VOL. 4, NO. 10 DEC. 2018 / JAN. 2019
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2019PGSA01
the General’s Christmas message
A World–Changing Relationship It’s a privilege to greet you this Christmas, my first as the General of The Salvation Army. Throughout 131 countries around the world, The Salvation Army is bringing a message of hope as we seek to work for justice, righteousness, and the extension of God’s Kingdom—not in our own strength, you understand, only through His power. Our hope this Christmas is founded in the person of Christ Jesus who is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, and Everlasting Father. The titles are first found in the early verses of Isaiah 9 (2, 6–7), which contain a message of hope to a people living in darkness and death—hope of light and life which are only found in the promised Savior. Into this situation comes not a theory or a method, but a person. A living, breathing human—born as a vulnerable baby. Hope is found in relationship with Jesus—the Light of the World who shatters the darkness. Hope is found not in dead ritualistic religion, but in vibrant, life-giving relationship with God. Who is this Jesus? He is God in human form—no longer distant and unreachable, but right here with us. He is our Wonderful Counselor, who speaks words of wisdom and guides us into truth. He is our Mighty God for whom nothing is impossible—He forgives sins, heals diseases and raises the dead. He is our Prince of Peace, who comes in love, providing rest for the weary and comfort for the troubled. He is our Everlasting Father, offering a familial relationship that can last for eternity, including protection and provision in the here and now. This is the Jesus who was born in the manger, hangs on the Cross, and bursts out of the grave! You can know this Jesus today. Jesus is all about justice, righteousness, and salvation. The people who heard Isaiah’s prophecy, the people who lived at the time of Jesus, and we who are alive today are all too familiar with a broken world where injustices are prevalent and which is blighted by lack of morality. The person, message, and method found in Jesus bring a countercultural perspective that transforms the dark and lifeless falsehood of the kingdom of this world into the gloriously bright, vivacious reality of the Kingdom of God. You and I can experience this transformation and share the same with others when we live in relationship with Jesus. It may sound like an idealistic vision or too good to be true. We can’t achieve this on our own—if we could, humankind would have figured it out by now! As the words from Isaiah remind us, it can only be accomplished through the power of God—“The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this” (v 7 New International Version). So this Christmas, let us trust God, rely on His power, live in relationship with Him and partner with Him to bring life, light, and hope to our world. May God bless you.
Una versión en español de este mensaje navideño del General está disponible ahora en saconnects.org.
— General Brian Peddle
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DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019
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CANDIDATES’ SEMINAR
But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 1 SAMUEL 12:24 (NIV)
FEBRUARY 1–3, 2019 College for Officer Training, 201 Lafayette Avenue, Suffern, NY 10901
learn more at saconnects.org/candidates
USA Eastern Territory
Commissioners William A. & G. Lorraine Bamford
Territorial Leaders
vision perspective
Find us Faithful Que nos Encuentre Fieles As Salvationists of the USA Eastern Territory, we commit to transforming communities in the power of Jesus Christ, one life at a time.
Como Salvacionistas del Territorio Este de los Estados Unidos, nos comprometemos a transformar las comunidades con el poder de Jesucristo, vida a vida.
—20/20 VISION STATEMENT
As 2018 draws to a close, we look back with thanksgiving at the lives touched through your ministry over the past 12 months: 518 senior soldiers enrolled, 482 precious young lives committed as junior soldiers, 152 adherents confessing Christ as Savior, and 13,344,405 individuals served! These are not merely numbers; they represent people. This territory’s 20/20 Vision calls us to step back and look at the PEOPLE whom we are called to serve in His name, the PROGRAMS through which God enables us to impact others, and the PROVISIONS offered through His great mercy. We call on you once again to prayerfully consider the individuals who cross our paths and enter our doors. In the days ahead, we will most likely see more people over an eight–week period than we do for the remaining 10 months of the year. God has entrusted The Salvation Army with people! May they see Christ in us. May they grow deeper in their faith because of that contact. May lives continue to be changed for the good. Lord, find us faithful in our role as encouragers. Find us faithful in expressing unconditional love. Find us faithful in follow–up and discipleship. May those who seek find Your joy, peace, and hope. Use us, Lord. Thank you! God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. —2 CORINTHIANS 9:8
— Commissioner / Comisionado William A. Bamford III Territorial Commander / Comandante Territorial
—DECLARACIÓN DE LA VISIÓN 20/20
Con la cercanía del fin de 2018, vemos con gratitud las vidas que han alcanzado por medio de los ministerios en los pasados 12 meses: enrolaron a 518 soldados adultos, 482 jóvenes preciosos se comprometieron como jóvenes soldados, 152 adherentes confesaron a Cristo como su Salvador, 13,344,405 individuos fueron atendidos. Estas no son simplemente cifras, representan personas. La Visión 20/20 de este territorio nos insta a detenernos y considerar a las PERSONAS a las que fuimos llamados a servir en Su nombre, a los PROGRAMAS por los cuales Dios nos permite impactar sus vidas y a las PROVISIONES que su gran misericordia proveyó. Una vez más les pedimos que consideren en oración a todas las personas que se cruzan en nuestro camino y entran por nuestras puertas. En los días que se aproximan —durante las siguientes ocho semanas—, es posible que veamos más personas que las que veremos en los restantes 10 meses del año. ¡Dios le ha encomendado la gente al Ejército de Salvación! Espero que puedan ver a Cristo en nosotros. Que por medio de este contacto su fe crezca. Que las vidas continúen cambiando para bien. Señor, que nos encuentres fieles en nuestra función de motivadores. Que nos halles fieles expresando amor incondicional. Que nos encuentres fieles dando seguimiento y discipulado. Que los que te buscan encuentren tu gozo, tu paz y tu esperanza. Señor, úsanos. ¡Gracias! Y poderoso es Dios para hacer que abunde en ustedes toda gracia, a fin de que, teniendo siempre en todas las cosas todo lo necesario, abunden para toda buena obra; —2 CORINTIOS 9:8
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DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019
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C U LT I VAT E / C U LT I V E
from the editor
March/Marzo 2019– February/Febrero 2020
LOOK NOW!
¡MIREN AHORA! “The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward….’ ” — GENESIS 13:14
Circumstances are forever changing. In the book of Genesis when Abram (Abraham) thought all was lost, the Lord encouraged him to “now lift up your eyes and look.” Each of us in our daily lives must do the same to assess and reassess our dynamic spiritual, societal, and physical landscapes. For example, in the next SAconnects magazine, we’ll explore what it means to “look up” as the Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Ashland, Ohio prepares to celebrate its ten–year anniversary in a community that has changed significantly since the center’s inception. You’ll also read about how the “Awakening: Arise, Unite, Go!” Empowerment Conference for Salvationists of African descent helped open their eyes to new ministry possibilities in urban communities. Colonel Richard Munn’s new column “Deeper Doctrine” will challenge us to look below the surface theologically. Finally, “My Pillow” founder Mike Lindell’s amazing addiction–to– spiritual–transformation story will be a wake–up call and an eye opener for every reader!
— Warren L. Maye Editor in Chief / Editor en Jefe
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“El SEÑOR dijo a Abram, después que Lot se había separado de él: ‘Alza tus ojos y mira desde el lugar donde estás, hacia el norte, el sur, el este y el oeste….’ ” — GÉNESIS 13:14
Las circunstancias siempre están cambiando. En el libro de Génesis, cuando Abraham pensaba que todo estaba perdido, el Señor lo animó diciéndole: “Alza tus ojos y mira”. Nosotros, en nuestro diario vivir, debemos hacer lo mismo a fin de evaluar nuestro panorama espiritual, social y físico. Por ejemplo, en la próxima edición de la revista SAconnects, exploraremos lo que significa “mirar” mientras el Centro Comunitario Ray y Joan Kroc en Ashland, Ohio, se prepara para celebrar su décimo aniversario en una comunidad que ha cambiado significativamente desde el inicio de esa institución. También leerán acerca de la Conferencia Empowerment: “Awakening: Arise, Unite, Go!”, para salvacionistas de descendencia africana, que ayuda a abrir nuestros ojos y ver la posibilidad de nuevos ministerios en las comunidades urbanas. La nueva columna del Coronel Richard Munn, “Doctrina más profunda”, promete retarnos a mirar más allá de la teología superficial. Por último, el relato de la asombrosa adicción a la transformación espiritual de Mike Lindell, fundador de “My Pillow”, captará la atención de todos los lectores y hará que abran los ojos.
God has designed us for holistic growth — physically, mentally, emotionally, and most definitely, spiritually. If you are hungry for more of what the Lord has to do in you and through you, C U L T I V A T E will help give focus to what is needed to “have the roots of your being firmly and deeply planted in Him,” Colossians 2:7. The mission of C U L T I V A T E is to facilitate deeper spiritual life development in the lives of officers and soldiers of The Salvation Army.
Dios nos diseñó para un crecimiento integral — físico, mental, emocional y, sobre todo, espiritual. Si desea saber qué más puede hacer el Señor en usted y por medio de usted, el curso CULTIVE le ayudará a enfocarse en lo que necesita para estar “firmemente arraigados y sobreedificados en él,” Colosenses 2:7. La misión del curso C U L T I V E es facilitar un profundo desarrollo de la vida espiritual para oficiales y soldados del Ejército de Salvación. saconnects.org/cultivate-cohort-6 saconnects.org/cultive-cohort-2
DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019
contents VOLUME 4 | NUMBER 10
in every issue 3 vision perspective 4 from the editor 6 army jargon 7 relevents
departments 8 an active army
The Angel Tree program is a Salvation Army Christmas tradition.
26 profile
General Brian Peddle shares his vision for The Salvation Army’s future.
30 FAITH in ACTION
Singer Jimmy Wayne’s Angel Tree story will melt your heart.
32 LEAD
The Apostle Luke paints an intimate portrait of Mary’s unique role in history.
9 Volunteerism The Salvation Army does all it does at Christmas because of its faithful army of selfless volunteers.
14
Spiritual high
James and Kimberly Parker, former drug users, now take the Gospel to the streets of Philadelphia. In the process, they see a lot of themselves in the people they help.
21
Jared Plesec
Jared Plesec’s life was a testament to the mission of The Salvation Army. One year after his tragic death, his ministry lives on in Cleveland.
Para leer más artículos en español por favor visite SACONNECTS.ORG/ENESPANOL
© Salvation Army International Headquarters
DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019
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ARMY jargon by Colonel Richard Munn the magazine
your connection to The Salvation Army
USA EASTERN TERRITORY
FISHING
TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioner William A. Bamford III Commissioner G. Lorraine Bamford
LA PESCA It can be a teenager’s dread, seeing an adult soldier come towards the youth, slumping in the back row during a prayer meeting. Ah! Fishing. 1:1 prayer. 1:1 evangelism. 1:1 accountability. No hiding place. Eye–to–eye. Face– to–face heart talk. If a denominational strategy for evangelism can be pictured as trawling, this is more like fly fishing. Done well, it requires patience, gentleness, and enticement. Peter, that impetuous, cussing fisherman, provides the etymology, when Jesus memorably calls him and brother Andrew to leave their nets and become “fishers of men.” The picturesque imagery imprints for all time (Matt. 4). Of course, it can all become caricatured and rote, a hackneyed formula. We sniff out a fake in an instant. Eugene Peterson reminds us that communicating the gospel must be expressed in relationship, otherwise we are “left with nothing but god–talk … but with all the God left out.” Then again, Richard Foster encourages us to initiate prayer with people, as led by the Spirit of God, noting, “I ask politely if they would like prayer … I have yet to have one person turn me down, and I have done this in airports and shopping malls and crowded hallways.” Fishing is physical. Prayer meeting fishers are attentive, engaged, get–up– and–get–out people. Diane Winston writes about the “physicality” of early Salvation Army worship in Red Hot and Righteous. Placid pew–filling inertia is out. Do you have your fishing license? The seas are full of shoals. Cast out.
CHIEF SECRETARY Colonel Kenneth O. Johnson, Jr. COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY Major Tonie Cameron
Para un joven puede ser terrible ver que un soldado adulto lo descubre durmiendo en el fondo del salón durante una reunión de oración. ¡Ah! pescando, 1:1 oración. 1:1 evangelismo. 1:1 responsabilidad. No hay lugar dónde esconderse. Una franca conversación cara a cara. Si una estrategia de evangelismo denominacional puede representarse como pesca de arrastre, entonces esta se parece más a la pesca con anzuelo. Si se hace bien, requerirá paciencia, ternura y atracción. Pedro, ese pescador impetuoso y desmedido, nos provee la etimología cuando Jesús, memorablemente, lo llama a él y a su hermano Andrés a abandonar las redes y convertirse en “pescadores de hombres”. Esta pintoresca imagen queda grabada para siempre (Mateo 4). Por supuesto, puede convertirse en un recuerdo caricaturesco o en una fórmula trillada. Captamos las falsificaciones en un instante. Eugene Peterson nos recuerda que comunicar el Evangelio debe expresarse a través de las relaciones, porque de no ser así nada más hablaremos acerca de Dios pero… en realidad, sin incluirlo. Richard Foster, también nos anima a orar con la gente dirigidos por el Espíritu Santo; y explica: “Les pregunto con cortesía si desean que ore por ellos… todavía nadie se ha negado y lo he hecho en aeropuertos, centros comerciales y pasillos congestionados”. La pesca es física. Los pescadores en las reuniones de oración son atentos, se involucran, son personas decididas. Diane Winston escribe acerca del aspecto “físico” de la adoración del Ejército de Salvación primitivo en Red Hot y Righteous. Sentarse inerte en un banco de la iglesia pasó de moda. ¿Tiene una licencia para pescar? El mar está lleno de peces. Lance la red.
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 STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ryan Love CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brenda Lotz, Major Young Sung Kim CIRCULATION Doris Marasigan COMMAND NEWS CORRESPONDENTS PENDEL Major Kathryn A. Avery EMP Jaye C. Jones GNY Major Susan Wittenberg NNE Cheryl Poulopoulos PR & VI Linette Luna SNE Laura Krueger WEPASA Captain Kimberly DeLong Territorial Music Liaison Derek Lance Territorial Youth Liaison Captain Gillian Rogers
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. 4, No. 10, December 2018 / January 2019. Printed in USA. Postmaster: Send all address changes to: SAconnects, 440 West Nyack Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994–1739. SAconnects accepts advertising. Copyright © 2018 by The Salvation Army, USA Eastern Territory. Articles may be reprinted only with written permission. All scripture references are taken from the New International Version (NIV) unless indicated otherwise.
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www.twitter.com/saconnects
relevents
Priscilla Heist, a soldier at the Salvation Army’s Lebanon, Pa. Corps, talks about opening her home to young people in the community, the mark that Christmas left on her Girl Guards, and how important it is in ministry to listen to people. interview by Hugo Bravo
When I was young, my father would receive an envelope from the local Salvation Army to make a contribution. It came with a little badge as a gift to wear on his collar. He always said that it was important to support The Salvation Army. Years later, I worked as a bookkeeper at the Lebanon, Pa., Corps, but I didn’t consider becoming a soldier until Captains Doris and Raymond Southwood came to the corps. At the time, the corps wasn’t able to have many people attend services, but my husband and I refused to let the corps officers come to an empty chapel. We came to the corps service for the first time and it became our church.
The Christmas season affects all of us in different ways. When I was in charge of Girl Guards, I noticed that in the fall, the girls would act nitpicky, cliquey, and a little self–centered, as many teenagers can be. But when Christmas came around, they became different. I think they were humbled as they went out to do the kettles and serve the community. They began to see firsthand that there were people in need. Being part of the Army’s mission during Christmas made the girls more mature and cooperative for the rest of the school year.
Psalm 100 tells us to make a joyful noise and serve the Lord with gladness. When we started coming to the corps every week, the stress of family life would appear. Minor arguments would turn big, and the devil would work his hardest to keep us from attending our new church. We all have mornings when we do not wake up joyful, but when we arrive in His presence and are ready to serve, our frustrations leave us, and we are left with only His joy and gladness.
There’s an 8 1/2–year difference between my first three children and my last two. Between Army activities, and our kids bringing their friends over, I always saw children at our house. I welcomed them, preferring to see those kids in my home rather than on the streets. I remember inviting some girls called “The Peach Street Gang” over to my house for movies and Girl Guard activities. They were rough and from a hard part of town, but I wanted to make a difference in their lives. League of Mercy is one of my favorite corps activities; I love talking My corps officer at the time told me, “Priscilla, to the people in our ministry. Some have families who live far from them, and you cannot change what they live seven days others may not have families at all. I always arrive a little early to sit and engage a week. But you can give them something to with them and ask how their day is going. We’ll also get calls from members think about for a few hours.” Those girls are who simply need to vent to someone, or ask for advice in making a decision. adults now, and though some still struggle in Taking time to listen to others is a simple, but important outreach. their lives, I’m happy to know that I could be there for them at a time when they might not have had anyone to care for them.
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an active army
THE ANGEL TREE In 1998, John Maimone was introduced to The Salvation Army of Greater New York through his mother Gerri and the family’s elevator business. But it was not until 2002, as he did elevator maintenance on various Army properties, that he learned about its Christmas toy ministry. “At the Army’s Briarwood Family Residence on 134th Street in Jamaica, N.Y., I saw the families and children receiving only one gift at Christmas time. When I asked the corps officers about it, they said that sometimes [the residence] could barely afford that one gift,” says John. Wanting to do something to help, he told his wife Jennifer what he had seen at the family center. That Christmas, John and Jennifer bought toys, wrapped them, and donated them to the Greater New York Division’s Toy Shop program. The next Christmas, they bought more toys and asked family members to help wrap the gifts. “For years, we treated this as a regular toy drive, until we asked the officers if there were specific toys that they needed or that the kids really wanted,” says Jennifer. “That was when we learned about the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program.” In addition to the toys they bought and wrapped for the Toy Shop, John and Jennifer began taking cards with an Angel Tree child’s special wish for Christmas. Family and friends of the Maimones passed around a spreadsheet with information on each request. They all loved learning the children’s names, and buying for them a toy to go along with a winter coat or an outfit. “We began to buy Angel Tree presents as we bought our family’s Christmas presents,” says Jennifer. Today, John runs the family elevator repair business, Metropolitan Elevator
by Hugo Bravo
Service & Greyhound Elevator Corp., based in New York City. The business continues to handle the Greater New York Division’s elevator maintenance, and the Maimones have increased their devotion to the Angel Tree program. Their family members, as well as the company’s various employees, clients, agencies, and property managers donate toys for The Salvation Army. “The number of toys became so large that we had to start using the trucks we had for elevator repairs just to take all the presents to the Army,” says Jennifer. “Our mechanics are now helping with toy deliveries to the corps.” The Maimone’s own connection with The Salvation Army has grown through the Angel Tree program too. “Army officers have become mentors to me,” John says. “They are always there with a smile, providing friendship and spiritual leadership for our family.” “I knew about The Salvation Army before we worked with them professionally,” says Jennifer. “But as I learned about their mission I saw how involved they are in the day–to–day lives of people, especially around Christmas.”
THE HISTORY OF THE ANGEL TREE Along with the familiar red kettles, the Angel Tree program is one of the Salvation Army’s highest profile Christmas efforts. Angel Tree was created by The Salvation Army in 1979 by Majors Charles and Shirley White when they worked with a Lynchburg, Va., shopping mall to provide clothing and toys for children at Christmas time. The program got its name because the Whites identified the wishes of local children by writing their gift needs on Hallmark greeting cards that featured pictures of angels. They placed the cards on a Christmas tree at the mall to allow shoppers to select children to help. Thanks to the Whites, who were assigned by the Army to the Lynchburg area at the time, more than 700 children had a brighter Christmas that first year. Three years later, when the Whites were transferred to Nashville, Tenn., Angel Tree was launched in the Music City. WSM radio, which airs the Grand Ole Opry, came on board that year as the first Angel Tree co–sponsor in the U.S. Today, The Angel Tree Program is now facilitated in hundreds of cities across the U.S. Read country singer Jimmy Wayne’s inspiring “Paper Angels” story on page 30.
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iStock
For the love of
Christmas by Robert Mitchell
vol·un·teer
\vä–len–tir\ noun
A person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.
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Arline Litchfield has the perfect pitch when she’s recruiting Christmas volunteers for the Bath–Brunswick, Maine, Corps. “I tell everyone, ‘There’s no better gift you can give to Jesus for His birthday than to volunteer.’ Christmas is Jesus’ birthday and that’s my gift to Him as a present every year,” Litchfield says. “That’s the way my husband and I thought of it. That was the reason we volunteered.” Litchfield and her husband, Robert, started volunteering at the corps in 1996. They were looking for a good charity to help when they heard a radio ad from The Salvation Army pleading for help with kettles at Christmas. “He said, ‘That’s a Christian organization. I want to do it.’ It was his choice. We liked the work they did,” Litchfield recalls. Her husband died in 2009, but Litchfield, now 83, kept going. “I do it every year in my husband’s honor,” she said. “I do it out of the kindness of my heart.”
RELIEVING HOLIDAY STRESS
Lieutenant Kirsten Childs, the corps officer in Bath–Brunswick, said Litchfield comes in every day during the Christmas season to sort toys and clothes for the Christmas Castle distribution. Several of her children and grandchildren help out. “Her care for the community is evident through her years of service and the smiles and joy she brings to those who are blessed to work around her and work alongside her,” Childs said. “Every corps needs an ‘Arline.’ We are grateful to God for allowing her in our lives.” The Christmas Castle in Bath–Brunswick is set up like a holiday playland. The recipients walk through and can pick out gifts, stocking stuffers, clothes, stuffed toys, books, crayons, and more. “It gives people a choice,” Litchfield said. “Most of them are appreciative. They come in so stressed out because they’re really going through a rough time and they know they possibly won’t have any presents under that tree for their children. They go out and they get that gift and can pick out what they want.
MULTI–GENERATIONAL HELP
“A lot of times we get hugs and you can see the relief on their faces. They go out of here like, ‘I have hope now.’ They have a renewed hope that they can get through this. Christmas is a difficult time for a lot of people, emotionally and financially.” Her children, grandchildren, and a great–grandchild also help out. “They love it because they’re helping other children,” Litchfield said. Childs said her corps has a small staff and depends on volunteers at Christmas. “We have a steady group of volunteers who have been
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coming back to this corps, year after year, to help,” she said. The challenge for the corps at Christmas is finding people to help with kettles. Several service groups and community organizations send volunteers, but finding other people is difficult. “Working for $10 an hour is tough,” Childs said. Many would–be volunteers find that if they do work, they get their government assistance cut. Many choose not to work.
EVEN OFFICERS NEED A BREAK
Captain Helen Johnson, the former corps officer in Clearfield, Pa., who is now in Lynn, Mass., said most corps do not have trouble finding volunteers for large events and holidays. Community volunteers are plentiful for Thanksgiving dinners, special children’s events, and holiday distribution, but officers are always excited to find those few volunteers who keep coming year round. This past Christmas, the Clearfield Corps had use of a building to sort, pack, and distribute toys and food. On the Thursday before Christmas, 250 families received a food box and some type of frozen meat, while 425 children were given a large bag of toys and clothes. About 15 volunteers were on site to help give out everything. On the following day, Johnson sat in the toy location, reflecting on all that had transpired. She was grateful for the volunteers who were there the previous day, but found herself wondering who would clean up the place, break down the boxes, take them to the dumpster at the corps, and bring all the tables back.
A PRAYER ANSWERED
Johnson was ill, her own Christmas shopping needed to be done, and she only had one day to get the toy location cleaned out. Looking around, she became somewhat emotional as she prayed. Just then, a man named Rob and his son, Rob Jr., walked in. “I thought you would be tired after helping with distribution yesterday,” Johnson told them. “I am surprised to see you here.” “Well,” Rob said, “we have to finish the race, as the Word tells us. We are not done here until everything is cleaned up. So let’s go.” He loaded the boxes and tables in his pick–up truck. He made three trips from the toy location to the corps until it was cleaned by 1 p.m. “This was not the first time Rob had come through when we needed him,” Johnson said. “He has proven to be one of the most valuable and committed volunteers we have.” Rob began volunteering shortly after his wife started attending a women’s group at the corps. While she met with the women, Rob noticed the corps needed help with the food pantry. He jumped right in and helped load the shelves. “He dangerously volunteered himself to come and help with anything else we needed at other times,” Johnson said.
The Clearfield, Pa., Corps distributes, on average, 250 food boxes to families in need and 425 bags of toys and clothes to children at Christmas.
Illustration by Joe Marino
Taking him up on his offer, the corps arranged for Rob to come once a week to help unload the Food Bank truck. He now comes faithfully and brings family whenever they can join him. It wasn’t long before Rob noticed the corps struggled to arrange pick–ups and drop–offs for its after–school program. He filled out the necessary paperwork and became a regular driver. That led Rob to eventually lead the Adventure Corps. “Although the boys in the program can be very active, and at times disrespectful, they love his gentle leadership and direction,” Johnson said. “It is wonderful for them to have a loving male role model. He plans their projects and teaches them with patience and wisdom.” Rob has also become the lead volunteer for the Emergency Disaster Service (EDS) program. “He can be ready anytime to bring the canteen on location to a fire or other incident,” Johnson said. “He can be trusted to serve with love and compassion.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE …
“I am struck by his willingness and commitment. He volunteers out of love for the Lord. He witnesses to other volunteers and to people in need both through his example and his testimony.
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He always goes the extra mile. He literally drives around to area churches and restaurants that have agreed to freeze donated turkeys and hams. Early on distribution day, he drives all over to pick them up in his truck.” Billie Parker, another volunteer with a truck, came from the community. Before he died recently, he owned Bill’s Service and Towing of Stamford, Conn. For the past four years, Parker brought one of his giant tow trucks to help with the annual toy pickups for the Stamford Corps. “Billie dedicated his entire day to the Stamford Salvation Army out of a very busy schedule” said Melissa Shapiro, a development associate at the corps. “He helped us pick up over 3,000 toys from over 15 local companies and was excited to do so.” Parker owned and operated one of the largest tow companies in the area. Shapiro said Parker would come every year with one of his “prettiest” flatbeds to pick up toys throughout the tight–knit Stamford community. “We were blessed to have Billie,” Shapiro said. “Without him, it would have been extremely difficult to pick up so many toys. We are a small office and depend on volunteers like him to help. He
arrived happy and prepared to do whatever was needed to make Christmas for Stamford children magical.” When asked about his volunteerism, Parker seemed to exemplify the community spirit in Stamford. “We just like helping out the community and doing things for the kids,” he said. “We do a lot of charity stuff. We enjoy doing it. I like donating my time. “It’s satisfying to know that kids are getting presents who couldn’t afford them.” Shapiro, who grew up in Stamford and has a lot of contacts, said she’s fortunate to find 20–25 dedicated volunteers like Parker each year.
JOYOUS, GIVING SEASON
“I find a lot of people are passionate about Christmas,” she said. “They know the Army is very involved in Christmas and they want to help out any way they can.” Rosemarie Dykeman, director of social services at the Nashua, N.H., Corps, agreed and said finding Christmas volunteers is “easy as pie.” “People love volunteering at Christmas,” she said. “It’s the other times of the year that are more difficult.” Dykeman said businesses, churches, and community groups all help out and are happy to do so. “People just love the Christmas season, sorting toys, and packing the toy bags,” she
said. “We have the Christmas music playing and people just really get into it. Many of them are looking for a way to give back during that season. Many times they call us and request to volunteer. People love Christmas.”
DEDICATED TO THE CAUSE
One of Dykeman’s more exemplary volunteers is Linda Leedburg, who has helped out with the Christmas program at the corps since 2003. Leedburg normally volunteers three mornings a week to support the programs of the Social Services Department. But during the Christmas season, she shows up five days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or later. “Linda comes in with a smile everyday and truly gets excited to serve the greater Nashua community with food, clothing, and household items,” Dykeman said. “She not only helps with the Christmas registration, set up, and distribution program, but she has a few of her adult children support the Christmas effort as well.” Leedburg said her motivation is simple. “I do it because I love Christmas and I just love the excitement of it all,” she said. “I love filling the bags with toys for the children. It’s just the nicest time of the year. Everybody is happy with all the bright lights and everything. It’s a great time of year.” —Captain Helen Johnson, corps officer in Lynn, Mass., contributed to this story.
Illustration by Joe Marino
This article is dedicated to the memory of Billie Parker, the former owner of Bill’s Service and Towing of Stamford, Conn., and his volunteerism for The Salvation Army. He passed away during the production of this article.
ON A ‘SPIRITUAL HIGH’ Overcoming drug addiction led the Parkers to The Salvation Army and to helping others plagued with the same disease. by Robert Mitchell
O
Kimberly and James Parker (left) with Keith and Joy Lawson in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.
ne night, James Parker prayed that God would send him a wife. The next day, while reading a pocket New Testament, he looked up from his Bible and saw Kimberly. The Bible, as it turned out, was a harbinger of things to come in the couple’s marriage, but not before a long and twisted road of drugs, alcohol, and even jail time for James. Today, clean of drugs and alcohol, James and Kimberly can often be found boldly sharing the Gospel on some of the meanest streets in North Philadelphia. The couple’s story is why Kimberly says she never gives up on the drug addicts she and her husband help. “Don’t judge a book by the cover or read a chapter and think that’s it,” Kimberly says. “That’s just a chapter in your life. It’s not the end. “As you keep going on, the story’s going to get better and greater if you allow God into the story. If you leave Him out of the story, then you can call it ‘the end.’ If you include Him, you’ll be used by God and you’re going to see miraculous and incredible things.” The comeback by the Parkers, who Kimberly described as a “hot mess” just a few years ago, is nothing short of miraculous and incredible.
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(Below) in a park riddled with hypodermic needles, Kimberly Parker (next page, pictured left) prays with a woman who struggles with drug addiction.
TOUGH UPBRINGINGS
“
When I go out there, I don’t know what I’m going to say. I’m led by the Holy Spirit. It feels so good to connect with someone who is where I was. I can give them my testimony, and I sometimes don’t see them as they are; I see them as who God wants them to be and who they can become. I don’t
”
count them out.
—Kimberly Parker
Kimberly, a child of alcoholics, grew up in foster homes and with relatives in North Philadelphia. She bought a Bible at age 18 because she wanted to “know God,” but that’s also about the time she was introduced to alcohol. “I started drinking at first because I enjoyed it,” she recalls. “I didn’t consider myself an alcoholic then. It went from social drinking to a habit. It became something that I leaned on. “I drank when I was happy. I drank when I was sad. It became a dependency to the point where I couldn’t stop. I needed to drink at all times—when I woke up in the morning, all during the day, and before I went to bed at night. That was my routine. I became a gung–ho, strung–out alcoholic by 25.” James also grew up in North Philly, where he saw his uncles do heroin and his father “speedballs,” a mix of heroin and other drugs. “I used to peep through the peephole and watch my father using drugs,” James says. “It was really depressing and sad. I didn’t really have a role model to look up to. I didn’t know God at that time.” When he was a teenager, his mother sent him to a Christian camp in the Poconos. James found Christ there, but in later life, walked away. When he was 18, James found a bag of cocaine while working as a security guard. He didn’t know what it was, but his life was about to spiral out of control. “I ended up trying it that night,” he says. “I smoked it, I snorted it, and I guess that really got me addicted to cocaine at that time. That was really my drug of choice.”
TIME FOR A CHANGE The Parkers, who married in 1990 and have two children, today wear wedding rings that have replaced the originals. “I kept pawning our rings to buy alcohol and drugs,” James said. “We ended up getting like three sets of rings.”
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“Matt,� a homeless man in Kensington Park, leads a prayer with other drug users.
James once did nine months in jail for assault. A psychiatrist told him his problems could be hereditary. The comment bothered James because he thought it might be true. “It wasn’t a good feeling being on drugs,” he says. “I really wanted to stop.” In April 2014, after losing good jobs and places to live because of his addictions, James finally had enough. He was still doing cocaine when he said a heartfelt prayer while living in his mother’s basement. “I got down on my knees and I said, ‘This is madness, Lord. Can you help me?’ My wife was there and kneeled down beside me. I prayed for God to help deliver me from this madness,” James said. But the drug abuse was far from over. Just a month later, James sat in his car doing cocaine when he made a life– changing decision. “I decided that was it,” he said. “I was done after I had spent all the money I had in my pocket on drugs.” James said he confided in a friend, who urged him to meet Majors Dennis and Sharon Young at the Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Philadelphia. James attended a men’s breakfast the day before Father’s Day and was so impressed by Major Dennis that he wanted to hear the pastor deliver a full sermon. James returned the next day. “I never left,” James says. “I just kept coming. I never did any more drugs and I just kept coming back to the Kroc Center.”
THE POWER OF PRAYER Young’s sermon hammered home how much everyone needs Jesus. James thought Young was talking directly to him. “That just stuck with me that I needed to have Jesus,” he said. “I just started relying on Jesus. I started reading my Word more, and I started praying more, and I just kept showing up. I believe just coming to the Kroc Center every week and not missing any days was huge.” James asked Kimberly to accompany him. She put him off for a month, but
finally started going as well. Kimberly had stopped drinking in 2013 but was still smoking cigarettes and marijuana in 2015—even while reading her Bible. She felt convicted by the Holy Spirit and knew things had to change. “I had to get on my knees and ask God to deliver me from all of that,” she said. “I called on God’s power and this is the longest I’ve been without a drink or drugs
“
We don’t have anything or anyone. I don’t have any family. I’m basically on my own. When people like them come out and just spend a couple of minutes with us, it turns a lonely day
”
into a good day.
— Matt, an addict pictured left
because I’m dependent on God’s power right now. His power is joyful. “It’s like you know He’s there and in your presence because you know how you were before. When a storm hit me back then, if I got depressed or sad, I’d pick up a bottle. Now if I’m alone and get depressed or sad, I know who comforts me. He’s my Comforter, my Counselor, and my Provider. He’s just everything to me. “As long as I keep my eyes on Him, I don’t
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even have a desire for what I used to do. I feel higher now—a spiritual high—than I did when I was getting high back in the day. I wouldn’t trade this feeling for the world.”
GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES The Parkers both credit the Youngs, who counseled them through marital problems and told them to keep showing up for church. If they did, the Youngs said, spiritual growth would follow. “Just being in their presence helped us out a lot,” James says of the Youngs. The Parkers soon took their spiritual life to another level when Keith and Joy Lawson, who also attend church at the Kroc Center, asked if they wanted to hit the streets for evangelism twice a week. The Parkers were immediately hooked. “We just knew this is what God wanted us to do,” Kimberly said. “Once we went out there in the field and got our hands dirty, we just felt like it’s our calling. I really felt good doing it and I said, ‘I want that feeling again.’ I knew it was the Lord.” During a recent evangelistic journey, the Parkers and Lawsons first visited a group of day laborers, passing out sandwiches, bottled water, and bananas. The Lawsons and Parkers, who own a vending business, pay for the food themselves. “God has blessed us financially since we got off drugs,” James says. “It’s all God’s money anyway. If I didn’t come to the Kroc center, I’d still probably be on drugs somewhere.” They also visited a street corner and a park in the Kensington section of North Philadelphia, known for its “open–air” street track, where heroin, crack, and commercial sexual exploitation are prevalent.
ON THE FRONT LINES The couples dive right in with no fear and engage everyone in sight. “What you see with them is what you get. They are genuine,” Joy Lawson said of the Parkers.
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In the park, discarded drug needles cover the ground and addicts sleep on benches or wander aimlessly. Police are nearby, but do little. “Matt,” a heroin addict in the park, is one of the many people who thank the Parkers and Lawsons for their love. “It means a lot to us for them to be out here,” Matt said. “We don’t have anything or anyone. I don’t have any family. I’m basically on my own. When people like them come out and just spend a couple of minutes with us, it turns a lonely day into a good day.” The Parkers and Lawsons pray with several people and share the Gospel. One man accepts Christ. Kimberly carries a notebook and takes down names to pray later. They also use their phones to “Google” the nearest Salvation Army when someone gives an address. “If they really want a relationship with the Lord, I tell them to go to The Salvation Army,” James says. “They truly are God’s people.” Kimberly says she initially questioned whether she was called to evangelize. “I realized that God is with me,” she says. “He said, ‘I got you.’ So I stepped out in faith and I did it. It was like jumping in the pool and not being able to swim and He kept me afloat.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE “When I go out there, I don’t know what I’m going to say. I’m led by the Holy Spirit. It feels so good to connect with someone who is where I was. I can give them my testimony, and I sometimes don’t see them as they are; I see them as who God wants them to be and who they can become. I don’t count them out. “I constantly tell them, ‘You are not forgotten. God knows your name. He loves you.’ We give them hope.” James agreed, saying, “I tell them if he can deliver me, He can deliver anyone.” The couple went to the Lay Leadership
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James and Kimberly Parker witness to a drug user in North Philadelphia.
Summit (LEAD) this summer during the Old Orchard Beach Camp Meetings, where they learned several evangelism techniques. When they are rejected while trying to share Christ, the Parkers said they realize they are fighting a spiritual battle. They ask the person if they can say a quick prayer and then they will leave. Most everyone agrees to accept the short prayer. “Right after you pray with them, sometimes you can tell the technique worked because they’ll start crying,” James said. “We don’t know what happens after we evangelize them, but we can feel something. A lot of them cry because they really want help, but they don’t know how to get it.”
HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL James said he wondered if the outreach was working early on, but he felt the Holy Spirit confirm that they should keep going.
“Sometimes it feels like it goes in one ear and out the other, but I feel like we are planting seeds with some people,” he said. The Parkers have no plans to slow down. “The more we do, the more we want to do because there’s so much more that needs to be done and so many more souls that need to be saved,” Kimberly said. Majors Dennis and Sharon Young are now retired, but Major Dennis said the transformation of the Parkers included an enthusiasm for a better life and a passion to share Christ. “I wish I could get all of my congregation to have that kind of enthusiasm in terms of the Gospel and wanting to share it with somebody else,” Young said. “That’s part of what the Gospel should do. Not only does the Gospel change our lives, but we should want to share it with everybody. They want to share what God has done for them with everybody.”
THE MINISTRY of
JARED PLESEC by Hugo Bravo
photography by Susan Magnano
On the morning of December 2, 2017, Jared Jerome Plesec, a soldier at The Salvation Army Temple Corps Community Center in Cleveland, Ohio, was shot and killed in the lobby of his apartment. He was on his way to do kettle work for the corps. One year later, Jared’s corps officers and friends reflect on the impact of his life and legacy.
IN EARLY 2017, JARED PLESEC and Major Daniel Alverio, commanding officer at the Cleveland Temple Corps Community Center, traveled to New York and stopped by The Eastern Territorial Headquarters (THQ). They visited the Heritage Museum’s exhibit on iconic Salvationists of the past. Included among them was Nishan Der Garabedian, known as “Joe The Turk,” the Armenian Salvation Army evangelist and activist. Major Alverio saw similarities between Garabedian and Plesec. Both were intimidating figures more likely to have been mistaken for professional athletes rather than men of God. Neither were born into The Salvation Army, but developed a passion for its ministry and mission. Joe the Turk had stamped the phrase “Jesus Saves” on items. Jared shared those words in a more modern way; his customized Nike sneakers carried the imprint “Jesus Lives” on the back. Indeed, Jared himself was a stamp. “Jared left his mark on everyone he met,” remembers Alverio. “He had a fire for introducing people to The Salvation Army, and to the Lord. In Jared’s eyes, there wasn’t anyone who could not be saved. Not a day goes by that something in the church doesn’t remind us of him.”
WHATEVER IT TAKES
Plesec had been a soldier for two years when Majors Daniel and Karen Alverio arrived at the Temple Corps Community Center in June of 2016. “Jared was tall, with a shaved head, covered in tattoos, and had diamonds in his teeth,” remembers Major Daniel. “But his look didn’t give you the full picture of who he really was.” Jared had graduated high school at the top of his class. He could have easily gone to college, possibly to pursue a career in medicine as did many members of his family. But he was compelled
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to stay home and do something positive in his community of Collinwood. He believed the most positive thing he could do was bring souls to The Salvation Army. “‘Whatever it takes’ is how he would respond to any job that was assigned to him,” says Major Karen. “Whatever it took to promote the mission of the Army, Jared was open to trying it. He never hesitated to put himself out of his comfort zone.” To Jared, every corps activity was a chance for ministry. He would come to volleyball classes to pray with the athletes after practice, and then make time to work on arts & crafts with the children at the corps. Other days, he would visit the all–women health and wellness program to show the attendees how to safely use the machines in the weight room. Major Karen suggested to Jared that he join Cleveland Temple’s Music Ministries, even though he had never played an instrument. But when asked, Jared started practicing the alto horn. “We both knew that seeing him play would make others want to play too. Jared was a born mentor; he had a natural ability to inspire,” says Major Karen.
THE ‘MODEL’ SOLDIER
Jared’s influence went far beyond the walls of the church. As Major Daniel put it, Jared had his heart in the corps, but his eyes and ears observed the streets of Collinwood. When someone had just come out of jail and entered the corps, the first person he or she would want to talk and pray with was Jared. “Jared knew all the gang members, players, and hustlers of the community, young and old. He understood the meaning of every handshake and hand sign,” says Major Daniel. “He felt he needed to know all this, because it was the first step to bringing those folks to God.” “Jared was never scared to minister in
the most dangerous streets,” says Major Karen. “If we ever said anything about it, he would reply, ‘I know who I am in Christ, so why would I be afraid?’ He was so grounded in his faith and unafraid of the darkness. He knew that to help Collinwood, he would have to reach into that darkness.” To face the darkness, Jared wore a unique suit of armor. His body was covered in tattoos, and anyone who asked about them was another person ready to be saved. Many times, Major Daniel found himself ministering to someone who was at first only curious about Jared’s tattoos. Even the act of getting tattooed was a way to promote The Salvation Army. Jared’s “black ink” style tattoos, many of which were Army messages and symbols, would show clearly on his skin. When his tattoo artist wanted to show off his best work, Jared would be his model. “For all those clients coming in to get a tattoo from Jared’s artist, the first images they saw were the beautiful symbols of our Salvation Army,” says Major Karen, smiling.
THE SOULS HE BROUGHT IN
Major Daniel remembers having a discussion with Jared about possibly cutting back the corps gym’s hours. He was completely against it; the gym was how he had come to know the Army and he knew it could bring in others. “If that gym is open for just one person for one extra hour, that’s one hour that he’s not on the streets. Maybe in that time, you reach him. Either way, you’re not just protecting him, but also everyone he might hurt,” Jared would say. There was nothing more important to Jared than getting people inside the church. He wanted to save them before they lost their life on the streets. He believed that if you brought a soul to God, prayed with him or her, the next time you
“
Jared had a fire for introducing people to The Salvation Army. Not a day goes by that something
”
in the church doesn’t remind us of him. —Major Daniel Alverio
Jared’s photos, awards, and prized possessions are displayed at the Cleveland Temple Corps.
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saw that person, another soul to save would also be in tow. Jared also brought in a soul from his own family—his father—who was sick and confined to a nursing home. “Because of his father’s health, Jared thought he would never be able to enroll him,” remembers Major Daniel. “So, we offered to bring the Army flags to him. I said to Jared, ‘You teach him the classes, tell us when he’s ready, and we’ll do the rest.’ He was overjoyed.” “The only time Jared was not available for the corps was when he was doing devotionals with his father to prepare him to be a Salvation Army soldier,” says
What would Jared do? “When I think of Jared, I think of hope. He was always someone who could give anyone hope, no matter what problem they were going through,” says Rasheen Adams, one of the many young people Jared Plesec brought to The Salvation Army Temple Corps Community Center. Rasheen remembers going snow tubing with Jared and seeing him dive headfirst down the snowy hills, while Rasheen and everyone else sat safely on their snowtubes. “That’s just how Jared was. He would dive headfirst into anything he did,” says Rasheen. Courtney Stoudamire–Smith says Jared was a holy individual, with the talent to turn even the smallest moment into a time of ministry. “Jared did more than bring me to the corps; he showed me how to be involved in the corps. That made me enjoy it more, and I kept coming back for it,” says Courtney. “Jared was a great, caring friend,” says Tammy McSwain. “He would ask me for a spot while he worked out, even though he never needed one. He was much stronger than I was!” says Tammy, laughing. “But he wanted me to be part of everything he did. Jared welcomed everyone to be in his life.” When Joseph Houston was only 12, Jared invited him to church. Now 18, Joseph says that Jared put his heart into everything he did, from bringing young people like Joseph to God, to activities that might have been new to them both, such as music or dancing. “Even though he’s gone, he still makes us strive to do better at anything we do,” says Joseph. “We always ask ‘What Would Jesus Do,’ but when we’re trying something new, we also ask, ‘What Would Jared Do?’” “He would say, ‘Should you try this? Yes. Will it be hard? Probably, but I still want you to try it.’ He would never put anyone, or himself, in a box,” says Joseph.
From L. to R.: Courtney Stoudamire-Smith, Rasheen Adams, Tammy McSwain, and Joseph Houston
“
There was nothing more important to Jared than getting people inside the church. He believed that if you brought a soul to God, the next time you saw that person, another soul to
”
save would also be in tow.
Major Daniel. Jared knew how to mold himself to the ministry, and that he was meant for bigger things in it. Though he felt his home was in Collinwood, Jared had given thought to answering the call to officership. “A corps run by Jared Plesec would have had a packed service every single Sunday,” says Major Daniel. “And if the chapel became full, he’d ask to take down the walls to fit more people.” “To put it in simple terms, Jared just ‘got it,’” says Major Karen. “He understood the ministry of The Salvation Army and the words of William Booth as well as
any Salvationist or officer with a lifetime of experience. And he was only 21 years old.”
HE LIVES ON
On a warm Monday night in October, young soldiers who knew Plesec (and who came to the Army through him) gathered at the Temple Corps Community Center to share memories about their late friend. Jared lives on in the work they each do for the corps. Soldier Joseph Houston, one of Jared’s closest friends, shows visitors a glass case in the Community Center computer lab. In it are Jared’s awards, photos, sneakers, and trophies for chess
and arm wrestling tournaments. A young girl looks up from her computer screen as she hears Plesec’s name repeatedly. “Who’s Jared?” the girl whispers to a boy playing a computer game next to her. “You don’t know about Jared?” he asks. “Okay. Finish your work and then I’m going to tell you all about Jared.”
Watch “Soul Purpose,” the story of Jared Plesec’s ministry, told by his best friend James at saconnects.org
A section of Grovewood Avenue in front of the Cleveland Temple Corps is now called ‘Jared Plesec Way’.
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profile
Š Salvation Army International Headquarters
Meet General Brian Peddle
General Brian Peddle assumed his new role on August 3, 2018. He shares thoughts on his relationship with God, family, The Salvation Army, and the people Salvationists are called to serve.
Excerpted from an interview by Lt. Colonel Brian Venables International Communications Secretary For the entire interview, go to saconnects.org.
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We have a very good outline of your history with The Salvation Army, but we want to know a little bit about you. What excites you? What gets you up in the morning? What makes your day? What gets me up in the morning? Sleep and rest are a necessity but engaging a new day comes easy. I wake with three thoughts. First, I hope the family is okay, then I hope the Army is okay, and finally I hope the world is okay – and all before I
make the first coffee – through a check on social media. As an international leader I am keenly aware that while I am finishing my day, half the world is just beginning. The idea and thought that The Salvation Army is a 24/7 reality is quite intriguing. As never before, I am aware that the sun never sets on The Salvation Army flag. What excites me is the ongoing reality that people are engaged in mission, and the vibrant activity of the Army continues: the gospel is being preached, suffering humanity is being served, strategies are being planned, schools opening for children, a mobile clinic rolls into a needy community or a meal is served. What gets me up in the morning is knowing that the Army has not been sleeping—it’s a living organism and I engage with it as soon as I wake. I find that quite inspiring. What relationships do you value the most? I thank God every day for my growing relationship with Him. I am simply aware of His presence and a journey that remains an adventure with the Almighty. I am presently understanding what it means to live in this world and still do so with an active consciousness of God’s presence. Family comes next. My wife, Rosalie has been a central focus for 40 years and for all of that time we have shared a ministry partnership that’s been incredibly rich. Of course, we are both preoccupied with the broader family and the interaction with two daughters, sons–in–laws and five grandchildren. Our day usually ends with FaceTime as they get home from school or are heading out to evening events. The best time of the day is when the screen comes alive and I hear the words: “Poppy, I have something to show you.” We stay connected even though we are not together often. I might admit and put out there as a caution to all that sometimes life moves so fast that personal needs are challenging. We are very conscious about making time for others.
How did you come to The Salvation Army? That was an interesting time in the life of my family. I credit my mom and dad, who were not Salvationists, but were a bit uncomfortable with things that were happening in their local church. In obedience to God they started to go to the Army and sometimes I would go along. Early in that experience they found a really good place in the Army where they were welcomed and embraced. Before I knew it, WE were attending! I was immediately taken by the music, by vibrant preaching; I would even now remember the animated and enthusiastic preaching and strangely, I remember testimonies. I was used to a very quiet, formal liturgical experience. I admit I was attracted, pulled in and warmly welcomed and embraced by corps officers and people who displayed God’s love and genuine interest in us. A month ago, I had the privilege of going back to that corps, Trinity Bay South, in Canada, to lead the 125th anniversary celebrations. All I can say is that God is faithful. So, there were other opportunities to be engaged besides family worship. Were you involved in the music sections or corps cadets [discipleship program for teenagers]? No, I’ve missed most of that by not showing up until I was 14–15 years of age. I had skipped some of these formative things that many of our Salvationists get to enjoy as kids growing up in the Army. Strangely that was never an issue. I soon became a soldier and without a lot of time in between was sensing a call to officership and not to be dismissive. The rest is history as I now get to lead this incredible Army that gave me space and a spiritual home as an uncertain teenager. What about your children? They have been part of junior soldiers and corps cadets. As an officer family we mostly remember two corps where our girls were nurtured and cared for by wonderful
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people who are still our friends today. They shared in all the programs which gave them the gift of music, contributed to their leadership capacity and helped develop their faith experience. It was wonderful and rewarding. One of my concerns is how we help our young people to be discipled in today’s world. I’m concerned, for instance, about those very good formative discipleship programs (junior soldiers and corps cadets) that my kids participated in and I am not sure they are equally available now. You can be certain you will hear me say more in the future about our children and youth. What will be your immediate focus as General? What are your priorities? There are agenda items that have been a part of us for the past few years— the Accountability Movement, the focus on child protection, the governance dialogue, with a focus on better systems and infrastructure. We have done that while still taking on the responsibility of winning the world for Jesus and growing the Kingdom. General Cox has enabled the Army to implement many important initiatives and I will continue to embed these things, but I don’t think they will require as much of my attention. So, my sense of priority would be to redirect some of those resources that are no longer required to make sure we reinvest those energies in our unique mission focus, engagement with our officers and soldiers while articulating as clearly as possible God’s present call upon the Army. The Army must again live up to its call to be a mission–focused Army. What I mean by that is every soldier, every officer, all of us together accepting our responsibility to be a valued army in the world in which we live. This means that the two significant aspects of our mission statement— preaching the gospel unashamedly and serving suffering humanity—need to remain connected. I am anxious to share more and in time that will come. I am deeply aware
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© Salvation Army International Headquarters
General Brian Peddle points heavenward as he offers a salute to God and to the worldwide Salvation Army, now operational in 131 nations.
that I need to be the 21st General for the 21st century—by God’s grace and with the prayers and support of His people. At this preliminary stage, what is your vision for the Army beyond 2018? We come to this role at an excellent time, where the Army is able to work out of a position of great strength. Moving forward and moving from strength to strength is probably what I need to say. I sometimes roll around the phrase in my mind “forging a path into the future.” We stand on the shoulders of many good people and we honor them. They worked with the issues of their day to build a great and much respected Army, but we have to grapple with the issues that are confronting the Army in our day. We cannot be unclear or ambiguous about things that are of concern to our people around the world, yet we must do
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that within a diverse reality. We need to remember that while we are an international Christian movement, we cross many cultural boundaries and we need to understand and respect the cultural context. We live in a rapidly changing world and Salvationists need to be safe in their belief structure and faithful, but not disconnected. All of these things could appear to be in conflict, so as General, for the next five years, I intend to lead One Army, and keep that One Army intricately connected and focused while we honor and deal with the diversity that’s all around. That will be a particular challenge, and to do it in a way in which the movement continues to impact the world in which we live. As the General of The Salvation Army, what relationships both internal and external do you want to grow, enrich or
build upon? I will leverage on the diversity we have around the world. We have 59 territories and commands and three regions. I have not forgotten the Boundless Congress where, despite our many differences and the breadth of our diversity, our worship, our doctrine, our sense of mission brought us together as an Army family. Across this diverse spectrum we are linked, and we celebrate. There are committed leaders who care for the Army daily and have been given responsibility to lead the Army in their part of the world. They are an extension of the General’s office and that relationship is very sacred. I want a responsibility to both honor and lead my leaders. My primary concern will be to have a positive consultative relationship with my leaders. I indicated to the High Council that if elected I would take on this role because I’m available to serve and, by God’s grace, I would do that with the partnerships and strengths in that room. I don’t directly lead the Army in Indonesia or Japan. Somebody else does that. But we want to do it together, so that relationship is critical. Beyond that we have any number of relationships that are important to us. For instance, the International Social Justice Commission (ISJC) helps us to find ourselves at various tables and sitting in partnership with groups and organizations. Salvationists should watch carefully as agendas on the world scene develop and know we are engaged. There are constant appeals to the Army to put our name on any kind of manifesto, so we look at those and we say: “Is that a partnership we want to have; is that where we need to leverage?” I think some attention to those kinds of things needs to continue and then on a more local level be encouraged. Partnerships are important to us. We cannot make an impact in the world on our own. So, the question is, with whom do we need to partner to do the best that the Army can do in different parts of the
world today, that will not compromise who we are or mean we abdicate our mission responsibility? Who has influenced you in preparing for this role? The emphasis is not so much on “who” as “what” has prepared me, and that is the Salvation Army appointments I have had and the myriad people who’ve been a part of that journey. I look at my life as having been written in chapters. These chapters are appointments that have been ours. They’ve taken us from one responsibility to the next, and God has led and prepared us along the way. Each appointment has been “Are you sure?” And we’ve moved on to that appointment and been stretched and challenged. In all of those appointments, people have been there. They’ve been part of teams, they’ve been part of corps and on our staff. Without taking the risk of saying who and when, there has been a collection of people who helped shape us, who have encouraged us and who’ve gifted themselves to us. So, we’ve grown in our capacity and skills over the years—because it’s been 41 years of “school” that has yet to finish! Have you considered what strategies you could employ to stay connected to the Salvation Army family? So far, we have traveled to 30–plus countries in the world. Rosalie and I already have a huge heart that wants to embrace the Army. We’ll do that in a manner in which we only know how—that’s relationally. It’s our sense that the Army actually is embracing us. I went through a lot of my years as a territorial commander or a divisional commander saying, “Lord, don’t let me leave obvious hand prints on the Army that are Brian Peddle’s.” In the past years the Army has actually been leaving hand prints on me. Our interaction with the Army, our people, their sacrificial service and their sense of mission has changed us. So, we look forward to connecting with people around the world—as we spend
time with them—we identify with who they are, what’s important to them and how they want to be a part of the Army. So, embracing the Army with its diversity—nations, peoples, languages, cultures, worship—will be one of our greatest joys. I believe God celebrates it and obviously He blesses it with His hand day by day. I’ll find refuge in that as we move forward. As General, what is your view of the current state of affairs in The Salvation Army? “State of affairs?” That could take a while! I look to the Army—and confess my knowledge of it is substantial—and I see it warts and all. We are not perfect, nor do we have everything right, but you would have to be a very pessimistic person to not see what God is doing. Being the Chief of the Staff for the past three years, my sense is that the Army is well, and it has the ability to move forward and continue to discover and claim our place in the world. We have a number of unifying agenda items that we need to work on and though they will be difficult it will be for the good of the cause. We are strengthening a number of support mechanisms—finance and information technology platforms. These improved structures will enable us to do the things that come into view after that. Financially the Army is being well managed, and we celebrate that while trying to figure out how we support the international Army in places where resources are not plentiful. That remains a challenge. I think the continuation of all of these will be important. The Army faces a bittersweet reality in the area of growth and advancement. We have to call for more soldiers, more candidates. In 10 years, I want the Army to be a spiritually vibrant, resourced for mission, fit for purpose Army. I want Salvationists to believe that God is doing a new thing among us. I refuse to limit God or consider
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for even a moment that our best days are behind us. What I would like to see is every junior soldier, every soldier, every officer engaged in the mission of the Army—winning souls, caring for suffering humanity, and knowing that the Kingdom of God is growing. Would you say that’s the emerging challenge—making sure everyone has a mission? If there is no mission, we’ll get confused. If there is no mission, we won’t be engaged. If there is no mission, there is no calling. If there is no mission, why the gospel? If there’s no mission, there’s no Army. I think General Cox has been quoted as saying the world doesn’t need another army that’s confined to barracks. We need people who are willing to do business with neighbors, family members, acquaintances, and strangers and talk to them about the love of Christ and that He can change their lives. Our sense of mission will sustain us even if other things become a little blurred. How can The Salvation Army support the General? To me that’s obvious. The prayers of God’s people will be the refuge that I will rely upon. Let’s be clear, the General needs prayer! Thus far in my life I’ve created circles of prayer around us and would continue to do that. What I like, and I’m intrigued about at the moment is the fact that hundreds of thousands of Salvationists will find the small place in their prayer list to pray for their General. This is one General who will readily say I need those prayers. Additionally, the wisdom of Solomon, the strategic approach of Joshua, the courage of Peter are all needed. Salvationists around the world can pray daily for the well–being of the General, the agenda that’s in front of him, and all that will be required—courageous leadership and so on—to make sure that we’re not managing the Army but leading the Army.
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FAITH in ACTION
‘Paper Angels’ by Robert Mitchell Watch the music video “Paper Angels” at saconnects.org
Millions of children will wake up this Christmas and find nothing under their tree. Years ago, country music star Jimmy Wayne, who is from Gastonia, N.C., was one of those kids. Wayne and his sister, Patricia, were Angel Tree recipients in 1982, just three years after the Salvation Army program started. “We depended on the Army because my mom was a single parent and struggled extremely hard,” Wayne says. “That Christmas we received food and some small gifts through The Salvation Army. When we were so hungry, we could hardly stand it, they
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fed us. It was that kind of hunger.” Wayne’s childhood sounds like a sad country song. His biological father was never present and his mother suffered from bipolar disorder and was in and out of hospitals and prison. He begged for food at convenience stores and was often in foster care. When Jimmy was 14, his social worker signed him up for Angel Tree. To this day he doesn’t know why, but he asked for a guitar. “I didn’t know what the chances of getting one would be because it was a pretty big ask,” Wayne recalls. “But The Salvation Army came through. I got
my first guitar through the Angel Tree program. That’s where it started for me. I practiced in my room. I learned chords on that guitar. I spent many hours with that guitar.” In the course of several homeless episodes, he eventually lost the instrument. When Jimmy was 16, Russell and Beatrice Costner—then 79 and 75 years–old, respectively—took him in. They were devout Christians and ran a small wood shop. “I didn’t have anything to offer them,” Wayne said. “I had no money, no book, no fame, no music, nothing. I had zero. I had a bag of dirty clothes to my name
Courtesy of Jimmy Wayne
Jimmy Wayne’s first guitar came from The Salvation Army
and they took me into their home.” Three months after Jimmy moved in, Russell Costner was promoted to Glory, leaving Jimmy and “Bea”—who also played music. Having a stable home—for the first time in his life—allowed him to go back to school, get a job and then buy another guitar. He honed his craft and shared his songs with Bea. Later, he moved to Nashville and worked as a songwriter before landing a record deal with DreamWorks Records Nashville. The first song on his self–titled debut album was, “Paper Angels,” inspired by the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. “My co–writer asked me, ‘What is a Paper Angel?’ I said, ‘That’s why we need to write a song.’ I think most people don’t know what a ‘Paper Angel’ is. They don’t know what those ‘Angel Trees’ are. They don’t take time to stop and ask and learn. They just walk past them.” Wayne, who has appeared on the Grand Ole Opry stage 222 times, said the record label rejected his first effort to record the song. “But I simply would not give up fighting for this song,” he said. The label eventually relented and let him record the song, but at the end of the project, kicked the song off. At that point, the likelihood of it making the album was slim. “The chances of winning the lottery twice in a row would have been better,” he said. “But I wouldn’t stop fighting for this song. I said, ‘The world needs to hear this song. It’s about a very important organization that helps kids and needy families.’” Wayne kept fighting and the label finally agreed to re–record the song—at a cost of about $20,000. “I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “The fact they let me record it twice was just unheard of in the music business.” The head of radio promotion at the label said the song would never be a
single and would never be pitched to radio stations. Wayne didn’t care. At least it was on the album, which also included a song about Christ’s love called, “I Love You This Much.” During his radio tour for the album, Wayne played “Paper Angels.” Radio program and music directors loved it. “They started playing it all over the nation,” Wayne said.
In 2013, Wayne contacted a movie director on LinkedIn and suggested his book “Paper Angels” be made into a movie. The director asked for a copy, read it, and loved the idea. “Paper Angels” will air this Christmas season on UPtv. “It’s been a humbling journey raising awareness for an organization like The Salvation Army that’s helping kids and families in need,” he said.
“ No matter where you are emember God’s
ight now,
ight there.
He’s asking all of us to help take care of His paper angels everywhere.” —Jimmy Wayne, “Paper Angels”
It became the most–added first–week release on country radio since Dolly Parton’s 1982 “Hard Candy Christmas.” “This created a movement and generated much awareness for The Salvation Army Angel Tree program,” says Wayne. In 2010, Wayne decided to walk from Nashville to Phoenix, often sleeping outside, to raise awareness of children in foster care who “age out” of the system at 18 and become homeless. Many of these children will eventually depend on The Salvation Army if laws aren’t changed to extend foster care to 21. Seven days into his walk, he got a phone call from a publisher who wanted him to write a book inspired by the song, “Paper Angels.”
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“I don’t need anything. God has blessed me tremendously. I just want to serve by using the resources and talent He has given me to help others,” said Wayne. Wayne, who has served the poor as a volunteer at Salvation Army canteens (mobile food trucks) in Nashville, was honored with The Salvation Army’s William Booth Award in 2005 for “Paper Angels.” He flew to Ithaca, N.Y., to receive the honor. “I’m very thankful for the honors I’ve received for music and publishing, but the Army’s William Booth Award is the only award hanging in my foyer. That’s what I want people to see when they walk into my home. That’s where it all started—with The Salvation Army.”
DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019
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iStock
LEAD
Two Crucial Questions for Christian Formation by Isaiah Allen
WHAT CAN I DO? ASK YOURSELF AND TRUSTED FRIENDS:
Is the Holy Spirit forming me to be like Christ? Mary is the model disciple in Luke’s Gospel. From the Annunciation and Magnificat (Luke 1:26–38, 46–56) to Jesus’ birth and childhood narratives (2:1–52) and beyond, Luke paints an intimate portrait of her unique role in history. As young as she was, Mary had a profound relationship with God. From this relationship, Jesus Christ entered the world. As Genesis 1:26–28 indicates, men and women are created in God’s image. This is why we say that humans have independent wills and the capacity for relationship—because God does. Both Mary and God were full participants in this relationship. Mary’s relationship with God illuminates Christian formation by showing that it involves both human faith and divine power. From beginning to end, faith and life itself are gifts from God, who awakens the fallen human will to exercise faith in the context of life. As God’s representative, Gabriel told Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you” (Luke 1:35). Through faith Mary said, “Let it be done” (1:38). In this exchange, we see the interaction of divine power and human faith. This interaction is actually normative of Christian formation in Luke’s Gospel
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and Acts. It can be expressed in two crucial questions: Have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? (the question of faith, Acts 11:17) and Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? (the question of power, 19:2; 10:34–48) A mature Christian answers both questions in the affirmative. Why? Because Christianity involves not only our preferences and commitments but the work of God in our lives. Note the agency in the question, have you believed? This is something we do. Note the receptive posture of the question, have you received? Giving the Holy Spirit is something God does. The Salvation Army teaches that humans are constantly receiving unmerited “prevenient” grace—that is, grace that “comes beforehand.” In other words, our faith does not generate God’s goodness but responds to it. Without the Holy Spirit’s regenerating action, salvation and Christian formation are impossible. Jesus promised that God the Father would give the Holy Spirit to any who ask (Luke 11:13). This promise can lift even the most hopeless soul. You may give up on yourself, but God never gives up on you. We can’t pull ourselves up by our own boot straps; this grace must be received. Uniquely, the Holy Spirit formed
PRAY for the Spirit’s transforming
presence. JOIN OR FORM A SMALL GROUP of
people who hunger for a transformative relationship with God and who will watch and pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 10:45).
Christ “the Holy One” in Mary (Luke 1:35). Today, the Holy Spirit forms Christ in us in a different sense (Galatians 4:19). We become holy—that is, like Christ—as He works in our lives. Now, what is more Christlike than denying oneself, dwelling among everyday people, and living for others? Any true definition of Christlikeness must include His self–denial, incarnation, and radical sacrifice. Becoming holy like Christ means following Him as disciples (Luke 9:23), and the Spirit empowers us to do so. So, how do we receive the Holy Spirit? God alone has the prerogative to give, but Jesus promised that anyone who asked would receive the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). In Acts, we see this gift coming as small groups of people seek transformation together (Acts 2:1–4, 10:34–48, 19:1–7). So, our part appears to be authentic prayer and fervent community.
FUNDR AISE FOR GOOD. FUNDR AISE FOR FUN. CREATE YOUR OWN FUNDRAISER AND HELP THE SALVATION ARMY SPREAD HOPE.
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