What is The Salvation Army?
The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.
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
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
United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London
SE1 6BN
Tel: 0845 634 0101
Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org
Founder: William Booth
General: Lyndon Buckingham
Territorial Commander:
Commissioner Anthony Cotterill
Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn
TO those being entertained, the world of showbiz can seem glamorous and exciting. Those doing the entertaining may be imagined as ‘living the dream’. Sometimes, though, the dream that’s being lived can seem more like a nightmare.
Kelle Bryan, who is now one of ITV’s Loose Women panellists, joined the girl group Eternal when she was only 15. In an interview in this week’s War Cry she remembers some of the highlights of her time in the group but is also candid about how tough life in the spotlight can be.
‘We were away for huge amounts of time,’ she says. ‘And there was also a bit of bullying going on, so it was hard.’ She also describes how she has been with living with lupus disease, an incurable condition that can cause joint pain, fatigue and skin rashes.
Of course, it’s not only people in the public eye who can face tough times through ill health or from bullying. Also in this week’s issue we speak with Tracy Williamson, who was bullied and abused as a child. She describes some of that abuse and the impact it had on her.
‘I was shouted at that I was rubbish and shouldn’t have been born,’ she says. ‘I felt this desperation and had a realisation that I wasn’t able to move forward in my life.’
Tracy goes on to describe how she reached a point of such desperation that at one time she tried to take her own life.
Although the lifestyle and nature of the challenges that Kelle and Tracy experienced were different, they both lived through tough times. What the two women have in common, though, is that their Christian faith has helped them to discover a new and better life.
‘There is always hope in God,’ Tracy affirms, before adding: ‘To everyone who is struggling with life wounds and deep hurts, I would say that God loves you, he’s there for you.’