Rear-mirror views

General John Larsson (Retired) continues to share glimpses from 13 astonishing years that shaped The Salvation Army – 1878-1890 ‘SAIL SOUTH AMERICA TUESDAY’

IT was a spring Saturday afternoon in 1890 and 17-year-old Alfred Benwell, who worked in the architects department at International Headquarters, was on a weekend visit to Manchester with the Junior Staff Band. When a telegram was handed to him, he read with surprise: ‘Be ready sail South America Tuesday’. That was three days away.

A long time before, Alfred had been asked if he would be willing to go as a secretary to assist the officers who were pioneering the Army’s work in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He had said yes, but as he had heard nothing more he assumed plans had changed.

His fellow junior bandsmen gave him a cheerful send-off as he set out for his home in Shoeburyness to gather his belongings. He boarded his ship that Tuesday – and was not to return for another 15 years. Had he not sailed, I would not be telling this story.

On the voyage Alfred began to learn Spanish. He knew that the Army’s work in Argentina had been grounded on a mistake. William Booth had received an appeal to start the Army there to cater for the spiritual needs of the British community, numbering 15,000 people. The General had appointed a small group of pioneer officers, and they armed themselves with thousands of tracts and penny songbooks in English. But on arrival they found that those who had appealed to the General had omitted to mention an important fact. The 15,000 were mainly cattle ranchers and were scattered over an area ten times the size of Great Britain! There was no way that regular corps work among them could be started. The pioneers were undismayed. If they could not start the Army’s work in English, they would do it in Spanish. And so they armed themselves with dictionaries and began to learn the language. In true early Army style they began holding public meetings long before they had an adequate command of the language. The audience of mainly slaughterhouse men were not slow to holler their disapproval of the officers’ stumbling efforts. It seemed impossible to get through to them.

When Alfred attended his first meeting he sensed the hostility of the audience. In the prayer meeting following the message, pioneer Captain William Bonnett asked him to sing an appeal song in Spanish. As he sang he watched with admiration as the captain enacted a simple visual aid he had sometimes used to try and get the message across. Captain Bonnett went and sat in the congregation. After a moment he said in his best Spanish: ‘I, a sinner; I, a great sinner.’ This was greeted with loud guffaws from the audience. Then as he went to kneel at the penitent form he declared: ‘I seek the Saviour!’ The audience cheered. Rising to his feet after a moment, he added: ‘Thank you, Jesus, for forgiving my sins.’ Thunderous mock applause erupted. ‘‘ If they could not start the Army’s work in English, they would do it in Spanish

’’

But as Alfred still sang, a big burly Argentinian with a skinning knife in his belt, rose to his feet and exclaimed: ‘I know that I am a sinner and I am going to seek the Saviour!’ To shouts of derision from his mates he went forward and knelt at the mercy seat. The officers gathered around him, and he was wonderfully saved.

The next night he was on the platform. He didn’t yet know much about what it meant to be saved, but what he did know he could express in eloquent Spanish. His conversion was the long awaited breakthrough and he became a stalwart Salvationist.

From that unspectacular beginning in 1890, The Salvation Army has steadily spread throughout the continent, and is now at work in all the 13 South American countries.

Soon after his arrival in Buenos Aires, Alfred was given officer rank, and in 1897 he married Swedish Captain Mathilda Byden. When he returned to Britain for the first time after 15 years it was as Major and Mrs Alfred Benwell – with a family of three. After serving in Britain, Denmark and France, the last two appointments held by Commissioner Alfred Benwell were Territorial Commander for North China and for The Netherlands.

One of the Benwell daughters, born in Buenos Aires, they named Flora. Flora Benwell became an officer, and when she married Captain Sture Larsson a son was born to them – whom they named John. That is why I will always be glad that Grandpa Benwell sailed for South America on that Tuesday and met Grandma out there. Or I would not exist!