, but yet have the security to start small with individuals, and having the discernment to know where to focus and build deep."
If you would like to financially support Allen Tie, please visit our donate page.
Cecily Fung
Operations Manager,
Palmerston North
Cecily joined ISMNZ in February 2020. She and her husband Isaac have been involved in the ISMNZ ministries as volunteers since 2011. Their passion for helping international students and families in knowing, growing in, and serving God was influenced by their own experience as international students in the UK. Cecily has been serving with Isaac in the local churches and student ministries in Hong Kong, Taiwan, UK and New Zealand since 1987. Cecily has worked as a qualified information professional in New Zealand for over 20 years. Cecily finds this new role with ISMNZ very satisfying as she can support ISMNZ teams with her organisational and management skills, while further serving the Lord in the international student ministries.
Cecily shares that the Lord has led her to a new path of service as He indicated to her in Isaiah 42:16, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."
Cecily's main responsibility is to manage the operations of ISMNZ's National Office by providing organisational support, finance and donor management. Cecily's priority is to manage donations, accounting, payroll, and reporting to IRD and Charities Commission. Cecily is also responsible for coordinating financial reviews, monitoring levels of donation support and ensuring legal compliance. Cecily plays a leading role in planning, developing and improving the operational systems, policies and procedures for ISMNZ. She will also oversee special projects and attend to human resource matters where required.
If you would like to financially support Cecily Fung, please visit our donate page.
Isaac Fung
IT Manager,
Palmerston North
Isaac joined our National Support Team as IT Manager in August 2021 in a part-time capacity. Isaac shares that he was excited about using his IT and e-learning skills to support the ISMNZ ministry while continue to serve as an ISMNZ campus worker and Massey international chaplain in building God’s Kingdom. Isaac‘s main calling from God has been evangelism and discipleship to international students and families in NZ since February 2015. Isaac’s further involvement with ISMNZ through this IT role is a pleasing move to enrich his services in Christ using his gifts.
Isaac thanks God for equipping him and guiding him in following His plans in his life. Isaac’s life experience and prayers are reflected in Hebrews 13:20-21, “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Isaac’s new role involves developing, implementing, and maintaining technology-based information systems for ISM to support and streamline the organisation's administration and resource flow. Initially trained as a structural engineer, Isaac has postgraduate qualifications in both computer science and education, but also has a strong interest in e-learning. Isaac was a computer science lecturer and e-learning designer at Massey University for nearly a decade.
Isaac's priority is to develop and implement ISMNZ databases that ensure data integrity and accessibility, as well as technologies that supports data analysis and reporting. Isaac will also play a leading role in creating a digital resource space for ISM field workers to support knowledge retention and sharing of their ministry work. Isaac is happy to provide IT advice and system support to ISM teams where applicable.
If you would like to financially support Isaac Fung, please visit our donate page.
Janine Yuan
Resource and Communication Manager, Auckland
Janine joined ISMNZ in January 2023 in a fixed-term capacity. Originally from Shanghai, China, Janine has a Ph.D. in literature and was a former Associate Professor in Communication and Media, with several overseas visiting fellowships. She has also had extensive experience working as a Media and Community Coordinator for leading New Zealand charities.
Janine came to Christ while she was studying in university, and has been helped in her growth as a Christian by many groups that serve students or international students. Having personally experienced the significant impact that companionship care can have on the lives and health of international students overseas, she is very committed to the values and mission of ISMNZ. As 1 Peter 5:2 says, "Keep watch over the flock of God which is in your care, using your authority, not as forced to do so, but gladly; and not for unclean profit but with a ready mind."
Janine is excited about her work at ISMNZ because she sees it as a rewarding investment in the lives of international students.
As our Resource and Communication Manager, Janine's primary responsibilities include implementing fundraising plans and campaigns, developing relationships with donors, managing associated communication activities, and providing fundraising support on social media.
If you would like to financially support Janine Yuan, please visit our donate page.
Janeen Mills
Volunteer Consultant for Graduate Ministry
In late 2003, the USA Navigators sent Janeen to serve in the National Office of ISMNZ, working as Personal Assistant to the National Director as well as being involved in project coordinating.
Over the years she has been 'homestay mum' to students from Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Samoa, China, Indonesia and Mexico as she reached the nations from her doorstep. She also served as part of the team that developed and published curriculum for our current Ministry Internship programme and acted as a supervisor and adjunct lecturer for students.
In 2016 Janeen was appointed by the Board of ISMNZ to step into the role as Acting National Director for one year. Once Allen was in place as the new Director, Janeen took sabbatical leave in Japan for 16 months. Her time included Japanese language and cultural training, undertaking a Japanese returnee research project, and engaging in ministry amongst ISMNZ’s returnees in Japan as well utilising her gifts and developing language skills in a local church, pastored by one of ISMNZ’s Ministry Internship graduates.
The result of her sabbatical research has led Janeen to pursue a fresh passion for curriculum development and Christian publishing. “I desire to impact the Christian publishing industry to ensure that materials are truly global in their impact. We say we want our teaching to reach the nations, yet so much of our message is difficult for even the most skilled linguist to translate. I hope to influence writers and publishers to write in ways that don’t require a cultural interpreter to sit alongside translators around the world.”
Therefore, Janeen has begun a Master of Arts Degree in Christian Studies at Denver Seminary in Colorado, USA in hopes to prepare her for this next stage in her journey. Denver has a great reputation, and the Lord can open many doors as a result. But this does not mean she is altogether gone from the ISMNZ family.
“International students and graduates are still my motivation for this next stage in the journey. I will continue to be available to ISMNZ in a volunteer consulting role, most specifically connected to our grads (both returnees and those who remain in NZ). Not only do we seek to make life-long followers of Jesus amongst international students, but we also are life-long brothers and sisters in Christ and those relationships continue well beyond graduation. It is also my hope that for some of my seminary writing projects, I can continue to contribute resources to equip international student graduates for their preparation in the USA and NZ ISM ministries.”