Sal-2011-01

The World for God

Life of a Cadet

Salvationist The Voice of the Army

Sesame Street Mission

Salvationist.ca I January 2011

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LETTERS

Veggie Tales

A Peacemaking God?

It would be easy to dismiss the content The Gospel of Vegetarianism of Lt-Colonel Maxwell Ryan’s article (The I Gospel of Vegetarianism, September) as simply a curious relic from our past. The Booths were ahead of their time with regards to healthy eating, though this is not to say that everything they believed was medically sound. They were also great proponents of hydropathy, a quasiscientific form of water therapy that has since been dismissed as quackery.

While I don’t think it necessary for our Movement to dictate what we should eat and not eat (not even the Booths made vegetarianism mandatory), I do think we need to emphasize healthy eating and healthy living. We live in a country that is literally eating itself to death. Many of us have a problem with weight, ranging from a “spare tire” to morbid obesity. This is not a criticism: I believe that all of us are under great stress today and food is something we often turn to as a way to self-soothe.

If we are to be different from the world around us, let us be people that emphasize body and soul vitality—being healthy on the outside and the inside. Just as we change our spiritual behaviours at the Holy Spirit’s prompting, let’s change our physical behaviours and the way we deal with stress so that we may live longer and healthier lives.

Lt Robert Jeffery ARMY ROOTS

The Salvation Army’s Founders encouraged Salvationists to avoid meat

BY LT-COLONEL MAXWELL RYAN

f the Booths had had their way, The Salvation Army would have been a vegetarian Movement. In the 19th century, the majority of Salvationists were former Methodists and many agreed with some form of vegetarianism, following the example of John Wesley.

The Mother of the Army, Catherine Booth, was more partial to vegetarianism than her husband. Early in their marriage she wrote to William, “Have you thought any more about vegetarianism? I am inclined towards it more than ever. I am convinced of the importance of simplicity and regularity in diet … I don’t think half as highly of meat (animal food I mean) as I used to do.”

It appears that William was convinced, as noted by his response to a reporter in 1909. “How do you sustain such hard work, and particularly so much public speaking at night, at your advanced age?” he was asked, to which he replied, “I owe it to my careful vegetarian diet.”

Their son, Bramwell, and his wife, Florence, were committed vegetarians. Their daughter, Catherine Booth (named after her grandmother), wrote: “Memory holds for me a gentle picture of Catherine as grandmother. I am nearly four years old.

When she will not allow Uncle Herbert to give me a piece of meat I hear her speak distinctly. ‘No, Herbert, she shall not have anything in this house that her mother would not wish her to have.’ ” Even though he was interested in all aspects of Army activity, Bramwell considered officer training to be vital to the Movement’s success. He therefore carefully watched over this training. Not even such mundane matters as the quality and variety of

diet escaped his attention. He insisted that a vegetarian “bill of fare” be provided for cadets who wished to avoid meat.

General Albert Orsborn writes in his autobiography, The House of My Pilgrimage, “When [General Bramwell Booth] was campaigning for a vegetarian diet, as he did occasionally, he depicted animals coming to us in the afterlife and saying, ‘Moo! You ate me.’ We youngsters loved it, but we still ate meat.”

There were many references to vegetarianism in official Army publications, such as Orders and Regulations for Soldiers. In the 1925 edition we read a familiar refrain, “Food should be simple and nourishing in character. With brown bread and vegetables, milk, eggs and fruit, there is very little need for meat, and good, vigorous health can be maintained without it.”

In the 1920s and ’30s, the Army was well in advance of much of society in realizing the beneficial effects of a sound diet.

The July 1925 edition of The Staff Review published an article by

Commissioner Adelaide Cox, leader of the Army’s women’s social work in the United Kingdom, on “Treatment of the victims of alcohol and drugs.” In it she wrote, “The absence of meat has been proved to allay the craving for alcohol and drugs, and the appetite thus more easily created for milk and fruits provides a powerful antidote.”

Diet-based treatment continued to be popular. In 1953, The Salvation Army took the unusual step of publishing a book by non-Salvationist authors: We Are What We Eat, an 85-page paperback subtitled “Good health for home.” The authors, Drs. A. B. Cunning and F. R. Innes, worked with behaviourally difficult young people at The Haven, an Army children’s home in London, England, which was run on vegetarian and healthy food principles. The book contains not only medical support for particular diets, but also recipes and detailed menus, all of which could be used with good effect more than half a century since their publication.

Even though The Salvation Army did not embrace vegetarianism (though individual Salvationists did), the Movement was a pioneer in the area of healthy eating. Given the recent rise in obesity rates and the related illnesses of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, perhaps Salvationists should revisit this early emphasis on diet.

In some social centres across the territory, the Army has made healthy eating a new priority—a far cry from the traditional coffee and donuts. And in many of our children’s programs, fresh fruits and vegetables are now offered in lieu of chips and candy.

While it’s unlikely that abstaining from meat will be added to our Soldier’s Covenant, we may see more Salvationists choosing to adopt the dietary principles of the Army’s early leaders. Our health may depend on it.

A former editor-in-chief and literary secretary, Lt-Colonel Maxwell Ryan is retired in Burlington, Ont., where he serves as a part-time hospital chaplain and amateur Army historian.

Salvationist I September 2010 I 25

On the Road Again Thank you for a solid and well written Antiques Roadshow article by Major Fred Ash (Antiques Roadshow, October). As one who A has always felt the need to massage the boundaries of the “done thing” in a musical sense, I am now happily employed in a ministry that both cherishes the heritage and distinctives of The Salvation Army and embraces new ideas, new cultures, new modes of dress and new songs to sing. It doesn’t have to be one or the other; it can be a healthy balance of the best influences and ideas available.

Some have worked for generations. Some are worth working on right now.

Major Len Ballantine CLARION CALL

Do our churches attract the nostalgic and the curious while the masses of humanity pass us by?

By MAjOR FReD Ash

An-tique: 1. a relic or object of ancient times; 2. being in the style or fashion of former times.

s I drove through the main street of a southern Ontario city, I saw ahead of me a large sign that read ANTIQUES. When I drew closer, I realized that it was attached to the front steps of an old brick church. A cross stood over the door and another on the roof.

Stained-glass windows still invited the passersby.

Except for the sign, the church looked the same as it did when it was erected, more than a hundred years ago. The church itself is an antique. No one worships there anymore. The money changers have taken it over, selling old things to old people, nostalgic for things that were, but will never be again.

I thought of the Salvation Army churches I had visited over the past few months. Most of the worshippers were as old as the vintage items found in that little brick church. Some of us baby boomers even grew up with oil lamps, vacuum-tube radios and box cameras.

It begs the question: Has The Salvation Army become an antique, an organization in the style or fashion of former times?

I entered training college in the days when men wore high-collar uniforms and women wore buns and bonnets. In my second year of training, the principal decided that cadets did not need to wear that uncomfortable regalia in class, a radical move at the time. A few years later, the Army in Canada exchanged the high collars for lapel uniforms and the bonnets for hats. One would think from the reaction of some Salvationists that the sky had fallen in. But the young women officers were glad enough to burn their buns and so, too, were the young men to cast off their choking collars. Many of us younger folk saw these styles as outdated.

The clientele at antique stores are dedicated to their hobby and willing to pay top dollar for something they really like. But these vintage shops don’t attract a fraction

of the people who go to Wal-Mart, the movies or the local Tim Hortons. The same can be said of most churches, including those that belong to The Salvation Army.

We have our clientele—people who are dedicated to attending Sunday morning worship and people who will pay top dollar to hear a brass band concert or choir.

But those numbers pale in comparison to the numbers of people at the local mall on Sunday morning, a rock concert on Saturday night or at the local coffee shops on Wednesday evening.

In the eyes of many, the Church has become an antique. Those of us who attend just don’t have the honesty to hang the sign on the front steps.

But the gospel is as fresh today as when Jesus first announced the good news on the hills of Galilee. It spoke to his generation and to every subsequent generation.

And the postmodern generation is waiting to hear it. One of the problems is that we don’t speak their language. We don’t think like they think. Until we learn that, we will be stuck in antiquity.

Our Founder, William Booth, knew how to speak the language of his generation. That was a generation of progress that looked to the future, expecting it to

get better. Booth capitalized on that and made plans for his Army to establish a heaven on earth and to win the world for Jesus. And they nearly did it.

But this is not a generation of progress.

We have some technological advances in communication, but wars, natural disasters, terrorism and economic crises have all but destroyed any optimism this generation may have had. Few are expecting the immediate future to be better. The language and methods of Booth do not resonate today.

If we continue to use outmoded methods and language, we will be relegated to an antiques roadshow, attracting the nostalgic and the curious while the masses of humanity pass us by.

I am an antique. In my early days, I used to get invited to conduct youth rallies and run summer camps. Now I get asked to conduct seniors’ Sundays. Thankfully antiques are not entirely useless. While they are not very practical, their most valuable quality is their ability to inspire.

Take, for example, vintage cars. The oldest ones are very slow. The muscle cars of the 1960s are gas guzzlers and air polluters.

But when put on display, polished and restored, they attract car enthusiasts who admire the cars’ beauty and the ingenuity of those early designers.

Likewise, the antiques in the Church are most valuable when they inspire the younger generation to do more and be better than the previous generation. Do we have the courage to let the next generation have their turn?

Major Fred Ash is the corps officer at Burlington Community Church, Ont.

16 I October 2010 I Salvationist

Battle Lines Captain Mark Braye’s online article (Praying for Peace, salvationist. ca/2010/09/praying-for-peace) was beautiful and thoughtful—but we do need a reality check. Sitting around a campfire, holding hands, singing Kumbayah and longing for peace sound admirable, but it is a naive perspective. Jesus himself said in Matthew 24 there would be war until the end of times. Meanwhile, the Lord calls us to action and not to contemplation.

In his autobiography, A Burning in My Bones, General Clarence Wiseman wrote that he wanted to be a pacifist but could not live with its implication—he went on to serve in the Canadian Forces as a military chaplain during the Second World War. C.S. Lewis wrote that pacifists were well intentioned but naive.

There are people out there bent on destroying peace, and military actions are tools when diplomacy has failed. Let’s support our troops.

Major Patrick Lublink 2 I January 2011 I Salvationist

I like the message of Dr. Don Burke’s artiReconciliation in a War-Torn World cle (Reconciliation in a War-Torn World, November), but it fails to adequately address the context of war in the Old Testament. When using the Old Testament to demonstrate the problems of hostility and violence, the author uses only M interpersonal conflicts between individuals (i.e. Cain-Abel, Sarah-Hagar, JacobEsau). While I understand the similarities between interpersonal conflict and war, they are not entirely the same and the undercurrents can be very different.

The Old Testament contains actual wars with nation against nation, people group against people group. Why not use those as examples? The problem is that many of these wars were started

by God’s chosen people, seemingly at the behest of God himself.

Israel is told on numerous occasions to go and annex someone else’s land and eradicate those who inhabited it, sparing no one—not even children. Dutiful motivation aside, this doesn’t seem all that dissimilar from the wars we see today—wars that are based on religion and claims on lands.

It is easy to skip right to the New Testament, as Dr. Burke does, and talk about God as one who longs for reconciliation. But the deity depicted in the Old Testament appears to be anything but peacemaking. While this is perhaps too difficult of an issue to tackle fully in this short article, some mention of it and perhaps a follow-up article might help. This issue is constantly neglected or tiptoed around by teachers and preachers.

Juan Burry Is war inevitable? What will it take to stop the bloodshed?

by DoNalD E. burkE

“In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself …”

—2 Corinthians 5:19

ore than 90 years ago, on November 11, 1918, an armistice was signed that brought the brutal destruction of the First World War to an end. After four years of merciless violence that cost more than six million lives—including 60,000 Canadians—an exhausted world gasped for peace. Europe’s landscape was marred by craters and graveyards, bombed-out cities and ravaged countrysides. Also left in shambles was the Enlightenment idea of progress—the notion that technology, science and social organization would inevitably improve the human condition.

A couple of years ago, I read The Guns

of August, a book about the outbreak of the First World War. Author Barbara Tuchman traces the inexorable march of events in the months leading up to August 1914 when the Great War broke out. Europe was divided. Petty grievances between heads of state and long-entrenched territorial jealousies set nation against nation. By the summer of 1914, there was a general consensus that war in Europe was inevitable. No one anticipated the four years of destruction that would follow; everyone believed that the war would be over within months. But once violence had taken root, it was nearly impossible to stop.

Legacy of Violence The two World Wars, the Korean War, the present-day war in Afghanistan—not to mention countless other conflicts—all

point to a basic reality of life: we live with a legacy of deep alienation, of grievances held and of scores to be settled. This is played out not only in international conflicts, but in individual lives, families and communities. It pits family member against family member, political party against political party, the wealthy against the poor, province against province. This legacy of alienation is a fact with which we all must live.

Scripture often reflects upon alienation and its consequences. The first story in the Bible that illustrates the way alienation leads to violence comes just four chapters into the Book of Genesis. Cain’s jealousy of his brother Abel’s acceptance by God led to murder and Cain’s exile from the land.

This legacy of violence and enmity was passed down to successive generations.

18 I November 2010 I Salvationist

Mark Your Calendars!

First Annual

Territorial Youth Institute

Take Time to be Holy, Take Time to Serve Jackson’s Point Divisional Camp August 27–September 3, 2011 Ages 16–25 With Special Guest Lt-Colonel Janet Munn Contact the THQ Children and Youth Ministries Department at Stephanie_Hung@can.salvationarmy.org for more information

19mm

than is required.

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January 2011 No. 57 www.salvationist.ca E-mail: salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org

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Departments 3 2 Letters 4 Editorial

If You Were the General

by Major Jim Champ

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16 Army Roots

Anchors Aweigh!

Features 10 Pray, Vote, Salute Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

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by Lt-Colonel Maxwell Ryan

17 Media Reviews 17 Prayer Guide 27 Celebrate Community Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

How a High Council Elects a New General

by General John Larsson (Rtd)

18 Our Competitive Edge

Chairman of the National Advisory Board helps the Army see the

5 Around the Territory big picture Interview with Andrew Lennox Enrolment and recognition, GUIDE calendar, FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL 9 Formation PRODUCT LABELINGtribute, 20 College Out of the Box gazette One Year, One Book The Salvation Army’s College for Officer Training was everything

by Major Beverly Ivany 30 Logo for Living I didn’t expect by John McAlister The Reason is Heaven 13 World Watch

by Commissioner Marilyn D. 22 The World for God Francis At the Lausanne Congress, God helped me see the beauty in my 14 Clarion Call fellow Christians by Dion Oxford The Flea and the Elephant 31 Rethinking Church

by Major Fred Ash Sesame Street Mission 25 Community Check-Up

by Captain Rick Zelinsky

22

Heritage Park Temple’s new parish nursing program is nurturing body and soul by Julia Hosking

26 Finding Joy in Joytown

With the Army’s support, BethanyKids offers healing and hope to disabled children in Africa by Dr. Richard Bransford

16

Inside Faith & Friends Reach for the Top The determined climbers didn’t tackle Mount Baldy for glory or “because it was there” but for a cause far greater: The Salvation Army’s women’s shelters

The Case of the Missing Money If Joe Roberts didn’t find that hundred-dollar bill, his holiday would be ruined

Culinary Comfort For these dedicated Salvation

Army volunteers, the way to a person’s heart is through his stomach When you finish reading Faith & Friends in the centre of this issue, pull Faith & it out and give it to Reach for someone the Top who needs to Culinary Comfort hear about the green Hornet Strikes!

Christ’s lifechanging power

frıends

January 2011

www.faithandfriends.ca

Inspiration for Living

What made this man climb Mount Baldy? Find out on page 16

tHe Many FaceS oF pHil callaway

Salvationist.ca World Watch Keep abreast of what the Army is doing internationally. Visit Salvationist.ca/worldwatch to read more about the Army’s work in 121 countries

bottom of every article posted on Salvationist.ca

Blog Columnists Salvationist bloggers talk about faith, life and ministry. Visit Salvationist.ca/blog and follow along

Pass It On Share your faith electronically by forwarding articles from Salvationist and Faith & Friends by e-mail, Facebook or Twitter. Just click one of the appropriate icons found at the Salvationist I January 2011 I 3

Editorial

If You Were the General

I

t was a “magical” moment at the Atlantic Congress held in St. John’s, N.L., last June. The welcome meeting focused on youth, featuring varied and colourful presentations by young people of all ages. As the evening moved toward its conclusion, General Shaw Clifton addressed the crowd gathered at Mile One Centre.

His text came from the Bible story of David and Goliath, and in the middle of his address, he called upon Jaxon Mayo, a junior soldier from St. John’s West Corps, to stand beside him. General Clifton reminded the congregation of the encounter General Shaw Clifton puts his tunic on 10-year-old Jaxon Mayo between David and King Saul just prior to the impending battle with the corps being added on a regular basis. These mighty giant. countries are among the poorest of the “Here,” said the General, “put this on,” poor. How will the work be funded? How as he removed his tunic and draped it will officers be educated and trained? on young Jaxon. It was difficult to tell By contrast, here at home, as in many whether Jaxon’s nervous smile was due other western countries, we struggle with to the large audience he faced or because different challenges. Declining attendance, the General’s tunic was dragging on the soldiership rolls and officer numbers are wooden floor! critical concerns. Waning denominational In this month’s issue of Salvationist, loyalties and erosion of confidence in all General John Larsson (Rtd) provides us things institutional impact the Christian with an outline of the High Council proChurch and the Army in particular. Societal cess that will result in the election of the trends are not in our favour. Religious 19th General of The Salvation Army (see pluralism is a fact of life. pages 10-12). In response to our inviAccording to Statistics Canada, the tation, several officers and laypersons proportion of the Canadian population have shared their thoughts on what they adhering to a Christian religion will decline would do if they were elected as the next from 75 to 65 percent while the share with General (pages 13-14). These reflections no religion will rise from 17 to 21 percent are intended as conversation starters and over the next 20 years. These concerns I invite you to visit the Salvationist.ca and a myriad of others are likely to weigh website and share your thoughts. heavily on the heart and mind of the If you were General, what would future General. you do?

As the General’s tunic will soon Resourcing a Salvation Army be donned by another, we need to that is now at work in 121 coununderstand the challenges that will tries is one of the many chalconfront the new leader. In this lenges facing the leader way, we can pray intelligently of our Movement. In for the High Council and the some parts of the world, sacred responsibility that is such as Kenya, India and theirs in the days ahead.

Zimbabwe, our ranks are growing exponentially, Major Jim Champ with new soldiers and Editor-in-Chief 4 I January 2011 I Salvationist

Salvationist

is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory Shaw Clifton General Commissioner William W. Francis Territorial Commander Major Jim Champ Editor-in-Chief Geoff Moulton Assistant Editor-in-Chief John McAlister Senior Editor (416-467-3185) Major Max Sturge Associate Editor (416-422-6116) Timothy Cheng Art Director Pamela Richardson Production and Distribution Co-ordinator, Copy Editor Julia Hosking, Ken Ramstead, Captain Debbie Sinclair Contributors Agreement No. 40064794, ISSN 1718-5769.

Member, The Canadian Church Press. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version (TNIV) © 2001, 2005 International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

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Mission

The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world. Salvationist informs readers about the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda.

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AROUND THE TERRITORY

Great Expectations at Candidates Weekend Forty-eight candidates for officership from across the territory gathered at the College for Officer Training in Winnipeg from October 15-17 to explore the call of God on their lives. Despite their vast differences in age, experience and expression within the Army, they all shared a common desire to surrender their lives to God. Throughout the orientation weekend, there was a wonderful atmosphere as the candidates learned more about the training process and life at the college.

“From the earliest planning stages, this weekend was supported in prayer,” says Major Everett Barrow, secretary for candi-

dates. “The tangible presence of God, the unity of Spirit and the bonds of friendship formed were all testimonies to this prayer support.”

In addition to personal interviews, the weekend included times of worship led by cadets, information sessions on practical college life and academic expectations, and tours of the college facility and residences.

“We received a lot of good information, and it has helped me confirm my decision,” said Vaughan Henstridge, Prairie Division.

“I learned that there has to be a balance between academics, work and the need for personal spiritual growth,” said Laura

Hickman, Ontario Great Lakes Division.

During the worship sessions, candidates explored what it means to be called to Salvation Army officership. “The primary component of our ministry is that we know God so that he enables us to serve those around us,” said Jacqueline Kalvaitis, Ontario Great Lakes Division.

Candidates also had opportunities to interact with the cadets and training college faculty.

The weekend concluded with a holiness meeting and covenant service held in the CFOT chapel led by Commissioners William W. and Marilyn D. Francis, territorial leaders. “It is not the call that we focus on, for we all know that God calls,” challenged Commissioner William Francis. “It is the response that’s important. Are you willing to respond to the call that God has placed on your life?”

The answer was evident as the mercy seat was lined with candidates kneeling, praying and signing covenant cards.

B.C. Women Embrace Grace Over 400 women in the British Columbia Division attended Embrace Grace, a conference held at the main campus of Christian Life Assembly in Langley, B.C., from October 1-2. On Friday evening, The Salvation Army King’s Kids from Dawson Creek, B.C., delighted the women by doing sign language to music with black lights. “It was enchanting to watch their white-gloved hands form words from the music, coming together so smoothly,” says Major Winn Blackman, divisional secretary for women’s ministries.

Melanie Hart, singer and songwriter, led a time of worship with such pieces

as Indescribable, Beautiful One and Embrace Grace. Liz Curtis Higgs, guest speaker and author of Bad Girls of the Bible, brought a message of hope for those with low self-esteem. “You are special, unique to God,” she told the women. “We find it hard to accept that God thinks we’re beautiful.” In addition to sharing humorous stories from her life, she talked about the miracle of healing that Jesus wants to do for each woman.

On Saturday, the women were introduced to Gretchen Van Duinen, a “visitor” from Holland. Major Judith Holland, corps officer at Surrey Community Church, played

the role of the little Dutch girl to perfection, stomping across the stage in her wooden clogs and showing a video of her many adventures in British Columbia.

On Sunday morning, Higgs spoke about the love of Christ.

“The one thing you really need to hear from him is, ‘You are loved and all is forgiven,’ ” she said. In the afternoon, Higgs wove together stories of her life and women from the Bible to emphasize that God’s grace is sufficient for every situation.

“You can’t have peace until you know that you are free,” Higgs said. “Peace comes when you embrace God’s forgiveness.”

“The biggest message I got

is to embrace the beauty that I am,” said Andrea, a young Salvationist who attended the conference.

Liz Curtis Higgs Salvationist I January 2011 I 5

AROUND THE TERRITORY

Honouring the Army’s Beginnings in Canada When Salvationist Jack Addie immigrated to Canada from England in the late 1800s, he attended Askin Street Methodist Church, now Wesley-Knox United Church, in London, Ont. One evening in 1882, a young stranger visited a prayer meeting at the church and sat in the balcony with Addie. The newcomer, Joe Ludgate, sang a chorus during the service, which Addie recognized as “Army.”

The two British Salvationists got together and resolved to preach the gospel in the open air as they had done back home, thus beginning the ministry of The Salvation Army in Canada.

One hundred and twenty-eight years later, the work of The Salvation Army in the Ontario Great Lakes Division, with its divisional headquarters located in London, is still going strong. Commissioners William W. and Marilyn D. Francis, territorial leaders, and a team from territorial headquarters in Toronto, met with the divisional headquarters’ officers and staff for two days in September to review the division’s progress.

Commissioners Francis also led morning devotions with the Ontario Great Lakes staff in the sanctuary of Wesley-Knox United Church. Also present at this significant

gathering was Salvationist Art Edwards, the craftsman of a beautiful stained-glass window in the church depicting the 1882 meeting of Addie and Ludgate.

Commissioners Francis meet with the Ontario Great Lakes divisional staff for morning devotions in the balcony of Wesley-Knox United Church in London, Ont.

Quebec Youth Connect With God With a music group using guitars, keyboard and percussion at the youth retreat from October 1-3 at Lac L’Achigan Camp, Que., the worship in French and English “was kicking,” says Captain Rachele

Lamont, corps officer at Montreal’s 614―HochelagaMaisonneuve. Guest speakers Rochelle McAlister, a Salvationist from Toronto’s Corps 614, and Lieutenants Anne-Marie and Claude

Young people enjoy a costume party at the Quebec retreat 6 I January 2011 I Salvationist

Dagenais from Sherbrooke, Que., used the theme Seriously Ridiculous to encourage delegates to experience the love and power of God in living for Jesus Christ. “Because we have not had an Army youth retreat in Quebec in over 10 years, we were excited to have 47 youth attend from Quebec and Ottawa,” says Captain Lamont.

On the Friday night, the movie How to Save a Life inspired the young people to cry out to God at the mercy seat and in spontaneously formed groups. “There was a wave of seeking God, releasing hurts, being real and vulnerable with God and with others,” Captain Lamont says.

“On Sunday morning, God moved mightily again during the appeal as youth poured out their hearts to God and prayed with one another.” One person also made a decision to accept Christ as Saviour.

“For many, it was an opportunity to see that there are other Army young people in this division and that they are not alone,” says Captain Lamont.

“The soccer tournament and kayaking trip were exciting, and it was heartwarming to see a volunteer who only spoke French talking with another volunteer who only spoke English, while laughing and smiling and somehow understanding each other.”

“I appreciated the support of the Christians around me and was refreshed by the feeling of Christ working in the room,” testifies youth participant Paul Johnson. “The retreat gave me a chance to reconnect with other youth who I don’t get to see very often.”

“We have some amazing youth rising up in this division and I’m excited to see what is going to happen in May at our youth councils,” says Captain Lamont.

AROUND THE TERRITORY

N.W.T. Stops Family Violence

Argos Visit Harbour Light

According to the latest report on family violence by Statistics Canada in 2006, the domestic violence rate in the Northwest Territories is five times greater than the national average.

Stand With Us: Stop Family Violence was this year’s theme for Yellowknife’s Family Violence Awareness Week. Major Jo Sobool, corps officer at Yellowknife, was on the organizing committee for the week’s activities, which started with a program and lunch on Monday morning, October 4, at the corps, featuring guest speaker Sandi Lee, minister of health and social services for the Northwest Territories.

On Monday evening, 100 people marched together through downtown Yellowknife to participate in the annual Take Back the Night walk. “This year we emphasized safety for our community elders and had several of them speak a few words as we stopped at different locations,” says Major Sobool. “It was a time of solidarity and unity where we asked everyone to ‘stand with us’ to make our city a safe place to be. It was a way to let those experiencing physical and emotional harm know that they are not alone, that there is support for them.”

On Tuesday evening, Majors Dale and Jo Sobool facilitated a “sharing circle” for the men at the Salvation Army shelter. Each man was given the opportunity to light a candle of hope, symbolizing the dream of a peaceful society where all residents are valued, respected and free from abuse and inequality.

The 13th annual Thanksgiving dinner co-sponsored by the Toronto Argonauts football team and Toronto Harbour Light Ministries on October 16 was a joyous event. The facility’s sanctuary became a cozy dining room as 40 volunteers served 500 meals to residents and neighbours. The feast of turkey with all the trimmings, pie and coffee was served by a dozen fun-loving Argonauts, who also signed autographs and posed for photos.

Argos quarterback Cleo Lemon said that he always likes being involved in outreach, and feels the support of people for the team. Argos wide receiver Jeremaine Copeland said he tries to help out in the community whenever he can. He ran winter coat drives with The Salvation Army in Calgary when he played with the Stampeders.

“Dinner guests were extremely thankful for the welcoming hospitality, and with all the blessings of this beautiful fall day we all felt like winners,” said Anne Campbell-Smith, volunteer and special events co-ordinator at Toronto Harbour Light Ministries.

“We are appreciative of the Argos and their support in assisting us to reach out to our community in this practical way,” said Major Roy Snow, executive director.

Committee members who planned activities for Family Violence Awareness Week in Yellowknife. From left, Mjr Jo Sobool; Lorraine Phaneuf, executive director of the status of women council of the N.W.T.; Gail Cyr, women’s advisory of the government of the N.W.T.; and Annemieke Mulders, status of women council of the N.W.T.

Members of the Toronto Argonauts pose with Harbour Light Ministries staff

Rural Ministry Conference Energizes Participants Thirty-one officers and lay leaders from Western Canada gathered at Pine Lake Camp in Alberta from September 28-30 to explore rural ministry issues, offer practical tools and encourage those labouring in this field. Four workshops were presented: Perseverance in Rural Ministry (Major Brian Armstrong), Rural Revitalization (James Watson), Ministry in an Aboriginal Context (Major Curtis Butler) and Reaching Out to the Community Around Us (Major Mike Hoeft). Delegates also participated in a forum where open conversation was held on relevant topics.

This approach continued on the following night with three discussions focusing on Diversity in Rural Ministry, Becoming Involved in Community and Thrift Store

Best Practices. “It was helpful to discover that we are not alone with the challenges and joys of rural ministry,” says Captain Randy Kadonaga, corps officer, Williams Lake, B.C. “Since the conference, I have already had a few conversations about sharing resources and information with different people,” said Lieutenant Rachel Sheils, corps officer, Drumheller, Alta. “Dedicating some time together with people in similar appointments can enlighten, energize and encourage us.”

The conference resolved to establish a rural ministry manual for current reference and as a resource for new officers starting rural appointments, institute best practices for thrift store management, meet

again in two years for another conference to explore further issues, and utilize the rural website as a tool to share resources and continue the conversation.

Mjr Sandra Stokes, area commander, Alta. and Northern Ttys Div, addresses delegates at rural ministries conference Salvationist I January 2011 I 7

AROUND THE TERRITORY

King’s Kids Bring People Closer to God “I love being a part of the King’s Kids because we get the chance to touch people’s lives in a fun way,” says Shania Krewenchuk. “It is hard work, but it has paid off with bringing people closer to God.” Based in Dawson Creek, B.C., King’s Kids began as a sign language group and now also performs choreographed presentations to music. The program is the product of a seven-year outreach strategy that has resulted in 70 young people becoming part of the corps.

“Most of the kids come from singleparent families and some of them have been attending for seven years. They have become like family,” says Captain Frances Lee, corps officer. “My husband and I go to Christmas concerts at their schools and help them with homework. Some are now employed by business people from the church. We honour their birthdays and scholastic achievements, assist with school supplies and help break the cycle of poverty that many of their families are in. Our goal is for them to get an education, learn good values and know Jesus. We hold about 13 events each year with most of them geared to non-Christian audiences.

King’s Kids perform choreographed presentations to music

Introducing them to Jesus is a wonderful opportunity.”

The corps picks the children up for kids’ club, Sunday school and group practice and transports them to their performances. Most of the children are junior soldiers. “In order to be part of the group, they have to regularly attend kids’ club and make a commitment to attend practices

each week,” says Captain Lee. “Participating in King’s Kids changed my life by teaching me commitment and helping me to be more confident in myself,” says Nikisha Strong. “I have also learned how important team work is, and I have friends I can go to for help or advice.”

Army Personnel Assist Detained Russian Crew After Canadian authorities detained the Russian ship Lyubov Orlova in St. John’s, N.L., on September 25, the crew found themselves hostages to a legal matter. When

Dr. John Stuart Durrant, a professor of Russian at Memorial University of Newfoundland, as well as the honorary consul of the Russian Federation in St. John’s, learned that food sup-

Mjrs Ken and Donette Percy, community and family services, were the main contacts for the Russian ship detained in St. John’s, N.L. With them is Alexander Pokhilets, the ship’s captain 8 I January 2011 I Salvationist

plies for the 51-member crew (20 were women) were getting low, he contacted The Salvation Army for assistance.

Major Ken Percy, the Army’s community and family services officer, met with Alexander Pokhilets, the ship’s captain, onboard, and discovered the need was more acute than anticipated. “The crew had been subsisting on bread and tea for breakfast each day and the food rations were dwindling fast,” says Major Percy.

“With the support of Costco, Starbucks, Terra Nova Foods, Lester’s Farms and Sobey’s, we were able to provide fruit, vegetables and various meats for the crew.”

Because the onboard doctor had left the ship in September and applied for immigration, Dr. Gary Rideout, a Salvationist

doctor, was invited aboard the ship to examine and write prescriptions for ill crew members. The prescriptions were then purchased by the Army’s community and family services and delivered to the ship.

The Salvation Army provided many hot meals, including a Thanksgiving supper. The crew were allowed to leave the ship, but were unable to communicate in English. Salvation Army personnel were able to link them with an Orthodox Russian community in St. John’s. “The captain and crew are very thankful for the assistance that has been given,” says Major Percy. It is anticipated that most of the crew will eventually fly home, leaving behind five who will take the ship to a port as per the new owner’s instructions.

FORMATION

One Year, One Book

Reading the Bible from cover to cover, year to year, creates a foundation for life and ministry

By Major Beverly Ivany

E

verything was going smoothly as the divisional commander spoke to me about my ministry. It was December 1983, and I was in my second appointment as a Salvation Army officer. But when he asked me about my devotional life, I tried to avoid the question by giving excuses, the main one being that I had three small children under six years of age and another on the way. He said he understood, and was very kind about it all. But he gently encouraged me not to neglect this area of my life and to think and pray about it. He did not lay a guilt trip on me, for which I was thankful.

I took his advice and prayed about my spiritual walk. Soon after, I received some material about ordering The Daily Walk, a year-long devotional guide to reading the Bible. Then, in January 1984, I started to read the Bible from the beginning.

This January, I will commence reading through the Bible for the 28th time. Until I was asked to write this article, I had told very few that I read the Bible each year, for this is a private matter. However, perhaps in sharing this, it might help someone who is searching for some stability in their spiritual journey.

Reading the Bible cover to cover, year to year, has been foundational for me as an officer. Salvation Army officers do not choose our appointments. We do not choose when we are to move, where we will be living or what we will be doing in that new appointment. In all of the challenges and ministry opportunities of officership, reading God’s Word on a daily basis has kept me grounded and totally dependant upon him.

It has been foundational for me as a wife, and particularly as a mother. The Word gave me great stability when my children were young and I needed lots of physical energy. It was my resting place.

It was where I was nourished, fed and re-energized. It was exactly what I needed in those very busy days. When they were growing up, reading through the Bible each year kept me connected to the Lord and helped me to be disciplined―to make time

to be with God each day. When they were all teenagers, I really needed to know God was with me! So, as I heard him speak to me daily, it encouraged me and gave me hope and reassurance. Then, when it came time for the empty nest, the Word was my comfort. I knew I had to let my children go and entrusted each one of them into God’s care.

As I heard God speak to me daily, it encouraged me and gave me hope and

reassurance It has also been foundational in my personal and private life. We all change as we move through different stages of life.

In my 50s, I’m a different person than I was in my 40s, and more so than when I was in my 30s. Of course, certain characteristics are the same; many personality traits are quite similar. But I look at life differently and see things from a different perspective. Although I have grown in my spiritual walk with the Lord, I am still human and mess up.

As I read from his Word each day, it helps me to balance my life and see life through God’s eyes. It is mysterious in many ways; almost mystical.

This January, I look forward with great anticipation to commencing once again, for I know God will reveal new insights and speak to me through his Word.

Read the Bible

• Find a translation of the Bible you will enjoy reading. You may want to vary the translation from year to year.

• If it helps to keep you on track, follow a set schedule of daily readings. An example is available at Salvationist.ca/ readthebible.

• Some Bibles are already arranged into daily readings, so consider purchasing a one-year Bible.

• Numerous websites offer daily readings online. You can also register to have these e-mailed.

• There are iPhone, BlackBerry or other PDA applications that help you read the Bible in one year.

• Keep a daily journal, writing down what passage you read and what it meant to you.

• Make sure you set aside time for prayer.

• Don’t let this become a chore or a hassle.

If trying to read the Bible in one year becomes a negative experience, pray about whether this discipline is right for you.

Major Beverly Ivany is the writer of Words of Life, a daily devotional that is published three times a year by International Headquarters.

Salvationist I January 2011 I 9

Pray, Vote, Salute

General George Carpenter speaks to the High Council after his election

O

n Friday, January 21, the High Council of The Salvation Army will meet at Sunbury Court, near London, England, to elect the next General—the world leader of an Army at work in 121 countries. Membership of the High Council is comprised of all commissioners in active service (except the spouse of the current General), all territorial commanders and, since February 2010, all territorial presidents of women’s ministries. The 2011 High Council will therefore be the largest High Council to date and will number well over a hundred members.

Usually eight or nine days later, as Salvationists all around the world watch expectantly on the Internet, the cameras will zoom in on the closed door of the council chamber. When the door opens, the Army family will catch the first glimpse of its new leader.

10 I January 2011 I Salvationist

How will the High Council accomplish its sacred task of electing the Army’s next General? It will observe all requirements of the Salvation Army Act 1980—the legally binding Orders of Regulations for High Councils. The Act, however, gives freedom for each High Council to determine its own procedures. But based on the requirements of the Act and the precedent set by 16 previous High Councils, the following pattern of events will almost certainly unfold.

Preliminaries The Chief of the Staff, Commissioner Barry C. Swanson, the convenor of the High Council, will preside over the opening stages of the council and will arrange for the members to elect a president, vicepresident and chaplain before he takes his place as a member of the council.

Under the leadership of the president,

the High Council will begin its deliberations. Its first task will be to establish the way it will work. As all High Councils have done, the council will review the Orders of Procedure used by the previous High Council. This document distils into a series of numbered paragraphs the accrued wisdom and experience of all past councils.

The 2011 High Council will consider each paragraph in turn, make any amendments it feels are necessary and then formally adopt the revised version as its own Orders of Procedure.

A High Council is an exercise of spiritual discernment, and time is therefore set aside for worship, reflection and prayer.

Together as a group and individually, the members ask God for wisdom and guidance in order to discern who should be the next leader of the Army. Like an appointments board considering which officer to appoint to a key command, the members have to weigh in their hearts and minds the differing qualities of those they could elect. Their collective prayer will be that, at the end of the process, they might be able to echo the words of the Council of Jerusalem: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us …” (Acts 15:28).

In his autobiography, The Gate and the Light, General Arnold Brown recalls the strong sense of God’s presence at the High Councils he attended: “The procedures of the High Council in selecting an international leader for the Army are more a spiritual exercise than the employment of ordinary electoral processes. The incomparable fellowship, heightened by much prayer and reading of the Scriptures, has all the features of a highly devotional spiritual retreat. Imperceptibly, appraisals of possible nominees are shaped and, as voting time draws near, a sense of guidance, flowing from the Holy Spirit’s presence, possesses the delegates’ minds and hearts.”

Time is also set aside for consideration of the challenges and opportunities that the Army faces. “These discussions are valuable,” writes General Clarence Wiseman in his memoirs, A Burning In My Bones,

How a High Council elects a new General

by General John Larsson (Rtd)

“because they reveal international trends of thought on important issues and disclose regional differences and problems of which world leaders should take cognizance.� The clarification of issues helps identify the kind of leader that the Army needs.

Nominations The High Council then moves into the vital stage of nominations. Every member has the privilege of nominating someone to be a candidate for General. The one and only criterion is that the person nominated must be an officer. That means that about 17,000 persons are eligible to be nominated. But based on past precedent, the forthcoming High Council is likely to nominate persons from within its own membership.

While the council as a whole engages in reflection and prayer, each member in turn goes into a small voting room, writes on a nomination slip the name of the person he or she wishes to nominate, returns to the council chamber and places the unsigned paper in a ballot box. The process is unhurried and can take nearly an hour.

The members who have been elected as tellers then count the nominations. No person is deemed to have been nominated unless he or she has been nominated by at least three members.

The president announces in alphabetical order the names of the persons nominated, but does not indicate by how many each has been nominated. The council then adjourns to give opportunity for the nominees to decide whether or not to accept nomination. During this time they have the right to ask the president privately how many nominations they have received.

When the council reconvenes, the president asks the nominees whether they will accept the nomination. Each responds

General Eva Burrows is greeted by a junior soldier after being elected by the High Council

with a few carefully chosen words. Those who accept become candidates, and it is from this panel of candidates that the High Council will be called to elect the next General.

At this stage, the High Council adjourns for a full day to enable the candidates and spouses to prepare written answers to the questionnaires that the council has prepared. Candidates also work on their speeches.

Questions and Speeches When the council begins its deliberations again, candidates and spouses in turn read out their answers to the questions. Through the process of questions and answers, the High Council seeks to get

to know the candidates at greater depth, their leadership style, personalities and views on subjects related to the Army and its ministry. The questions are likely to range widely from the Army’s worldwide mission to its stance on the sacraments.

For practical reasons, the candidate questionnaire is usually limited to about 40 questions and the spouse questionnaire to six. The process of reading the answers usually takes approximately one hour for a married couple.

Each candidate then gives a speech.

No parameters regarding subject matter or length are laid down but speeches usually last 10 to 15 minutes. General Bramwell Tillsley (Rtd) subsequently published his High Council speech in the United Salvationist I January 2011 I 11

Unless a candidate has attained the necessary two thirds majority in the first ballot, the president, after a short break, calls for the second ballot to commence.

The balloting continues until one of the candidates attains the required number of votes. When that point is reached, one can almost hear the council drawing in its breath. The president announces that the next General has been elected. There is a long and warm burst of applause.

General Clarence Wiseman greets Salvationists on the grounds of Sunbury Court, shortly after being elected by the High Council

Kingdom’s Salvationist, and the following brief extracts from it give the flavour of such speeches.

The then Commissioner Tillsley began by saying, “Perhaps I can best express what my own priorities would be by describing the Army for which I long.” He then developed those priorities under a series of headings such as: “I long for an Army whose motto is ‘holiness unto the Lord’ … I long for an Army that will remain true to its principles, no matter what the cost … I long for an Army that has deep appreciation of its young people and that encourages them to find their full potential in Christ … I long for an Army whose cardinal reason for existence is to bring glory to God.” Election When the questions and speeches have been completed, the president announces that the election of the next General of The Salvation Army will begin. In the hush of the council chamber, each member in turn receives a voting paper from the president and enters a voting room once more, this time to place a checkmark against one of 12 I January 2011 I Salvationist

the names on the paper before placing it in a ballot box. The other members engage in prayer. As with the nominations, the process is unhurried and can take up to one hour for each ballot.

After the voting has been completed, the tellers count the votes. The Salvation Army Act 1980 stipulates: a) that in the first three ballots a candidate must get the vote of more than two thirds of the members present to be elected; b) that from the fourth ballot onward a candidate need only receive the votes of more than half of the members present; and c) that the candidate who gets the fewest votes in each ballot must drop out until only two candidates remain.

The president’s announcement of the result of the first ballot is a dramatic moment in the life of a High Council.

By that time the members of the High Council will have been together for a week or more. But as there have been no opinion polls or media predictions, and few, if any, members will have shared their voting intentions with each other, the result of the first ballot is the first revelation to the members of their collective thinking.

Closing Moments What happens next is of the greatest significance. However protracted the election process and however close the result, it is in the tradition of High Councils that the moment the new General is elected, all members immediately give their full support to that person. Any differences of opinion there might have been before that time are swept away and the corporate decision of the body is accepted by all as the expression of the will of God. This unanimous rallying around the person elected is reflected in the warmth of the final moments of the High Council.

There are speeches to be made, documents to be signed, and prayer and praise to God. Every member has a personal moment with the General-elect and, if married, his or her spouse.

Then comes the time when the doors of the council chamber are thrown open and the president presents the Generalelect to the General-in-office and all others who have gathered at Sunbury Court.

Through the marvels of the Internet, the rejoicings at Sunbury can be shared by Salvationists around the globe. From every heart rises the cry: “May God bless the General-elect!”

A crowded agenda of media interviews and matters to be decided await the immediate attention of the General-elect.

But the members of the council gather their papers and prepare to leave for the airport. The High Council has completed its task.

General John Larsson (Rtd) served as the world leader of The Salvation Army from 2002-2006.

Updates from the High Council will be available online at Salvationist.ca/ highcouncil2010.

WORLD WATCH

Warrior Dance a Highlight of New Zealand Congress A Maori haka (traditional warrior dance) based on the words of General William Booth was a highlight of the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territorial Congress. Held in Auckland, New Zealand, the congress included the announcement of the territory’s three-year mission goals: 1. M ake dynamic disciples of Jesus.

2. I ncrease the number of soldiers.

3. T ake significant steps to eradicate poverty and injustice.

4. B e a connected, streamlined and mission-focused Army.

The Maori haka was inspired by the Salvation Army Founder’s famous “I’ll Fight!” speech in which he spoke about battling against injustice. “Ka whawai tonu au! I’ll fight to the very end!” the group promised.

The congress was preceded by Just Action, the territory’s largest-ever social justice conference. Five hundred delegates focused on bringing change to their communities, their nations and the world.

Salvationists perform an “I’ll Fight” haka at New Zealand Congress

Papua New Guinea Growth Recognized Ten years ago there was no Salvation Army presence in the Sepik area of Papua New Guinea, but today the Army’s work is growing more quickly there than in any other part of the country. The latest step forward for work in the area was the first Sepik District Congress, held in Wewak for 300 Salvationists.

Congress leaders were Commissioner Andrew Kalai, territorial commander in Papua New Guinea, Lt-Colonel Neil Webb, chief secretary, and Majors Bugave and Tomuna Kada, district officer and district director of women’s ministries.

Salvation Army work in Sepik began after disaster relief was provided to people affected by a tsunami in Aitape. An outreach event was held and one man accepted the Lord and decided to return to his village and start The Salvation Army by himself.

The corps at Wewak has since been joined by 17 fellowships (outposts) and a district headquarters. A large water project is currently being funded through Japan International Community Aid and The Salvation Army in Japan.

Haiti Clinic Assists Cholera Patients In recent weeks, Haiti has experienced a rise in the number of people contracting the water-borne disease, cholera.

The Salvation Army clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, led

by Dr. Danielle Prosper, is surrounded by an internally displaced persons camp of 13,000 residents, managed by The Salvation Army in partnership with Concern Worldwide and Viva Rio. The camp has a sufficient supply of safe drinking water and toilets, combined with a good drainage system. Classes have taught women and children the importance of thorough hand washing and cooking of food.

The Salvation Army is communicating with Haitian health officials regarding the government’s recommended course of treatment for victims and also to acquire an adequate supply of vaccine for medical staff and response workers.

The Salvation Army Responds to Tropical Storm Tomas The Salvation Army across the Caribbean is responding to damage caused by tropical storm Tomas.

In Barbados, the government—through the Ministry of Agriculture—officially wrote to Major Dewhurst Jonas, divisional commander, to express appreciation for The Salvation Army’s quick and helpful response. The Army provided hot meals to shelters and assisted individuals with food parcels and other basic necessities.

Major Jonas reports: “The worst storm to hit Barbados since hurricane Janet in 1955 ... came at 70 miles per hour, five miles per hour less than a category one hurricane, but that did not minimize the damage that Tomas inflicted on the island of Barbados and later on in the day in St. Lucia.”

In St. Lucia, where 14 lives were lost in the storm, the Army is working closely with the government’s National Emergency

Measures Organization to provide assistance to those in need. So far, Salvation Army teams have offered counselling and the daily feeding program to the homeless in the city of Castries has been extended to provide food to some of the utility workers who were undertaking repairs in the north.

In St. Vincent, The Salvation Army is supporting government-organized relief efforts and offering assistance where possible.

Salvationist I January 2011 I 13

CLARION CALL

The Flea and the Elephant

Our new General must be blessed with courage and discernment

by Major Fred Ash

T

his month the international leaders of The Salvation Army meet to elect a new General. When it comes to the international Salvation Army, my position is similar to that of a flea on an elephant’s ear. From where I stand, the view is grey and fuzzy, and somewhat precarious.

I cannot see the whole elephant.

Now, if I were the General, I’d probably be able to see the whole animal. I’d be able to step back—way back—and get a picture of the entire organization.

If I were the General, I’d be able to see the Army’s true strength. I’d have a good idea of its size. I’d have a vision of what it is capable of.

Of course I’m not the General, and never will be, so I have to be content with my place on the elephant’s ear. But this is not a bad place because, from time to time, it allows me to whisper some ideas and comments in the hope that someone is listening (or, in this case, reading).

As I see it, the General first of all has to have that big picture of the Army. He or she has to have a great appreciation of its history, doctrines, practices and capabilities. He or she has to be able to see things from a different perspective than the rest of us.

Most will be familiar with the Indian fable of the six blind men who went to visit an elephant. The fable was put into a poem by John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887) in which each blind man described the elephant as he perceived it. The one who

If I Were the General …

I would implore every Salvationist to live out the prophetic calling of Isaiah 58―to make justice, mercy and love an extension of our lives—a holiness that is lived out. I’d join in Booth’s adventurous beginning of justice and evangelism through empowering women, in the ranks and in society, toward winning the world 14 I January 2011 I Salvationist

touched the elephant’s sides described the elephant as a wall. The one who touched the knee thought the elephant was like a tree. The one who touched a tusk perceived the elephant as spear-like. The man at the trunk thought the elephant was like a snake. The man near the ear thought the elephant was like a fan, and the one at the tail described the elephant as being like a piece of rope.

The General must be a visionary. He or she must see what others can’t and dare to go in the strength of God That, I think, is how most Salvationists perceive the Army. We live and work in our small corner of it and develop our perceptions according to our personal encounters with the organization. The General, on the other hand, has to be able to see the whole. His or her perception of the organization must be both complete and accurate.

I said that if I were the General I could step back and see the whole animal. The problem is that the farther one steps away for Jesus. I’d abandon traditionalism for the primitive spirit of Salvationism to flourish in our day and in a way that matches “blood and fire” with context and meaning. I’d trade in ranks, formal uniforms and instruments if necessary for fire, prayer, spiritual hunger, courage and daring.

Major Danielle Strickland Edmonton Crossroads Community Church

I would place a renewed focus on camping ministries, ensuring they are properly and adequately funded. I would

from the elephant, the harder it is to see the details. And from a distance everything is beautiful. But for those living in their particular wrinkle, things are somewhat different. Like watching high definition television, those close to the action see the blemishes, sores, wounds and scars.

The flea on the elephant’s ear can see that the old pachyderm is going deaf. The flea on the elephant’s trunk can see that there’s a cavity in the elephant’s molar that is causing him a lot of pain. The flea on the elephant’s back is aware of the cancerous growth that could even result in death.

While the international leader of The Salvation Army has to have a “general” picture of the organization, he or she must also be very aware of what is happening close up. The General has to be conscious of where the organization is hurting and be prepared to address the pain. He or she has to know where the wounds are and know how to bring about healing. He or she has to know what it is like for ordinary Salvationists trying to live out their faith in various parts of the world, and for the rank and file officers working out their covenant in their particular ministry.

The General of The Salvation Army is like an Indian mahout (the driver and keeper of the elephant) in that the General sits at the organization’s head. The mahout is the one who guides the elephant. He is the one who decides which direction the elephant is to go in and what work the elephant is to do. So it is with the General. also emphasize soldiership, encouraging the progression from junior to senior soldiership ranks and growth from friend to adherent to soldier.

Arlene Riche St. John’s Temple, N.L.

I would encourage and equip lay Salvationists, especially in financially independent territories, to commence the Army’s work in communities where our flag has never flown. This would involve living and working in a neighbourhood while, at the same time, developing a

CLARION CALL He or she has the greatest influence in deciding the direction and ministry of the Army in the years ahead.

It is a known fact that elephants have poor eyesight. They can see clearly only about 20 metres in front of them. Our organization has sometimes been noted for its short-sightedness. However, the General, from his or her position at the head, can see farther than anyone else.

Therefore the General must be a visionary.

He or she must see what others can’t and dare to go in the strength of God where no one has gone before.

The problem is that the farther one steps away from the elephant, the harder it is to see the details George Bernard Shaw once said: “Some men see things as they are and ask why.

I dream things that never were and ask why not.” That is the kind of person the General of The Salvation Army must be.

That is the kind of person William Booth was. I do not envy those who will gather to elect a new General. Theirs is a daunting task. As they debate the big issues that face our organization, I pray for them. I pray that they will see farther and with more clarity than any among us what God wills for the Army—certainly a lot farther and clearer than this flea living in the third wrinkle behind the right ear.

Major Fred Ash is the corps officer of Burlington Community Church, Ont.

core group of Salvationist disciples who would begin the process of planting a new Army faith community. “Opening fire” in new places is not exclusively the job of officers; battles are fought and won by our soldiers.

Lieutenant Robert Jeffery Spryfield Community Church, N.S.

I would not move territorial commanders, divisional leaders and officers so often. This would greatly assist our ability to transform vision into action. History demonstrates that there is a strong link

between consistent long-term leadership and growth.

Glenna Cryderman Saskatoon Temple

I would work to better empower ministry units around the world so that they could more effectively live out the gospel in their local context; strengthen our Movement’s emphasis on biblical education by providing further training opportunities to both officers and soldiers; and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, alongside soldiers of all national-

ities, make the values of the Kingdom of God, and not the values of this world, the standard for my life and the life of The Salvation Army.

Lieutenant Peter Lublink High Point Community Church, Victoria

I would focus corps leadership on further developing programs for young children. Young children have young families and young families offer hope and a future for Army corps.

David Williams St. John’s Temple, N.L. Salvationist I January 2011 I 15

ARMY ROOTS

Anchors Aweigh!

Out at sea, The Salvation Navy sought to evangelize sailors and fishermen

By Lt-Colonel Maxwell Ryan to what was known as “the converting ship.”

De Febe, a motor-vessel launched in 1930, carried a tent for meetings, chairs, instruments and song sheets—all necessary for campaigns, which continued until the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1900, the Catherine Booth, commissioned as a lifeboat in Norway, provided vital service for 30 years. Norway also had a “salvation Viking fleet” that took the gospel to isolated villages.

William Booth’s vision of a The SS Iole was the first ship of The Salvation Navy dedicated to the service of God by General William Booth Salvation Navy also took root in the Canadian Territory, for in 1894 the Glad Tidings rom the earliest days of The Salvation aboard the SS Iole, presented Army colours was already ploughing the Atlantic off Army, Salvationist sailors were dilito the crews of the Salvation Navy fleet, Labrador, its crew of Salvationists holding gent in preaching to their shipmates. which consisted of about a dozen vessels. meetings with Newfoundland fishermen In The War Cry of July 29, 1885, a report This was the first attempt to recognize at every opportunity. Later the same year, headed “North Sea Corps” told of 13 vesformally the many Salvationist sailors and the 32-ton Salvationist put out from St. sels in England flying the Army flag, lashed fishermen.

John’s, N.L., to carry out a similar work. together so their crews could take part In the north of England, the Founder A year earlier, the SS William Booth was in meetings in which eight people were had already met the owners of the War launched for ministry on the Great Lakes. converted.

Cry, a “salvation fishing smack” purchased For three months the crew visited ports In May of the same year, Bramwell with money saved by her owners since with a “naval band” before the ship caught Booth wrote to his father, General William they had stopped smoking and drinking. fire and sank near the Lake Erie communBooth, with the information that John All along the coast were such men, so ity of Port Dover, Ont. Cory, a wealthy Welshman, wished to give the Army proposed to organize them in Natural disasters have often necessia steam yacht, 100 feet long, to the Army.

Salvation Navy brigades. tated a temporary transformation from a Said Bramwell: “I told him I had been In June 1886, the SS Iole broke her Salvation Army to its naval counterpart. considering what to do for the sailors … back on a sandbank, the crew barely escapBangladesh knows what it means to see and there was very little doubt but that ing with their lives. Despite this setback, the Army afloat. During a cyclone disaster, we would accept his offer. At the last May the work of naval brigades continued Salvationists chartered a steam launch and meeting you proposed a navy.” under regulations stating that the work put up the familiar Red Shield as they Three months later, the SS Iole became of The Salvation Navy was “to do for those travelled the treacherous waters. the flagship of the fledgling Salvation Navy. who go to sea what the Army does for those Even though The Salvation Navy is now The mission of the crew included boardattending no place of worship on land.” an intriguing part of the Army’s colouring vessels to distribute Bibles and other By 1887 in Holland, Salvationist barge ful history, during the summer Canadian religious books and to preach Christ. owners were using their crafts as centres Salvationist boating enthusiasts continue to From the ship’s masts floated the colours of Army activity. The Dezorg was a trainuse their water craft for community hymn of The Salvation Army; one flag bore in ing garrison for eight male cadets by day, sings and gospel messages. bold letters the words, “Are you saved?” and in the evening, people descended into while on the sails was the monogram “SN” the hold for a meeting. The work of the Lt-Colonel Maxwell Ryan is retired in (Salvation Navy).

120-ton Army-owned barge Hoop Voor Burlington, Ont., where he serves as a Early in 1886, a sensation was caused at Allen (Hope for All) was so successful part-time hospital chaplain and amateur Plymouth, England, when William Booth, that ministers sent their young people Army historian.

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16 I January 2011 I Salvationist

MEDIA REVIEWS Michael Ramsay In an era of broken promises and misplaced loyalty, Captain Michael Ramsay’s book, Praise the Lord for Covenants, reminds Salvationists of our sacred calling. Drawing on Old Testament insights, Ramsay reaffirms the value of the Soldier’s Covenant, Officer’s Covenant and marriage vows for contemporary Christian living. Keeping covenants requires costly sacrifice, but God’s continued faithfulness and provision can keep us on track. Valuable for personal and group study.

The Mercy Seat Revisited

Nigel Bovey Since the genesis of The Salvation Army, the mercy seat has been central—architecturally and theologically—to its soulsaving mission. At the mercy seat, millions have met with God and seen their lives transformed. In The Mercy Seat Revisited, an expansion of his original book on the subject, Major Nigel Bovey examines biblical foundations and scriptural principles for making a public response to God, looks at how the mercy is currently used around the world and considers future challenges facing the mercy seat.

The Devil in Pew Number Seven

Rebecca Nichols Alonzo Rebecca never felt safe as a child. In 1969, her father, Robert Nichols, moved to Sellerstown, North Carolina, to serve as a pastor. There he found a small community eager to welcome him—with one exception. Glaring at him from pew number seven was a man obsessed with controlling the church. He unleashed a plan of terror that was more devastating and violent than the Nichols family could have ever imagined. If anyone had a reason to harbour hatred and seek personal revenge, it would be Rebecca.

Yet The Devil in Pew Number Seven tells a different story. It is the amazing true saga of relentless persecution, one family’s faith and courage in the face of it, and a daughter whose parents taught her the power of forgiveness.

Good to Great in God’s Eyes: Ten Practices Great Christians Have in Common

Chip Ingram How do you become great in God’s eyes? Chip Ingram shows you how by identifying 10 common practices great Christians of all ages have in common: think great thoughts, read great books, pursue great people, dream great dreams, pray great prayers, take great risks, make great sacrifices, enjoy great moments, empower great people and develop great habits. Using Scripture, personal stories and examples from Christians who left a lasting legacy, Good to Great in God’s Eyes offers practical steps for becoming great in all areas of life: spiritual growth, family, relationships and career.

City on Our Knees

TobyMac Bestselling recording artist TobyMac has a passion for inspiring believers to step out and take action for their faith. Through compelling stories and Scripture, City on Our Knees illustrates how Christians past and present have set aside differences, come together in unity, and stepped forward in action and prayer. Readers will be encouraged and inspired to do the same, summoning the commitment, courage and devotion to bring a city to its knees.

Many of the above products are available from Salvation Army Christian Book and Supply Centres or online at salvationarmy.ca/store.

Territorial Prayer Guide Week 1 – January 1-8 Persons in Leadership • The High Council delegates who will elect a new General • Territorial executive leadership council • College for Officer Training staff, Winnipeg • Local officers and lay leaders Week 2 – January 9-15 British Columbia Division • Mjr Susan van Duinen, divisional commander/divisional director of women’s ministries, and her team • Mjrs Russ and Judy Holland to be God’s voice and a beacon of light to lost souls in Surrey • Mjrs Martin and Joan McCarter to be a Christlike presence in Nanaimo with a ministry grounded on the Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit • Younger families with children to be attracted to Victoria Citadel’s various ministries Week 3 – January 16-22 Overseas Personnel • Col Susan McMillan, territorial commander/territorial president of women’s ministries, South America East Territory • Cpt Karen Lemke, finance trainer and risk management officer, IHQ • Comr Christine MacMillan, international director for social justice, IHQ • Cpts Hannu and Geraldine Lindholm, corps officers, Finland and Estonia Territory Week 4 – January 23-31 The Call to Worship • We will offer genuine worship from our hearts to God • Personal preparation by leaders of our worship services will spiritually enrich our lives • We will maintain a deep reverence for God • We will recognize that worshipping God implies a call to proclaim the gospel To receive a copy of the monthly prayer guides by e-mail, contact Lt-Colonel Winsome Mason, territorial secretary for spiritual life development, at Winsome_ Mason@can.salvationarmy.org.

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Praise the Lord for Covenants

Salvationist I January 2011 I 17

Our Competitive T

Edge

hey are commonly referred to as “the Army behind the Army”—the vast network of volunteers who support our work from coast to coast. Chief among them is Andrew Lennox, chairman of the National Advisory Board (NAB).

As a senior vice-president at Scotiabank, Lennox is responsible for real estate services for the bank’s domestic and international real estate portfolio in over 50 countries. He heads a team of experts in strategic portfolio management, leasing, design and facilities management for Scotiabank’s global network of 3,000 branches and administrative centres.

For the past 15 years, he’s volunteered large amounts of his time as a member of the Board of the Toronto Grace Health Centre, the chairman of the Ontario Central Advisory Board, and most recently the NAB. Geoff Moulton, assistant editor-in-chief, spoke with Andrew about his commitment to the Army and his hopes for the new board.

Tell us about yourself.

I’m a “career banker” for Scotiabank. Prior to joining the bank, I worked in real estate development and among other things developed Brookfield Place in downtown Toronto and 1000 de La Gauchetière in Montreal. I’m married with three grown children, who are thriving and successful.

I keep active playing hockey, wind surfing, golfing and mountain biking.

Describe how the National Advisory Board came into being.

Commissioner William Francis had a clear vision to establish a NAB, much of which was based on his experiences in the United States. Our new board now has a number of similarities. The first is that its members are more subject matter experts rather than fundraisers. The second is that the board was organized to assist and advise the Army’s territorial executive members on specific issues of 18 I January 2011 I Salvationist

As chairman of the National Advisory Board, Andrew Lennox and his team are helping the Army see the big picture

“The Army offers its services without any strings attached,” notes Andrew Lennox, “and that appealed to me enormously”

national importance. While fundraising is a critical component of the Army’s regional boards through events such as annual breakfasts or golf tournaments, the intent with the national board is to take a broader approach.

We first developed a memorandum of understanding that was the subject of considerable thought and discussion. Its purpose was to outline the responsibilities of the NAB, which include suggesting improvements to the organization’s operational efficiency and effectiveness; the development of benchmarks and bestpractice standards for service; and the development of supportive relationships between public and private partners. From that we extrapolated what activities the board would be involved with, what subject matter expertise was needed and a list of desirable qualifications for the board. Board members have experience and knowledge in areas such as accounting, legal, marketing and government relations. Most of the members have a national scope in their day-to-day work responsibilities.

Why The Salvation Army? What attracted you and what keeps you committed and energized?

I’ve been involved in a number of nonprofit organizations with varying degrees of success in terms of my own fulfilment.

When I got involved with the Army, I was completely taken with how focused it is on its clients. Army workers have great respect for the people they serve and tremendous humility. At the time, I loved the national slogan: “Anyone, Anywhere.”

The Army offers its services without any strings attached, and that appealed to me enormously—to help anyone, anywhere, any time with respect and dignity, without asking anything in return is the most selfless and universal any organization can be. The Army has tremendous experience and capability to help the less fortunate in times of crisis. It helps so many people in so many different ways. I think there is no better organization to volunteer with. If I can help in any way, I feel fulfilled.

Is there a particular encounter with the Army that moved you?

One incident early on at the Army’s camp in Jackson’s Point, Ont., for inner-city children really resonated with me. I’d spent the day at an advisory board function there.

As I was leaving, the person responsible for the camp program described how at the end of every two-week period a couple of the children often go “missing.” They are usually found hiding under a bed or behind a building, hoping the bus will leave without them so that they can stay at camp a bit longer and not have to return to their tougher living environments. It was a powerful reminder of the vulnerability of children in our society, as well as the positive and constructive nature of the Army’s work.

My experience with many social service organizations is that they can be very territorial; it’s too often more about them and their managements than it is about their clients. My experience with the Army, on the other hand, is that its culture, history and religion all work together to ensure an altruistic and authentic spirit of service. Army people live their beliefs rather than telling others how they should live.

There’s a tremendous humility that’s very attractive.

What have you discovered about the Army that the public doesn’t realize?

People are constantly surprised at the breadth of the Army’s work; how extensive it is. It serves 400 communities, 1.5 million Canadians a year and is the largest provider of homeless beds in Toronto next to government. That’s amazing by any standard. Another thing the public might not know is the Army’s wonderful history. The more I read about it and think of what the Founders accomplished, the more impressed I am with how clear and effective their mission was. William and Catherine Booth were incredibly successful in developing an effective strategy to meet tremendous social need and creating an organization that has had the flexibility to survive and thrive despite enormous challenges. The Army has been able to rejuvenate itself countless times over its 135-year history.

Salvationists would say that our primary motivation is our faith in God. Do you see that as an advantage?

No question, it is. You couldn’t be the great organization you are without it. It does, however, present fundraising challenges for you in a very competitive environment. It’s not easy being a religious organization in a society that is increasingly multicultural

and multi-faith, a society that seems to have decided proselytizing is undesirable and that faith should be private. The Army needs government and corporate funding to do its good work and the challenge is to find a way to be true to your identity and mission without alienating potential supporters.

Is this an area where the National Advisory Board can support?

Yes. Board members have experience from the “other side” of the table, and many of us have made major funding decisions, including those who work for large corporations and two former deputy ministers from provincial governments who were responsible for health and social services.

They understand what the criteria are, how organizations compete for funds and how the Army can best position itself.

Army people live their beliefs rather than telling others how they

should live How have you seen advisory boards positively impact the Army’s work?

In the former Ontario Central Division, the advisory board looked at the Army’s property portfolio. The Army owned 300 properties that were in various states of need. The advisory board helped the Army anticipate what the financial demands would be over time and get a handle on how best to organize itself. A committee organized surveys for each of the properties and made recommendations regarding budgets, timelines and priorities. As a result of this collaboration, the Army had better information to make decisions and came away stronger.

Another project was the new Harbour Light in downtown Toronto. The board volunteered to help the Army determine the best approach to redevelopment. We worked with the real estate person at the division, consulted program people from around the territory, helped the Army get government funding and also undertook a capital campaign with the help of Ketchum Canada Inc., which raised $15 million.

The Harbour Light’s integration of services—helping people with concurrent disorders and offering family counselling and community services—was a big part of the plan.

Where do you think the Army can improve?

The Army is a large and complex organization. Like any big organization, it needs to evolve because the environment in which it operates is constantly changing. Part of the reason the NAB was formed is to help the Army look at places where it could be more efficient and effective. Here are three important areas: 1. Benchmarking—looking at relative performance of the Army and different units within it in delivering its services and management.

2. Best Practices—examining what other organizations do well with an eye for incorporating those things into its own operations.

3. Transparency—being clear and open in terms of processes and outcomes.

The more the Army improves in these areas, the more successful it will be in obtaining funding from corporations and governments and attracting people in every way.

Another thing that’s important is the Army brand, which is very powerful because it is uniquely trusted, but it’s a challenge to keep that brand strong because the world is evolving. You need to re-educate every generation about your organization. Fortunately, the Army is enormously attractive to older people because its success has been proven. People want safety and reliability. You want to be able to say to your partners, “You can trust us to do what we are promising. We will serve suffering humanity effectively and be careful custodians of your donations.”

For a conservative person who wants to support a charity, the Army has an enormous competitive edge.

What are your expectations of the Army?

The Army is very internally focused by nature. To help offset what is sometimes a weakness, we bring an outside set of eyes to challenge the Army and help it look at other opportunities. The challenges that the Army faces are often similar to those of government, other social service organizations or business.

The board brings experience to a variety of issues and expects the Army to treat our recommendations seriously and be open and honest with us with respect to its challenges. In return, we will do our best to respond with help and assistance.

Salvationist I January 2011 I 19

College Out of the Box

The Salvation Army’s College for Officer Training was everything I didn’t expect

By John McAlister, Senior Editor

I

’ve come to The Salvation Army’s College for Officer Training (CFOT) in Winnipeg to shadow the cadets in their training.

My plan is to get a feel for what life is like at CFOT so that I can share it with other Salvationists. Within minutes of arriving, I realize this isn’t the college atmosphere I had anticipated.

Perhaps I’m expecting something older or run-down, but the college immediately presents itself as being in touch with the outside world. The large gallery windows in the main foyer serve as a bright and visible link between the training of Salvation Army officers and the external community. But there are also important connections to the past, such as the stained-glass windows taken from the former college in St. John’s, N.L., which now feature in the main lobby. From classrooms to the cafeteria, the CFOT facility is both stylish and practical.

Academic Excellence “One of the biggest changes in today’s training model is the academic standard,” says Major Eric Bond, principal. “Not that the Army didn’t emphasize academic learning in the past, but classes taught today at CFOT are accredited university courses. By the time cadets finish their 22 months of training, they are three quarters of the way toward completing a bachelor’s degree.”

In addition to the accredited academic courses, cadets receive practical training in their field placements and summer and winter assignments. As well, spiritual formation is emphasized as an integral component to their training.

“Many of the cadets come with much life experience and have already completed academic degrees,” says Major Bond. “This means that the training program can look 20 I January 2011 I Salvationist

different depending on the cadets’ needs.

As more people enter training with the academic standards already in place, we are looking at developing more intensive field-based training for them. We want to prepare, develop and inspire them in character and competency.”

When Cadet Darren Woods entered training last year, he already had significant academic qualifications, so the Army felt his time would be best spent in the field.

During his first year, he trained in London, Ont., and now he is in Charlottetown, N.L. He travels to the college for classes on occasion, and has even participated via a live video feed on the Internet.

“We want to see cadets experience growth in the field, academics and spiritual formation,” says Major Margaret McLeod, director of academic studies.

Where the Heart and Mind Meet As I attend class with some of the cadets, I sit near the back of the room to observe.

Some of them are typing away on laptops, while others write on notepads. All have their Bibles open and refer to them continually. The instructor seems relaxed but confident, and involves every cadet in the discussion about grace. All the cadets appear eager to reflect on how grace is seen at work in Scripture.

“I feel blessed to be able to study,” says Cadet Grace Kim. “Since coming to CFOT, I have learned much about the history of the Church and The Salvation Army. I’ve also grown in my capacity to read, study and understand passages in the Bible.

Some may argue that too much focus is placed on academics in our training, but I feel this is an essential and beneficial component as I prepare for officership.”

Three times a week, the staff and cadets

meet for chapel services. While the chapel has all the amenities expected in a modern worship setting, there is a sense of simplicity and intimacy as we gather together.

On this day, Cadet Esther Lalrengpuii is sharing an inspiring personal testimony.

Along with Cadet Charles Chalrimawia, Cadet Lalrengpuii has come to train in Winnipeg from the India Eastern Territory.

Over the course of their training, every cadet will have the opportunity to share their faith story in chapel.

“The chapel services are a vital part of our community life,” says Cadet Peter Kim. “The services include intercessory prayer, advocacy, ‘my story’ testimonials and seasonal topics such as Advent and Lent. They draw us closer to God, to each other and to our mission in Christ.”

Community Life The college residence is a 20-minute drive from CFOT. The cadets don’t live in a dormitory-style setting, but rather in individual condominium suites. While living close to their peers can prove challenging at times, there is a strong sense of love and appreciation among the community. Within months, many of the cadets have already developed deep friendships that will continue throughout their officership.

“I particularly enjoy studying with the other cadets here at CFOT,” says Cadet Brian Bobolo, “each of whom brings a wealth of life experiences and a love for ministry that is infectious.”

College life is most challenging for cadets with young families. “For my husband and me, life is a balancing act,” says Cadet Kristen Dockeray. “We need to balance school, field placements, playing with our son, studying, having family meals, writing papers and all of the other things that go along with raising a three year old at CFOT. While this can feel overwhelming, we have been able to negotiate caring for our son and being students.”

“The community life at CFOT is important,” says Major McLeod. “It develops networks and deep-seated relationships.

There is also a good relationship between the staff and cadets. There is a definite respect for the role of the officer/teacher, but at the same time, there is an ease in the classes that allows cadets to comfortably express themselves. Right now, they are cadets and we are officers, but in a matter of months, we will all be peers.”

“The staff at CFOT are extremely supportive of the cadets,” says Cadet Bethany Howard. “They are open and encouraging through teaching, spiritual guidance, men-

toring and everyday interaction. If I have something I need to talk about, I can confide in a staff member. Not only that, but they will pray with me and for me, and do their best to make sure I get the support and guidance that I need.”

Hands-On Training While the academic expectations are high, the field training is also rigorous. The goal is for cadets to get a broad exposure to a variety of ministries in The Salvation Army. This is done through placements at corps ministry units and parachurch organizations. As well, cadets are sent on extended summer and winter training assignments.

Cadet Kyla McKenzie’s field placements in Winnipeg were at Weston Community Church, Winnipeg East Community Church and Community Ventures South, a day program for people with developmental disabilities. She also travelled to New Westminster, B.C., in the winter, and Robert’s Arm, N.L., in the summer.

Through these placements, she’s experienced leading services, preaching, Bible studies and administration.

“I’ve been challenged by the importance of relationship,” says Cadet McKenzie.

“Without it, church doesn’t really happen.

This has pushed me to deepen my relationship with God and then to strengthen my relationship with others.”

As cadets enter training with different ministry backgrounds and abilities, the college works toward building on this base as well as expanding their comfort zones.

“We look at cadets’ prior experiences and also interview them to hear what their goals or interests are,” says Major Keith Pike, director of field education. “We try to give them experiences that will either broaden their exposure to the Army or to

Cdt Esther Lalrengpuii shares her testimony during chapel at CFOT

Cdts Joshua Downer and Grace Kim discuss the practical applications of extending grace as leaders

reinforce pre-existing interests.”

“My summer appointment in Gander, N.L., gave me a hands-on approach to what officership is really like,” says Cadet Joyce Wilson. “The corps officers ensured that I had exposure to a wide variety of ministry experiences. I was involved in vacation Bible school, leading Sunday meetings and preaching, hospital and home visitation, assisting with baby dedications and wedding ceremonies, the administrative activities of the corps, and attended a Salvation Army music camp for the first time.”

Staff advisors help encourage and evaluate the cadets. As well, placement supervisors and cadet peers offer their feedback.

As I speak with cadets about their field training, they break into smiles as they offer excited and passionate explanations of their experiences. While they appreciate the importance of their academic classes, they relish every opportunity to engage in practical and relational ministry.

The field program is divided into five semesters, each with a different focus.

In the first semester, cadets explore the Winnipeg context and discuss how they see the city. The second looks at the Church’s response to what they’ve seen, which includes placements with a parachurch ministry. The third is their summer assignment. The fourth is a placement at a corps in the city to see how the Army responds. The final semester is a continuation of the fourth, with cadets seeing how

corps are structured and administered.

High Expectations While there is a definite need for officers in the territory, the training process is not easy. With challenging course assignments and demanding field work, the 22-month schedule will test the resolve of cadets. On occasion, cadets may realize that officership is not for them. On rare occasions, CFOT staff may determine this as well. No matter what, college life offers ample opportunities for cadets to confirm their calling to serve as Salvation Army officers.

“There are high standards here,” says Major McLeod. “As we evaluate cadets, we look at their academic performance as well as their experience with practical ministries in their field placements. Through the spiritual formation program, we can look at character. These three components help us evaluate whether the cadets will do well as officers.”

Although expectations are high, it’s clear that the CFOT staff want every cadet to achieve the academic, practical and spiritual experience necessary for exemplary leadership.

“We are all in this together,” says Major Bond. “We want to help our cadets become successful officers.”

For more information about officer training, visit Salvationist.ca/candidates and CFOT.ca.

Salvationist I January 2011 I 21

Participants in the Sunday night closing ceremonies

The World for God

When theological squabbling threatened to derail the Lausanne Congress, I asked God to help me see the beauty in my fellow Christians. He didn’t disappoint

BY DION OXFORD

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rom October 17-25, the third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization was held in Cape Town, South Africa. Over 5,000 evangelicals from 198 countries converged on the Cape Town International Convention Centre to discuss together what it means to be evangelical in today’s world.

Each country was allowed a set number of delegates, based on the size of its evangelical presence. Canada had 50 slots to fill, and delegates were chosen according to clear parameters. The goal was equitable representation from across Canada based on gender, age, geography and occupation. I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation, and was thrilled to accept with the full support of my employer, The Salvation Army.

22 I January 2011 I Salvationist

Leading up to the congress, my expectations were high. I had been told that 65 percent of participants would be from developing countries and that the agenda would be driven by non-Western Christians. This excited me as I desperately wanted to be challenged by my Christian brothers and sisters in different parts of the world—men and women who live out their faith every day in total dependence on God’s provision and faithfulness. I had high hopes of meeting God through his people in ways that would change me forever.

The congress started out on the right foot. They brought 700 tables into the room and divided the participants into groups of six from different regions of the world. We spent the week with our groups

with the goal of seeing friendships forged and community formed, even in the midst of thousands of people.

We spent the first afternoon in our groups getting to know each other. I was particularly moved by our group leader, a Vietnamese woman whose sister committed suicide due to her hatred of the communist system, whose brother died on a boat that was capsized by pirates as he tried to flee the country, and who had herself been on the verge of suicide.

God spoke to her in the depths of her despair and she gave her life to him. Now she travels throughout the hill country of Vietnam, sharing the love of Christ with tribal Vietnamese people, and has witnessed over 14,000 conversions in a country in which it is illegal to be Christian.

She told stories of the authorities finding Christians and pouring boiling water down their throats to get them to renounce their faith, yet they would not waver. I knew then that God was answering my prayer by revealing himself to me through her.

That night was the grand opening celebration where we were entertained by African music, dancers and drummers.

It was an experience of worship that I will never forget. An African-Anglican bishop stood up and declared that all of us in the room worship one king: the King of Kings. It cemented for me how vital this gathering was. His words pierced my heart, reminding me that in spite of our geographic, social and political differences, we all bend the knee to Christ. It was a powerful moment.

But when the music faded, things started to unravel. I noticed that the stage was dominated by older white North American men pontificating about Western theology and values. The night felt full of long speeches, presenting the same tired brand of Christianity that I had hoped not to find here. I was disheartened.

Over the next two days, the stage continued to be dominated by a veritable who’s who of American Christianity.

And they were addressing the same old issues: should women preach, proclamation versus deeds, evangelism versus social justice, Reformed versus Wesleyan theology, and on it went.

Sadly, these divisive issues once again came to the fore when, on day two, Ruth Padilla, a powerfully gifted woman from Latin America, stood up to preach on Ephesians 2. As she took the podium, many men stood up as one and walked out of the room in protest of a woman

preaching.

In the midst of all of this, I had been exploring Cape Town and the surrounding area. I had the privilege of standing in the pulpit where Desmond Tutu organized the peaceful resistance. I visited the slave museum where slaves were once stored and auctioned off like cattle. I visited famous landmarks like District 6, Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope (accompanied by our chief secretary, Colonel Floyd Tidd, and a few other Salvationists). I visited four townships/shanty towns and was invited into a family’s shanty to see firsthand how they live.

Apartheid, while officially over, is still in evidence everywhere in Cape Town. In the midst of this spectacularly beautiful city, the disparity between rich and poor, almost always marked by the colour of people’s skin, was overwhelming. With over 40 percent unemployment and no social safety net, many people are willing to do almost anything to put food on the table. One of the members of our Canadian delegation was even swarmed and robbed at knifepoint.

So I walked these streets, aware that 5,000 Christians were busy arguing over theological trivia while apparently indifferent to the injustice around them. My heart broke. Won’t people know we are Christians by our love? Yet we don’t seem to even love each other, let alone the rest of the world. And while we squabble, people suffer and die all around us.

By the end of day two, I was paralyzed with emotion. I was witnessing the darkest, ugliest side of Africa while simultaneously experiencing the awesome beauty of it. At the same time, I was experiencing the darkest, ugliest side of Christianity

A family from the townships who invited Dion Oxford into their home

while hearing stories of the wonder and perfection of our God. I was unable to process it all.

That night I knelt and prayed that God would help me to focus only on the beauty I was experiencing and to find his presence in the midst of it. And I asked for forgiveness for being so caught up in the negatives that I was missing the beauty. And finally, I committed to God that I would no longer dwell in the squabbles, but that I would instead mine for the diamonds around me and focus on those.

And God answered my prayer.

• On the day focused on the theme of Truth, a man from the former East Germany reminded us that truth wasn’t located in a set of doctrines or rules but rather in the person of Jesus.

Moreover, he spoke of meeting truth as he spent time with his friends in the slums of his city. This resonated deeply with me and my own story.

• I witnessed a Palestinian Christian woman (from Nazareth no less) embrace an Israelite Messianic Jew. They both testified that their hatred for each other was only overcome through the conciliatory power of Christ’s love.

• A Rwandan man told of how his family had been butchered and how he now, due to the presence of Christ in his life, is about the business of forgiveness and reconciliation with the people who destroyed his family.

• Commissioner Christine MacMillan, director of the Army’s International Justice Commission, hit a grand slam when she challenged delegates to talk less and listen more.

Dion’s friend, Esther, who shares the gospel with tribal peoples in North Vietnam Salvationist I January 2011 I 23

• A woman who is HIV-positive stood and told of her faith in God and her work to bring healing to communities in Africa devastated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

• A missionary woman spoke. She had spent the last 30 years in Afghanistan with her husband, together raising their family there. She pulled out a blood-stained piece of paper. Her husband was murdered just two months prior and his blood now marked this document she held in her hand: his final sermon. And yet she spoke of her deep faith and trust in God. Through all of the stories and all that I was processing, I made this conclusion: God is at work in amazing and miraculous ways all over the world, in spite of us.

So what will be the legacy of Cape Town 2010? This, too, gives me hope.

Chris Wright, the man charged with writing the Cape Town Commitment (www. lausanne.org), spoke prophetic words. He challenged us to consider that the biggest threat to the work of God today may not be from people of other faiths, but from the people of God themselves. We are a scandal, a stumbling block to the gospel.

We need to repent of the idols in our lives,

Delegates forged friendships and prayed together in small groups

specifically the idols of power, pride, popularity, success and wealth. He challenged us to focus on humility, integrity and simplicity. I was thrilled by his courage.

On the last night, we received a copy of the first part of the Cape Town Commitment. It was all about love: love for God, for each other and for our neighbour.

So my prayer for Lausanne 2010, and for the global church, is that our legacy will be one of repentance and love. If that is the end result, I will be proud to have been a part of it.

Dion Oxford is the executive director of the Gateway men’s shelter in downtown Toronto.

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Community Check-Up

Heritage Park Temple’s new parish nursing program is nurturing body and soul

BY JULIA HOSKING, STAFF WRITER

W

hen she surveyed her new community nearly four years ago, Major Julie Slous, corps officer, Heritage Park Temple, Winnipeg, witnessed signs of gangs and drug dealing.

“Linked with this was an evident struggle among low-income families who seemed to lack awareness of where they could go for help and support,” says Major Slous. “Looking at the seniors’ population, it was obvious that many were grappling with the intricacies of the medical and social services system.”

In order to find a comprehensive solution, Heritage Park Temple’s corps officers (Majors Julie and Brian Slous) and leadership team worked with local representatives from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and other community agencies that are part of a local neighbourhood network for co-ordinating and assessing the various needs of the region.

As the conversations evolved, it became apparent that in order to address physical, medical and spiritual issues, holistic ministry—in particular, parish nursing—was required.

“From the very first mention of this program, there was instant receptivity and all sorts of excitement,” says Major Julie Slous.

Parish nursing relies on a faith community with a network of health professionals. As Heritage Park Temple has people experienced in both health and social services, the corps was well suited to implement the program.

Following a lengthy process of research and assessment, the corps was authorized to commence a parish nursing program and Sharon Harms was hired as the parish nursing supervisor. Harms is qualified for both the medical and chaplaincy aspects of the job as she has extensive experience as a registered nurse, holds a theological diploma and has been a pastor’s wife for 20 years.

“What was most important when hiring our supervisor was that they had wide nursing experience and a theological background,” says Major Slous. “In Sharon, we found the perfect candidate.”

After comprehensively exploring the needs of the community and existing services, Harms and her team will develop

programs that focus on holistic health and help people navigate the medical system.

The corps has already made progress in the former area by establishing a support group for young mothers.

“I have a passion for helping people achieve health and wholeness,” shares Harms. “We often receive assistance for specific areas of life, but sometimes our needs are interconnected and we’re not getting help for the whole picture. I’m hoping we can provide a holistic picture through our ministry.”

A Parish Nurse’s Role

Parish nurses spend most of their time talking to people about their health concerns in homes, hospitals, coffee shops and the parish nurse’s office.

Through the conversations, the parish nurse is dedicated to providing health teaching and counselling with a focus on the physical, emotional, social, cognitive and spiritual needs of the clients.

Part of the parish nurse’s role involves helping the client to access services, and coming alongside the client to speak with their physician or other service providers. The parish nursing network at Heritage Park Temple is also committed to providing formalized teaching and counselling through workshops, classes and support group settings that are open to both the corps and community.

The topics of conversation with the nurse vary. Some clients inquire about their medication with questions about monitoring its effectiveness and understanding side effects. Others have health concerns regarding abnormal signs and symptoms, deciding on an appropriate course of treatment for cancer diagnosis, and making decisions on nutrition, exercise and lifestyle.

Many also seek a parish nurse’s counselling for depression and anxiety, addiction and substance abuse, concern for family members, grief and loneliness, and relationship problems.

Sharon Harms, parish nursing supervisor, with a client Salvationist I January 2011 I 25

Finding Joy in Joytown With the Army’s support, BethanyKids offers healing and hope to disabled children in Africa

by Dr. Richard Bransford

A

long with her mitten-like hands, Annie had 10 toes and two Achilles tendons on each foot and her feet were turned backward. She was, however, blessed with a huge smile that was unexpected given the presence of so many physical “flaws.”

Twenty years ago, my daughter, Bethany, and I made an unannounced visit to The Salvation Army Joytown Primary School for the Physically Handicapped in Thika, Kenya. We were sitting on a bench outside the cafeteria when a bell rang announcing lunch. Before us a drama took place that defied our expectations. Dozens of disabled children began to appear. Some were in dilapidated wheelchairs, often pushed by another disabled student. Most wore braces. Their clothing was often in disrepair and sometimes soiled. Some fell and were helped up by their fellow students. Amid the struggle to reach the dining room was a laughter that was not easy to explain, especially for those of us who are not disabled.

Many of these children had previously been hidden from public life and were a shame to their families. Now they were out of hiding and seeking their places in the world. They seemed to enjoy this unexpected opportunity to attend school, mix with other children and laugh.

Our medical work at Joytown began shortly after this initial visit. We would often come with a team of doctors, ther26 I January 2011 I Salvationist

At the Joytown Primary School, students receive an education and physical therapy

apists and assistants to assess the needs of the children. We would ponder the bright letters over the classroom building that announced the school’s motto, “Care, Rehabilitate, Educate.” This motto has been better fulfilled in recent days through the co-operative efforts of The Salvation Army and BethanyKids. BethanyKids is an organization that has helped hundreds of children through therapy, surgical intervention, bracing and added encouragement. Some have gone on to high school.

A few have finished university. Some have entered vocations through which they can help other students with disabilities.

Visiting Joytown in 2011 is a very different experience from those early days.

Not all of the problems have been solved, but progress has definitely been made.

Over 300 students at the primary school are being educated. Most of these are undergoing therapy by the BethanyKids team through a five-year agreement between Joytown and BethanyKids that began in late 2009. The students exercise in the gym and splash in the pool, and many are more mobile. As well, some are introduced to Jesus Christ for the first time.

Is there joy in Joytown? Yes, there is joy found in education, new physical freedoms, improved sense of self-worth, social interaction, and, for many, in knowing Christ.

In 2009, there were 197 applicants

for 33 student positions at Joytown. In 2010, there were 150 applicants for 43 positions. Classrooms are overcrowded.

Often over 35 disabled students are packed into a room that should have no more than 20 students. Frequently there is only one teacher for an overflowing classroom of disabled students. Teaching materials are scarce. The current facility was built several decades ago and is outdated and inadequate.

In co-operation with The Salvation Army, many more improvements at Joytown are anticipated: a new laundry, new toilet facilities, improved wheelchairs and better braces, more housemothers, a camping program for the disabled during school vacations, new or improved classrooms and dorms, and an expanded discipleship program.

Dr. Richard Bransford is the clinical director/ surgeon at BethanyKids. The organization’s founder, he has worked in Africa for over 30 years in various contexts.

A benefit concert for BethanyKids at Joytown is taking place at Toronto’s Scarborough Citadel on Saturday, January 29, featuring the North York Temple Band. Help Annie and the other children of Joytown by buying a ticket and offering your support. Visit bethanykids.org to learn more and to help bring healing and hope to children with disabilities in Africa.

Celebrate Community

Enrolment and Recognition

GRAND FALLS–WINDSOR, N.L.—Seven senior soldiers are celebrated at Grand Falls Citadel. From left, Sabrina Andrews, Kristen Jerrett, Ryan Moss, Ian Loveless, Joshua Kelly, David Skeard, Frank Keats.

Grand Falls Citadel also welcomes four junior soldiers. From left, Mjr Terry Hopkins, CO; Laura Wiseman; Amber Rowsell; Nora Loveless; Natalie Simms; Mjr Bonnie Hopkins, CO.

LINDSAY, ONT.—Lindsay celebrates the enrolment of eight senior soldiers. From left, Carroll Croutch, preparation class teacher; Courtney Croutch; Bud Cooper; Brian McLeod; Linda McLeod; Joel Stevens; Ruth Procter; Ray Procter; Marilyn Dunstan; Mjr Miriam Stevens, CO. Cec Carr holds the flag.

BRACEBRIDGE, ONT.—Aidan Turley is welcomed as a senior soldier. With him are Lts Fred and Carolyn Reid, COs. Right: Jordan Turley of Bracebridge Community Church displays her Cross Training graduation certificate. With her are Clarence Taylor, colour sergeant; Lt Fred Reid; Jacqueline Swan, cross training leader; Lt Carolyn Reid.

YARMOUTH, N.S.—On Thanksgiving Sunday, Yarmouth Community Church welcomed four new adherents. From left, Mjrs Janice and Peter Rowe, COs; Bhreagh Hannem; Betty Deveau; Ellen Nickerson; Hugh Nickerson, holding the flag; John Nickerson.

YARMOUTH, N.S.—Norma Fenton receives an appreciation certificate for 20 commendable years of volunteer service to the Salvation Army thrift store in Yarmouth. Fenton often volunteered four eight-hour days a week. From left, Mjr Janice Rowe, CO; Dave Hobb, store manager; Norma Fenton; Mjr Peter Rowe, CO.

VICTORIA—Victoria Citadel welcomes a new soldier and adherent. From left, Mjr Lynn Grice, CO; Jim tenHove, holding flag; Megan Russell, senior solder; Ryan Mitchell, adherent; Mjr Dave Grice, CO.

ST. GEORGE’S, BERMUDA—Alfred and Cathy Esdaille are celebrated as the newest soldiers in the Bermuda Division. From left, Cpts Anthony and Yvonne LeDrew, COs; Alfred Esdaille; CSM Neil Francis, holding the flag; Cathy Esdaille; Mjrs Brenda and Shawn Critch, divisional leaders.

Salvationist I January 2011 I 27

Celebrate Community

Seniors’ Appreciation Night

Exciting Corps Growth in Cranbrook, B.C.

LONDON, ONT.—On September 18, more than 50 people gathered with retired Army leaders General and Mrs. Bramwell H. Tillsley for the first annual seniors’ appreciation night at Westminster Park in London, Ont. General Tillsley paid special tribute to Lorne Barker for 64 years of service as an Army bandsman. Barker is active in the Westminster Park Band and in Jubilee Brass, a band of retired Salvationist musicians in southwestern Ontario. The seniors enjoyed a dinner served by the youth of the corps, while being entertained by Mjr Jim Hann of St. Mary’s Community Church, Ont., who led a chorus sing-along and performed piano and flute solos.

In response to General Tillsley’s message on Sunday, many claimed a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. From left, Phoebe Barker, Mrs. General Maude Tillsley, Lorne Barker, General Bramwell Tillsley, Cpts Laurie and Gerald Reilly, COs.

CRANBROOK, B.C.—Kootenay Valley Community Church celebrated the burning of their mortgage nine years early on October 3. The building houses the church, thrift store, family services and soup kitchen. “In stressing God’s blessings and living in his will, we have seen more people coming to church, a better motivated staff and thrift store sales have increased by 25 percent,” says Cpt Kirk Green, CO. Cpt Kirk Green and Cpt Winnie Phelps, former ministry board member, burn the mortgage.

Golf Tournament Raises Over $10,000

Army and Church Volunteers Serve the Needy The corps in Prince Albert, Sask., serves breakfast three mornings a week to 200 people. “Most of the clients receive a government subsidy and many are borderline street people,” says Mjr Glenn Patey, CO. A grant of $25,000 from the Community Initiatives Fund finances the program. Fifteen volunteers, representing the corps and three other churches from the community, run this vital service. The corps ministry team organizes the breakfast and also a soup program on Saturdays, which feeds 150 people.

DUNNVILLE, ONT.—The Charity Golf Benefit committee donated $10,175 to the Salvation Army food bank in Dunnville, Ont. Eighty contestants took part in the tournament at the Dunnville Golf and Country Club. The tournament has raised over $80,000 for The Salvation Army over the past 12 years. Businesses and individuals also donated items to live and silent auctions. The Salvation Army is grateful to the organizing committee and the people of Dunnville who supported the event. From left, Virginia Horton; Marta Spencer; Vicki Leach; Lynda Bain, community and family services representative; Maureen Jones and Lori Siddall.

The Salvation Army food bank in Dunnville accepts a generous donation from the Charity Golf Benefit committee

GAZETTE

Volunteers in Prince Albert serve breakfast to hundreds every week

The Prince George Salvation Army Community Church

90th Anniversary June 3-5, 2011 Help us celebrate with Majors Robert and Shirley Ratcliff and the Gospel Brass Band Greetings from former officers and friends can be sent to 777 Ospika Blvd, Prince George BC V2M 3R5; phone: 250-564-4000 28 I January 2011 I Salvationist

TERRITORIAL Retirements Mjr Charles Granter, out of Labrador City/Wabush, N.L. Last appointment: special assignment, N.L. Div; Mjrs Melvin/Lynn Fisher, out of Erin Mills, Mississauga, Ont. Last appointment: special assignment, Ont. CE Div Promoted to Glory Mjr David Patterson, from Woodstock, Ont., Sep 23; Mjr Ida Krommenhoek, from Toronto, Oct 10; Mjr Ivan Elliott, from Toronto, Oct 11

CALENDAR

Commissioners William and Marilyn Francis Jan 18-20 General’s Consultative Council, London, England; Jan 21 High Council, London, England Colonels Floyd and Tracey Tidd Jan 10-14 officers’ retreat, B.C. Div; Jan 16, dedication of new worship space, Warehouse Mission, Toronto; Jan 24 CFOT, Winnipeg General and Mrs. Bramwell H. Tillsley (Rtd) Jan 14-17 Cincinnati, Ohio

Now in Training

Meeting a Vital Need in St. John’s

Jason and Kristen Dockeray, Freeway Community Church, Hamilton, Ontario Great Lakes Division

ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—Volunteers from the Rotary Club of St. John’s Northwest, high school and junior high school students and teachers from Prince of Wales Collegiate and other schools in the Eastern School District, along with members from The Telegram and other volunteers, canvassed door-to-door for contributions to the Salvation Army food bank. The provisions received help many families in need. “The need is greater than ever as food bank usage is increasing every year,” says Mjr Donette Percy, community and family services director.

Kristen and I had aspirations that didn’t include being Salvation Army officers.

She was happy as a school teacher and I was looking to plant a church in Hamilton.

Attending a training college information weekend in Winnipeg in November 2008 changed our plans.

We sensed that God was calling us to be officers and we were accepted for training in September 2009. Being unable to sell our home delayed us a year, but during that time we had many exciting opportunities in ministry and in our personal lives.

Confident that God has been involved in our decisions, we believe he will prepare us for ministry as Salvation Army officers.

Students in St. John’s canvassed for the Army’s food bank

Tribute CORNER BROOK, N.L.—Wallace Locke was born into a Christian family in Corner Brook, N.L., in 1927. After the death of his first wife, Jane, he remained in the family home.

One day while alone at home, he felt God speaking to him and sought guidance from Major Stephen French, then the corps officer at Corner Brook Temple. Christ changed his life forever that day. Four years later, he married Winnie Oxford and both served as soldiers at Corner Brook Temple where he loved attending worship and men’s fellowship. Wallace is survived by wife, Winnie; seven children; seven step-children; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; three sisters; three brothers; and extended family.

YELLOWKNIFE, N.W.T.—Born in Peterborough, Ont., in 1949, Paul Huard spent his early adult life on the streets of Toronto, becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs. After going through the rehabilitation program at The Salvation Army Harbour Light and giving himself to the Lord, Paul began helping others by becoming an internationally certified alcohol and drug counsellor. He worked for the Army in addictions in Winnipeg, Owen Sound, Glencairn and Windsor, Ont., Prince Rupert and Glen Vowel, B.C., and Yellowknife. Paul and his wife, Shirley, were also Salvation Army envoys for a few years in northern British Columbia. Paul enjoyed being a soldier of the Yellowknife Corps for the past 10 years where his positive attitude encouraged others during his battle with cancer. Paul’s last spoken word was “Hallelujah” as O Boundless Salvation was sung at the hospital chapel a week before he died. He is survived by wife, Shirley; son, Kevin; and sister, Mary Ellen.

MOUNT PEARL, N.L.—Ellis Seymour Dyke was born in Safe Harbour, N.L., in 1927. Seymour moved to St. John’s, N.L., where he met his now deceased wife, Mildred. The Lord saved him at the then Adelaide St. Corps (now St. John’s Citadel) and he said that “the next morning the birds seemed to sing sweeter and everything looked cleaner and brighter.” Seymour was a founding member of the corps in Mount Pearl, serving as its treasurer for 30 years. His encouragement of and enthusiasm for the church family and the Army in general were always evident. He was very thankful for his children’s continued involvement there. Many have been blessed by Seymour’s love for God and his church.

He is missed by children Linda, Artie, Dennis and Glenn; special friend, Betty Ford; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—Major Ronald Braye was born in 1931 in Grand Falls, N.L., and became involved in banding at the Windsor Corps (now Park Street Citadel), N.L. During a Good Friday service, he accepted God’s call to officership.

Following commissioning and a couple of single appointments, he married 2nd Lieutenant Maisie Mouland in 1954.

They ministered in Monkstown, Carmanville, Englee, Comfort Cove, Wesleyville, Lewisporte, Buchans, Clarenville and Bay Roberts, N.L. Social ministry appointments followed with family services, corrections, harbour light and the Wiseman Centre in St. John’s and also in Winnipeg, Moncton, N.B., and Brantford, Ont. After 43 years of devoted service, Ron retired in 1996. A dedicated musician, he had been a member of the bands at St. John’s Citadel, St. John’s Temple, Winnipeg Citadel, Brantford Citadel, Moncton Citadel and Mount Pearl Citadel. Ron was also a regular faculty member of the Northern Arm music camp in Newfoundland and Labrador. Left to honour Ron’s life and legacy of service to God are sons Howard (Edith), Mjr David (Elaine) and Randy (Connie); six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and extended family.

LONDON, ONT.—Major Evelyn Barr (nee Mitchell) was born in Morden, Man., in 1925. Evelyn trained with her husband, Jack, as a member of the Intercessors Session at the training college in Toronto and was commissioned in 1952. She supported her husband in various appointments in such places as Nanaimo, Trail and Victoria, B.C., Winnipeg, Saint John, N.B., and Hamilton, London and Toronto, Ont. Evelyn is missed by daughter, Muriel; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

TORONTO—Born in Buchans, N.L, in 1947, Major Ivan Elliott worked at the Royal Stores in Buchans and at the Whales Back Mine near Springdale, N.L. After moving to Springdale in 1966, Ivan became a corps cadet, songster and was young people’s sergeant major for a few years.

Commissioned as a member of the Victorious Session in 1971, he served in Whitbourne, N.L., marrying Lieutenant Bernice Anstey on July 11, 1972. Ivan received his 40-year service pin in May 2010, having had five appointments in corps and 27 years working with men struggling with addictions in Manitoba, British Columbia and Ontario. Ivan enjoyed music and modelled integrity, compassion and a deep love for God. He was a man who loved to laugh and keep others laughing. Ivan is survived by wife, Bernice; children Shawn (Krystyne) and Sharon (Sheldon); and six grandsons.

Salvationist I January 2011 I 29

LOGO FOR LIVING

The Reason is Heaven

The promises of God are real, right and ready

By Commissioner Marilyn D. Francis

I quieted my heart and mind, I asked him to show me the reason for losing the people we think we need for life and living.

As I reflected on my grief, the word “reason” would not go away. These things had happened, but I wasn’t able to reason it through. It made no sense to me. Then Jesus’ words came to me: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). God doesn’t always make his decisions easy for those on earth to deal with. God doesn’t have to ask our permission. I would never ask God why. We will all face death. We will all make decisions about how we will respond to death.

It’s never easy to lose a loved one. It’s important that we talk about our grief with God and our fellow Christians. Together, let’s ponder anew what the Almighty can do in and through us in the coming year.

The Word of God makes eternity something that has to be in front of us at all times. One never knows from one day to the next when our number will be called and we will leave this earth.

Life and death are held in the timing of God alone. None of us knows the day, hour or situation when we will be whisked to our heavenly home. Breath will stop and we will be face-to-face with God, the creator, preserver and governor of all things. Isn’t this reason enough to stop and reflect on our lives? It is reason enough for me!

A few years ago I listened to a vocal student perform David Meece’s We Are the Reason. The lyrics have stayed with me: “We are the reason that he gave his life, We are the reason that he suffered and died.

To a world that was lost, he gave all he could give, To show us the reason to live.”

The Reason is Heaven … in 2011!

Isaiah 1:18: “ ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord.”

The Reason is:

Right—Revelation 2:7: “… I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God”; Ready—John 14:3: “… I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again” (AMP); Real—John 10:27-28: “My sheep … follow me. I give them real and eternal life” (MSG).

John 12:27: “… it was for this very reason I came.”

T

his past year brought Heaven more to mind than ever before as I experienced the loss of close friends and family.

While Heaven has been in this believer’s heart since the age of seven, the deaths of a few beloved friends were so abrupt that the shock overwhelmed me—I had expected that we would have more time together. Even though I know this life is only a prelude to the real home we pilgrim believers will inherit, these early deaths got my attention. I needed to listen for God’s voice to help me make sense of the pain. And he did not let me down. As 30 I January 2011 I Salvationist

As Jesus communicated his divine purpose, he made me able to reason through my loss. I was able to calm the heavy-hearted grief that felt overwhelming. In light of Heaven, everything became clear. All the whys in Christ are answered through his Word. The reason for life and death is Heaven.

My mother often said, “There is a Heaven to gain and a Hell to shun.” Yes, the reason God allows the two extremes of crushing pain and ultimate joy is Heaven. We are all tested as we choose whether to do God’s will or follow our own path. Both choices can be difficult to maneuver, but only one way leads to eternity with God. When faced with the choice between doing what feels good and easy and staying the course of service, we must listen to God’s Word and “store up for ourselves treasures in Heaven” (see Matthew 6:19-21).

Imminent death and rapid departure from earth become part of the reason for our service. And so we continue to be obedient to the way of the cross that leads to our heavenly home. Therefore it is not fear but delight that we find.

For loss and gain, God allows. God is, after all, in control.

You can rely on that. God’s Word is truth. So come, let us join together and recognize that Heaven is the reason after all. And God’s reason is real, right and ready.

If you, too, are experiencing a valley in the shadow of death, please feel free to connect with me. Let’s talk.

Commissioner Marilyn D. Francis is the territorial president of women’s ministries in the Canada and Bermuda Territory. She can be reached at Marilyn_ Francis@can.salvationarmy.org.

RETHINKING CHURCH

Sesame Street Mission Who are the people in your neighbourhood?

BY CAPTAIN RICK ZELINSKY

A

ll I really need to know I learned in kindergarten. Or so says author Robert Fulghum, who maintains the whole of life can be witnessed in the microcosm of the school playground.

He may have a point. When it comes to church revitalization, my inspiration comes from Sesame Street. No, I’m not referring to finding Sesame Street characters in your congregation—although I’ve met the occasional Oscar the Grouch and one or two Big Birds. I’m talking about the song that asks, “Who are the people in your neighbourhood?”

I’m sure the Sesame Street ditty wasn’t written with a theological purpose, but its titular question is the starting point for any congregation seeking to find its place or identity in the community.

So who are the people in your neighbourhood? Statistics Canada has reams of information on your neighbours’ ethnic backgrounds, religious affiliations and incomes. But if you really want to get to know your neighbours, I would propose a few practical ideas: Lace up your shoes. Walking in your neighbourhood is a great way to discover what the community is saying about itself.

For example, just by scanning the posters stuck to lampposts and mailboxes, I can tell that the arts are important to the people in my neighbourhood.

Find common ground. One of the best ways for me to meet people is to take my dog for a walk. Sometimes people will stop us on the sidewalk and pet him. Other times fellow dog-lovers will congregate in the park and form relationships. If you are naturally shy, try joining a local group, sports team or special interest class.

Introduce yourself. It is amazing how just exchanging names can open doors.

For many people, making initial contact is difficult. It involves intentionality and risk.

When I’m out and about, I often say hello to people. Judging by their reactions, or lack thereof, I’d say many of them are not used to cordial greetings. Some are busy

rushing to their next activity. But every friendship begins with a simple “hello.”

Visit the local hangouts. Find out where people go and join them there. People in my neighbourhood like to gather with friends. There are more than 60 restaurants within one square kilometre of my house, and many of them are full on a nightly basis. From the grocery store to the cinema to your hairdresser, you’ll find opportunities to connect with people.

Open yourself to new experiences.

When I was in Winnipeg ministering at the College for Officer Training, the staff took cadets to the theatre. We wanted to listen to what the arts community was saying about our city and God. It wasn’t necessary for us to agree with everything that was expressed, but it gave us a unique window on the culture and thinking of our neighbours.

Your neighbourhood may be different from mine, but there are signs all around. If you are paying attention, your neighbourhood will tell you its story through posters, graffiti, shops, music and landscaping.

If you look closely, you’ll discover what people value and how they like to spend their free time.

God is omnipresent, so he, too, lives in your neighbourhood. You just have to look for him. In the Old Testament, God was present in the tabernacle, a tent that was pitched in the middle of the Israelites’ encampment. In the New Testament, God “moved into the neighbourhood” (John 1:14 MSG) by sending his Son, Jesus. And by his Spirit, God continues to work in and through the people in your community.

As Salvationists, it’s sometimes hard for us to hear what God is saying. We’re so busy with the immediate needs of the world that we may neglect to stop and listen. But make no mistake: God is speaking, often in the most unexpected places.

We need to find out what is happening in the community and where God is moving, and then join our neighbours and God there. The task for the missional church is to engage the people, read the signposts and listen to God. Captain Rick Zelinsky and his wife, Deana, are the corps officers at North Toronto Community Church.

Salvationist I January 2011 I 31

TERRITORIAL SOCIAL SERVICES CONFERENCE 2011 CANADA & BERMUDA MARCH 26-29, 2011

DELTA MEADOWVALE HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO KEYNOTE SPEAKER MAJOR CAMPBELL ROBERTS DIRECTOR OF THE SOCIAL POLICY AND PARLIAMENTARY UNIT, NEW ZEALAND

COLONEL FLOYD J. TIDD CHIEF SECRETARY

Unique workshop & networking opportunities.

Contact Area Commander for applications.

For more information please email: Joanne_Tilley@can.salvationarmy.org Salvationist Full Back page.indd 11/9/2010 1:52:07 PM For address1 changes or subscription information contact (416) 422-6112 or circulation@can.salvationarmy.org. Allow 4-6 weeks for changes. PM 40064794