When listening to Mr. Sammy Mah, the newly-named chief executive officer and president of World Relief, one characteristic comes to mind as he shares his life story – his obedience to the call of the Lord.

On Monday, March 28, the Board of Directors for World Relief announced Mr. Mah’s appointment. “We were seeking a person of humility and fierce resolve, a Jesus servant-leader, and we believe we found those qualities in Mr. Mah,” stated Board chair, Dr. Gordon MacDonald.

He came to know Christ as his Lord and Savior at the age of eight and looking back he saw that it was easy to forget from where one’s blessings come. Upon entering college, he had begun to think that his successes- acceptance to college, a job, a car – were all his doing; he had not kept the Lord the center of his life. One night, walking with a friend back to his car after a hockey game, an incident happened that re-focused his view on life. A group of four men mugged him and his friend. Beaten and dragged into an alley by his assailants, one of whom had a rifle, he realized that the Lord had blessed him with much – and it was all about to be wasted. This experience left him re-energized for Christ.

From that moment on, Mr. Mah has followed the Lord’s call in his life, even at times where the call did not make sense to him. He was among the first group of Americans to be invited into Tyumen, Siberia (part of the former Soviet Union) to establish men’s accountability ministries, as well as Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon groups throughout that region. Two years later, he returned to the region with his family leading a short term missions trip and helped establish youth camps for the families of the people he helped in his previous visit.

Mr. Mah, a first generation Asian American, is a proven and successful business leader, father and husband, and active churchman whose walk with God is evident to all that meet him. Mr. Mah is married to Lorelei and they have three children, one of whom is in high school with the other two presently in college. He and his wife have been very active in their Michigan church, particularly with the youth groups and they have been involved in mission trips to many parts of the world.

He received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan, and has been with General Motors for twenty-seven years. His responsibilities as an executive at General Motors have involved him in oversight of literally thousands of employees and budgets totaling tens of millions of dollars.

We ask you to join us in prayer for Mr. Mah and his family and for God to continue to lead and guide and prepare each one of us to do His will.