Seconded in the Lord's Service

“I’ll second that.” We’ve all heard or made this comment when attending board or committee meetings. To “second” something is to support it, to come alongside, to reinforce the work or initiatives of others.

In Christian ministry, and in particular at SAT-7’s international offices, seconding, or more accurately, “seconded,” takes on another special meaning.

A seconded staff member is someone who is assigned by one ministry to work at another ministry. In other words, a staff person is considered seconded when his or her home organization, Agency One, loans the person for a period of time to Agency Two. In this manner, Agency One maintains the staff person, handles human resource requirements, and stays involved spiritually, yet allows the staff member to come under the authority of Agency Two. The receiving agency outsources its talent search. The sending agency “farms out” the talent.

The idea and opportunity for staff members to be seconded is, in the best instances, a win-win-win. Agency One can focus its resources on recruiting, developing and placing humanitarian workers. Agency Two can gain needed talent, short or long term, while focusing its resources on its mission. The staff member can apply expertise where its most needed while enjoying continuing pastoral care and financial support from a home office.

David Harder has served in Cyprus as a seconded staff member for SAT-7 for nearly 8 years. His American agency, Commission to Every Nation, www.cten.org, has been an important part of David and his wife’s (who also works with SAT-7) ministry. He says, “My seconding experience has been excellent because I get the extra support of my sending agency and the support of SAT-7 as an employee as well. My sending agency prays for me. They provide logistical support for my personal fundraising and SAT-7 provides professional support for travel for the ministry, etc.” SAT-7 has enjoyed the seconded support of several staff members during its more than 14 years of Middle East ministry.

One last advantage of a seconding presents itself. Sometimes when people hear “faith-based support” or “self-support,” meaning a position is maintained via gifting rather than a salary, they consider it a hindrance to getting to the field. But David noted that people should be encouraged by the fact that help does exist and God does provide. Agencies working with a seconding option is one way he does so.

Seconded staff members are valuable players on Christian ministry teams. Perhaps pray for them today as a special category in the Lord’s service.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved

Opinions in this column are Dr. Rogers’s and do not necessarily represent SAT-7 or SAT-7 USA. Good News from the Middle East may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers at rexrogers@sat7.org. Follow at www.twitter.com/RexMRogers.

Date: 7/19/2010