14 July 2018 NZFTS War Cry

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FAITH IN ACTION  14 JULY 2018 | Issue 6696 | $1.50

DRY JULY: RE-THINKING OUR DRINKING Affair-Proof Your Marriage

ReLOVEution in Hawaii CATHY’S STORY: FROM ROCK BOTTOM TO ‘A GOOD PLACE’ Celebrating the new Chief of the Staff and World Secretary for Women’s Ministries

Tribute to Commissioner Ross Kendrew


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WAR CRY The Salvation Army

Te Ope Whakaora New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Andy & Yvonne Westrupp | GENERAL André Cox | FOUNDERS William

& Catherine Booth

The Salvation Army’s message is based on the Bible. Our ministry is motivated by love for God. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in his name without discrimination. War Cry exists to support and advance The Salvation Army’s message, ministry and mission. MANAGING EDITOR Ingrid Barratt | GRAPHIC DESIGN Sam Coates, Lauren Millington | STAFF WRITERS Major Shar Davis, Robin Raymond | PROOF READING Major Jill Gainsford, Vivienne Hill | COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Juanita Buckingham OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street, PO Box

6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone (04) 384 5649, Fax (04) 382 0716, Email warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz, www.salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department, Phone

(04) 382 0768, Email mailorder@salvationarmy.org.nz, $75 per year within NZ PRINT MANAGEMENT www.makeready.nz | PAPER Sumo Offset

is an environmentally responsible paper produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) FSC® certified Mixed Source pulp from responsible sources and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System.

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We Cannot Stay Stubbornly Silent It’s not like we don’t already know this, but a survey released last month found that fewer and fewer New Zealanders are attending church. The results of the survey may give us much to despair about, but there is one wonderful hope. Firstly, it brings up important issues that we—the universal church—have kept stubbornly silent about. According to the survey, the biggest ‘blockers’ to going to church were teachings on homosexuality and hell, as well as ‘church abuse’. It might be tempting to let the church off the hook by arguing that Jesus predicted, ‘You will be hated by everyone because of me,’ (Matthew 10:22). He was speaking to the disciples about the persecution they were going to face. But the church often uses this to dismiss negative reactions to Christianity. However, the survey made one surprising discovery. It found that ‘perceptions towards Jesus are often quite positive; non-Christians suggest he is relatable, approachable and gracious’. The church has one great hope. His name is Jesus. We sometimes argue that Jesus will never be popular. The truth is, Jesus has always been popular—right from the time that crowds flocked to hear him teach. It may be our representation of Jesus that is unpopular. We must humble ourselves before our Lord. We may need to repent. And we need to ask Jesus to show us how to represent him within our small part of history. Ingrid Barratt Editor

Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association. All Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise stated. Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission. Publishing for 135 years | Issue 6696 ISSN 0043-0242 (print), ISSN 2537-7442 (online) Please pass on or recycle this magazine Read online www.issuu.com/salvationarmynzftwarcry

www.salvationarmy.org.nz salvationarmyNZFijiTonga @salvationarmynz salvationarmynzft

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If we are to better the future we must disturb the present … Catherine Booth

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Māka 10:45 Kīhai nei hoki te Tama a te tangata i haere mai kia mahia he mea māna, engari, kia mahi ia, kia tuku hoki i a ia kia mate hei utu mō nga tāngata tokomaha.


Hayley Holt, Breakfast presenter. Photography: TVNZ.

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e’re halfway through Dry July—an initiative launched in New Zealand five years ago—where participants go alcohol-free for a month to raise funds for cancer patients and their families. Dry July has been a huge success since it started—with 23,000 New Zealanders raising $3.2 million for people affected by cancer. The Salvation Army is the Dry July referral agency—meaning that if people are struggling to get through the month, they’ll be put in touch with our alcohol and other drug addiction service, Bridge. In previous years, there has been a spike in people contacting Bridge, during the three months after Dry July. What started as a fundraising gimmick, has opened up the conversation about our drinking culture in New Zealand. ‘If I had a drink for every time someone said to me how hard it would be to give up drinking in this country I’d be well on my way to getting legless. It’s true New Zealand is a booze culture—getting plastered is a national hobby,’ says Lotta Dan, a journalist and recovering alcoholic, who runs a website supporting people to get sober. ‘In New Zealand, drinking heavily and handling it is a badge of honour.’ Hayley Holt, TVNZ’s Breakfast presenter and recovering alcoholic agrees: ‘I was proud of the fact that I was a functioning alcoholic, yeah give me the booze!’ she told The Inside Word. In our culture, we start drinking young—at the time when our brains are evolving to learn social habits. We all remember the awkwardness as a teenager, walking into a party full of people. So we drink to overcome our social anxiety. As our brains

develop, alcohol becomes welded with the ability to socialise, keeping us in emotional puberty. ‘I was quite shy and introverted so I used booze to join in,’ reflects Hayley. ‘At first it worked because I got confidence in myself, but pretty quickly it became a problem. I would say some awful things, I would go out and hang out with random people I met in bars.’ Claire Robbie, a journalist who got sober and now runs ‘No Beers? Who Cares’, adds that dangerous behaviour is often laughed off. ‘We laugh about these things that could have potentially hurt you or killed you, and it’s normalised,’ she says. One of the keys to gaining freedom from alcohol dependency is learning to embrace that ‘awkward feeling’, she adds. ‘Notice how you’re feeling and learn to be okay with how awkward you feel because everyone feels that … most importantly, it’s a practise thing.’ Hayley says her first year of sobriety was ‘really, really hard’ because she had to face her own selfconsciousness, but ‘freedom looks like embracing all of your flaws and realising that everyone is selfconscious.’ Ultimately, life without alcohol has become much more colourful, sums up Claire. ‘You feel a lot more, life becomes a lot more hyper-coloured … there is happiness and joy in that stability,’ she says. For the full interview, go to The Inside Word at TVNZ On Demand. If you’re struggling with Dry July, contact salvationarmy.org.nz/bridge BY INGRID BARRATT 14 JULY 2018  WarCry  3


Thank You For Coming A line of everyday products has launched in New Zealand, with 100 percent of profits going towards beating worldwide poverty. ‘Thankyou’ is an Australian brand that has become iconic in its home country for bottled water—with all profits going to ‘helping end extreme poverty’. It was started in 2008 by three university students. To date, the brand has given AU$5.8 million to fund water access, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries. Last year, War Cry reported that Thankyou was set to launch in New Zealand, but after

QUIKQUIZ

1 What three colours make up an LCD (liquid crystal display)? 2 How many islands make up the nation of Samoa? 3 What is the standout feature of a sphynx cat? 4 What is ‘just like a chocolate milkshake only crunchy’? 5 Who built Nineveh? Answers on page 22

However, last month Thankyou hit our shelves with an extended range of personal care products—including its handwash, which has become the top-selling handwash in Australian supermarkets. Thankyou products are being sold at New World, Pak’n Save and Four Square, and ‘stock has been flying out the door’. A range of baby care products will be launched later in the year. Thanks for coming, Thankyou!

OURPEOPLE Major Shar Davis (Assistant Territorial Communications Secretary, Book Production Manager) Shar Davis has been part of the team since 2016. She loves reading, writing, watching movies and eating cake, so our department is a perfect fit. As an officer, Shar has served across New Zealand in a variety of roles and has loved aspects of every appointment. Her holidays often involve playing Pokemon Go with her nephews in Springfield, or taking SnapChat pictures with her niece. Shar currently has three cats— Ernie, Murdock and Mabel— but is a lover of animals in general. She’s working out how to convince HR that we need a Comms Department pet—for work enrichment purposes, of course.

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some soul searching from the company, this was put on hold. ‘From day one, we’ve said that bottled water is a silly product that really shouldn’t exist,’ admits founder Daniel Flynn. Initially, the fledging enterprise wanted to turn consumerism on its head, by using bottled water to fight poverty. But decided that ‘New Zealand didn’t need another bottle of water’.

Action & Adventure, Science Fiction Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (M, violence) J.A. Bayona

What does it mean to be a good steward of creation, animals, and each other? That’s the prevailing question I took away from the latest Jurassic offering. It’s a story of the power of humanity’s control over nature (or lack thereof), and what happens when our darkest desires therein are left unchecked. While certainly entertaining, the film falls prey to most of the unfortunate trappings of a modern blockbuster—needing to be simultaneously thrilling, heartfelt, funny and more visually spectacular than the previous adventures. I found myself wishing writers would realise that not every action moment needs to be the emotional pinnacle of escaping death by the skin of your teeth. Ultimately, after a genuinely promising setup, it ends up as a fun ride that you likely won’t feel the need to take again. (Reviewed by Sam Coates)


WARCRY INHISTORY When Edmund Hillary conquered Everest in 1953, War Cry reported that it ‘held a special thrill for New Zealand Salvationists … [George Lowe] Another member of the party and close companion of Hillary comes from a sterling Salvation family attached to the Hastings Corps. For his work on snow and ice, particularly in step-cutting, George had been dubbed “first hero of the expedition”.’

Braised Lamb Shanks with Figs and Onions Tender, slow-cooked Lamb is paired with the sweet and mild but distinctive flavour of figs.

Source: Booth College of Mission Heritage and Archives Centre

4–6 lamb shanks

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2 Tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil in a large heavy casserole dish (with a close fitting lid). Brown the shanks on all sides, then remove them and set aside (you may need to do this in more than one batch).

2 medium onions 2 large cloves garlic 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander

TOPFIVE Try not to laugh at these dad jokes: 1 W hat time did the man go to the dentist? Tooth-hurty. 2 I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down! 3 Want to hear a joke about a piece of paper? Never mind ... it’s tearable. 4 W hat did the buffalo say to his son when he left for work? Bison. 5 I used to hate facial hair … but then it grew on me.

1 tsp smoked paprika 200g dried figs, halved 1½ cups orange juice ½ tsp salt

Peel the onions, then halve them and cut each half into eight small wedges. Add the wedges to the casserole dish along with the garlic and cook, stirring frequently until the onion is soft and lightly browned. Stir in the spices and cook for a minute or two longer before adding the figs, orange juice and salt. Bring the mixture to the boil, then return the browned shanks to the casserole dish. Cover tightly and bake at 180°C for 1½–2 hours, stirring once or twice. Adjust the seasonings if required, then serve with steamed couscous and a salad.

Reprinted with permission from Simply Delicious One Dish Recipes by Simon Holst.

Weird of the Week: The Swiss city of Lausanne banned outdoor silent discos because they were too noisy. (Silent discos are where people listen to music through headphones.)

When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful. Malala Yousafzai

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Saying yes to God has led to a life of adventure for a Kiwi couple, who are about to face their biggest challenge yet! BY SHAR DAVIS

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t doesn’t take long after meeting Commissioners Lyndon and Bronwyn Buckingham—affectionately known to friends and family as Bucko and Bronny—to realise they’re down-to-earth, genuine people who would rather the spotlight shone on others. But they will step up to get the job done. On 3 August, Lyndon will take up the role of Chief of the Staff—the second highest position in the worldwide Salvation Army. Bronwyn will become World Secretary for Women’s Ministries. Their heritage is firmly rooted in the Army. Bronwyn’s parents have been soldiers of Whangārei Corps her whole life and a sense of deep pride is evident as she speaks of their faithful service in the local corps. ‘We go back a number of generations so it’s deep within me,’ she says. Lyndon’s parents were officers and he loved growing up in that context. His family became associated with the Army three years after it arrived in New Zealand, when Lyndon’s great-great-grandfather was converted in 1886.

Childlike Faith Both had significant experiences as children that shaped their faith over the coming years. Bronwyn came to faith as an eight-year-old during a Sunday night ‘salvation meeting’ and remembers it as clearly as if it was yesterday. ‘I made my way to the mercy seat … it was childlike but it was real.’ She knows first-hand the spiritual concept of generational transfer, ‘I’ve been covered in the prayers of my grandparents and parents since before I was even born.’ But Bronwyn is quick to point out that we all have to come to a point where we accept it for ourselves, ‘I’m a fifth or sixth generation salvationist but a first-generation Christian.’ Bronwyn never really strayed from that decision to follow Jesus. At 16 years old she prayed for ‘Holy Spirit empowerment … I can put a stake in the ground as that being a significant moment for me,’ she says. Lyndon’s childhood faith experience is quite different. As a six-year-old he attended a congress and didn’t listen to anything during the weekend, ‘until the end when the preacher said, “If you want to meet Jesus, you can, by coming down the front”. So I went down the front and knelt, thinking I was going to meet Jesus.’ Lyndon is a great storyteller and the anticipation he had felt was almost tangible in the recounting, all these years later. The person who put their arm around Lyndon and spoke into his ear sounded a lot like his uncle Wes Rabbits, who, while being a godly man, was certainly not the ‘Jesus’ he expected. ‘I have to be honest, in a childlike way I was quite disappointed and felt like I had been cheated. I think that’s when I became what I can best describe as a cultural salvationist.’ He went through the motions—becoming a junior soldier, going to youth group, becoming a soldier and playing in the band. 14 JULY 2018  WarCry  7


But on August 12, 1979, everything changed for Lyndon. He was at youth councils when God broke through the walls that disappointment had built. ‘I had a deeply moving, spiritual encounter with God … it was physical, emotional and real. I was sobbing but filled with joy at the same time, overwhelmed by the presence of God.’ As a result of that encounter, Lyndon signed a little yellow form—indicating he was offering himself to be a Salvation Army officer. He handed half the form in and kept the other half. It has been at home in his Bible ever since. Years later, while attending the International College for Officers, Lyndon prayed for a special encounter with God—‘Something to remind me or push me forward. I opened my Bible and that little piece of paper fell out.’ The date was 12 August 2009—30 years to the day that Lyndon first said ‘yes’ and signed that slip of paper.

A Perfect Partnership When asked how they met, their first response is a giggle, before Bronwyn confesses, ‘As only you can in the Army, we met at a band concert.’ Lyndon recounts how during the halftime break his friend told him ‘I’ve found your future wife, she’s sitting in such and such a row’. Lyndon’s years of dedicated practise were about to pay off: as the soprano cornet player, he got to sit right on the edge, with a clear view of the audience. When he finally spotted her, his first reaction was, ‘Way above my station, it’s not going to happen.’ After the concert there was a youth group supper and the driver of the car said to Lyndon, ‘We can only take everyone if someone is sitting on your lap’. Lyndon had no problem with that and when the car door opened, who should land on his lap, but Bronny! ‘I was sitting in the car going, “there is a God”,’ laughs Bucko.

The First of Many Yes’s In her later teenage years Bronwyn wanted to do whatever God asked of her. She had a job she loved, she was a soldier and fully involved in the corps, and felt like Whangārei would always be home. When Lyndon came into her life, it didn’t take long before they both realised this was going to be serious. About six months into their long-distance relationship, Lyndon came to visit from Wellington. Bronwyn recalls Lyndon saying, ‘There’s something we need to talk about before we take this relationship any further’. ‘In that moment I knew—we’d never talked about it— but I knew,’ says Bronwyn. ‘He said to me he had a calling to 8  WarCry  14 JULY 2018

officership and couldn’t go any further with this relationship without being honest about it. For me, that became the moment that God said, “This is what I’m asking of you”.’ It wasn’t easy for Bronwyn, ‘I was a homebody, I didn’t feel that I had anything that I could bring as an officer in the Army ... Lyndon is very outgoing, gifted, all of that stuff. And then there was me—this shy little girl from Whangārei.’

‘IT’S ABOUT BEING WILLING TO HAVE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS OVER THESE NEXT FIVE YEARS —WHO WE NEED TO BE AS AN EMERGING ARMY.’ Unexpected Adventures Two years after getting married, and five months after their son Daniel was born, the Buckinghams headed for training college, as part of the 1988 ‘Ambassadors for Christ’ session. Their first appointment was as Corps Officers in Queenstown for two years, during which time their daughter Emma was born. The phone call came appointing them back to the training college—firstly as training officers, then Lyndon became Field Training Officer and Business Manager for the college. ‘It was a great two and a half years, we loved it,’ says Lyndon. South Windsor Corps in Ontario, Canada was next, after an unexpected call from the Chief Secretary asking if there was any reason why they couldn’t do an overseas exchange. ‘We’d never talked seriously about serving outside New Zealand, so it was a shock, but it was wonderful,’ says Bronwyn. ‘It was the making of us in many ways,’ adds Lyndon. ‘It was nice to be in a context where no one knew us ... we were able to do ministry, learning in a completely different context, surrounded by great people. I personally believe it set our ministry journey up.’ Wellington City Corps was next for five-and-a-half years, and they loved it. They desperately didn’t want to leave when the call came, transferring them out of corps ministry into Territorial Headquarters (THQ), as Territorial Youth and Candidates Secretaries. ‘It was painful for us at the time,’ reflects Bronwyn. ‘But now I look back and see those three years setting me up for


the rest of my officership. We journeyed with our kids’ generation intimately, and I think it gave us real insight into what that generation needs going forward.’ ‘We learned that it’s not just the older generation that inspires the younger but, The Buckingham clan: from left, Emma, Lyndon, Bronwyn, Daniel, Israel and Juanita. actually, young people speaking truth into us,’ explains Lyndon. ‘At times it might have been a little hard, and it was supporting the Peddles in their leadership of the Army really humbling to find yourself being shaped in terms of your world. ‘We feel it is a wonderful privilege and a tremendous own spiritual journey by the insights of younger people.’ responsibility, but we have not sought this,’ says Lyndon. In 2007, they headed south to lead the newly formed At the High Council, the Peddles shared their vision for the Southern Division for two years, before a return to THQ where future and Lyndon says a lot of that resonated with him. they served as Secretaries for Programme for four years. ‘Continuing the progress we’ve made, encouraging creativity But it was their next appointment that was most surprising and innovation, looking to the growth of the Army—not just (up to that point). ‘The phone call came from the Chief of the survival. It’s about being willing to have tough conversations Staff,’ says Bronwyn—before laughing at the realisation that over these next five years—who we need to be as an emerging Lyndon will soon be the one to make those calls. Lyndon was Army,’ says Lyndon. appointed as Chief Secretary, and Bronwyn as Territorial When asked about why they might have been chosen for Secretary for Women’s Ministries, of the Singapore, Malaysia these roles, Lyndon says, ‘You’ll have to ask Brian that question— and Myanmar Territory. Then only 14 days after arriving in and I probably will—when I get over the shock!’ Singapore, they received changes of appointments—becoming Bronwyn is equally excited about Rosalie’s vision for the territorial leaders four months later. future, and her desire to really address issues of women In January this year, they set up home in London, taking in leadership, married women in leadership and default over the leadership of the United Kingdom and Ireland territory. appointments. ‘My absolute passion is about the generation ‘Coming into the UK was a fairly easy transition. After five years coming on behind me—in 20 years time I don’t want my away from home, we’d done the heart-wrenching stuff of leaving daughters’ generation sitting around tables having these same family,’ says Bronwyn. discussions. I feel like it’s my time now to make a contribution It was quite a different role for Bronwyn, not automatically and help make a difference for women.’ being given Women’s Ministries, but rather Territorial Leader Bucko and Bronny are deeply grateful to the Army family for Leader Development. ‘I felt really good, really empowered of our territory and expressed an overwhelming sense of … leadership development interests me and I have a passion for gratitude for the emails and Facebook contact people have it. I’ve been given an opportunity to do something different made. ‘New Zealand is home, it will always be home,’ says and new.’ Bronwyn. ‘There’s something about hearing from your people.’

High Council has consequences

The next yes

They both counted it a privilege to be in attendance at the High Council in May, where General-Elect Brian Peddle and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle were chosen. ‘We came home on the Friday, feeling we had contributed well, really happy with the outcome and ready to get on with our roles for the second half of the year,’ says Bronwyn. ‘That was Friday and by Tuesday our worlds were turned upside-down again.’ They got the call, appointing Lyndon as Chief of the Staff and Bronwyn as the World Secretary for Women’s Ministries,

The Buckinghams have been reflecting a lot on their officership journey recently. ‘[It’s around] the whole context of availability and that with every “yes” to the Master comes a deepening and awakening for that “yes” to be fulfilled,’ says Lyndon. ‘You say your “yes”, and in obedience and surrender, there comes a renewed sense of intimacy with him, that compensates and balances out the realities of what that “yes” means. Saying “yes” is part of what the covenant of officership has been about for us.’ 14 JULY 2018  WarCry  9


Affair-Proof Your Marriage No marriage is ‘affair-proof’. We all have vulnerabilities, and all marriages wax and wane. Protecting your marriage is about making the decision to do so, before you are in a vulnerable situation. When you’re single, it’s normal to attract attention from people in the ‘dating game’. This means that when you join your life with someone else, you’re going to have to change some habits. Perhaps most fundamentally, choose not to get your selfesteem from being attractive to people outside your marriage. If the barista at your local café is flirting with you, choose not to flirt back. That doesn’t mean you can’t be yourself or be friendly—but you may just have to adjust what that means. Be honest with yourself about your vulnerabilities—are you away a lot for work? Are you in a position of power, such as a ministry leader? Are you an empathetic person, that people find easy to talk to? None of these are wrong in themselves. But notice where the ‘chinks’ are, and make a plan to protect yourself. When you make these small, daily decisions to avoid temptation, you will be better equipped to deal with bigger temptations. There will be a time in your marriage when you feel alone, and perhaps misunderstood by your partner. It may feel like someone else understands you better. But, remember, this is just a fantasy. That other person is also complicated and has their own problems—you just haven’t seen them yet.

IT MAY FEEL LIKE SOMEONE ELSE UNDERSTANDS YOU BETTER. BUT THIS IS JUST A FANTASY.

Before you are ever in this situation, decide that you will not confide in anyone else of the opposite sex. Sharing personal problems encourages emotional intimacy. And once your emotions are involved, it will be a lot harder to untangle yourself from the relationship.

Prioritise time together. Research has found that making the effort to do something fun and new together can actually re-ignite those ‘butterflies’. At least once a month, make time for a date.

Similarly, don’t turn to ‘easier’ forms of intimacy—like pornography, or online chatting—this is a form of unfaithfulness. It will affect your marriage.

Much of what makes a marriage strong comes down to an attitude of appreciation and thoughtfulness towards each other. Sometimes this will feel natural. At other times, it will take effort. Surprise your partner with a thoughtful gesture—this is even more important when you are going through tough times.

Those are the ‘don’ts’ for protecting yourself from an affair, but there are also many positives that will encourage you and your partner to stay committed and turning towards each other.

Choose to see the positives in your partner—happiness in marriage has a lot more to do with the way you see your partner, than how perfect they actually are.

Firstly, do keep having sex. Yep, you won’t always feel like it. No, it doesn’t have to be like when you were first married. But stay physically connected. Sex is what makes your relationship unique. And it’s not just the sex—continue to show physical affection to each other through a touch, hug, kiss or holding hands. Tell your partner you love them.

A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.

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Robert Quillen


TESTIFY! Scott and Aimee Noakes have been accepted for training at Booth College of Mission. They share their journey from officers’ kids, but discovering the officership calling for themselves. Scott: I have been told my whole life that I would become an officer. It’s what happens when you’re an officer’s kid. But there is more to the story— when I was born, the doctor (who was a Christian) told my parents that I would be a preacher and a pastor. My mother, Vyvyenne Noakes, has always wholeheartedly believed this and encouraged me throughout my life. I enjoyed being an officer’s kid. I was heavily into rugby and sports, and my mates were all heavy drinkers. But I always had that foundational faith— I got pride in knowing who I was and not giving into temptation, and I got respect for that as well. But it wasn’t until I was 16 that my faith became very real and personal. I was at a camp, and during one of the meetings I just had the realisation that I was a sinner and needed Jesus. I didn’t understand it at the time, but that was my salvation moment. Aimee and I met when we were still teenagers. We were both studying at Praxis—a Christian organisation that trains youth workers. We didn’t think much of each other to start with, but we developed our friendship throughout the year. We have been married for eight years, and have three young children. We both currently work for Hutt City Corps—I’m the youth coordinator and Aimee is the children’s worker. About six years ago, I came to the realisation that we were called to The Salvation Army and full-time ministry. For me, the next logical step was officership. But Aimee was very anti, so I had to wait and see what God would do …

‘ … WE LOVE THE SALVATION ARMY, WE LOVE THE PEOPLE IN IT, WE LOVE GOD, AND WE WANT TO SERVE HIM … ’ Aimee: All my life, I resisted the idea that I would become an officer. My parents, Denise and Stephen Crump, were officers. I found moving around really hard. I had an extremely loving family, but we lived in 20 different houses, in nine different towns. My early teenage years were spent at a small high school in Australia, where everyone knew each other. Then my parents were appointed to South Auckland—it was such a culture shock. Many times, my parents sat in the car with me while I cried, not wanting to go to school. When I was 16, someone prayed for me at church, and in that moment I had a very clear call to full-time ministry in the church. I became a youth worker, and started dating Scott—we had a long-distance relationship. He was in Wellington, and I moved to Tauranga

with my parents, where I had an internship at the church. But after six weeks I decided to pack it in and move to Wellington. As stupid as that was, I believe it was a real God thing, because within a day of moving I already had a job offer. I was also offered a place at the girls’ home, part of 614 Corps. We got married when I was 22, and a week later moved to Palmerston North to be youth pastors at the corps. Five weeks later, we became pregnant. It was a very difficult time and we drove each other crazy … but in the best possible way, because it was the making of us. I never thought that I would become an officer, but through the encouragement of others, I came to realise that we love The Salvation Army, we love the people in it, we love God, and we want to serve him in this way. 14 JULY 2018  WarCry  11


like these change your life, and your perspective on the world.

THE POWER OF PRAYER

Last year, Kate Geddes spent three months at Revolution Hawaii—a Salvation Army young adults programme that aims to ‘wage war with aloha’ (love). Kate found that the real revolution began within. When you think of Hawaii, you probably think of beautiful beaches, surfing, the pipeline and luaus. To the regular tourist visiting the main island of O’ahu, this is a fairly accurate depiction. But travel 10 kilometres from Waikiki into downtown Chinatown, and this idyllic image somewhat changes—stunning beaches, blue water and luaus are replaced with an array of people living homeless on the street. Travel 40 minutes to the West Coast, and you find the community of Pu’uhonua O Waianae, where people live camped in tents—with no electricity, facilities or running water.

THE REVOLUTION BEGINS Revolution Hawaii (RevHi) brings young adults aged 18–29 from around the world, to the North Shore of O’ahu to ‘Wage War with Aloha’. The programme is a community mission and discipleship programme where you learn how to love God and love others better. Love or ‘aloha’ is expressed through serving and volunteering in the two communities of Chinatown and Waianae. I like to think that in some way, I made some small impact in the communities, in my team and in The Salvation Army corps where I served. But the reality is that the ripples of what I learnt in Hawaii have changed my mission, ministry and life back at home. The leaders always made it clear that the real revolution begins when you go home, and practise everything you learnt. From experiencing living homeless, to hanging out with kids in communities and sharing stories with homeless people on the street—experiences

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A platitude that we sometimes throw into conversation: ‘There is so much power in prayer’. But my experiences changed my perspective on this statement. We would dedicate time every day to prayer, and the speed that prayers were answered blew my mind. I saw healing happen, I saw addicts who lived on the street who openly renounced God have a change of heart and come to church, wanting help. I saw God provide for my every need through all situations. I saw people who refused to pray, soften over the months and begin to ask for prayer. These tangible answers to prayer have made my prayers since coming home bolder and bigger. My heart believes more that God can and will answer prayer.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES RevHi is based on learning and practising spiritual disciplines. We focused on: • prayer • reading the Bible • fasting • silence and solitude • scripture memorisation • taking a Sabbath day • teaching and learning • reading books that develop you • physical wellbeing through exercise. The learning and practising of these transformed my spiritual life. At times it’s hard, but I try to put these into practise now at home. The more you pour into your relationship with God, the more you want to—and the more you learn about who God is. It’s the best!

LIVING SIMPLY IN COMMUNITY At RevHi you are part of a team that does everything together: it eats, it prays and reads the Bible, journeys and serves together. As the team lived together, we journeyed through the good and the bad, the beautiful, the exciting, the ugly—and we needed to make allowances for each other. It solidified for me that we are not meant to be alone—we are


meant to live in community with each other and journey through life together. We need to break bread, pray, read the Bible and serve together, and learn what true community living looks like in our own context. The programme focused on the idea of living simply—all of your personal belongings needed to fit into a small tub, and we were provided and lived on the basic essentials.

REVHI WAS HARD AND STRETCHING, BUT ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE.

LOVE GOD, LOVE OTHERS RevHi’s fundamental ethos is to love God and love others. It seems simple, right? Something you’ve heard before. But have you really stopped to think about what that looks like in your context? For us in RevHi this looked like eradicating any gossip from our team. It meant being the first one to put up your hand to serve—what we called the ‘me first attitude’, a complete contrast to the ‘me first’ attitude our culture teaches us. It meant talking to people who we would otherwise walk by. It meant not complaining about people, or the things we did or didn’t have, but rather being grateful for God’s provision. It meant not criticising each other, but showing love through the words we used and the way we addressed problems or conflict. It meant living with a humble, selfless attitude. It meant learning what unconditional love from the Father means, and how we can love those who are around us. It meant on the days when we were tired, potentially a little sunburnt and drained from early mornings, late nights, days of learning and ministry, to draw on the strength of God and love his people anyway. I’m challenged daily to keep this ethos in my life now at home. In honesty, RevHi was hard and stretching, but one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It isn’t for everybody and if you are someone who God calls to the islands of Hawaii, you need to be sure that you want to go—because you will be challenged and changed. You also need a community at home who supports and prays for you while you are away, but is also somewhere you can come home to and outwork all the things you’ve learnt. It’s not for the faint hearted, but if it is something you feel interested in or called to, explore it. Because if it’s right for you, it’ll change your life.

10 Things That Surprised Me • To experience living homeless, twice. They were six of some of the most testing, but rewarding, days of my life. • To find out that surfing is so much harder than it looks. • To make friends who are like family. • That the toilets flushed the other way to New Zealand. • To have my perspective on so many things change. • To be lying under a tree and have a bird poop in my face. • To have an American accent twang on some words when I came home (please note, this has gone). • That after sleeping on the ground for four nights in a row, how comfortable a plastic mattress on a bunk bed is. • That I survived the heat and humidity of Hawaii. • How much I missed New Zealand coffee. For more info | RevolutionHawaii.org

14 JULY 2018  WarCry  13


Image from The Salvation Army’s Winter Appeal campaign, from 23 July–10 August.

Back Into A Good Place

Cathy and her family hit rock bottom living in a rundown motel room, eating only noodles for a week straight. But a warm welcome from The Salvation Army helped them get out of the cold this winter. BY JAMES CRAW

Things looked desperate for Cathy, her partner and three children, aged two, eight and ten. Their living situation in Auckland had changed—a death in the family meant they no longer had a caregiver to look after their children while the couple worked. So earlier this year, they moved to Whangārei to live with Cathy’s mother.

Hitting hard times But the move to a new city didn’t work out as planned. Cathy and her partner had trouble finding jobs and were forced to go on a job-seekers benefit. This was a new experience for them. It was a difficult adjustment to go from a stable wage to a substantially reduced income. 14  WarCry  14 JULY 2018

To compound matters, the living situation for Cathy and her family wasn’t working. They were left with no choice but to seek emergency accommodation through Work and Income. The family was placed on a housing waitlist. But due to the Northland housing crisis, the only emergency accommodation available was in a budget motel. Cathy says it was an extremely difficult and depressing time for them all, with the family having to make some tough choices. ‘While we were grateful for the housing support, the five of us surviving in that small motel was tough—it was dirty and had cockroaches, and it was no place for children to be living. ‘At one stage we were living on noodles because otherwise we couldn’t pay the rent … I was worried about the lack of nutrition [the children] were getting.’

Getting back in a good place After almost two months in this situation, the family had a call from The Salvation Army. One of the Army’s emergency living units had become available. The family moved out of the motel and into supportive accommodation. Cathy was also put in contact with Kate Pohe, a social worker at The Salvation Army’s Whangārei Community Ministries (CM)— one of the Army’s 68 social service centres around New Zealand. Kate recalls the first time she met Cathy: ‘She was very shy and it took her weeks to open up to us—it was obvious that she’d never been in a position before where she’d had to ask for this type of help.’


I FEEL AWESOME, I’M SO GRATEFUL FOR WHAT THE SALVATION ARMY HAS DONE FOR US. Cathy and Kate sat down and talked through a plan to get the family into a better place, starting with stable accommodation and addressing the financial issues that had held the family back. They met weekly to devise a strategy for getting the family ‘back into a good place’ physically, mentally and emotionally, by accessing the broad range of services and programmes that The Salvation Army offers. During this time, the family received some good news: Cathy’s partner had secured a job in Whangārei. This meant a return to a steady income, and the ability to reduce their reliance on a benefit—a major goal the family had been working toward. With an income in place, the next step for Kate and the team at Whangārei CM was to assist the family out of emergency housing and into a permanent rental. Cathy had been getting knockbacks from real estate agents for several weeks, as they were worried about the family’s ability to pay rent on time and other factors. But thanks to Kate’s advocacy on their behalf, they were able to find a suitable home for a family of five. With winter fast approaching, the Army helped furnish her rental home with bedding, sheets and pillows from the local Salvation Army Family Store, alongside appliances such as a crockpot and an electric frying pan. The family also received food parcels from the Army to ensure the children were getting proper nutrition, and allow Cathy to use more of their income to start paying back an outstanding loan.

Ongoing support Alongside this urgent support, Cathy accessed several Armyrun programmes to assist her in making long-term, positive changes. This included a series of financial mentoring sessions, with a budgeting mentor, working on a realistic spending plan for the family within their limited budget. Cathy says that it made a real difference almost immediately. ‘My mentor helped me begin addressing my debt and gave me strategies around how to best manage my household budget— including prioritising bills against everyday needs like groceries.’ Another programme, Oranga Kai, helped Cathy develop her cooking skills with a focus on creating easy yet nutritious meals on a budget. ‘I learnt how to cook cost-efficient, filling and healthy meals within my budget, and it was awesome that my children had the opportunity to get involved in the food prep and cooking too.’ The Army’s Positive Lifestyle Programme (PLP) focused on helping Cathy mentally, as the ‘rock’ for her family. Cathy credits this course with helping to turn her mind-set around. ‘Before I had got to the Sallies I was in a really bad state, really down… but the PLP programme lifted me up, boosted my energy and helped take some weight off of my shoulders. ‘It also helped me build my relationship up with my mum again, as well as strengthen my family—we’re all so much happier and more positive now.’

Cathy and her family are now building a plan with Kate to get through the toughest parts of winter, when living costs can often be at their highest. The family continue to receive support from Whangārei Community Ministries via the financial mentoring, Oranga Kai and PLP programmes, with a goal of becoming fully independent and debt-free in the near future.

Part of the family Cathy credits Kate’s ongoing support and care with helping her family to get to a better place. ‘I remember how scared I was when I first met Kate, but she was so awesome and understanding—it immediately felt like she was family and I’d known her for a long time. She made me and my children feel comfortable seeking and accepting help, without judgement.’

MY MENTOR HELPED ME BEGIN ADDRESSING MY DEBT AND GAVE ME STRATEGIES AROUND HOW TO BEST MANAGE MY HOUSEHOLD BUDGET. Looking to the future, Cathy and her family feel positive about where they’re heading. ‘At the moment I feel awesome, I’m so grateful for what The Salvation Army has done for us, really glad that they stepped in and helped me and my family—I see the impact of their support now and I’m so appreciative,’ she says. ‘If it wasn’t for them, I think that we’d still be in that motel room, eating noodles and feeling like no one cared about us.’ Meanwhile, Kate has been thrilled to have been part of Cathy’s transformation over the past several months. ‘Cathy’s journey with us has been amazing to watch, she’s transformed into a confident woman who has the tools and new-found positivity needed to look after her family. It’s been fascinating to see.’

The Salvation Army Winter Appeal runs from 23 July10 August. You can help give New Zealanders enough to make it through a tough winter and beyond by going to salvationarmy.org.nz/winterappeal

14 JULY 2018  WarCry  15


Soldier of Christ: A Tribute to Commissioner Ross Kendrew Commissioner Ross Kendrew was promoted to Glory from Wellington Hospital on 1 May, aged 79. He was a much loved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and a popular former Territorial Commander of the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, and the Australian Southern, Territories. Born in 1939 to parents Allen and Winifred (nee Simpson) Kendrew, Ross grew up in Christchurch alongside his sisters Alwyn and Carol. The family was heavily involved within The Salvation Army in Sydenham. His father was the bandmaster for 35 years, and his mother wrote numerous songs and plays—many of which were published by The Salvation Army. It was here that Ross first developed his Christian faith, and he himself became an accomplished musician. He left school to take up an apprenticeship at Alloy Steel as a pattern maker—a woodworking trade, making precise moulds for metal casings. During this apprenticeship, he spent three months at the Whenuapai Air Force Base in Auckland, completing his compulsory military training. Watching a fellow serviceman play a ukulele encouraged him to purchase one himself, which then led to him setting up a Skiffle

16  WarCry  14 JULY 2018

group with some friends on his return to Christchurch. Initially, they just played for fun, but quickly became popular—until they were shut down by the Divisional Commander for fear their music might encourage dancing!

A young officer It was with some reluctance, but a clear calling from God, that Ross left Christchurch for Wellington, to train to be a Salvation Army officer, in the 1961 ‘Soldiers of Christ’ session. This session was unique in that the training college in Aro Street needed renovation, so the cadets started their training at the Railton Hotel in Auckland, followed by a very cold winter at Camp Akatārawa, before their final few months at Aro Street. They were each commissioned as Probationary Lieutenants and Ross was appointed to the Paremata Corps. It was while there that Ross met June, a young lieutenant, initially from Wanganui. Their first significant (and most embarrassing) meeting was a setup by some of Ross’s friends. They were married a year later and appointed together to lead the Hornby Corps in Christchurch, followed by similar appointments in Rotorua, Waihī, Dunedin North and Ōamaru. During

this time, their four children were born—Raewyn, Michael, Helen (only lent) and Alastair. As Corps Officers, Ross and June were known for hard work and innovative ministry. Ross helped the youth in Hornby, and again in Ōamaru, convert a van into an off-road vehicle. He wrote brass arrangements of Beatles’ songs to engage the youth in Ōamaru, set up an over 60s programme, and introduced ‘corps goals’ at Dunedin—all unique at that time. The Dunedin North Corps was really going well when they received word that they were to relocate to Ōamaru because ‘three years seemed like a good amount of time’! In Ōamaru, having been preaching weekly for 10 years, Ross joined the local Toastmasters Club. The feedback on his first speech was, ‘You could become a reasonable public speaker with a bit of practise’. Over the next 20 years, Ross went on to obtain the highest Toastmasters Award and win numerous speaking competitions. To keep fit and engage with the community, Ross became a rugby referee. Apparently, once players learned he was a minister, the foul language and fighting greatly reduced, so it became standard to assign him the toughest games. Ross went on to referee some provincial games in New Zealand, and an international fixture in Fiji.

New frontiers From Ōamaru, the family moved to take over the challenging leadership of the new Salvation Army work in Fiji. A lot of the early work was based around income generation and keeping people out of prison. Work skills programmes, such as fishing and council grounds maintenance contracts, were based out of the new Raiwai Hostel. And the land at Lomaivuna was cultivated to provide produce for the Hostel and for sale at the market. They returned to New Zealand to take up roles as Divisional Youth Secretaries for the Northern Division. One of their first tasks was to set up the newly-built camp at Snells Beach, from where they would lead many subsequent camps. At one camp, Ross developed a unique solution to any behaviour


problems. A long wooden pole was tied over the creek running through the camp. Misbehaving campers were required to stand before their fellow campers after the dinner meal for judgement. The chant would begin, ‘Pole, pole, pole,’ and the offenders would be led outside to joust on the pole. Occasionally, the campers got to hurl leftover food at them. Health and safety wasn’t such an issue in those days. After Auckland came three Divisional Commander appointments— Southern Division (Dunedin), Central Division (Wellington) and East Victoria Division (Melbourne)—before New Zealand senior leadership positions, and then Territorial Commander. Ross spent much of this time asking everyone he could for input into what became known as the Millennium Strategy. Every department, division, corps and centre was to develop a plan for how they would implement the key goals. Unfortunately, as the strategy was coming into full swing, Ross and June were appointed back to Melbourne to take over leadership of that territory. Convinced that focusing on just a few goals was beneficial, Ross developed further the Future Now plan, operating

in the Australian Southern Territory. During this time, Ross was recognised for his leadership—becoming a fellow of both the New Zealand and the Australian Institutes of Management.

duster’. Such was his humility that it took time for people to start asking, ‘Are you the same Ross Kendrew whose name is on the plaque for opening the building?’ Ross remained active throughout

ROSS WAS KNOWN AS A SERVANT LEADER WHO EMPOWERED OTHERS. Still humble It was from Australia that Ross and June retired in 2004, having been officers for 43 years. For their retirement, representatives from all previous appointments were asked for a reflection. One comment from Australia was: ‘After speaking about their commitment, godliness, loyalty, friendliness and example of leadership, the best I can add is, “They could easily pass for fair dinkum Aussies”.’ In retirement, Ross joined the Johnsonville Corps. Soon after arriving, he offered to do the role of maintenance man for the building—International Headquarters had to approve the role! Someone said to him, ‘One day you were the rooster; now you’re the feather

his time at Johnsonville, with various leadership team roles, serving at the weekly community meal, providing budgeting services and leading a Bible study for more than 10 years. While Ross and June enjoyed international travel together, Ross was most comfortable travelling around New Zealand in a campervan, walking many of the great walks, and visiting family. He especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and working on projects with them—such as a boat he built with the family. Ross was known as a servant leader who empowered others. A service of celebration for his life was held at the Johnsonville Corps on Friday 4 May. The hall was full, and the streamed service was watched 1500 times. His family has been humbled and overwhelmed by the hundreds of cards and emails of encouragement, kind words and messages of how Ross influenced so many people. Please accept this as their heartfelt thank you for every message received. Well done good and faithful servant. BY ALASTAIR KENDREW Flag Publications has negotiated a reprint of Commissioner Ross Kendrew’s book, I Might Have Been A Patternmaker. It is available to pre-order for no more than $25.00 (plus p&p). To register your interest please email warcry@ salvationarmy.org.nz

14 JULY 2018  WarCry  17


Fresh Start For Oldest Relationship One of The Salvation Army’s longest relationships has received a boost as the Army renewed its work with the Department of Corrections to support released prisoners. The agreement, signed by territorial leaders Commissioners Andy and Yvonne Westrupp and Corrections Chief Executive Ray Smith, confirms the commitment to work together to help reduce re-offending and keep the public safe. The Salvation Army’s work with Corrections is to provide addiction treatment in four prisons, addiction support to people on community-based sentences, and to support people leaving prison with their reintegration into society—including accommodation and supporting them into stable employment. Although the two have been officially working together since 2006, Territorial Secretary for Social Mission Captain Gerry Walker said the relationship went back to the late 1800s. ‘This is the longest relationship we’ve had with any government department. We built two of our hostels across the road from the prisons in Addington and Epsom Lodge, so men could walk out of prison and straight to The Salvation Army.’ Andy said the partnership was hugely valuable to the Army’s reintegration work. ‘It makes a real difference in providing a good base and ongoing support for the people we work with. Together we’re able to help people transform their lives, to bring out their Godgiven potential and to make New Zealand a safer place.’ Salvation Army services were critical to helping people reintegrate and live crime-free, said Smith. ‘[The Salvation Army] have played an important role in helping us safely manage offenders in the community and make a real difference in people’s lives.’

One of those people is Hannah*, who said the Army had helped her with accommodation and reintegration support in a new town, giving her a fresh start when she was released. The Army is also working with her on training and work readiness programmes to help find and keep a job. ‘I probably would have gone straight back to offending again and back to jail if The Salvation Army hadn’t given me the support they had,’ she said. ‘The staff give me reassurance that it’s worth sticking it out and to keep trying when obstacles come up. It’s kept me feeling safe, making good decisions.’ *Name has been changed

Youth Take On Challenge The young people of the Southern Division rose to the challenge, during this year’s Red Shield Appeal. ‘To encourage our young people, I put out a challenge to each youth group to see how much, and for how long, they could collect,’ said Divisional Youth and Candidates Secretary Alison Moody. Dunedin City Salvation Army youth took out the prize, with 23 collectors taking part. Instead of the usual Friday night youth group, the young people went out collecting, and raised $202 in one hour. They also collected throughout the appeal. ‘We are a bit of a competitive bunch, so had to get on board,’ said Peter Lobb, Dunedin City Youth Worker. ‘It was a great opportunity to talk to our youth about the different

18  WarCry  14 JULY 2018

services The Salvation Army offers—letting them know that what they collected will go towards such services.’ Michaela Lobb and Ralph Hargest organised the youth collectors. ‘They did us all proud,’ said Peter.


GAZETTE

Appointment: Effective 25 June: Lt Andrew O’Brien, Divisional Pasifika Advisor, Northern Division. Promotion to Glory: Captain Douglas (Doug) Rattray was promoted to Glory on Monday 18 June 2018 from Kapiti, at the age of 72. Doug was born on 5 August 1945 in Wanganui, and married Carol on 12 December 1970. Doug and Carol were warranted as Territorial Envoys on 23 January 1992, and appointed as the Corps Officers at Foxton Corps. In January 1995, Doug and Carol were appointed Assistant Officers at Wellington City Corps, with responsibility for Social Services. This was followed by an appointment in June 1996 as Assistants, Public Relations Department, THQ. On 7 August 1997, Doug and Carol were commissioned as Auxiliary Captains as part of the Messengers of Truth session. They were promoted to the rank of Captain on 14 December 2002. In November 1999, Doug was appointed Director, Donor Development, in the Public Relations Department, THQ. This was followed by an appointment in January 2003 for Doug and Carol as Corps Officers at Flaxmere Corps. In January 2008, Doug and Carol relocated to Porirua, where Doug took up the appointment of Manager, Porirua Community Ministries. Doug and Carol entered retirement on 31 August 2010, having completed five years as Territorial Envoys, and 13 years 25 days active service as officers. Please continue to support Captain Carol Rattray, Julian and Michelle, Adrian, Kirsten, and other family members, including Doug’s brother Major Graham Rattray, with your prayers at this time of grief and loss. Well done good and faithful servant of Jesus!

WE CAN FACE THE FUTURE, IN THE CONFIDENCE HIS LOVE WILL CARRY US … A recent bank add on TV features the classic David Bowie track ‘Changes’. It reflects the seasons of life—from youthful freedom, to young love, a new relationship that turns to family life and the anticipated arrival of a child, as the cycle of change continues. I can still hear those lyrics reverberating through my head: Ch … Ch … Ch … Ch Changes, Turn and face the strange … Bowie’s words are quite profound, for as we experience life we will inevitably be confronted with change. It is sometimes welcome, sometimes not, and it often seems very strange, unfamiliar, unexpected and uncomfortable. You know the old adage that, ‘The only thing that is constant is change’. Over the past 12 months, I have faced significant change—overseas travel, a challenging yet fulfilling experience away at the International College for Officers, news of a change of appointment and a new location to call home. I’ve experienced ‘empty nest’—well almost, we still have one at home—a new city, a different role, and a health rollercoaster. It’s been quite the year for me and the whānau. While I might have felt out of my depth, at times unsure, concerned and even afraid, Jesus has been my peace, my security, my constant, faithful friend. My mother-in-law turned 90 earlier in the year, and it caused me to reflect on all the change that she has faced in her lifetime. The world of her childhood is unrecognisable from the world of today—cell phones, computers, laptops. Tablets were things you took when you were sick, not toys you played on! Change in our lives is so all-encompassing that there are whole industries built up around it—hundreds of books, courses, conferences, podcasts and sermons to help us deal with the changes that life throws our way. The only thing that is constant is change. It seems that this is the one unwavering, universal truth of life.

400–600 words with one or two captioned photos. Promotion to Glory tributes are approx 300 words. Email reports and large, high-quality jpeg images to: warcry@ nzf.salvationarmy.org

It’s true. You see, while everything else may change, God remains the same. The Bible reminds us that: ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever’ (Hebrews 13:8, NLT). In the book of Malachi, God says to his people, ‘I am the Lord and I don’t change’ (3:6. NLT). We can take comfort and encouragement from the fact that despite life’s circumstances God is steadfast, reliable and sure. His love does not change, he is faithful; he will never leave us nor forsake us. Ch …Ch … Ch … Ch … Changes, Turn and face the strange … Yes, with God’s promised presence we can do that. We can face the future, in the confidence his love will carry us safely through whatever lies ahead. Lieutenant-Colonel Sheryl Jarvis Secretary for Personnel 14 JULY 2018  WarCry  19


Part 2 of 2: Social Reform

Over recent years, Salvationists have begun to ask questions about the place of The Salvation Army in the modern world. BY JOHN CLEARY

There is a renewed interest in looking at the early days of the Army to find what many early Salvationists knew and understood about their movement, and just what we may have lost along the way. Most significantly, there has been a re-examination of Catherine Booth, not just as ‘the mother of The Salvation Army’ but as a notable figure in Victorian England, both for the church and in the history of modern feminism. In 1864, the year before William and Catherine Booth set up the Christian Mission, the British Government passed what was called the Contagious Diseases Act. It was to become a significant marker on Catherine’s journey into some of the dark places where The Salvation Army was destined to shed light. The Contagious Diseases Act was set up to try and deal with the huge rise in sexually transmitted diseases following the return of thousands of soldiers from the Crimean War. The law criminalised prostitution by criminalising the prostitutes, not the procurers. Catherine was approached by Josephine Butler, a leading Anglican crusader on 20  WarCry 14 JULY 2018

women’s issues, to fight to repeal the act. They argued that guilt in that situation, if it’s going to go anywhere, should be with the procurer, not with the women who, by the dreadful circumstances that they found themselves in, were reduced to selling their bodies for sex: radical thoughts at a time when women were treated by law as largely the property of their husbands. Catherine, in joining this fight for social reform, was not only standing up for principles she had been thinking through for some years regarding the place of women in society, but also with the tradition of evangelical social action going back to the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, and the fight to end slavery. Over the past century, we have come to associate evangelical Christianity as principally concerned with getting souls saved and putting them securely in the lifeboat to heaven. But this was not the tradition of Catherine Booth and the early Army. Catherine’s understanding

was that God created men and women who are all radically equal before God, and that we have a responsibility to build the Kingdom of God here on earth, to make earth as it is in heaven. Social reform was the responsibility of all Christians. William shared Catherine’s strong sense of social justice. However, as a successful evangelist, his focus was on getting people saved, so that they in turn could save others and, eventually, as they became better people, society was changed for the better. But Catherine was doing something different. She argued that our social structures carry sin with them—that the structures help create the situation where sin thrives. So, just as we have a duty to reform people, we have a duty to actually reform the structures. Re-printed with permission from Others magazine, The Salvation Army Australia.


Catherine the Christian Feminist Catherine Booth was one of the most extraordinary women of the Victorian era. She had firm convictions on a broad range of issues, such as social work among the poor and destitute, abstinence from alcohol, the legal age of consent for girls, vegetarianism, and the humane treatment of animals. She also held that women must have full equality with men in Christian ministry.

The right to preach In 1860, Catherine began to preach with the full approval of her husband William Booth. Many people were initially bewildered, because Victorian women were traditionally expected to devote themselves to domestic work and avoid the public sphere. However, Catherine was strongly convinced that women were not intellectually inferior to men and had the right to preach. She soon proved to be an exceptional orator and contributed significantly to moral and social reform. Her ministry was very popular, everywhere attracting crowded audiences, which often included members of the middleclass who wanted to contribute to the evangelisation of destitute slum dwellers. In 1865, when they founded the East London Mission (later renamed The Salvation Army), Catherine became the sole bread winner for the family. She preached in West London and other places and also sold her pamphlets. In her writings and public speeches, she advocated for the employment of women evangelists. Early in 1873, Catherine began holding services in Portsmouth, and within a few months had gathered a congregation of some 3000 people in a music-hall building, frequented mostly by soldiers and sailors.

First-wave Christian feminism Catherine presented her ideas on gender equality in her 1859 pamphlet, ‘Female

Ministry: Or Women’s Right to Preach the Gospel’.

It was nurture, not nature, that crippled the female intellect, she argued: ‘A woman’s training from babyhood even in this highly favoured land, has hitherto been such as to cramp and paralyze rather than to develop and strengthen her energies, and calculated to crush and wither her aspirations after mental greatness rather than to excite and stimulate them. The day is only just dawning with reference to female education and therefore any verdict on woman as an intellectual being must be premature and unsatisfactory.’

‘A WOMAN’S TRAINING FROM BABYHOOD EVEN IN THIS HIGHLY FAVOURED LAND, HAS HITHERTO BEEN SUCH AS TO CRAMP AND PARALYZE RATHER THAN TO DEVELOP AND STRENGTHEN HER ENERGIES … ’ She believed that, intellectually, women were men’s equal, but it was a lack of training or lack of opportunity made her sometimes inferior. Catherine also supported the suffrage movement hoping that women voters ‘would be a powerful force for good in the world’. When The Salvation Army was established in 1878, Catherine began the recruitment of young women, mostly from the working classes. Later

nicknamed ‘Hallelujah Lasses’, they were tasked with bringing relief to female and child residents of slum districts. Catherine contributed significantly to the establishment of rescue homes for young prostitutes and wayward and delinquent women.

A great Victorian On 21 June 1888, Catherine Booth made her last public appearance at the City Temple. She was stricken with cancer and retired to Clacton-on-sea. She died on October 4, 1890. Her funeral in London was attended by 38,000 people. Pamela J. Walker wrote that: ‘The Salvation Army had lost one of its most important theologians and preachers; as an example of female leadership and authority, she had inspired thousands of Salvationist women.’ Source: Dr Andrzej Diniejko, ‘Catherine Mumford Booth: The “Mother” of the Salvation Army and an Early Christian Feminist’, at victorianweb.org 14 JULY 2018  WarCry  21


OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Commissioners Andy (Territorial Commander) and Yvonne Westrupp (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 15–16 July: Northern Division Governance Visit, Auckland City Corps 17 July: Territorial Governance Board visit to ASARS, Auckland 20–21 July: Within Your Reach Conference, Upper Hutt 23 July: Territorial Appointments Conference Day of Reflection and Prayer, Booth College of Mission Colonel Suzanne Fincham (Chief Secretary) 15–16 July: Northern Division Governance Visit, Glen Eden Corps* 17 July: Territorial Governance Board visit to ASARS, Auckland* 23 July: Territorial Appointments Conference Day of Reflection and Prayer, Booth College of Mission* 30 July–2 August: Midland Division Officer’s Fellowship, Taupō* Colonel Heather Rodwell (Territorial Secretary for Women's Ministries and Spiritual Life Development) 15–16 July: Northern Division Governance Visit, Papakura Corps 17 July: Territorial Governance Board visit to ASARS, Auckland 23 July: Territorial Appointments Conference Day of Reflection and Prayer, Booth College of Mission 25 July: Booth College of Mission Worship 28–29 July: Taupō Corps 30 July–2 August: Midland Division Officer’s Fellowship, Taupō

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Quiz Answers: 1 Red, blue, green, 2 Ten, 3 It’s lack of fur coat, 4 Coco Pops, 5 Nimrod (Genesis 10:11).

22  WarCry  14 JULY 2018


Have an adventure!

PETER’S BIG ADVENTURE

1 You are a famous spy. Your mission is to go undercover as a clown. To accomplish this mission, you must do the following within three minutes:

‘Come, follow me …'

Perform a trick standing on one foot

Write your name with your foot

Balance a ball on your foot for five seconds

Matthew 4:19 NIV

2 You are hunting down some pirates to find their stolen treasure. You must do the following within three minutes:

Find something the colour of gold

Draw five coins and a pearl necklace

Find something shiny

I was out with my mates doing what I do every day—fishing. I was just an ordinary dude, with an ordinary job. Then one day, I heard a huge commotion—someone famous had come to town. His name was Jesus, and some people called him the Son of God.

3 You’re a detective trying to solve the case of the missing cupcake. You must do the following within three minutes:

Find someone who likes cupcakes

Name three different cake flavours

Draw a picture of your favourite snack

Jesus strode through the crowds and stopped right in front of me. He said, ‘Come on then, get up and follow me.’ And I did! I got up right then and there, and I left everything to follow him. I could never have guessed the adventures I was about to go on …

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Solve the spy code! Match the bottom letters to the top to solve the code: A B C D E F G H I

J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Z Y X W V U R S R Q P O N M L K J

O

R

U

V

D

R

G

S

Q

I H G F E D C B A

V

H

F

H !

R

H

Z

M

Z

W

Hey parents!

E

V

e is week about som Talk to your kids th your g Jesus has made ways that knowin venture. life more of an ad

M

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!

I saw Jesus heal people who were blind, couldn’t walk or had diseases. Even better, we went out and did miracles ourselves! One day, we fed a crowd of 5000 with just one young boy’s lunchbox—I don’t know how, but the food just kept coming. Then, there was a time when I walked on water! Another time, we were out in our boat and got caught in a massive storm. We honestly thought we were done for, but then Jesus told the waves to stop— and they did! I could not believe what I was seeing. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t said yes to Jesus that day? I know I would never have had all these adventures. When you decide to follow Jesus, your life will become an adventure, too. You might look like an ordinary kid on the outside, but you just wait—with Jesus, you will change the world!

Dear Jesus, I want my life to be full of adventures with you, I want to follow you. Amen. 14 JULY 2018  WarCry  23


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Support our Winter Appeal and help provide those in need with the basics of food, warmth and shelter this winter.

www.salvationarmy.org.nz/winterappeal


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