Sparking a Love of the Scriptures
Tribute to Ada Lum (1926 – 2026)
“Ada Lum, a true servant of God, an inspiration to many of us, and someone who helped shape lives and build student movements across the IFES world, has passed away in the last few hours. She had recently celebrated her 100th birthday, and one of the last things she said was: ‘I have no regrets. Just gratitude and joy in knowing Jesus.’”
So wrote Tim Adams (IFES General Secretary) as he shared news of the death of this remarkable woman, whose passion for God and his Word transformed generations of students and staff around the world.
Ada was born to Chinese parents and raised in Hawaii. After college, she returned there to work among high school students, nurses, and university students. She later joined IFES staff in 1960, serving for over 20 years and contributing to global student ministry for decades afterwards. Early in her life, Ada expressed a desire “to be used of God in the training of Christian leadership” and God honoured that hope.
Following God’s Call to Asia
After seven years in student ministry in Hawaii, she realised it was “now or never” to respond to God’s call to serve overseas. She arrived in Asia in her mid-30s, taking up her first assignment in Hong Kong. There she faced the humbling realisation that she did not have all the answers: “I had to face the startling fact that I had a lot to learn from these brothers and sisters… It helped me appreciate better what the body of Christ is all about.”
Those early lessons shaped her deeply. She spoke about the temptation to measure ministry by results, and the discouragement of feeling ineffective. Looking back, she recognised that “God was far, far more interested in doing something inside of me rather than through me.” Her experiences in Asia were often costly and stretching, but they deepened her dependence on God and shaped the way she went on to serve.
Ada played a key role in the early development of student movements across East Asia, shaping their approach to Scripture, supporting the growth of indigenous student ministry, and insisting that international workers must learn to “fit into the team under national leadership and to do so genuinely from the heart”.
Equipping Many to Engage with Scripture
Over the years, her ministry extended far beyond Asia. Travelling across Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Central Asia – “with a suitcase in one hand and a typewriter in the other” – she helped people engage Scripture for themselves. In workshops, small groups, and informal conversations, she practised and taught inductive Bible study. She helped students understand Scripture, respond in obedience, and share it with others. Through this, many came to faith in Christ and many more were equipped to make him known.
For others, this influence came through Ada’s writing, including How to Lead an Evangelistic Bible Study, Jesus the Radical, Jesus the Disciple Maker, and the Bringing the Bible to Life video series.
Annette Arulrajah, IFES Associate General Secretary, recalls: “Through her the LORD changed the course of my life!! She taught me how to come to the LORD’S Word with great reverence and expectations. Many of us… have never been the same since.”
As Chua Wee Hian, former IFES General Secretary, recalls: “Ada also exercised an invaluable ministry in ministering to staff, especially the women workers. Many were saved from resigning their jobs because their male counterparts could not understand them.” In this way, she provided wise and compassionate support, helping people persevere in challenging contexts and strengthening the life of movements.
Her formal time on IFES staff concluded in 1983, but her influence did not. She later served on the IFES International Executive Committee (now the Board) and, from 1995 to 2003, as an Honorary Vice-President. Even into later life, she continued travelling each year to teach and encourage.
A Life Rooted in Prayer and God’s Word
At the heart of all this activity lay something profound. She once said the most important part of her ministry was “praying for my fellow workers in each country, for the student leaders I’ve contacted and the new Christians I’ve had evangelistic Bible studies with.”
Those who spent time with her remember not only what she taught, but how she lived: her joy, her seriousness about the Word, her humour, and the quiet authority that came from a life deeply rooted in Christ.
Tim Adams went on to say: “We thank God for her life, and for the ways he used her unique gifts to encourage the faith and love of Scripture among countless students and IFES leaders around the world.”
We pray that we – and all those she influenced – will continue to love God and remain grounded, as Ada was, in his Word, helping others to discover its richness for themselves.
Sources:
Ada Lum, letter to C. Stacey Woods (24 June 1955);
“A HIS Interview with Ada Lum,” HIS Magazine (April 1976);
Chua Wee Hian, personal correspondence reflecting on Ada Lum’s ministry (2 November 2000);
IFES archival materials, including Executive Committee and General Committee minutes (1956–1962);
Pete Lowman, The Day of His Power: A History of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES, first published 1983; updated ed. 2019);
IFES staff and friend testimonies shared following Ada Lum’s death (2026).
