WHO WE ARE FAITH IN ACTION
A Ministry of Three by HUGO BRAVO
THE CHURCH
Lieutenant Brian Perks, assistant pastor at The Salvation Army in Laconia, N.H., knows that ending the cycle of poverty involves more than just providing a meal and a space to sleep for a night. “You can’t just give a homeless person an apartment with a bed and say, ‘case closed.’ I have met people who received help and even a place to live, but were back on the streets in a few months,” Perks says. “They needed the tools to rebuild their lives, reestablish their income, and become productive members of society. There was no infrastructure built to help them become successful.” Today, The Salvation Army in Laconia is made up of a church, thrift store, and the Carey House Homeless Shelter, which form the needed infrastructure. Shelter residents depend on the store and the church to support their progress toward self–sufficiency. Captains Scott and Nora McNeil served as pastors in Laconia from 2014–2020. Captain Nora says, “Some people like to call it the ‘Trifecta.’ But that’s a betting term, and The Salvation Army doesn’t gamble. I prefer calling it the ‘Three–Ring Circus;’ a lot of acts are going on at the same time to keep the show going.” The McNeils say that their years at Laconia have been some of their most special in ministry. Captain Scott says, “We worked hard to make sure the three entities all operated as one. In doing so, we saw William Booth’s mission come to life at Laconia.”
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THE THRIFT STORE
THE CAREY HOUSE
Volume 8 Number 3, 2022
