Bryan Tay was “raw and green” when he first stepped on board a 300-metre-long oil tanker as a 21-year-old marine engineer cadet.  

“The furthest I had ever been was to Sentosa on school camp,” said Bryan, now 62, General Manager (Operations) for International Lutheran Seafarers’ Mission (ILSM).

“Suddenly I found myself among 25 multinational crew members, as the lowest-ranked worker on board,” he told Salt&Light.

Marine engineer cadet Bryan in the engine room of the tanker in 1983. The year-long voyage was the final leg of a four-year course at Singapore Polytechnic. All photos courtesy of Bryan Tay.

Very quickly, the young Christian of three years faced the tension between his faith and the environment he had entered into. 

He recounted an incident when he trailed the ship’s captain on a routine cabin inspection.

The captain commended one seaman’s room: “Okay, very good.”

“Maybe it ticked all his boxes: The floor was clean, things were secured properly, and there were no drugs,” Bryan said.

“But I had the shock of my life. The entire cabin – walls and ceiling – was plastered with images from pornographic magazines.”

Looking back on that startling introduction to the spiritual warfare silently waged on many ships and in many ports of call, Bryan said: “Satan rules through territories – some areas are footholds of drunkenness or drugs, others of lust.

“Maintaining one’s faith can be extremely difficult in an environment that may be spiritually and morally challenging.

“Seafarers who are Christian also are likely to lack fellowship and spiritual support that land-based migrant workers have easy access to”.

Bryan experienced firsthand the isolation from prolonged physical and emotional separation from loved ones and friends, the daily monotony of shuttling between work station and cabin, and the dangers of being on the seas daily.

His personal awakening at sea was a precursor to the mission to seafarers that God would bring him to some 40 years later. The seafarers – those on container ships – are an oft-unseen group of migrant workers.

Through short conversations and offers of prayers, ILSM seeks to reduce the deep social isolation many seafarers feel. Volunteers and staff make ship visits, and also offer a free welcome service to ferry seafarers from ship to a nearby area outside the port. With permission, it also shares Our Daily Bread (available in various languages) and useful booklets on topics such as how to reduce stress.

Seawater in his veins

Looking back, Bryan saw how God was preparing his heart to exercise empathy for the people he would later minister to, by putting him in the very shoes as a seafarer and in diverse roles from shipping supplies to moving people.

“I decided I didn’t want to work as a marine engineer below deck, (so I) went on to work on the deck with the Singapore Navy.”

Prof S Jayakumar congratulating Bryan (pictured with his dad) on receiving the Sword of Honour for being the top-performing naval officer cadet in his batch.

In all, Bryan has had 25 years of experience in various sectors of the maritime supply chain.

“If you cut my hand, I don’t know if blood or seawater would flow out,” he quipped.

At age 35, he joined the newly-corporatised PSA in 1998, where he managed container operations. 

Bryan with wife Gek Luang, and their daughters, during his three-year PSA posting to Genoa, Italy, in the early 2000s. This was followed by a posting to China.

After 10 years, he joined a shipping consultancy in the UK, before returning to Singapore to set up its Asia-Pacific office. This was followed by work at the Singapore Cruise Terminal, and subsequently a company that handles freight forwarding and freight consolidation.

Divine GPS error

Bryan could not have foreseen how God had been equipping him to understand the challenges and dangers faced by the seafaring community.

Nor could he have predicted how, years later, God would weave his maritime experience with a heart for ministry in a way he never could have imagined.

Around 2018, Bryan and his wife Gek Luang sensed a call from God to serve in the heartlands. They decided to visit a neighbourhood Bible-Presbyterian church.

Putting their confidence in Google directions and Gek Luang’s impressive navigational skills, they set off.

The couple felt a deep sense of peace as they sat through the service – only realising that they were in the “wrong” church 45 minutes later.

Somehow, they had taken a wrong turn and ended up at a different church than the one they intended to visit. They had been inadvertently worshiping at Jurong Christian Church (JCC), a Lutheran congregation.

“It was a divine miracle,” Bryan recalled in wonder. “God switched off my wife’s GPS that day.”

Realising it was God’s intervention, Bryan approached the pastor at the end of the service and simply said: “I’m here to serve. Just let me know what I can do.”

Bryan and Gek Luang (centre) during their official transfer to Jurong Christian Church, with their sponsor (left) and with Rev Anthony Loh, now the Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Singapore.

That willingness opened new doors. Today, Bryan leads the Jurong Christian Church Council.

Drawing on his experience running a business in technology-enabled adult education, he also started a ministry to generate digital content for outreach and consolidate the church’s digital infrastructure.

Enjoying fellowship at Jurong Christian Church.

Then came another unexpected turn.

When then-Bishop Terry Kee of the Lutheran Church in Singapore learned about Bryan’s maritime background, he invited Bryan to serve on the board of the International Lutheran Seafarers’ Mission (ILSM). It is one of five Christian missions in Singapore carrying out welfare services for visiting seafarers.

God had brought Bryan full circle into the maritime community but this time, it was not to work below or on the deck, or to manage cargo or vessels. 

Local ownership of mission

For 25 years, the International Lutheran Seafarers’ Mission (ILSM) relied on missionaries sent from Germany.

After Bryan had been serving on its board for a couple of years, “we discerned that the time was right to take local ownership of the mission as it would provide greater continuity and sustainability,” he explained.

Bryan sensed that “God wanted me to do something”.

In February 2024, a local team was formed to minister to seafarers, with Bryan as its first full-time worker and General Manager (Operations) charting a fresh course.

ILSM Operations Executive A’Fowsh Flora (left) visiting seafarers – both female and male – aboard a container ship.

Their ministry field? Some two million migrant workers from all corners of the globe who come through Singapore’s container ports each year. Annually, 200,000 vessel calls feed Singapore’s economy and bring the bulk of our supplies and online shopping. An estimated 100,000 of these are unique vessels.

ILSM also cares for the welfare of the fishing community who come through the Jurong Fishery Port. Bryan distributes welcome gifts to fishermen on a large trawler that has come back to land after a long period at sea.

The only seafarer who asked for a wefie

In this ministry, Bryan did not make a move without praying first.

“Personally, when I take the first step on the ship, I pray, ‘God, let your presence shake up this ship’,” he shared.

Before he climbs the gangway to visit seafarers who are unable to disembark, his prayer is: “Lord, who do You want us to minister to today? Bring them across our path.” 

Onboard, they chat with those they meet, wherever they are – on the deck, or if invited, in the ship’s office or crew mess.

Bryan acknowledges that climbing the 50 to 85 steps up a gangway is physically demanding. Volunteers who are physically fit and willing may be assigned to board vessels and connect with seafarers who are unable to disembark.

On one ship visit, Bryan met a Ukrainian seafarer.

“After chatting with him for a while, I asked my favourite question: ‘Do you believe in God?'” recounted Bryan.

“He looked at me for two seconds, then looked away for about 10 seconds. Then he took out his mobile phone, and said, ‘I’ll show you something’.

“He scrolled and scrolled, showing me pictures of his home, destroyed in the Russia-Ukraine war.”

Bryan enquired if this man’s family was safe. “Thank God they are,” said Bryan.

“What was this man’s answer by showing me the pictures? He could have been telling me, ‘I believe in God. But why like that?’ Or ‘How do I believe in God when things are like that?’”

Bryan didn’t assure the man that everything will be okay. “It is not okay,” Bryan said.

“Instead, I prayed, ‘God, we don’t understand, and it’s very difficult. But we believe You will make all things right in the end.’

“That was the only way I could pray.” 

When it was time for the seafarer to go back to his duties, Bryan only got to do one of two things he usually does – shake his hand and say, “God bless you, in Jesus’ name”.

He was going to request for a wefie, which he does with all seafarers he speaks with. But this time, Bryan was surprised. 

“Out of the 1,000+ seafarers I’ve met, the Ukrainian seafarer was the only one who took out his phone and asked for a wefie with me. It moved me a lot. 

“It tells me that something moved him, and it was worth a picture – that this crazy guy came to him and told him that God will make everything right in the end.”

Not your traditional missions model

About 40% of the seafarers believe in Jesus, with most believers coming from the Philippines.

“We believe that this is not an accidental statistic,” said Bryan.

“There are seafarers who are serious about their relationship with God, want to live godly lives and have compassion for the lost. I have come across seafarers who request prayer to overcome temptations and to have more faith in God. If we can spark their faith by showing our support and offering encouragement, they could well live godly lives and spark revivals on the high seas and wherever they go. We believe God can and will do this.”

Ministering to seafarers doesn’t fit the traditional model of missions work, where follow-up and ongoing discipleship are usually possible.

“Some people ask, ‘Why do you want to do this? They hardly come again; why do you waste your time?'”

This is a logical argument. In addition, the conversations ILSM volunteers have with each seafarer are only 20 to 30 minutes long, on the average.

Bryan disagrees. “I think that is the wrong mindset.”

“The fact that Singapore is so blessed to be the world’s largest transshipment hub means we have a special responsibility to the seafaring community,” Bryan had told Salt&Light in an earlier interview.

Postscript: Sailing into new chapter

When ILSM was localised in February 2024, a goal Bryan and his team set was to visit 100 ships a month.

God blessed their work, and in October that year, they exceeded their target and made their 1,000th ship visit.

Having a moment of fun at the 2024 Love Singapore Summit, where ILSM shared with church and ministry leaders the vision of the newly-localised ministry to seafarers.

Another task the newly-formed team had to do was to make their ministry, mission and vision known.

“Help has been more forthcoming now that more churches are aware of who we are, and what we do,” said Bryan.

During the recent Sea Sunday (June 22), they saw some 15 churches join their five Lutheran congregations in honouring seafarers at church services or helping out at the inaugural Seafarers’ Carnival.

One board member commented that the team had done in six months what would normally take one or two years to achieve.

“God accelerated our work,” said Bryan, whose name was put forward to lead another Lutheran ministry at that time. 

This acceleration that has put the mission on an even keel has enabled Bryan to officially step into a new role with Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) on July 2025.

LHM is a global Christian outreach movement based in the US, operating in 60 countries through various media including satellite radio, television, digital and print outreach materials. It is setting up its Asia office in Singapore, and Bryan will lead its regional initiatives, drawing on his six years of experience in tech-enabled education, and ministry work at Jurong Christian Church.

Bryan remains deeply committed to the seafarers, and will stay on in ILSM as an active volunteer. “God willing”, he will rejoin its board in 2026.

The call to LHM came unexpectedly – yet undeniably.

“I had 10 separate confirmations through prayer and prophetic words – even from strangers. God was making it clear.

“Like with ILSM, I’ve told God, ‘I’m not stepping into this to do what’s been done. I want to see what You will do’.”

About International Lutheran Seafarers’ Mission

Formed under the auspices of the Lutheran Church in Singapore, International Lutheran Seafarers’ Mission (ILSM) was registered as a society in 1999. For 25 years, it relied on missionaries sent from by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (ELCB), Germany.

ILSM transitioned fully to a local team in February 2024, who has taken over ownership of the mission, and charted new goals. 

At PSA container terminals at Tuas and Pasir Panjang, staff and volunteers climb the gangways to visit seafarers who are unable to disembark. It also extends a free meet and greet service for those who are able to step ashore.

Additionally, they run the drop-in welfare centre for fishing crew who come through the Jurong Fishery Port.

ILSM is also looking to raise funds to set up a welfare centre for seafarers near the new Tuas container terminal by the end of the year.

“With critical mass growing as container operations progressively move to Tuas, we want to be the first port of call for seafarers docking in Singapore.

“Getting off the ship and having somewhere to go, even if they have a short time on land, will benefit them greatly,” adds Bryan.

“The vision is to see ILSM set up an international fellowship centre for seafarers’ welfare.

“We also want to eventually provide spiritual and practical support to all maritime workers, including port workers. But we will still primarily care for the seafaring community, for whom social isolation is a big issue.”

It is not a job that the ILSM team – with their five Lutheran congregations – can do alone. If you are keen to find out about the work of International Lutheran Seafarers’ Mission and how you can volunteer or help, click here.

RELATED STORIES:

“We talk about going overseas for missions, but what about the two million seafarers God brings to our shores every year?”: International Lutheran Seafarers’ Mission

Who looks out for the “invisible” during Chinese New Year?

This pastor is “brother” to thousands of migrant workers

Who cares for the caregivers? 70-year-old Auntie Audrey does