The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity providing services in the community, particularly to those who are vulnerable and marginalised. Motivated by our Christian faith, we offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK to all who need them, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. To find your nearest centre visit salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church
What is the War Cry? The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.
WAR CRY Issue No 7524
Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Helpline: 020 7367 4888 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies Published weekly by The Salvation Army ©The Salvation Army United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. Printed by Walstead Roche Ltd, St Austell, on sustainably sourced paper
Your local Salvation Army centre
INFO 2 • WAR CRY • 8 May 2021
EDITOR From the editor’s desk
IN the race to vaccinate the UK population against Covid-19, football stadiums, theatres, golf clubs, churches and Salvation Army buildings have all been utilised as vaccination centres. From the beginning of this year, Salisbury Cathedral has been hosting vaccination sessions, and in this week’s War Cry John Challenger, the cathedral’s assistant director of music, speaks about accompanying the jabs with live organ music. He wanted to help make receiving a vaccination as comfortable as possible. ‘We thought we would play music which was comforting, soothing, not too loud and which would be familiar,’ he tells us, adding that he hoped that the tens of thousands of people who came to the cathedral would ‘feel something of the presence of God’ while they were there. The cathedral community has a long history of accompanying people through difficult times, taking its lead from Jesus, who encouraged his followers to think of other people before themselves. People are still following that teaching today. In this week’s issue, we also report on the Rev Scott Patterson’s response to the UK’s Covid vaccination programme. After he saw people beginning to receive their free jabs from the NHS, the clergyman started to raise funds for Unicef, which runs a worldwide Covid-19 vaccination programme in communities where free healthcare is not available. The Salvation Army is also helping those around the world who are most severely impacted by the pandemic. As news bulletins reported on the crisis in India, where a second wave of the virus struck last month, the church and charity was delivering Covid-19 treatment through its own healthcare facilities in the country. Whether directly providing the medical care, raising funds to pay for treatment or playing music to soothe the nerves of those receiving it, Christians everywhere are doing what they can to help those in need. Their prayer, and ours, must be that it makes a difference for good in these difficult times.
FEATURES
CONTENTS
What is The Salvation Army?
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Mother knows best? More parenting problems in BBC comedy
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Well read Which books are up for an award?
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An injection of music Organist supports cathedral’s vaccine sessions
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ME care for the whole person Charity helps people living with chronic fatigue
10 ‘We have to build on the relationship’ The work of a psychosexual therapist
REGULARS
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War Cry World
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Team Talk
13
Faces of Faith
14
Puzzles
15
War Cry Kitchen
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Front-page picture: BBC/MERMAN
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