SAconnects, Volume 3, Number 1

VOL. 3, NO. 1 • JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2017

the magazine

STILL FEELING THE

SA sports ministry

CHANGES LIVES

FUEGO

page 21

Terrel Davis:

A BEACON OF

LIGHT

SACONNECTS.ORG

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our leaders

IN focus

Transiciones Crossover In this issue of SAConnects, we highlight sports ministry in The Salvation Army. For many years, the Army has offered sports programs in its ministries around the world.

Some well–known sports stars, such as Julius (Dr. J.) Erving, started as children in Army sports programs.

In the Army, sports ministry can come in the form of a community center gym recreation program. In the winter, some locations host basketball or volleyball leagues. In warmer weather, others will offer a softball team or youth football team. In the past decade, the advent of the Army’s Ray & Joan Kroc Corps and Community Centers has led to indoor soccer leagues, swimming lessons, rock climbing, spin classes, and fitness classes.

One thing people often wonder is how these programs fulfill the Army’s mission to “preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in His name without discrimination.” They may ask, “Where is the crossover taking place?” The Apostle Paul wrote, “for physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Sports ministries provide an entry point into the lives of many people who need to hear the good news of the Gospel. Such intervention takes effort. It involves developing relationships. As we teach a child to do the “crossover dribble” in basketball to surpass a defender, may we also help them cross over spiritual barriers to hear the message of life and hope in Christ.

En este número de SAConnects destacamos el ministerio deportivo del Ejército de Salvación. Durante muchos años, el Ejército ha ofrecido programas deportivos en sus ministerios alrededor del mundo.

Algunas estrellas famosas del deporte, como el basquetbolista Julius (Dr. J.) Erving, iniciaron su niñez en programas deportivos de esta institución.

En el Ejército, el ministerio deportivo suele asumir la modalidad de un programa recreativo centrado en un gimnasio comunitario. En la temporada de invierno, algunos lugares organizan ligas de básquetbol o vóleibol. En los meses más cálidos, ciertos Cuerpos acostumbran formar un equipo juvenil de softbol o de futbol americano. En la década pasada, el desarrollo de los Cuerpos y Centros Comunitarios Ray & Joan Kroc del Ejército ha llevado a la creación de ligas de futbol soccer intramuros, lecciones de natación, escalamiento de muros, clases de bicicleta estacionaria y de entrenamiento físico.

Algo que la gente suele preguntarse es de qué manera cumplen estos programas con la misión del Ejército consistente en “predicar el evangelio de Jesucristo y atender las necesidades humanas en Su nombre sin discriminación”.

Puede que se pregunten: “¿Cómo se hace la transición de una cosa a la otra?” El apóstol Pablo escribió: “Pues aunque el ejercicio físico trae algún provecho, la piedad es útil para todo, ya que incluye una promesa no sólo para la vida presente sino también para la venidera” (1 Timoteo 4:8).

Los ministerios deportivos brindan un punto de acercamiento a las vidas de muchas personas que necesitan escuchar las Buenas Nuevas del evangelio. Tal intervención requiere esfuerzo. Ello implica desarrollar relaciones significativas. Así como en el básquetbol enseñamos al niño a “regatear” para que supere a un jugador contrario, les vamos ayudando también a vencer las barreras espirituales de modo que escuchen el mensaje de vida y esperanza en Cristo.

— Colonel / Coronel Steven Howard Secretary for Personnel / Secretario de Personal

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2017 JANUARY/FEBUARY

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EVE RY K I D S HO U L D EXPE R I E NC E

CAMP

For more information about Summer Camps in the Eastern Territory please visit BoothYouth.com

CONTENTS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

IN focus

Long before the Dallas Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott jumped into a Salvation Army Red Kettle to celebrate his touchdown in December, the Army had been recognizing young athletes as precious gifts. In this SAConnects, you’ll read about some who have actually made history.

1 our leaders 4 from the editor 6 ethically speaking

ON file

5 relevents Major Ronald Foreman talks about sports ministry and carrying the torch during the 2001 Winter Olympics.

5 32

28 wholly living “Sabbath Keeping” is a new series from the SLD team.

8 Athletes and Officers

Three Salvationists speak on how sports and competition connects them to God.

32 great moments

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Cover: Terrel Davis, photographed by Robert Mitchell. Cover design by Joe Marino and Reggie Raines.

Before the African– American History Museum, the SA paid tribute to one of its own soldiers of color.

18 Sports Shorts

12 A Spiritual Ball The Salvation Army’s Demetrius Marlowe has advised many student athletes, including Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

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14 Partners in Health

Short stories on the SA’s basketball, archery, disc golf, and martial arts ministries

21 Still Feeling the Fuego

Tamiko and Thomas Wilkerson made a commitment to improving their physical and spiritual health.

COVER STORY

16 A Beacon of Light

These young people came looking for the Holy Spirit “fire”—and found it.

Terrel Davis is an amazing track star, and people say he is also a person of character.

26 Q&A Hollywood producer Phil Cooke shares how you can use social media to reach people for Christ.

The College for Officer Training’s sports ministry is poised for a victorious year.

Carrier

FAITH in ACTION

features

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30 unity

Photo by Getty Images

Vol. 3, No. 1

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2017 JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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IN focus

from the editor the magazine

your connection to The Salvation Army

USA EASTERN TERRITORY TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioner William A. Bamford III Commissioner G. Lorraine Bamford

Models for Mobilizing In March, The Salvation Army Eastern Territory will offer training on the practice of “Integrated Mission,” one of the four Strikepoints continued by Commissioner William A. Bamford, territorial commander (see “Vision 2017,” SAConnects, Nov. 2016). The training will model work already in progress for the past two years at corps in our territory.

Through a visitation initiative called the Support and Learning Team (SALT), Salvationists at these corps have committed to love their neighbors and to explore the different dimensions of caring, community, and change.

In our next SAConnects we’ll bring you up close and personal with people who are modeling this ministry. From San Juan, P. R., to York, Pa., you’ll read testimonies from Salvationists who boldly walk crime–ridden streets, who lovingly visit homes ravaged by the heroin epidemic, and who courageously engage in life–changing conversations.

You’ll read about those conversations from the perspectives of Lt. Colonel Hugh Steele, ARCC commander, Cadet Joseph Cantrell, Mike Price in Dayton, Ohio, and Jonathan Shaffstall in Montclair, N.J. We’ll also share an insightful and challenging Q&A with bestselling author Max Lucado. He’ll talk about his new book, Because of Bethlehem, and tell you why it is more important now than ever for the world to hear the message of Christ.

— Warren L. Maye Editor in Chief / Editor en Jefe

CHIEF SECRETARY Colonel Kenneth O. Johnson, Jr.

Modelos para movilizarse En marzo, el Territorio Este del Ejército de Salvación ofrecerá entrenamiento para la “Misión Integrada”, uno de los cuatro puntos del programa Strikepoint, continuado por el Comisionado William A. Bamford, comandante territorial (ver “Visión 2017” SAConnects, noviembre, 2016).

El entrenamiento modelará el trabajo que se ha realizado durante los últimos dos años en varios Cuerpos de nuestro territorio.

A través de una iniciativa llamada Support and Learning Team (Equipo de Apoyo y Aprendizaje o SALT, por sus siglas en inglés), los salvacionistas de estos Cuerpos se han comprometido a amar a sus vecinos, así como también a explorar las dimensiones de lo que significa el cariño, la comunidad y el cambio.

En nuestro próximo SAConnects presentaremos a las personas que están gestionando este ministerio. Desde San Juan, Puerto Rico, hasta York, Pensilvania, leerás los testimonios de salvacionistas que con mucha audacia recorren las calles más golpeadas por el crimen, que cariñosamente visitan a los hogares afectados por la epidemia de la heroína y que entablan valientes conversaciones transformadoras.

Leerás acerca de esas conversaciones desde las perspectivas del Lt. Coronel Hugh Steele, comandante de ARCC; del Cadete Joseph Cantrell; de Mike Price, en Dayton, Ohio; y de Jonathan Shaffstall, en Montclair, Nueva Jersey.

También tendremos una sesión de preguntas y respuestas con el autor de superventas Max Lucado. Él va a hablar sobre su nuevo libro Because of Bethlehem y explicará por qué es importante, ahora más que nunca, que el mundo escuche el mensaje de Cristo.

COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY Colonel Janice A. Howard EDITOR IN CHIEF Warren L. Maye MANAGING EDITOR Robert Mitchell EDITOR / HISPANIC CORRESPONDENT Hugo Bravo KOREAN EDITOR Lt. Colonel Chongwon D. Kim ART DIRECTOR Reginald Raines PUBLICATION MANAGING DESIGNER Lea La Notte Greene GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Keri Johnson, Karena Lin, Joe Marino CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brenda Lotz, Major Young Sung Kim CIRCULATION Deloris Hansen COMMAND NEWS CORRESPONDENTS PENDEL Major Kathryn A. Avery EMP Jaye C. Jones GNY Major Susan Wittenberg MASS Drew Forster NNE Cheryl Poulopoulos PR & VI Linette Luna SNE James Gordon WEPASA Captain Kimberly DeLong Territorial Music Liaison Derek Lance Territorial Youth Liaison Captain Gillian Rogers New command correspondents will be appointed soon for

CFOT, NEOSA, SWONEKY, NJ, and ARCC

THE SALVATION ARMY

MISSION STATEMENT

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

SAConnects is published monthly by The Salvation Army USA’s Eastern Territory. Bulk rate is $12.00 per month for 25–100 copies.

Single subscriptions are available. Write to: SAConnects, The Salvation Army, 440 W. Nyack Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994–1739.

Vol. 3, No. 1, January/February 2017 Issue. Printed in USA. Postmaster: Send all address changes to: SAConnects, 440 West Nyack Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994–1739. SAConnects accepts advertising.

Copyright © 2016 by The Salvation Army, USA Eastern Territory.

Articles may be reprinted only with written permission.

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relevents

ON file

interview by Hugo Bravo

Major Ronald Foreman, divisional commander of the Empire State Division, talks about sports ministry, the Salvation Army’s work with immigrants, and carrying the torch for the Winter Olympics.

I enjoy ministering through sports. It’s a subtle way to introduce the Word of God to people. When they approach me during or after a game and ask, “There’s something different about you. What is it?”

—that’s a perfect time to tell them about my relationship with Christ.

Sports give you opportunity to be casual. When you’re there for some friendly competition and exercise, people tend to be relaxed and open.

There’s a lot of humanity in sports. One can get angry or frustrated during a game, and that’s ok. We can be ourselves, yet still have a powerful relationship with the Lord.

When I was younger, my officer parents held a variety of ministry appointments. Among them was being corps officers in the predominately African–American community of West Philadelphia.

In elementary school, my siblings and I were the only Caucasian students. Our parent’s next appointment was on the South’s Mason-Dixie line where the demographics were the complete opposite. Exposure to such diversity has served me well. Today, as an officer, I find myself completely comfortable wherever the Army chooses to send me. Whether it is the inner city or the countryside, I’m happy to be a witness for Christ.

One of my roles was helping immigrants who were cadets at the College for Officer Training (CFOT). In college, I had studied social work and law. I used these skills to help about 30 cadets get their visas to come to the US for training and thus follow their calling to officership. They received religious worker visas, student visas, and, in a few cases, green cards.

During the 2001 Winter Olympics, I had the honor of being a torchbearer. An executive of John Hancock Financial, a Boston insurance company (she also sat on our local Salvation Army board), called me and asked if I would carry the flame 3/10 tenths of a mile between Providence, R.I., to Boston. A month earlier and shortly after 9/11, she had called, saying her company had supplies and wanted to send them to New York to help responders, but had no way of moving the items.

The Army gathered 18 tractor–trailers full of The philosopher Edmund Burke once said, all it takes for supplies and sent them to Ground Zero. evil to flourish in the world is for good men to do nothing. The minOn December 26th, I started running. istry of my wife, Major Dorine Foreman, and me has been devoted People cheered me on. The adrenaline to helping in any way we can. You want to motivate me to work? rush had made me sprint halfway through Simply tell me how and where I can give someone a hand. I want my path. I said to myself, I need to slow to be one good man who actually does something. down and enjoy this!

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2017 JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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IN focus

Ethically Speaking

by Colonel Richard Munn

ETHICALLY

speaking a new series by Colonel Richard Munn

Martin Luther famously said we need 3 conversions: heart, mind, and purse. In so doing, he raises an ethical question—What is the role of money?

There are many questions such as this one.

Simply put, Christian ethics applies the framework of our faith to the demands and choices of human existence. It is as simple as applying what we believe to our daily decisions and as complex as responding to multi–layered global issues.

We can easily make ethical choices based on feelings, cultural pressure, or our pursuit of comfort. In contrast, the Christian faith provides us with Scripture, the life of Jesus, and Kingdom principles.

This year, “Ethically Speaking” will seek to serve as a catalyst in our thinking on subjects from alcohol to pornography and from refugees to racism.

Of this we can be assured: Ethically strong men and women and movements formed by such principled people, change the world for good.

I want to be counted among them.

Don’t you?

Sanctity of Life LA SANTIDAD DE LA VIDA The instinct to protect human life is a universally fixed value. However, since the beginning of time, abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide have also been part of the human story.

Today, such scenarios are increasingly enacted with changing legislation and implemented with medical sophistication.

The Salvation Army, along with other global Christian denominations, vigorously affirms the sanctity of life, asserting that all people are made in the image of God, and thus conferred with innate dignity.

BREATH OF LIFE Scripture records that God forms the human “and breathes into his nostrils the breath of life.” Today, God still gives us our first breath, and we continue to depend on Him to give us each breath we breathe, says Walter Brueggemann.

ABUNDANT LIFE In Christ, the gospel of life is incarnated and proclaimed. So we believe life is sacred because God becomes human in Christ and that life is at the heart of the gospel message to the entire world. Thus, we are always to care and cure if possible, never to harm or induce death.

ETERNAL LIFE No greater indication of the sanctity of human life exists than the promise of eternal life made available through Jesus Christ. Humans are unique in this. This “lively confidence” enables us to both fight death and then make peace when our time to enter heaven approaches.

As the Nicene Creed triumphantly concludes, “We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.”

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El instinto de proteger la vida humana es un valor universalmente establecido. Sin embargo, desde el inicio de los tiempos, el aborto, la eutanasia y el suicidio asistido también han sido parte de la historia.

En la actualidad, tales prácticas se presentan cada vez más mediante modificaciones legislativas y se implementan con sofisticación médica.

El Ejército de Salvación, con otras denominaciones cristianas a nivel mundial, afirma con determinación la santidad de la vida y sostiene que todas las personas son hechas a imagen de Dios, de manera que poseen una dignidad innata.

ALIENTO DE VIDA La Escritura afirma que Dios formó al ser humano “y sopló en su nariz aliento de vida”. Hoy, Dios sigue dándonos ese primer aliento de vida y seguimos dependiendo de que nos dé cada aliento que respiramos, como dice Walter Brueggemann.

VIDA ABUNDANTE En Cristo se encarna y se proclama el evangelio de la vida. De modo que creemos que la vida es sagrada debido a que Dios se hizo hombre en Cristo y creemos que esa vida es la esencia del mensaje evangélico para todo el mundo. Por tanto, hemos de cuidar y curar a los demás siempre que nos sea posible; y nunca hacerles daño ni inducirles a la muerte.

VIDA ETERNA No hay nada más grande que indique la santidad de la vida humana que la promesa de la vida eterna a través de Jesucristo. Los seres humanos somos únicos en ese sentido. Esta “alentadora confianza” nos permite luchar contra la muerte y hacer la paz cuando nuestra hora de entrar al cielo se acerque.

Tal como concluye triunfante el Credo Niceno: “Esperamos la resurrección de los muertos y la vida del mundo por venir”.

ICES 2017 V R E S D L R WO

The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

1 CHRONICLES 29:9

Athletes and

officers

by Warren L. Maye

F

or many years, The Salvation Army has developed young people through sports ministry. Some of them have reached iconic status as internationally known athletes. David Robinson, Julius (Dr. J) Erving, LeBron James, DiKembe Mutombo, (NBA basketball), Emmitt Smith (NFL football), and Peter Norman (Olympic track and field) come to mind. Others have applied to other professions and vocations the discipline, character, and work ethic they’ve learned in the gym and on the ball field and basketball court.

In both urban and suburban environments, sports ministry has become a

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key component in the Salvation Army’s outreach to young people in the USA Eastern territory. Sports have served as a platform from which they have aspired to a higher calling. Through the salvation process, student athletes make the connection between sportsmanship, soldiership, and officership. They also see how having a team spirit can lead to receiving the Holy Spirit.

At the Army’s College for Officer Training (CFOT) in Suffern, N.Y., they call the process of making such connections “relational evangelism.” Cadets, administrators, and student athletes in the immediate community and as

far as Manhattan have an opportunity to interact and establish ongoing relationships.

The program, which includes basketball, soccer, volleyball, and flag football, was the vision of Major David Davis, now Massachusetts divisional commander, Major Ronald Foreman, now Empire State divisional commander; and Robert Meitrott, CFOT director of sports ministry. Every year, it culminates with a sports gala, featuring an address from an outstanding athlete, award presentations, great food, and fellowship.

Last year’s guest was Melvin Adams, a Christian speaker and former member

(Below) Robert Meitrott drives toward the basket during a game at CFOT. (Right, bottom) Speaker Melvin Adams shares a moment with a family at the 2016 Sports Ministry Gala.

of the legendary Harlem Globetrotters.

Although he experienced many difficulties in life, Adams eventually graduated from San Jose Christian College. He was named a two–time Division III All–American. He left the school as the all–time leader in points, field assists, and steals. Ultimately, he became a professional basketball player.

Today, Adams travels throughout the country, motivating people by sharing his life experiences. He is considered to be

“one of the most dynamic youth speakers in the country,” posted a speakers’ bureau website. “It doesn’t matter where you come from,” said Adams. “It only matters where you’re going.”

Adams grew up short in stature (5’ 8”), in abject poverty, and was physically and emotionally abused by a father who “disappeared during a game of hide and seek and stayed hidden for the next 26 years,” said Adams.

He told his remarkable story to about 40 basketball, soccer, and volleyball players as well as CFOT staff and families.

He also involved them in a variety of fun activities that included adults and children. Adams concluded his presentation

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by encouraging each person to boldly tell his or her story. “Whether you’re a quiet person or loud like me, there should be something about your life that draws people to Jesus Christ.”

This year, the sports ministry will sponsor a mini basketball tournament.

It will include teams from CFOT; the Army’s Manhattan, N.Y., (Citadel) Corps in East Harlem; the Brooklyn, N.Y. (Bay Ridge) Corps; and the Stapleton, N.Y. Corps on Staten Island. “We’re trying to do a little mini tournament with the four of them,” said Meitrott. “On April 1, we’re going to do an all–day tournament.

On May 17, the annual Sports Ministry Gala at the college will take place with a special guest, to be announced.”

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Blades the Bruin (Boston Bruins)

Lucky the Leprechaun (Boston Celtics)

MASCOTS TAKE OVER BOSTON!

by Hugo Bravo

hen a festively decorated Salvation Army truck arrived in front of Macy’s in the Boston, Mass., Downtown Crossing, a crowd of shoppers and people eating lunch wondered who or what could be inside the vehicle.

The gathering erupted in cheers when men and women in mascot costumes from the New England Patriots (football), Boston Bruins (hockey), Boston Red Sox (baseball), Boston Celtics (basketball), and New England Revolution (soccer) teams emerged. They were there to participate in the first–ever Salvation Army Red Kettle Mascot Challenge.

Led by the Salvation Army’s own mascot, “Captain Red,” each mascot took charge of a red kettle and competed to see who could collect the most money to kick off the kettle season in Boston.

While ringing bells and collecting for the Army, the mascots posed for selfies and group photos with children and families.

Lucky the Leprechaun, mascot for the Boston Celtics, thrilled the audience with backflips and ball tricks whenever anyone dropped a donation in his kettle.

Lieutenant Darell Houseton, corps officer of the Boston, Mass., Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center who also emceed the event, said the Army’s connection with the sports world is a great opportunity to engage with the community.

“This provides a visible and energetic way for everyone to participate in the mission of The Salvation Army,” said Houseton.

Slyde the Fox (New England Revolution) Pat Patriot (New England Patriots)

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Wally the Green Monster (Boston Red Sox)

Captain Red (The Salvation Army)

The coach

speaks

Coach Carnell Suttles has been coming to The Salvation Army’s Boston South End Corps Community Center since he was five. That was 53 years ago. He has worked for the Army for 32 years. He shares an early history of the South End Corps and the advice he gives his players—on and off the court.

When I first walked in, this building was called the South End Boys Club. People from the area my age still remember it by that name. The Salvation Army owned the building and it was run by employees and overseen by divisional headquarters. In the 1980s, the Army assigned an officer to the building.

I played every sport they had here: Gymnastics, baseball, football, and basketball. I even made the drill team.

When I ran out of sports to try, I took the cooking classes, and loved every minute of it. Throughout the years, my sister and cousins worked for the South End Corps. My mother retired from here. She ran the after–school program, which is the program I run today.

We knew the Army was working behind the scenes of the Boys Club, but back then, none of the shirts or sports uniforms had any sign of The Salvation Army. No logo and no red shield. I think some people saw it as a sign of being poor, and kids would get teased if they were seen wearing it. What a difference today, where we have children in the corps who ask us for shirts with The Salvation Army shield as big and as bold as we can make it.

They wear it like it’s fashion, or a badge of honor.

God is first in my life. Without Him, none of this is possible. Every morning,

I give Him thanks for just allowing me to open my eyes and see another day.

Every day, I ask for guidance to do the work I love. He allows me to do this and has put me in the right place to do it.

I’ve worked with kids all my life.

I love being their teacher as well as their coach. If I have something to teach, or a lesson to pass down, I always want to be able to say I tried to share it. I don’t look for anything in return, but when I see kids who I run across decades later, and they say ‘thank you’ for helping them improve their game, that feels good. Those two little words—‘thank you’—go a long way for me.

If you want to learn how to play basketball, watch college games.

Don’t watch professional basketball. In the pros, there’s a lot of stuff they do outside of the rules. Officials let it slide for entertainment. Instead, catch a game from UConn or Rutgers, especially a women’s game. That’s where you find pure basketball. Rather than dunking or showboating, they demonstrate just skill, focus, and above all, teamwork.

A good defensive player is like a soldier. Anyone can make points, but only a select few can play solid defense. I will happily keep a player who can’t score in the game if he covers an opponent when I ask him to. If they can do that, then any point they score is simply a bonus.

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interview by Hugo Bravo

The best lesson a coach can give a player is to not give up. I never want to hear anyone say, “I can’t.” Those two words don’t exist to me.

The key to opening doors in life is not your talent on the court; it’s your education. I have had players who have gone on to the pros, Division 1 colleges, and their own coaching jobs. But I stress to each of them to focus on academics before anything else. I always want to see their report card before they pick up a basketball.

An academic scholarship will always beat a sports scholarship. You can try your best to keep a healthy body, but if you tear something, they might take away part or all of the sports scholarship. Keep a healthy brain and you will never lose an academic scholarship.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a great quote: “You can’t win unless you know how to lose.” A lot of kids just don’t know how to lose properly. It’s easy to enjoy a win, but it’s harder to learn from a loss. Are you able to bounce back? In both sports and in life you need to be a good loser to be a great winner.

No matter where I go, I always seem to return to The Salvation Army. I take a lot of side coaching jobs, but I always make sure they don’t interfere with my time at the South End Corps Community Center. If they do, I’ll say, “Just send the kids you think need help to me at the Army. I’ll work with them.” I’m always happy to do so.

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A SPIRITUAL BALL CARRIER

by Warren L. Maye

D

emetrius Marlowe’s stellar career as an athletic coach, pastor, and high school and college educator has offered him many opportunities to engage young people and bring out the best in them. His most rewarding experience thus far has been working together with his wife, Alison, at The Salvation Army. “Its mission says it all,” said Marlowe, who serves as program director at the Army’s Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Camden, N.J. “It has lasted through some very tough times in this country. Why? Because it meets the needs of people. They come up to me and tell me stories about how the Army has helped their family or helped them personally.”

Marlowe thanks the Collingswood, N.J., Travel Soccer Club for its Toys for Tots donation to the Camden Kroc Center.

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Marlowe’s work at the Kroc Center has brought him full circle. He grew up in Neptune, N.J., where he attended an Orthodox Presbyterian church and its summer camp. He also attended an African Methodist Episcopal (AME Zion) church and later graduated from Pfeiffer University, a Methodist school in North Carolina where he excelled in soccer and graduated with a degree in psychology.

Marlowe immediately put his athletic and psychological skills to work outdoors in Rhode Island. He helped boys and girls with special needs for the Eckerd Family Alternatives Group. The wilderness camp experience taught them how to successfully navigate relationships and life.

After eight months, his influential soccer coach at Pfeiffer asked Marlowe if he would be interested in coaching soccer at Bowling Green State University. His answer was “yes.” In the process, he earned a master’s degree. “I also got an opportunity to work directly with students, community leaders, and college administrators,” he said.

Marlowe went on to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. There he served as an academic adviser to student athletes. “I advised guys like Jerome Bettis (former running back, St. Louis Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers) and Raghib “Rocket” Ismail (Toronto Argonauts, LA/Oakland Raiders, Panthers, Cowboys), who were influential athletes. Monty Williams (Knicks, Spurs, 76ers) became the NBA’s youngest coach at 38 for the Hornets.”

During Marlow’s time at Notre Dame, his father passed.

“Mom encouraged me to move back home. I took a job at Syracuse University where I became the athletic adviser.” In Marlowe’s first class were students Donovan Jamal McNabb

(former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback), Rob Konrad (former Miami Dolphins quarterback), and Kevin Johnson (former NFL wide receiver, Browns, Jaguars, Ravens, Lions). “Those guys were just unbelievable— they won bowl games and their entire class graduated—100 percent.”

Following Marlowe’s three years with Syracuse, he accepted an offer to serve as the associate athletic director at the University of Maryland in College Park. There, he focused on academic advisory and career development.

Marlowe went on to become the associate athletic director for student athletes and director of the Clara Bell Smith Student Athlete Academic Center at Michigan State University, where he worked for five years. “It was at Michigan State where I felt the call to become a preacher,” he remembers. While attending the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, his pastor, Rev. Rodney Patterson, ordained Marlowe.

During his second year at North Carolina State University, Marlowe met an incoming freshman named Russell Wilson. Together they were instrumental in starting a middle school leadership conference in the community. Marlowe and Wilson developed, designed, and implemented the conference. “We worked shoulder–to–shoulder to get the conference off the ground,” he said. “And every year after that, Russell was there to speak to the kids and to conduct workshops,” said Marlowe.

“Russell was just a great guy. You couldn’t ask for better. He was first class. He was the same guy in the locker room, in the weight room, and on campus. He was a standout guy.” Marlowe vividly remembers, “You just knew this kid had some level of spiritual foundation. He carried himself in such a way that you knew he was not going to get rattled. He had a strong character and work ethic.”

Today, Wilson is the Super Bowl–winning quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks (see sidebar).

Prior to coming to the Kroc Center, Marlowe served as chief operations officer at Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago, the oldest all–black male Catholic school in the country.

“Christianity means honoring God in everything I do,” he said. “It’s about modeling for my family what it means to be a Christian man and a leader in my community who values and honors God.” Marlowe believes in removing cultural and social barriers to witnessing. “When people live in certain paradigms, it’s always tough to try to come out of them. At the corps, we believe in diversity and inclusion. So, we’re very informal.”

Marlowe said he was “blown away” when he realized the breadth and depth of the Salvation Army’s national and global ministry. “I’m just amazed how The Salvation Army does what it does without a lot of marketing,” he said. “We don’t spend a lot of money branding ourselves, like say, Coca– Cola or IBM. And as a result, we have more money to spend on direct services to help people. I like that model—let God do the advertising.”

SA honors

Russell Wilson Collaborating with Demetrius Marlowe in establishing a middle school leadership conference at North Carolina State University was just the beginning of a long list of humanitarian initiatives for star quarterback Russell Wilson. In the offseason, he hosts the Russell Wilson Passing Academy, a youth football camp, in several cities. He is a national ambassador for the Charles Ray III Diabetes Association, and has volunteered at Joint Base Lewis–McChord (US Army) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Recently, Wilson founded the Why Not You Foundation, with its mission to “empower change in the world, one individual at a time.” In 2014, the foundation raised awareness and funds for domestic violence survivors through its “Pass the Peace” initiative. Today, his Tuesday visits to the Seattle Children’s Hospital have become legendary. Last year, Wilson received the Arthur S. Langlie Award for visionary leadership at the annual Red Kettle Luncheon in Seattle. The award is named for a long–time advisory board member and volunteer. Said Wilson, “The most important thing I think about is the lesson my mom and dad both taught me, and that’s to serve other people and be willing to give back.”

Quoting John 3:30, he continued, “He must increase, but I must decrease [NASB], and that’s what life’s about.”

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2017 JANUARY/FEBRUARY

13

The

Wilkersons: Partners in Health

by Hugo Bravo photography by Ryan Love

M

any people will walk into a Salvation Army church or community center seeking spiritual redemption. But initially, Tamiko Wilkerson came to the Philadelphia Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center to improve her physical health.

“I was extremely overweight, pre–diabetic, and suffering from sleep apnea,” said Wilkerson. “My doctor said I could consider bariatric (weight loss) surgery, but before I even took that step, I had to change my eating habits and start an exercise program.

“My husband Thomas did not want me to get the surgery. He said I had to exercise anyway, so we should try it. If it wasn’t enough, then I should consider the operation.”

Regular exercise was foreign to her, Tamiko admits. Determined, she took advantage of discounted membership fees at the Philadelphia Kroc Center and began a workout schedule. The exercise routine changed her and Thomas—both physically and spiritually.

FAMILY WORKOUTS

Thomas found it easy to support his wife’s new mission. “When Tamiko started coming here, she had a workout partner. But her partner wasn’t as consistent as Tamiko had to be. This couldn’t simply be a ‘sometimes thing’ for our family. So I put on a brave face and insisted on it in my home, because I couldn’t show Tamiko how afraid I was of losing her,” Thomas said.

“I told her, ‘I will be your partner. We will get into a routine, set goals, and we’re going to bring you back to health.’”

With their son James also on board, the Wilkersons became regulars at the Kroc Center. Tamiko took water aerobics and Zumba, and the only men in the classes, Thomas and James, worked up a sweat next to her.

‘100 PERCENT’

The family soon learned the Salvation Army had even more to offer them.

“In the midst of working on my health, we were also transitioning between churches, and it was making me feel lost,” said Tamiko. “I’ve always been a

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member of a church.” While attending their previous church, she had been in the process of being ordained. Thomas was also studying to be a minister.

The Wilkersons planned on visiting various churches in the Philadelphia area and had discussed the possibility of launching a Baptist church. But when Tamiko and Thomas attended Bible study classes in the Kroc Center, they began to see it as far more than just a gym.

“I knew about the Army’s kettles, stores, and now its gyms,” said Tamiko. “But I didn’t know it was a church and a sanctuary for people who needed it. That understanding set the tone. The church was more than just the chapel. It was the whole building and every room had a ministry.”

“We told our pastor (Major Dennis Young) we were looking for a new church and making plans for the future.

We promised him, ‘As long as we are

“ I told her [Tamiko]...

I will be your partner, we’re going to set goals, and we’re going to bring you back to health.

“

—Thomas Wilkerson

here, the Army is going to get 100 percent dedication from us.’ Major Young welcomed us.”

The Wilkersons quickly found their own niche at the Kroc. To accommodate both ministry and exercise, they attended six days a week after work, which they still do today. Thomas became a coach for an intramural basketball squad. He calls it his first experience treating the Kroc as a sanctuary.

“I advised my players to control their tempers and watch how they talk to others. I explained to them that they were playing inside a holy building.

When they realized it, they started treating each other, and the building, with more respect.”

“I love seeing children be part of The Salvation Army. It shows there is growth here,” says Thomas. “When you see a church with no kids, that’s when

you know it isn’t growing. An alive church has young people.”

Tamiko noticed people crossing over from weekday workouts to Sunday services and vice versa.

The Wilkersons’ friends in exercise class also came on Sundays and members of the congregation asked how she had lost so much weight.

Tamiko understands their struggle.

“For a long time it was difficult for me to talk about my weight problems, even with my husband. But at the Army, I came out of my shell,” she said.

‘BUT GOD…’ MOMENTS

Today, the Wilkersons are soldiers at the Kroc Center. They’re heavily involved as teachers, preachers, and leaders in men’s and women’s ministries. Their son James mentored the Adventure Corps.

Five years since she walked into the Kroc Center, Tamiko has lost 100 lbs. She no longer has sleep apnea or is pre–diabetic.

“I caught myself actually running

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up flights of stairs in my home without even noticing. That was unimaginable to me before,” says Tamiko. She now swims, cycles, and runs marathons with Thomas. They joke about who has a better record.

“What surprised me the most,” says Thomas, “was how I’ve been mentored.

Normally, when I come to a church that feels so big, I don’t expect to receive the one–on–one guidance we’ve received.

But Major Dennis has guided us and has been so open about his own life and walk with God. Majors Dennis and Sharon Young are eager to teach and want to see us succeed in our ministries.”

“I will carry those lessons with me all my life, regardless of where I go.”

“Coming to the Salvation Army was one of those ‘But God…’ moments,” says Tamiko. “Our family could have spent years looking for a new church, but God found a home for us. I could have spent the rest of my days struggling with my weight problem, but God had other plans for me. He brought us to the Army, and me back to good health.”

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A

BE

T

errel Davis uses his knees for more than long jumping at the University of Hartford. He also uses them for prayer.

“Every night before I have a meet, I pray God keeps me safe, no one on my team gets hurt, and the meet goes smoothly,” Davis says. “I let Him take it from there.”

That pattern has worked well for Davis, who was a track standout at Beacon High School in Beacon, N.Y., where he excelled in the long jump, high jump, and triple jump. He earned a scholarship to the University of Hartford, where he is preparing for his freshman season.

While growing up, Davis faithfully attended the Beacon Salvation Army Corps and was involved in Corps Cadets. He also played in the corps band and in the Greater New York Youth Band.

Davis said his mother’s parents discovered The Salvation Army in the Virgin Islands. Attending church there became a family tradition.

Photo by Sela Dawn

FINDING HIS NICHE

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“My mother told us about The Salvation Army. I’ve been going since I was young,” Davis said. “We had a really strong group of teens.”

Lieutenant Josué Alarcon, who was Davis’ youth pastor at the time but is now the corps officer in Beacon, remembers him being quite active.

“He loved God and being

ACON

by Robert Mitchell

part of the corps,” Alarcon said. “He loved competition.”

Davis and his mother, Cheryl, are both senior soldiers at the Beacon Corps.

“Growing up, Terrel dedicated himself to God,” Cheryl Davis said. “Anything they ask him to do at the corps, he does it.”

Cheryl Davis said her son began playing sports at a young age, such as track and soccer. She described him as both dedicated and hard working.

“He’s a perfectionist,” she said of her son. “That’s him. That’s what drives him.

He wants to do better every time.”

HIGH PRAISE

In 2015, Terrel Davis earned a state championship in the indoor long jump.

He recently finished 6th at the 2016 non– Scholastic New Balance Nationals Indoor.

The track season for Davis and his University of Hartford teammates began on Dec. 3.

Richard Warren, the track and field coach at the University of Hartford, said on the college’s website (www.hartfordhawks.com) that Davis set personal bests last year in the long jump, high jump, and triple jump.

“Terrel is one of the most gifted jumpers I have seen in quite some time,”

Warren said in announcing the signing of Davis. “Combined with his athleticism, Terrel is driven and humble.”

Davis’ athleticism also extends to other sports; he was a Section 1 honorable mention All–Star for the Beacon High School soccer team.

Davis said he got the itch for track by watching Tejorn, his brother, perform the high jump. Davis went to his first state finals as a sophomore.

“My coach told me I definitely had a lot of talent so he wanted to develop me,” Davis said. “When I was first starting out, I used to watch a lot of videos on YouTube and try to perfect my form.”

LIFE ADJUSTMENT

Davis would also make videos of his jumps and send them to Tejorn and Tariq, his other brother, so they could offer pointers.

Davis said he has tried to emulate Marquis Dendy and Christian Taylor, two outstanding jumpers.

Davis, who is away from home for the first time attending college, is majoring in architectural engineering. Prior to college, attending Star Lake Camp had been his longest time away from home.

On Sundays, he attends The Army’s Manchester, Conn. Corps.

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Photo by Robert Mitchell

of Light Davis said he also prays daily.

“I’m just trying to stay focused on God and schoolwork,” he said.

Major James C. Kisser, who was the corps officer in Beacon during Davis’ formative years, is sure he will do fine in college. Kisser said his association with the star athlete was “one of my great joys as a corps officer.”

A HUMBLE SPIRIT

“I found him to be a gifted young man who was confident and self–assured, yet at the same time, humble and unassuming,” Kisser said.

Kisser said he would often find out about Davis’ latest athletic accomplishment at senior band practice on Thursday nights at the corps.

“These feats of athletic prowess were usually recounted quietly by Terrel with an almost shy smile,” Kisser recalls.

Kisser said his wife, Captain Deborah Kisser, challenged Davis to become a Salvation Army officer someday.

“Terrel is an excellent example of youthful Salvationism,” Kisser said. “His Christian witness is characterized by quiet lifestyle evangelism, accentuated by an engaging sense of humor.

“I’m certain he’ll do great things on the collegiate level.”

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FAITH in ACTION

Sports Shorts The Salvation Army offers many sports programs. In addition to helping build healthy minds and bodies, these activities help draw people and communities to Jesus Christ.

Here are a few examples of such people and programs in the USA Eastern Territory.

Photo courtesy of Lions Gate Entertainment Inc.

BASKETBALL

LeBron’s Army Connection Akron, Ohio —The story of

NBA Hall of Famer Julius (Dr. J) Erving getting his hoops start at the Hempstead, N.Y., Corps is legendary.

But how many people know LeBron James, the current NBA superstar, once played in the gym at the Akron (Citadel), Ohio, Corps? It’s true.

In the early 2000s, James was part of an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team called the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars.

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The team’s story and success were so compelling a documentary was made called “More Than a Game.”

The opening scene shows the Salvation Army’s gym in Akron.

In the film, Dru Jones II, team coach, refers to it as a “little gym with a linoleum floor on Maple Street.”

“This is where it started,” Jones says in the documentary, looking around the gym. “This is where we came together as a team.”

Jones said he happened to mention to a Salvation Army Advisory Board member his intention to coach the team and the man provided the gym.

“We let them use our gym and they practiced there on a regular basis,” says Major Frank Kirk, who was the corps officer.

Kirk said he would occasionally watch the team, but had no idea James would become a superstar.

“It surprised me,” Kirk said.

“He was good, but he was also

on a good team. He was obviously one of the go–to players.

He did quite well.”

James, of course, went on to have a celebrated high school career (some of his games were broadcast on ESPN) and was drafted by the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers out of high school.

His success continued in the NBA, where James won three Most Valuable Player awards and three NBA titles, the most recent being last year with the Cavaliers.

ARCHERY

Hitting the target Kittanning, Pa.—Hunting

is almost second nature in these parts. Throw in the popularity of the “Hunger Games” movies and this corps has found the perfect target for youth outreach—archery.

Lieutenant Amber Joy Imhoff, corps officer at the Kittanning Worship & Service Center, said she offered archery classes in 2014 for ages 6–15. One class drew as many as 22 kids.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Imhoff said. “It’s a great way to reach kids whom we wouldn’t normally reach.

“Hunting is a big thing here in western Pennsylvania so a lot of parents send their

kids. It’s pretty common around here for young kids to go hunting.”

The corps is one of several in the territory using the HisPins program (www. heartoftheoutdoors.org). The motto is “Youth Archery that Targets the Soul.”

The classes last an hour and meet for five weeks. Imhoff is a certified instructor.

Imhoff said classes all include a Bible lesson and prayer, along with archery.

The spiritual metaphors are almost endless.

“In archery, when you miss the goal or the target you’re aiming for, it’s referred to in competition as ‘sinning,’ ” she said.

Other lessons teach how focus is important in keeping arrows on straight and narrow paths—just as in our spiritual lives.

“We have a lot of kids who come who don’t go to church anywhere. We talk to them

about focusing on the marks God has set for us so our lives are aimed the right way.”

The corps owns 16 bows and plenty of arrows, thanks to $4,000 in Strikepoint funding.

Imhoff said the corps took the program into the local schools recently and also holds a summer mini–day camp.

In the absence of a gym, some of the shooting is done outside. But Imhoff makes use of the fellowship hall, which is just large enough.

“You don’t need a lot of space to reach out to people in unique ways,” she said.

“Dream beyond what you think is possible and God will provide just enough space.”

The Salvation Army lets the public play at Camp SWONEKY. “We’ve held tournaments here at camp for avid disc golf players and people who like to play more than recreationally,” Frye said.

Frye said he tries to engage the disc golfers when they come to the course.

“As a Christian, I see the disc golf community as a mission field,” Frye said.

“For a lot of people,

disc golf is their church and the disc golf community is their community, so I see it as an opportunity to build relationships and be a positive influence in their lives.”

FRISBEE

Fore! It’s disc golf Oregonia, Ohio —Matt Frye

says he loves exposing the kids at Camp SWONEKY to disc golf, which is growing in popularity around the country.

“We have some kids who go home and they play all the time,” said Frye, who works in SWONEKY’s youth department. “To me that’s what camp is all about. It’s about exposing them to something positive they may have never known about and giving them another outlet to avoid getting in trouble.”

What exactly is disc golf?

It’s similar to real golf, except instead of a ball, participants throw a Frisbee or some sort of disc. Making a basket, rather than sinking a ball into a cup, as in real golf, achieves each score. The low score wins.

Frye said the game is not the most popular at camp, “but quite a few kids really do enjoy it.”

Camp SWONEKY and Camp Tecumseh in New Jersey both have disc golf courses. Frye said

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2017 JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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MARTIAL ARTS

FOOTBALL

From the backyard to the NFL Miami, Fl.—Brandon

Getting their kicks Pittsburgh, Pa.—Lieutenant

Jonathan Lewis has always had a passion for the martial arts, which he now uses to influence the spiritual lives of kids at the Homewood Brushton Corps.

“It’s just about plugging the passion into the kingdom,” says Lewis, who has a black belt in karate and is the primary instructor.

Lewis started the martial arts program two years ago at the inner–city corps. Almost 25 kids come on Thursday nights to learn karate, jiu– jitsu, and judo and it’s proven to be a bridge to the corps.

“The majority of the kids who attend martial arts actually go to our church now,” Lewis said.

“The participants learn self–discipline, self–respect, and self–defense.

“We want the kids to be well rounded—physically and spiritually.”

The sessions open in prayer and then the kids practice strikes, blocks, and throws, Lewis said. Class ends with a devotion that is usually centered on the character of Jesus.

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“At the end of the day, we tell them about Jesus.” Lewis said. “That’s our role. All roads lead to Jesus. We want them to grow and be like Him.” Lewis said the program also involves a lot of Scripture, including Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things through Him who gives me strength), and 2 Timothy 1:7 (For God has not given us a spirit of fear …).

“They usually say Bible verses before going into their form,” Lewis said. “That’s how we keep it spiritual. At the end of the day, we want kids to grow into the character of Christ.

“It’s just another way for them to understand Scripture.”

The program seems to be working. Lewis said his students share their triumphs in areas such as self–discipline.

“They’ll tell me, ‘Lieutenant, some kid was messing with me on the bus, but I didn’t do anything.’

They knew they could actually hurt someone, but they were showing they are Christ–like,” Lewis said.

Doughty grew up in the Miami area. In those days, he threw a football around his backyard while pretending to be Dan Marino, the legendary quarterback for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

Doughty became a star quarterback at Western Kentucky University and set several school records. Last year, he was thrilled when the Dolphins picked him in the 7th round of the NFL draft.

Now a member of the team’s practice squad, Doughty is working hard and staying ready . He’s also remaining humble.

“It’s really easy in this business to say, ‘Look at me, me, me!’ I don’t think that’s the right way to do things,” Doughty says. “To be successful in this business, it should be ‘we, we, we—for the love of God.’”

In 2011 after the death of his grandfather, Doughty said he began attending church and found God. “I just really dedicated myself to being a better person,” he said.

The results paid off on the football field, where Doughty excelled from 2013–15 as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation.

“I owe that to God and God’s love,” he said. “God put so many people in my life who helped make me a better person. I truly don’t know where I’d be without God’s love and my faith.”

Doughty also is not ashamed of the Gospel.

“I’m really open with my faith,” he said. “I pray every single day. I read my Bible every single day. I put God first and it’s really worked out for me.

“Because of my success, I’ve been able to reach out to people, motivate them, and be an inspiration and a role model.”

Doughty promised to live a scandal–free life.

“I pride myself on being a role model to kids.

I can impact so many people with God’s light and use the platform I’ve been given,” he said.

FAITH in ACTION

Still feeling the

by Robert Mitchell photography by Justina Stickland

Fuego: “A Catalyst Experience for Young Adults” was held last October at the Slippery Rock Resort in Lake Harmony, Pa. Offered as three days of worship, teaching, empowerment, and fellowship, it left a spiritual fire in the heart of many participants. Here are a few of their testimonies.

Dustin Fitch, a first–year cadet at the College for Officer Training, said, “God has been speaking to me. I see revival coming to The Salvation Army. I see a group of young people rising up to become what the Army was founded to be.

“This new group at the College for Officer Training includes people who are on fire for Jesus. The Holy Spirit is just running rampant all over the campus. It’s a beautiful thing to see.

“This [Fuego] will keep us fed, help nurture us, and allow us to spread what

we know and what we love to other people.”

Fitch grew up in Appalachia in eastern Kentucky. He attended the University of Pikeville before God directed his path to Camp SWONEKY, where he taught archery.

Once he joined The Salvation Army, Fitch jumped at the opportunity to connect with the Urban Mission Team at the Cincinnati, Ohio, West Side Corps.

Fitch admits he was a country boy and out of his comfort zone, but he told

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himself to “plant seeds, plant seeds, plant seeds. You may not see the harvest, but it still might come.”

“It was different,” Fitch said of the urban ministry assignment. “I would lay my head down at night while gunshots would go off or people would be outside fighting. We lived across the street from a biker gang. It was awesome. They were beautiful people who just didn’t know their worth and didn’t know Jesus.

I got a chance to minister to some of those guys.”

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GENERATIONAL FIRE In 2012 Dave Webb, an officer candidate now living in Salem, Mass., became a senior soldier in Portsmouth, Ohio. He has held several jobs with The Salvation Army at Camp SWONEKY, in Portland, Maine, and in Salem, Mass.

Prior to finding the Army, Webb attended a charismatic church.

“Upon coming to The Salvation Army, I read a lot of their history. I thought, That’s something I can sign on to. I thought of William Booth, Elijah Cadman, and Joe the Turk. I said, ‘If this is what the Army is about, I need to be a part of this.’

“The idea behind the Army’s ‘blood and fire’ motto has always been deep within my heart. Since becoming a soldier, I’ve looked at the Army from an outsider’s perspective. Being from a bunch of other churches, I thought, Where’s this fire we speak of? We talk about the pioneers and the fire they had, but where is it today? Is there

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anyone who stands out like that? Are there soldiers who are willing to do whatever—even be put in jail?

“I felt we had simply talked about the Holy Spirit, but where was the walk?”

Then Webb heard Colonel Janet Munn, the principal of the College for Officer Training, speak at last year’s Candidates Seminar.

“She delivered a Holy Spirit–filled message for us. I thought, ‘I’m finally hearing it. I’m feeling it. I’m sensing it.’

The Spirit in me was recognizing the Spirit in someone else. There is a fire in this Army. Something amazing is happening and God is doing it.

“While coming to Fuego, I had already felt as if the Holy Spirit was saying, ‘I want to do something incredible here and I want to use these people to do it. I’ve brought these people here for a reason.’ ” Webb said he had planned to relax, read, and study that weekend, but the more he prayed, the more he felt

nudged to attend Fuego.

“What I’ve gotten out of this weekend is that the Holy Spirit is definitely alive in The Salvation Army and He’s working in people. The time is now. I believe this is the generation. The world groans in anticipation for the sons and daughters of God to manifest. We, the Army, are those people.

“It’s comforting for me to look at the Army and see leaders coming together to say, ‘There’s fire here and we want more of it. We want to be led by the Holy Spirit and we want to change the world.’ It’s scary but it’s comforting at the same time. People are going to live forever because of what we’re doing.”

A HOLY FIRE Sarai Olmedo, who teaches dance at the New Brunswick, N.J., Corps, has been a Christian since 2010 and a senior soldier since 2011.

“I felt the presence of God at Fuego, in the worship and in the Word. I’ve

learned much. It’s been a huge blessing for me.”

Olmedo said she hopes to take what she learns back to the youth at her corps.

“I want to learn more about God. This is a new experience, learning with other young people. I can take a lot of information from here and better my life as a Christian. I want to share my testimony at my corps and show the youth how to live a holy life. I want them to have the fire of the Spirit in their hearts.”

PASSIONATE FIRE Sheri Mather, a youth program assistant in the Empire State Division who attends the Onondaga, N.Y., Tabernacle, said, “It’s been encouraging to see so many young adults from our territory in one space, seeking God. “The sessions were about catching hearts on fire. It’s been exciting to relight our passion and to serve Christ.

“I saw a lot of energy during the meetings and worship sessions.

People were enthusiastic. That’s great to see in our young adults.”

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2017 JANUARY/FEBRUARY

23

FAITH in ACTION

being

COUR AGEOUS

by Lydia Mills

The Territorial Committee for Salvationists of African Descent has given voice to a special need within The Salvation Army—to ensure that all soldiers know Salvationists of African descent are an integral part of the Army and are empowered to win souls for God. The Empowerment Conference, held every two years and most recently last October, focuses on ministering to delegates and sharing the Savior’s love.

It also offers resources to leaders of all cultures on how to effectively reach the African–American community with the gospel of Christ.

I was privileged to witness the hard work, sacrifice, and love poured out in preparation for this special event.

“ You have to be called by God, You

have to yield to God and you have to be courageous.

“

Committee members planned and prayed diligently for every aspect of the worship, speakers, registrants, workshops, meals, accommodations, and, most important, the moving of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit did move!

We were blessed to have several Salvation Army leaders in attendance.

Among them were Commissioners William A. and G. Lorraine Bamford, territorial leaders; Majors David and

—Major Denny Hewitt

Margaret Davis, Massachusetts divisional leaders; Major Denny Hewitt and Mrs. Yvonne Hewitt of the Southern Territory; and Lt. Colonel James LaBossiere, territorial program secretary.

Jason Collier & Friends led a beautiful time of worship.

I was most inspired by Major Denny Hewitt’s message on courage. Here’s a little bit of what he said (see quotes on next page).

BER 28 – 30 2016

MPOWERMENT 24

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Black History Month 2017

What does courage have to do with your calling?

EVERYTHING! Courage comes when we know God is with us.

Yield your members to God so that you may be used for God’s glory.

Mrs. Yvonne Hewitt and Major Denny

Courage triumphs over fear.

Hewitt lead a worship meeting.

You need courage to stand for righteousness and to witness.

photography by Ryan Love

We must yield ourselves unto God in love and in humble service.

Love has everything to do with responding to God’s call on our lives.

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2017 JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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FAITH in ACTION

Phil Cooke

by Robert Mitchell

Phil Cooke is a rarity: a Hollywood movie producer who holds a doctorate in theology. He’s the man Christian organizations, churches, and denominations call on to help them engage a post–modern culture. Cooke, the executive producer of the Hillsong United movie “Let Hope Rise,” spoke at the Eastern Territory’s Media Symposium last year just as the documentary was being released. He also took a few minutes to chat with SAConnects.

Are Christians doing a better job of engaging the culture? We are. We’re improving. Actually, I’ve seen an enormous change over the last decade. I see more and more organizations that really understand what’s at stake. When I come to a conference like this, I see videos produced by Salvation Army divisions and they’re extraordinary. Some of them are just amazing. So I do think that Christians ‘get it.’ They understand the issues much more completely. I’m excited.

I’m seeing positive signs.

photo by Steve Anderson Photography

How is The Salvation Army doing in this area? What I’ve seen here in the Eastern Territory is fantastic. Your studio is absolutely amazing. I think you do a terrific job. The Western Territory has the Salvation Army Vision Network and I’ve been a part of that. The Southern Territory, they produce shows like “Salvation Army Today.” We were in London for the 150th anniversary … and were involved in media there.

We were broadcasting live, doing social media 24/7. Everywhere I go to attend Salvation Army events I see some remarkable work.

Q&A

Photo by Steve Anderson Photography

What are some mistakes we make as Christians trying to engage the culture?

I think there are a number of them. I think the biggest one comes out of the fact that we are understandably frustrated that we do not see signs of a dominant Christian culture anymore.

When I was a kid, it was perfectly normal to pray in schools. A marriage was between a man and woman— unquestioned. Abortion was out of the question. It was against the law. Just in our short lifetime, we’ve seen so many things completely overturned. We look around sometimes and think what in the world has happened? I think the problem in many cases is we respond out of anger and frustration. And while I understand it completely, nobody changes because you get upset with them. Nobody changes because you yell at them.

We have to think about how we approach the culture in a much different way, which is why I think The Salvation Army is so exceptional because what does change culture is when your actions speak louder than your words. A huge segment of the Christian community in America talks a lot, they lecture a lot, they preach a lot, but they don’t actually do a whole lot. I think The Salvation Army leads by doing, and that’s what gets the attention of the culture. You may not be a Christian, you may not like Christianity, you may be a raging atheist, but you cannot deny the impact and the work The Salvation Army does and I think that’s what really opens the door to the culture being interested in listening to our message.

Do you have any ideas on how we can improve? I think we need to learn to speak the language of the culture. I think sometimes in the Christian community we’re a little out of date and old –fashioned. We don’t really understand what makes the culture tick today. I’m a big fan of studying culture. I watch television, I go to movies, I study what’s happening online and in the digital space. I think for us to be effective we have to speak their language. I also think creativity really matters. If you go to Hollywood, creativity is the currency of that culture. Creativity is what really drives that industry. I think this is a remarkably creative generation. When you look at millennials, they are the most visual generation this country has probably ever seen. We have to

understand how to use creativity and how to use the visual realm to reach people with the message. Things like that are so absolutely important in how we engage the culture.

What are some of the strengths we can build on in the Christian community when it comes to cultural engagement?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer had a quote—“Your life as a Christian should make non-believers question their disbelief in God.” I think we as Christians need to think about how our lives are noticeably different from those of other people. I read a statistic the other day that said 76 percent of people in America don’t know their neighbors’ names.

That’s a ministry right there, just going around the neighborhood and meeting people and getting to know them. Start a block party. Little things like that we could do that would have an exceptional impact on the people around us. I often look at Christians, me included, and I think, do I really live a life that’s that different from everybody else?

The fact is if we’re living an abundant life in Christ, our life should reflect that. It should be noticeably different from other people and people should wonder about that and that should start questions.

The key thing we can build on is we need to start living lives that are different from other people. I think that’s incredibly important.

You recently attended a meeting in Hollywood of several cutting–edge media companies. What did you take away from that? One of the things is digital companies in the secular world, Google and YouTube and companies like that, are living every day to figure out how to engage people around them. Attention is the new currency in that world. It’s all about getting people’s attention. We think just because we’re sharing a great message that we deserve people’s attention. We assume that because we do great work and we love people and we’re sharing the Gospel, that people should listen, but we live in a culture today where that’s not the case. We have to start all over and understand we have to earn the right to be heard. These digital companies that are doing so well today in Hollywood and New York and other places are doing well because they are so focused on how we get the culture’s

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attention. If we’re ever going to share the Gospel and change people’s perception about who we are, the first thing we have to do is get people’s attention. I think one of the ways is through acts—doing good. Doing the Most Good, if you will. I think doing those kinds of acts definitely get people’s attention. Living an exceptional life gets people’s attention. I think if we focus on doing that even more, it would really make a difference out there. The fact is the Christian community is already way ahead of Hollywood. We’re selling the greatest product there is. We have the greatest relationship there is—with God. We know what it takes to unite people and transform people’s lives.

We just need to act on it.

Which Christian movies are doing it right when it comes to reaching the culture?

Barna Research did some interesting studies after Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ.” They discovered that less than 1 percent of the people who saw that movie—and millions of people saw it—actually accepted Christ as a result of the movie. That’s probably the most explicit movie there is about the Gospel. If so few people accepted Christ after a movie of that scale, which is that explicit, that tells me that maybe movies aren’t good vehicles for leading people to God. I think the power of movies, the power of video, the power of short films, is changing people’s thinking. It may not lead people to Christ, but I would like my film, my movie, or my short video, I’d like it to at least make people think a different way. I’d like them to walk away from it thinking, you know, I never really thought about it that way; maybe I should look into that more. Our film about Hillsong, “Let Hope Rise,” I wanted to make a film that you could take an unbeliever to and not be embarrassed at all. Even if they didn’t like the Christian elements, they’d be impressed with the music. I wanted them to walk away thinking, you know, if that’s what goes on inside a church, maybe I should give that a second look. Maybe that’s for me. The movie “Sully” is the same way. It’s a movie about heroism, it’s a movie about going to extraordinary lengths to help people, it’s about caring for people, it’s just about some remarkable qualities that need to be celebrated in America right now.

2017 JANUARY/FEBRUARY

27

ON file

why

keeping S A B B A T H

a new series by the SLD team

These “Wholly Living” pages are dedicated to our new series, “Sabbath Keeping.” We’ll continue it weekly on SAConnects.org under the Spiritual Life Development tab. This excerpt comes from Major Faith Miller, corps officer of the Oil City, Pa., Corps. During the coming months, you’ll find more from Major Miller, the SLD Department, and other writers throughout the territory as we explore the commandment and the divine invitation to rest in and with God amid our busy lives. We hope you enjoy the series, but more important, we hope you find ways to implement some Sabbath Keeping in your own life.

by Major Faith Miller

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Sabbath?

Shabbat—the Hebrew word for Sabbath—means “to come to an end, to cease, to stop, to pause.” Notice these are active commands for which a person needs to take responsibility— something one has to do. To experience Sabbath rest, you must make a decision to stop something, to push away from something, to rest from something. You must say “no” to something!

We live in a culture that finds it difficult to set aside a day to rest and delight in God. Keith Drury writes, “We are addicted to hurry. We rush from one double–scheduled appointment to the next, making a quick call on our cell phone to cover our late arrival. We dash around panting so that everyone knows they should not interrupt us because we’re too busy. Someone asks, “How’s it going?” and we respond, “Oh, I’m just so busy.” Sometimes we wear our busy schedules as a badge of honor.

In Wayne Muller’s book Sabbath, he says, “If we do not allow for a rhythm of rest in our overly busy lives, illness becomes our Sabbath—our pneumonia, our cancer, our heart attack, our accidents create Sabbath for us.” We dare not think we can abuse our bodies without affecting our hearts—they are interconnected. The answer: Sabbath keeping!

Eugene Peterson shares this definition for Sabbath keeping: “Quieting the

internal noise so we hear the still small voice of the Lord; removing the distractions of pride so we discern the presence of Christ.” Ruth Haley Barton, author of Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation, writes, “Sabbath keeping is the discipline that helps us to live humbly within the limits of our humanity and to honor God in our use of time. When we order our lives around a pattern of working six days and resting on the seventh, we are living within sane rhythms of work and rest. Sabbath keeping gives us regular time for rest, worship, and delighting in God’s good gifts. The practice of Sabbath keeping is the kingpin of a life pattern that is ordered to honor God and open ourselves to His goodness and love.”

Jesus himself seemed to understand how quickly our passions, even the most noble ones, can wear us out if we’re not careful. Early in His ministry with the disciples, He began to teach them about the importance of establishing rhythms of work and rest. In Mark 6, Jesus had just commissioned the disciples for ministry and had given them the authority to cast out demons, preach the gospel, and heal the sick.

After completing their first excursion, they returned excited about their newfound powers and crowded around Jesus to report on all they had done and taught. But Jesus didn’t have time

wholly living

for their ministry reports. Immediately, He instructed them, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31 NLT). He seemed to be more concerned with helping them

to gain perspective, re-strategize and tend our wounds—an inevitability of life in ministry.” Times of Sabbath keeping and retreat give us a chance to come home to ourselves in God’s presence

“Remember the Sabbath day

by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. —Exodus 8-9

establish rhythms that would sustain them in ministry than He was in their ministry reports. He was more interested in helping them not to become overly enamored by ministry successes or inordinately driven by their compulsions to do more than He was in sending them back out to do ministry.

“One of the most important rhythms for a person in ministry,” says Ruth Haley Barton, “is to establish a constant back–and–forth motion between engagement and retreat—times when we are engaged in the battle, giving our best energy to taking the next hill, and times when we step back in order

“

and to bring the realities of our life to God in utter privacy. In faithful Sabbath keeping and times of retreat there is time and space to attend to what is real in one’s own life—to celebrate the joys, grieve the losses, shed tears, sit with the questions, feel the anger, attend to loneliness—and allow God to be with me/you in those places. These are not times for problem–solving or fixing, because not everything can be fixed or solved. During times of Sabbath and retreat we rest in God and wait on Him to do what is needed. Eventually we return to the battle with fresh energy and keener insight.

God gave us the Sabbath to refocus our attention—to cause us to bring to the center stage of our minds and hearts the Person whom we have placed at the periphery far too long.

Sabbath keeps us from marginalizing God. “A great benefit of Sabbath keeping,” writes Marva J. Dawn in Keeping the Sabbath Wholly: Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, Feasting, “is that we learn to let God take care of us — not by becoming passive and lazy, but in the freedom of giving up our feeble attempts to be God in our own lives.”

Sabbath Recommended

Reading List LXXXVII. — The Sabbath

William Booth (The Field Officer, 1901)

Keeping the Sabbath Wholly Marva Dawn (Eerdmans, 1989)

Give It A Rest — Reclaiming the Sabbath for Modern Times Victor Parachin (The War Cry, November 20, 2010)

Stop in the Name of Love: The Radical Practice of Sabbath Keeping Susan S. Phillips (2011 vol. 47, no.3)

Sabbath

Wayne Muller (Bantam, 1999)

Living in the Sabbath: Discovering the Rhythms of Rest and Delight Norman Wirzba (Brazos Press, 2006)

Spiritual Life Development will be continuing the conversation on Sabbath Keeping at SAConnects.org/sld, on the Spiritual Life Development page. Stay tuned for longer excerpts from each of the papers commissioned by the Task Force, further biblical exploration of the practice of Sabbath Keeping, book reviews and recommendations and blog posts on how you can “remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” in your life.

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2017 JANUARY/FEBRUARY

29

ON file

The Salvation Army’s sports programs have helped build relationships, get young people off the streets, and opened new opportunities to share the Word of God. SAConnects spoke with three Salvationists about how sports helps them connect with their peers, their ministry, and with the Lord.

Noche de bolos

언어와 스포츠 뉴저지 잉글우드영문에 오랫동 안 다니고 있었지만 10살 정도 가 되어서야 왜 내가 주일 예배 에 참석하게 되었는지 그리고 어 떻게 하나님의 임재와 사랑이 나 의 인생을 인도하는지 이해하기 시작했다. 이제 나는 16세인데 구세군은 나

30

경기를 앞두고 선수 자신들의 흥분과 떨림과 두

에게 단순히 예배당 이상이 되었다. 영문은 나

려움들을 나누는 시간들을 갖는다. 나는 대체

에게 한국어와 한국문화를 접할 수 있는 장소

로 경기에 대해 확신을 가지고 있지만, 한 게임

이다. 나는 한국어를 좋아하고, 한국어로 진행

에 대해 나의 불안을 팀 동료들에게 고백했던

된 집회에 참석하므로 써 사실 한국말을 더욱

일을 기억한다.

잘하게 되었다. 성경공부와 예배때 사용하는

우리는 훌륭한 볼링 팀의 학교선수들과 마주하

언어는 내가 집에서 듣는 것 보다 더 느리고 더

고 있었다. 내 코치는 나에게 하나님은 힘들 때

격식이 있다. 영문에 참석하는 것이 한국어를

나 좋을 때나 항상 우리에게 희망과 평안을 주

배우는데 훌륭한 도구 역할을 한다. 유창하게

신다는 성경 말씀을 기억하라고 말해 주었다.

말하지는 못하지만 계속 더 나아지고 있다.

나의 삶을 되돌아볼 때 하나님은 나의 모든 일

나는 뉴저지 North Haledon 크리스천 고등학

에 간섭하셔서 내 자신이 더욱 자신감과 확신을

교에 다니는데, 그곳에서 난 학교 볼링 팀에 속

갖도록 하였다. 나는 그 게임을 잘해냈다.

해 있다. 난 트랙을 달리기도 한다. 각각의 필

내 인생에 드리워진 하나님의 현존은 나를 한

요(상황) 앞에서 우리 트랙 팀이 기도하는 것과

국문화에 접촉 하도록 도와주었고 스포츠에서

완주할때 까지 하나님께서 우리와 함께해 달라

도 성공하도록 도와주었다.

고 간구하는 일을 보는 것은 흔한 일이다.

- Ethan Kim은 뉴저지 잉글우드영문의 병사

볼링 경기에 나가기 전에 우리 팀은 다가오는

이다.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

El Ejército de Salvación del Gran Nueva York ornagizó un torneo de bolos en la cual el Cuerpo de White Plains participó con nuestro ministerio de varones. Si bien algunos de los participantes nunca tuvieron una bola en sus manos, el torneo marcó el inicio de algo importante en nuestro ministerio.

Descubrimos que una bolera de White Plains ofrecía noches de bolos a precios reducidos a partir de las 8. Fue ahí que empezamos nuestro programa Noche de Bolos del Ministerio de Varones.

El juego de bolos es una de las pocas actividades en equipo en la que uno puede permanecer sentado y charlar mientras espera su turno para lanzar la bola. Eso nos permite entablar conversaciones sobre nuestras familias, los sucesos del momento y nuestros trabajos.

Contamos chistes, nos reímos y nos animamos unos a otros. Además, comentamos lo que Dios está haciendo en nuestras vidas.

Los participantes tienen entre 18 y 50 años de edad. Ellos cuentan muchas experiencias, unas alegres y otras tristes. Mientras hacemos eso, aprendemos unos de otros. Uno de nuestros compañeros suele expresar las frustraciones que enfrenta en su trabajo.

unity

Acojo su franqueza. Quiero que todos sepan que pueden hablarnos de ese tipo de cosas, pues eso me da oportunidad para recordarles que Dios sigue teniendo en control de cada una de nuestras vidas. ¿Qué tienen los deportes que hacen que los hombres de nuestro equipo se sinceren? Creo que es porque, en general, nos gusta competir. Nos agrada ver cuán buenos podemos ser en una actividad, sea deportiva o algo más intelectual como el ajedrez. En el juego de bolos, competimos, pero también nos animamos entre todos, sea cual sea el que gane.

Esperamos continuar nuestra Noche de Bolos del Ministerio de Varones. Quizás en el futuro podamos disfrutar de otros deportes. Por ahora, la bolera es nuestro “antro” de varones cristianos. En él, podemos competir y ser hombres sensibles que aman a Dios.

—Capitán Alexis Castillo, oficial directivo en White Plains, Nueva York.

Sports ministry lessons I grew up in The Salvation Army and always had a passion for sports. My father loved basketball and football. So, it was common to see us organize games in our front yard with neighborhood kids, or with children from the local corps.

Today, I try to instill in the cadets at the College for Officer Training (CFOT), the importance and value of running sports programs. Whether it’s a pickup game such as from my youth, or a program for the community designed to bring together both adults and kids. Sports can bring people from all corners of the community into a Salvation Army. From there, personal relationships and conversations about the Lord begin.

The participation in sports by CFOT cadets during officer training can also serve as a life lesson. When we organize a game of volleyball or basketball, we try to teach them it’s about more than athletic performance. It’s also about presenting themselves as a Christian example before, during, and after games. Eyes are on you at all times when you are part of a team—and when you become corps officer. It’s okay to get angry or frustrated when things don’t go your way in a game or while running a corps. However, how you deal

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with those “bad calls” is what people remember.

Sports also teaches cadets how to assist at times, rather than lead.

No matter how talented cadets may be, they will not always be front and center. Some have no problem accepting this, while others struggle.

They all have the benefit of learning this rare and invaluable lesson before their first appointment.

It’s powerful to see cadets pick up a volleyball or basketball and enjoy team play for the first time. They might not have had these opportunities in their younger years or maybe they were too shy or lacked resources. Now on a team, they learn to work as one with their teammates, who will also be officers learning from them. To have each other’s back during every “game” is a valuable lesson for all of us.

—Robert Meitrott, Director of Sports Ministry, College for Officer Training

2017 JANUARY/FEBRUARY

31

ON file

great moments

History

by Warren L. Maye

On September 24, 2016, The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) joined the National Museum of the American Indian and National Museum of American History as the Smithsonian Institution’s “third lens” on America’s past.

“I’ve been waiting to see this day for 15 years—and in some ways, my whole life,” said John Lewis, representative of Georgia’s 5th congressional district.

“This museum casts a light on some of the most inspiring—and uniquely American—heroes who were denied equal rights but often laid down their lives to defend this nation in every generation. Often they profited least from the struggle they were willing to die for because they believed that the promises of true democracy should belong to us all, equally and without question.”

The museum opened to the public as the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Anyone is welcome to participate, collaborate, and learn more about African–American history and culture. In the words of Lonnie G. Bunch III, founding director of the museum, “There are few things as powerful and as important as a people; as a nation that is steeped in its history.”

SALVATION ARMY CONNECTION Among the many luminaries memorialized in the museum is Booker T. Washington. In 1869, he was principal of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Alabama. On July 28 of that year, he wrote a letter to Major T.C. Marshall, editor of the Salvation Army’s Conqueror magazine. Washington was

32

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

responding to a letter he had received from Marshall to thank Washington for “his remarkable speech,” in which he made some favorable remarks about the Army. He also wanted to let Washington know about the Army’s plans to reach African Americans in the South for God. ”My Dear Sir,” Washington wrote, “I am very glad to hear that The Salvation Army is going to undertake work among my people in the southern states. I have always had the greatest respect for the work of The Salvation Army, especially because I have noted that it draws no color line in religion.”

THE ARMY’S OWN MUSEUM In June 1998, the USA Eastern Territory opened its Heritage Museum on the first floor of Territorial Headquarters. Designer Julie Chesham Whittington placed at its heart an exhibit of manikins representing icons in Salvation Army history. Honored were WW1 doughnut girls, National

Photography by Alan Karchmer, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African American History and Culture

steeped in

Commander Evangeline Booth, and Joe “the Turk” Garabedian, the legendary street evangelist, to name a few.

Also among them stands Thomas Ferguson, a black Salvationist and prolific composer, musician, and poet who possessed an ear for both European and traditional ethnic music.

The Ferguson manikin wears a gray uniform, a USA flag draped across his chest, and the bright red “wide–awake” hat similar to the one Ferguson wore as an American delegate to the 1914 International Congress.

On the wall, Whittington placed a photo of Ferguson holding his guitar.

Another photo shows the “Commanders Own,” the brigade of black Salvationists invited by Commander Evangeline Booth to sing at the Congress. An actual guitar leans against the wall under the photos near the manikin.

Whittington included an audio recording of Ferguson’s most popular song, “Goodbye Pharaoh, Goodbye,” sung by Major Yvonne Alkintor, a retired Eastern Territory officer. Museum visitors can hear the music by pushing a button.

Commissioner John McMillan once said to Ferguson, “When your song was sung before an audience of over a 1,000 people in Congress Hall, the impression was so great, it touched us in spots where words of eloquence rarely reach.”

Soldiers of Uncommon Valor The history of Salvationists of African descent in the United States

by Warren L. Maye

In 20 short chapters, illustrated by 200 photographs, the author weaves a gripping narrative. You’ll read about such people as Alexander Beck, who overcame alcoholism and helped evangelize California in the 1890s; Thomas Ferguson, a Jamaican immigrant who, in the 1900s, wrote music that inspired delegates of a multinational congress in London; Adrian and Eualee DaCosta, missionaries who pioneered the Army’s work in Colonial Nigeria in the 1920s; and Dorothy Purser, a pharmacist and nurse who cared for unwed mothers in the 1950s in Ohio. This book offers a rich well of historical research—transformed into heartfelt testimonies. They reveal uncommon love, integrity, commitment, and faith.

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