Interview 10 and

WHEN DID YOU FIRST ENCOUNTER HIM?

I became aware of Commissioner Harry Read in 2013 when reading an interview with him by Major Stephen Court in the online Journal of Aggressive Christianity. Seeking Harry out on Facebook, I discovered he was an accomplished poet, with many of his Facebook friends suggesting he should produce a book of his inspiring poems. As I was at the time the assistant literary secretary of the Australia Southern Territory, I suggested to the Literary Council – under the leadership of then Captain Mal Davies – that Salvo Publishing could well do this, which met with unanimous agreement. So began an email friendship as Harry and I worked together on Heart Talk: The Give and Take of Communion with God, during which I discovered him to be an inspiration in so many ways – a man of deep faith with an amazing work ethic, engaging wit and wisdom, and an irrepressible love of life.

HOW LONG DID THE BOOK TAKE TO PUT TOGETHER?

Never one to blow his own trumpet, it took years of encouragement and coaxing to convince Harry that his was an inspiring story that needed to be told. Recently retired, last year I was able to immerse myself in writing his biography and began mapping out just how to do that. I decided to document his life sequentially, and for around nine months there were many hours of telephone interviews, emails and FaceTimes, with Harry’s prodigious memory providing details of his long life. I also researched Salvation Army books, magazines and online histories, plus accounts of various Army events and the changing world during those years. Harry’s son, Major John Read, and daughter, Major Margaret Ord, were very helpful in providing information and reading the manuscript, as did Major Ken Lawson, one of Harry’s contemporaries, and former literary councillor Major Doug Kollmorgen.

WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART?

The most challenging aspect was to sift through the copious interviews and information and present Wings of Faith in a highly readable way. Each of the 22 chapters began in rough draft form, with

Harry is admitted to the Order of the Founder by General Brian Peddle in 2019

relevant anecdotes, research and information from Harry’s family and friends eventually pieced together into a coherent account of his inspirational life. Many drafts were to ensue before the final version of the chapter was ticked off.

PEOPLE KNOW HARRY AS THE MAN WHO JUMPED FROM THE SKY. WHAT ELSE DID YOU DISCOVER ABOUT HIM THAT SURPRISED YOU?

One of the first things that surprised and delighted me was Harry’s warm friendliness, engaging wit and complete lack of pretension. He was a prayer warrior, setting aside considerable time each day in what he termed a ‘spiritual partnership with the Heavenly Father’, interceding on behalf of the many people on his long prayer lists. As a nonagenarian, he had self-propelled energy and a determination to live every day to the full.

FAITH WAS A PIVOTAL PART OF HIS LIFE. HOW DID GOD UNIQUELY USE HARRY DURING HIS LIFETIME?

Harry’s dedication to God and The Salvation Army was epitomised by his many years at the International Training College in various appointments – including training principal – during which thousands of cadets were inspired by his influence, his time as director of information services in London, and international leadership with his wife, Win, in Canada, Australia Eastern Territory and as British Commissioner. During retirement, he led a Bible study at his home corps of Winton and wrote Words of Life, the Army’s international daily devotional book, for 10 years, followed by his Facebook ministry to almost 5,000 followers. Harry’s extraordinary life of service was celebrated during his admission to the Order of the Founder by General Brian Peddle in 2019.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM HARRY’S LIFE AND FAITH?

Commissioner Harry Read’s life was testament to his abiding faith and love of God. He dedicated his courageous and caring heart, poetic gifts, empathetic nature and abundant energy to living out his faith, testifying that ‘to be part of Jesus’ mission for a needy world is a highly privileged vocation’. Harry was promoted to Glory aged 97 on 14 December 2021, bequeathing an enduring example to countless people because of his exemplary life and Christian witness during more than 70 years of service as a Salvation Army officer.

Wings of Faith is available on amazon.co.uk as a paperback for £9.99 and as a Kindle ebook for £5.99

Keeping it legal

General Counsel and Company Secretary Elliot Thomas introduces the territory’s Legal Services Unit and its work

WHAT DOES BEING GENERAL COUNSEL AND COMPANY SECRETARY INVOLVE?

I work with the territory’s leadership, legal entities and boards advising on issues and recommending appropriate and lawful courses of action. This includes being director of legal services. I like to think that I provide a level of reassurance and support for leadership in their fantastically difficult jobs. There’s a lot going on that has regulatory and legal input, and they have many plates to spin, so it’s helpful for them to have someone who’s watching a few of the plates from the point of view of the legal structure and, as company secretary, helping co-ordinate all that’s going on.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE ARMY?

Before coming to the Army a decade ago, I worked in the City for more than eight years, finishing up at the law firm Slaughter and May. As a Christian I wanted to live out my faith and it was always my ambition to do something socially valuable with my training. I had looked at several different avenues, including working as a public defender on ‘death row’ in the USA, but it wasn’t to be. Slaughter and May have been the Army’s lawyers for many years. When I was there I saw an advert saying The Salvation Army needed a commercial solicitor. It was a real ‘God-incidence’ – the Army was looking for my skills and I had been looking for something like the Army for a while. I would have been happy to work for a non-church organisation doing ethical things, but it was even better for it to be a Christian movement.

WHY DOES THE ARMY NEED IN-HOUSE LEGAL SERVICES?

There are two main reasons for having an internal team. The first is cost. The

Legal Services Unit (LSU) costs far less than paying for a law firm. The second reason is that it enables us to help beyond just strict legal advice. Whether it’s me or a colleague sitting in board meetings or taking part in conversations about how to handle issues, because we’ve learnt the Army’s culture we can provide a steer on issues. We provide a consistency and insight that an external firm couldn’t. All big churches have a lawyer, if not a bunch of them, and certainly all big charities have an in-house legal team.

WHAT WORK IS THE LSU INVOLVED IN?

I’ve been at conferences with people who have the same role in FTSE 100 companies and the range of work we do is broader than anyone I’ve come across. This territory has 4,500 employees, £2 billion worth of property and all the stuff that any corporation would have, so there’s work connected with all that. Plus we are a church and a major social service provider, and we’ve

ELISABETH ELSEY

I am the assistant company secretary, so I work with Elliot to help ensure there is good governance within The Salvation Army and to support the SATCo board of directors in their role. I’ve worked in the Legal Services team for six years. As a Salvationist I feel a personal connection to the Army and I believe in our mission. I want the Army to be God-honouring, and I am motivated to do the best I can to help it be the best it can be!

EMMA D’SOUZA

I’ve been here almost seven years. I wanted to work for a charity that helped people in need and I chose the right one! I could not imagine anywhere that devotes itself to serving people on such a scale, with such energy for individuals and their rights. Organisations also have rights, so my job helps the Army to protect its rights and assets, things such as branding and data, including data about the people it helps and who help us. That way, the Army can navigate the world of laws and contracts in order to get on with what it does best!

SHEENA PARIKH

I am the charity solicitor in the team. This can involve advising the board of the Salvation Army Trustee Company (SATCo) on issues concerning charity law, practice and regulation; advising on charity law requirements in other jurisdictions such as Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands; advising on safeguarding matters; and other legal matters as required. I joined the Army in 2015. Prior to that I worked as a family solicitor in private practice. I was motivated to move to The Salvation Army because I admired the charitable work it carries out and I wanted to apply my skills to help it achieve greater success.

NICOLA KLINKENBERG

As the property solicitor, I deal with a wide range of legal issues, including advising on the legal structure of property transactions, the charity law implications of disposals and purchases, property disputes, overseeing the residential conveyancing of houses for retired and active officers and the commercial leases of charity shops. I’ve been here for almost 10 years. I joined because of the Army’s amazing work and the wide-ranging legal issues I would be dealing with – and because I wanted to work for an organisation I could be proud of.

SANDEEP PARMAR

I started at The Salvation Army in 2012 because I wanted to work in an organisation that plays a positive role in society. My work involves providing employment law advice, as well as assisting more generally on legal disputes. I am an advocate and appear at employment tribunals and other courts as required.

SARAH BYRT

I joined in spring 2016 as a commercial solicitor focusing on frontline contracts and projects and have just taken up a new role as assistant head of legal (strategy and performance). I’ll be working with the team to help us continue developing and maximising our impact on The Salvation Army’s strategy, using our limited resources in the most effective way. When I joined, the key attractions for me were the supportive team ethos and the variety of work done by the Army to help the most vulnerable people – and that’s still true today!

KATIE THOMPSON

I joined the Legal Services Unit in 2014 as a property paralegal and have since trained here as a solicitor, qualifying in 2020. While I have a background in property law, I now work across many areas of law to include charity, commercial and property. What appeals to me is The Salvation Army’s unique identity as a worldwide church and charity, as well as the variety of work that ensues from its multi-faceted operations.