Salvationist - April 2016

How Does Our Territory Appoint its Officers?

Lost in Space: The Search for Meaning in The Martian

Army History Comes to Life in Miniature

THE VOICE OF THE ARMY

April 2016

Salvationist.ca

Master Class Toronto taekwondo club connects with community kids

CONTENTS

Salvationist April 2016 • Volume 11, Number 4

Departments 5 Frontlines

14

12 Reel to Real

Get more online

Life on Mars

by Aimee Patterson and Michael Boyce

Visit salvationist.ca to add your comments and read web-exclusive articles

17 Spiritual Life Celebrate!

by Captain Jennifer Reid

/salvationistmagazine Follow us on Instagram for the latest and best Army photos. Tag your photos #salvationistsofig

22 Inbox 25 Cross Culture 26 People & Places

/salvationistmagazine Like us on Facebook for photos and updates.

Interact with our community of 26,000 fans

Columns 4 Editorial Moving Pictures

by Geoff Moulton

8 Onward Follow Me

by Commissioner Susan McMillan

24 Ties That Bind Trumped by the Gospel

by Major Kathie Chiu

30 #Trending All That Glitters

by Captain Mark Braye

18

Features 9 Let’s Talk How fair process is transforming the territory’s appointment system

by Lt-Colonel Jamie Braund

14 In the Footsteps of the Master With its innovative taekwondo club, Toronto’s Yorkwoods Community Church is teaching kids discipline and faith

by Ken Ramstead

18 The Army in Miniature Salvationist Norman Cuthbert makes history—one metal figurine at a time

by Ken Ramstead

@Salvationist Follow us on Twitter for the Army’s breaking news. Use hashtag #SalvationArmy for your own updates and photos Cover photo: Homin Kwon

Read and share it!

April 2016

FAITH &

faithandfriends.ca

frıends Inspiration for Living

20 Fame’s Fortune After a year of heartbreak, even being mugged couldn’t shake Major Samuel Fame’s faith

by Giselle Randall

23 Close to the Heart of God The Salvation Army brings hope to the children of urban slums

by Major Brenda Murray

Soul Sculptor Artist Timothy Schmalz uses clay to bring his faith to life No More, Thanks  Homeless to The Salvation Army

+

Disney Revisits The Jungle Book Saved Twice

Salvationist April 2016 3

EDITORIAL

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Moving Pictures

hat ’s you r f avou r ite film? Perhaps it’s hard to choose just one. Do you like laugh-out-loud comedies, wartime dramas, sci-fi adventures? Whatever your taste, I think it’s fair to say that many of us have grown up at the movies. They are part of our shared history.

One of the yearly rituals I enjoy most is attending the Toronto International Film Festival. Every September, I join the queues of eager moviegoers and wonder: Will this film win an Academy Award? Will I meet a Hollywood star or an esteemed director? And, more importantly, will this film have something interesting to say?

When the lights flicker across the screen, something magical happens. For a brief moment, we are invited to enter the story. We see the world through another person’s eyes and, in doing so, learn something about ourselves. When we encounter something profound, it’s almost like a conversion experience. We leave the theatre changed.

This issue we launch a new bimonthly series called Reel to Real, which tackles spiritual themes in current films (page 12). First up, Aimee Patterson, consultant at the Ethics Centre, and Michael Boyce, head of English and film studies at Booth University College, discuss The Martian, one of the year’s biggest hits and a fascinating study of one man’s endurance Salvationist

is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory André Cox General Commissioner Susan McMillan Territorial Commander Lt-Colonel Jim Champ Secretary for Communications Geoff Moulton Editor-in-Chief Giselle Randall Features Editor (416-467-3185) Pamela Richardson News Editor, Production Co-ordinator, Copy Editor (416-422-6112) Kristin Ostensen Associate Editor and Staff Writer 4 April 2016 Salvationist

in the face of incredible odds.

One of my favourite film critics, Roger Ebert—famous for his thumbs-up/ thumbs-down reviews—once quipped: “No good film is too long and no bad movie is short enough.” In Salvationist, we want to take a look at films that are worth watching, that will make us think about faith, God and what it means to be human.

When we encounter something profound, it’s almost like a conversion experience

(page 20). And you’ll gain insight on the process the Army uses to appoint its officers (page 9).

Just like the movies, Salvationist magazine is in the business of telling stories. Good stories don’t just “move” along the screen or page; they also move us in our hearts and minds. As we reflect on other people’s journeys, I pray that we will find ourselves in God’s wider redemption plan. Or as one film called it, “the greatest story ever told.”

GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll read about Yorkwoods Community Church’s taekwondo club, which is teaching kids discipline and self-defence, as well as attracting new families to the Army (page 14). You’ll also read how faith has sustained Major Sam Fame in spite of all that life has thrown at him

Timothy Cheng Senior Graphic Designer Brandon Laird Design and Media Specialist Ada Leung Circulation Co-ordinator Ken Ramstead Contributor Agreement No. 40064794, ISSN 1718-5769.

Member, The Canadian Church Press. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) © 2011.

All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory and can be reprinted only with written permission.

Subscriptions

Annual: Canada $30 (includes GST/ HST); U.S. $36; foreign $41. Available from: The Salvation Army, 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto ON M4H 1P4.

Phone: 416-422-6119; fax: 416-422-6120; e-mail: circulation@can.salvationarmy.org.

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Inquire by e-mail for rates at salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org.

News, Events and Submissions Editorial lead time is seven weeks prior to an issue’s publication date. No responsibility is assumed to publish, preserve or return unsolicited material. Write to salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org or Salvationist, 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto ON M4H 1P4.

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. salvationist.ca facebook.com/salvationistmagazine twitter.com/salvationist youtube.com/salvationistmagazine instagram.com/salvationistmagazine

FRONTLINES

New Resources for Music and Gospel Arts

Rachel Ewing, administrative associate, territorial music and gospel arts department, leads a tutorial on accompanying congregational singing

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he territorial music and gospel arts department has launched a series of online resources to assist in its mandate of resourcing and equipping musicians and artists in Canada and Bermuda.

Distributing the resources through Facebook and YouTube, the team is creating a mix of serious and lighthearted videos to share best practices, ideas for new programs, and tips and tools for leaders. Videos include a guide to starting a kids’ choir, a Salvation Army brass band publications review and a miniseries on accompanying congregational singing on the piano.

“Our territory is so big and the needs of our ministry units and congregations are so diverse that using media for resourcing and equipping leaders just makes sense,” says Simon Gough, territorial specialist—new media, youth and worship arts. “We can reach from Victoria to Hamilton, Bermuda, with ease and cover a range of topics that will help our leaders and artists serve the community they are in.”

Gough adds that the department also plans to engage Salvationists in dialogue through these social media platforms, in order to enhance the quality and depth of worship at Salvation Army corps.

Follow the music and gospel arts department on Facebook at facebook. com/MAGACanadaBermuda, and on YouTube at http://ow.ly/YrSxq.

Water of Life in London, Ont.

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hen news of a serious water crisis in Flint, Michigan, was recently reported in the media, Salvationists at London Citadel, Ont., wanted to offer support to their brothers and sisters across the border.

Plans were quickly put in place for a fundraising concert, which took place in February.

When media outlets got wind of the Water of Life concert, the buzz around the project quickly grew. The event was given free publicity on several radio and television stations and in local newspapers. On the night of the concert, the corps was packed with people from the community who wanted to show their support for the people of Flint.

“Salvationists are always prepared to respond to the needs around them,” says Major Kevin Metcalf, corps officer. “But we weren’t expecting such an overwhelming response from the community.”

The concert featured the London

Mjr Kevin Metcalf thanks concertgoers for their generosity

Citadel Band, songsters and timbrels, along with performances by four soloists: Sonja Gustafson, Paul Stevenson, Amanda Palmer and Jon Rowsell.

In addition to the music, the concert included a bake sale and a water station, which was managed by the young people of the corps.

The event raised $5,000, which has been sent to Flint Citadel for the ongoing work of the Army in that community.

The London Citadel timbrels perform at the Water of Life concert

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Thrift Stores Surpass Donation Goal

he Salvation Army’s National Recycling Operations (NRO) kept the kettle boiling during the Christmas season, donating $164,723 through the contributions of its 105 thrift store locations.

The donation, made through NRO’s annual Christmas Kettle GoodWorks@Work campaign, surpassed the previous year’s goal set by the NRO by almost $25,000.

“We have a lot to celebrate,” says Michele Walker, NRO manager. “It is humbling how readily guests in our stores give back to individuals and families in need. This contribution is an unbelievable number that will help hundreds in communities across Canada.”

Salvationist April 2016 5

FRONTLINES NEWS IN BRIEF

The photo exhibit on display at Ottawa’s City Hall

Ottawa Exhibit Captures Clients

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Sharkey and Urszula Kozak.

Each of the photos is accompanied by a personal hope story written by the clients. The title of the exhibit reflects the possibility and potential in everyone.

“We are thankful to the photographers who have donated their time and talent in capturing the personality of each of our clients,” says Sean Maddox, area director for public relations and development, Ontario Central-East Division.

“The exhibit also brings awareness of the diversity of Salvation Army services and programs and the wide ranges of people it serves throughout different stages of their lives.”

Photo: Urszula Kozak

Photo: Brittany Gawley

here is more to us than we can see.” This quote from author and speaker Joe Roberts, commonly known as the Skid Row CEO, was the title of a Salvation Army photo exhibit in Ottawa. The collection of photographs was first shown at the Army’s local Hope in the City Breakfast in November 2015 and the Christmas kettle launch at the British High Commission. In February, it was displayed for several days at Ottawa’s City Hall.

The exhibit consists of 12 large portraits of Salvation Army clients taken by four prominent local photographers: Brittany Gawley, Nadine DeLange, Sandy

“I have been living here at Ottawa Booth Centre men’s shelter since February 2015. It is now fall and I am planning on getting housed very soon. The Salvation Army has given me a safe environment where I feel comfortable and supported by staff. I am thankful for the work that they do”

6 April 2016 Salvationist

“The Bethany Hope Centre’s Learning Coach Program was more than a school for me. It was a place of security and comfort, filled with genuine caring people that want to see you succeed. I didn’t have much support or anybody to turn to or guide me in the right direction until I started attending Bethany”

Imagine Canada Accreditation The Salvation Army has been accredited under Imagine Canada’s national Standards Program, thereby joining a growing community of 150 organizations dedicated to operational excellence. The Standards Program is a Canada-wide set of shared standards for charities and non-profits designed to strengthen practices in five fundamental areas: board governance; financial accountability and transparency; fundraising; staff management; and volunteer involvement.

Belinda’s Place Opens A new shelter for women in Newmarket, Ont., is now open. The region’s first and only shelter for single homeless women will feature 28 single-unit emergency beds and nine transitional apartments, as well as support and counselling services. With management support from the Regional Municipality of York, The Salvation Army will oversee the daily operation of the site, as well as the Belinda’s Place website and social media accounts.

New Thrift Store in Hamilton, Ont. The Salvation Army opened its third thrift store location in Hamilton, Ont., in January. On opening day, the store handed out $10 gift certificates to the first 25 customers who made a purchase.

Coffee and cake were served, while entertainment was provided by a Salvation Army band. The opening day concluded with a live auction.

“Toque Tuesday” Raises Awareness The Salvation Army’s community and family services in Chatham, Ont., held an open house in February to provide information on how homelessness is being addressed in the community. To that end, the Army in Chatham is working in partnership with Raising the Roof, a national charity dedicated to long-term solutions to homelessness. Raising the Roof toques, mitts and socks were available for purchase at the open house, with proceeds going to support local efforts to combat homelessness.

Do you have news to share? Tell us what’s happening at your corps. E-mail salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org.

FRONTLINES

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Concert Raises Funds for Refugees

oronto’s Agincourt Community Church was filled with music in February for a daylong banding workshop, culminating in an evening fundraising concert.

The Canadian Staff Band (CSB) joined forces with the Ontario CentralEast Divisional Youth Band (OCE-DYB) for a day that included massed rehearsals, sectionals and a master class given by CSB Bandmaster John Lam, as well as opportunities for fellowship.

The purpose of the concert was to raise funds to provide assistance to Syrian refugees. At the concert, Craig Lewis, territorial secretary for music and gospel arts, spoke of how he felt God calling him to do something to help the cause, no matter how big or small, and that was how the idea for the day and concert came about. “Canada has undertaken a great responsibility to support Syrians as they flee for safety and the hope of a better life,” he says.

Highlights from the concert included a premiere performance by the CSB of Major Ken Smith’s Light Song, written for the band’s upcoming trip to California in May for a gathering of the North

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A joint concert of the Canadian Staff Band and the Ontario Central-East Divisional Youth Band raised $1,500 to support the Army’s work with Syrian refugees

American staff bands. The OCE-DYB featured Marcus Venables’ Our God, and pulled off a thrilling performance of The Imperial March from Star Wars. Joint performances for the concert included pieces by Ray Steadman-Allen and Colonel Robert Redhead, along with Goff Richards’ arrangement of Crimond.

Karen Gross, the evening’s featured vocal soloist, led attendees into a time of contemplation and reflection with Major Len Ballantine’s Just One.

A free-will offering was taken and more than $1,500 was raised to support the Army’s work with refugees.

“It was a fantastic day as everyone in attendance came together in harmony, not just musically, but with a common goal of showing support and opening our hearts to meet the need,” says Lewis.

A video of highlights from the day can be viewed at https://youtu.be/ QRSkW8mjwyU.

Divisional Worship Conference Inspires Salvationists

he A lber ta a nd Nor t hern Territories Division held a weekend workshop in January focusing on the way music and other creative arts are used in worship.

Under the theme The Heart of Worship, more than 60 delegates from

across the division gathered at Calgary’s Glenmore Temple to explore both the theoretical and the practical aspects of worship. Directed by Majors Len and Heather Ballantine, and supported by Craig Lewis, territorial secretary for music and gospel arts, delegates par-

More than 60 Salvationists gathered in Calgary for a worship workshop

ticipated in workshops covering topics such as Using Prayer and Scripture to Anchor Worship, Using Music as Outreach in your Community, Spiritual Formation and the Use of Visual Aids in Worship.

The workshop was rounded out by brass and vocal clinics, as well as worship team demonstrations and discussions featuring the worship teams of Glenmore Temple and the Wetaskiwin Corps, Alta.

The event ended with a time of worship and praise that incorporated much of what was discussed over the course of the workshop.

“This workshop will hopefully be a watershed moment in the spiritual life of the division,” says Lewis, “as the delegates return to their corps with a new or revived sense of purpose and a re-calibrated focus on Christ.”

Salvationist April 2016 7

Photo: © PeteWill/iStock.com

ONWARD

Follow Me Where is the risen Jesus calling you?

BY COMMISSIONER SUSAN McMILLAN

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ow wonderful it is to celebrate the greatest act of grace the world has ever known—the death and Resurrection of God’s only Son, Jesus, at Easter. All across the territory, there were evangelistic campaigns, dramas, Easter egg hunts and other wonderful events. But what now? Shouldn’t that celebration mean more than just a week of hard, but fulfilling, work?

As I read about the events immediately following Jesus’ death and Resurrection in John’s Gospel, I see a tremendous responsibility being entrusted to his followers. In John 21, Jesus spent time with his disciples before he ascended into heaven. He met them on the beach after they had been fishing all night.

It’s interesting that these disciples returned to their old vocation so soon after Jesus was crucified. On numerous occasions, Jesus had told Peter that he was the rock upon which he would build his church. The disciples had 8 April 2016 Salvationist

envisioned a very different ending to their time with Jesus, so I imagine they were at a loss after his death. Even though they were witnesses to the Resurrection, had seen Jesus alive, they still seemed unsure about what the future might hold.

Jesus had told them he would send the Holy Spirit, who would imbue them with power from on high. Yet here they were, fishing again.

Somehow, though, their hearts weren’t in it. They didn’t catch anything until Jesus showed up and told them to throw their net on the other side of the boat. Although they didn’t recognize him, they took his advice. Soon, their net was too full to haul into the boat.

When he realized who it was, Peter jumped off the boat and started swimming to shore, where Jesus was preparing breakfast over a fire on the beach. I wonder if he had cooked for them before.

Perhaps. They seemed perfectly comfortable sitting down to eat together that morning.

Of course, as usual, Jesus had a lesson to teach them. When they finished breakfast, he turned to Peter, his “rock,” and asked him: “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15). I wish we had a video of that moment so we would know for sure what he meant by “these.” But I suppose we can infer that he was referring to their return to fishing as a livelihood, rather than getting on with the real work to which he had called them.

Whatever his gesture was, Peter was quick to respond, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” The Master’s reply was as puzzling as the rest of the morning had been. “Feed my lambs,” he said. Twice more, Jesus posed the question, Peter answered and Jesus told him to feed his sheep. Then Jesus repeated a command he had given Peter and the rest of the disciples at the very beginning: “Follow me.”

I think John’s Gospel records this incident because it’s important not only to tell the story of the disciples and Jesus, but also because it speaks to Christians of all times. It’s very easy to get discouraged and want to go back to something familiar and comfortable. But Jesus poses us this question: “Do you love me more than these?” Do we love him enough to venture out of our comfort zone and go into all the world making disciples? Do we love him enough to follow wherever he leads?

I suppose that, for Peter, this question was the wake-up call that brought him back to his true calling. When next we read about him, in the Book of Acts, he has assumed leadership of the group of disciples. His leadership is blessed by the Holy Spirit such that the church grows and reaches around the globe and across the centuries.

May we each hear that question, “Do you love me more than these?” and may we respond by following him more closely and serving him more faithfully.

Perhaps our prayer could be, in the words of a song from the musical Godspell, “To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.”

Commissioner Susan McMillan is the territorial commander of the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

Let’s Talk

How fair process is transforming the territory’s appointment system

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t’s that time of year again. On the last Friday of April, the list of published appointment changes for Salvation Army officers in the Canada and Bermuda Territory will be made public. I think I can speak for most officers when I say that it’s a relief when you don’t see your name on the list. But that gratitude quickly changes to prayer when you realize the impact these moves will have on the lives of those on the list, both the officers and the people at the ministry units.

How does the appointment process work? Is it fair? Who decides? Those are big questions. It is my hope that with more information, more understanding will come. It is a complex process that involves a great deal of trust, information and prayer.

First, as secretary for personnel, I can confirm that there are no dartboards involved. Meetings are held in November and February with territorial and div-

Illustration: © akindo/iStock.com

BY LT-COLONEL JAMIE BRAUND

isional leaders, including divisional commanders and the training principal at the College for Officer Training, for what are called “consultations.” This is an opportunity to examine and declare which officers might need or want to move; which officers are ready to move for developmental or personal reasons; and which ministry units need new officers. In 2016, 41 officers will retire and 20 cadets will be commissioned. This adds another dimension to the needed changes.

This process is not hurried and decisions are not made quickly or lightly.

There is much time for prayer, worship and devotions. There is a strong awareness of all those who are going to be affected by decisions made, including the children of officers. When we take into consideration personal and family needs, ministry unit requirements, officer development needs and geographical implications, it often seems impossible to

complete the task. And then some miracles happen and we realize that God’s hand is truly in the process, guiding all those involved.

Yet there are times when decisions are made with a great deal of trust, knowing that a human understanding of best fit and outcomes doesn’t always seem attainable. It is difficult knowing that the decisions may lead to both joy and sorrow. We pray fervently that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

When it comes to decision-making, the territory is adopting a practice known as “fair process.” Fair process means that in any decision-making process, there is engagement, explanation and expectation clarity. We attempt to engage as many stakeholders as possible. The reasons and rationale behind a decision are explained as much as possible.

Salvationist April 2016 9

And our goal is a clear understanding of expectations, for both the decisionmakers and those on the receiving end of the decisions. This is a great lens through which we can examine how we make decisions. I don’t think we’ve reached this point yet, but we’re heading in the right direction.

As secretary for personnel, I might be compared to a person who orchestrates a trapeze show, convincing people to let go of something secure while knowing that there’s something else, which is also secure, to reach out and grab a hold of.

That moment when the trapeze artist is holding on to nothing and wondering

whether or not they will make it must be terrifying.

Similarly for officers, that stage in between appointments can be very scary.

You have no keys, no house, nowhere to live and you’re driving across the country wondering why you ever signed up for this. Everyone responds differently in this moment. Extroverted people voice their concerns while introverted people stop talking and shut the rest of the world out. Eventually, however, there is a destination and something to hold on to: a new adventure and place of ministry.

One remembers the chorus from What Can I Say: “Just where he needs me, my

Lord has placed me.”

As I write this, I recognize that there are many people—officers and Salvationists—who have been hurt by the appointment process and find it difficult to see fair process. For that, I am truly sorry. This year, I ask again that we pray for all those involved, that we seek God’s heart for understanding the decisions and that we support one another in the transitions that are about to take place.

That’s how a culture of trust will grow in our movement.

Lt-Colonel Jamie Braund is the secretary for personnel of the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

Major Elaine Bridger

Area commander and divisional secretary for women’s ministries, Alberta and Northern Territories Division

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Lieutenants Stephen and Rosalyn Toynton Amherst Community Church, N.S.

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e are currently in our first appointment, having been commissioned in 2015. For us, it didn’t matter where we were sent because we knew that it was God’s will. We felt a calmness knowing that the whole process was well prayed over.

We felt engaged in the appointment process, right from the start. While we were still at training college, Lt-Colonel Jamie Braund asked us questions about what kind of ministry would suit us, and he was open to hearing about any concerns that we may have had. One concern for us was where our daughter, Mary, would be educated and, in that respect, things have turned out really well. We can see the school from the quarters’ window and she comes home for lunch every day, which is a treat. We also shared that, given our background, we would feel most at home in a corps with a traditional music style and Amherst is a good fit in that respect, too.

Since our arrival, we have met with our area and divisional commanders, who have invited us to be ourselves and follow the leading of the Lord, and the people at the corps have been very supportive as well. Overall, we couldn’t have asked for a better appointment at this stage in our lives. It fits us to a T. 10 April 2016 Salvationist

’ve been in my current appointment since February 2015. I had only been in my previous appointment for 16 months, so I was surprised when my divisional commander approached me about the move.

A number of questions were discussed before the appointment was made: Was this something I could embrace? What did I think about it? How would it affect me? How would it impact my current appointment?

The Salvation Army has been very supportive to me personally in accommodating my family needs. I’m a single spouse officer. My husband is a retired officer who is under the care of a specialist because he has a lung condition that is deteriorating.

It’s not that I can’t move, but because of our circumstances, it is beneficial for us to stay in Edmonton where his specialist is.

I’ve been in Edmonton for 10 years now and they’ve been able to accommodate me with various appointments in the city.

Now, as an area commander, I’m on the other side of the appointment process. But I know from personal experience how valuable it is to have someone listen and feel that you have some control over what happens. I want to get to know the officers in my area—to know their heart, what drives them, their passions, when they’re hurting—and to have a discussion with them. Communication is key.

The consultation process has really grown in recent years.

When I was commissioned almost 30 years ago, the mindset was “point and go.” Today, there’s more openness. Officers feel affirmed that they have a voice. The new process is so much better because it puts the value on the people and invests in them.

Majors Steven and Corinne Cameron

Kitchener Community Church, Ont., and executive director, Kitchener Parent and Child Resource Centre (Major Corinne Cameron)

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hen we finished training in 1999, we were the first session in Canada to get the appointments before com m issioning. At that point there wasn’t “fair process” as it is now understood, but it has grown exponentially since then. Corinne has had several concurrent appointments, and there has been a lot of dialogue around that because it’s an additional request.

As part of Corinne’s additional appointment to the Parent

and Child Resource Centre, Major Glenda Davis, our area commander, met with the corps’ mission board to talk through the fact that the church would no longer have two full-time officers and give them the opportunity to speak into this change. That’s an important part of fair process—recognizing that it’s not just the corps officers who are impacted by a change, but also the people at the appointment.

Our appointments have always been kind to our kids. As part of the consultation process, we complete personal development information forms. One of the questions asked is, Are there any family concerns that the Army should be aware of?

Last year, we noted that our son was going to be concluding Grade 10. We were only finishing our fourth year, but we knew that if we stayed for another year, it would be tough on him, moving right before Grade 12. That concern was honoured and our son’s education became part of the conversation we had with our divisional commander.

This latest change has been a healthy thing for us as officers, as well as our children. Corinne enjoyed her previous role as executive director of the Barbara Mitchell Family Resource Centre in Winnipeg, so to be in a similar role while also being a corps officer again is a gift. But no matter what role we’re in, our approach is to seek the God appointment in every appointment. God has a plan and a purpose in every appointment; it’s about waiting on him and discerning his will.

Officers Have Their Say: Appointment System Survey Results In January 2016, The Salvation Army conducted a survey of officers focusing on fair process in the appointment system.

It was open to the 618 officers who had experienced a change of appointment between October 1, 2010, and December

31, 2015. This survey was an update in part of a 2010 survey.

An introduction to fair process was presented at the start of the survey since not all officers had been exposed to this concept. Officers were invited to respond 2010

60 50

Before my last appointment change, my immediate supervisor asked my opinion as to whether I should move or stay.

60 50

to 10 statements using six options ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.”

• 363 officers responded to the survey • Five statements related to engagement, three to explanation and two to expectation clarity

2016

Once my last appointment was officially received, my immediate supervisor initiated discussions about the rationale for placing me in that appointment.

60 50

30

30

30

Percent

40

Percent

40

Percent

40

20

20

10

20

10

Disagree/ Strongly Disagree

Somewhat Disagree/ Somewhat Agree

Agree/ Strongly Agree

When I last changed appointments, my new supervisor explained what was expected of me in my new appointment.

10

Disagree/ Strongly Disagree

Somewhat Disagree/ Somewhat Agree

Agree/ Strongly Agree

Disagree/ Strongly Disagree

Somewhat Disagree/ Somewhat Agree

Agree/ Strongly Agree

Salvationist April 2016 11

REEL TO REAL

Life on Mars

Photo: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

What can we learn about being human from a movie set in outer space?

In our culture, films have become a place where we wrestle with the big questions of life. Who is God? What gives life meaning? What does it mean to be human? Reel to Real is a new series that explores the intersection between film and theology, offering thoughtful engagement with an art form capable of conveying deep spiritual truth. Dr. Aimee Patterson, a Christian ethics consultant at The Salvation Army Ethics Centre in Winnipeg, and Dr. Michael Boyce, head of English and film studies at Booth University College in Winnipeg, reflect on The Martian.

Dear Mike,

C

an we talk about The Martian? What a great film!

Like Robinson Crusoe or Cast Away, it’s a story about someone stranded on a deserted island. But in this case, the island is Mars and the person is NASA-astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon), left for dead on the red planet.

Watney, like his crewmates, is well-equipped for space exploration. His extensive scientific knowledge is complemented by psychological stability, tenacity and a remarkable aptitude for problem solving. The movie is heavy on science.

Technologies and procedures that movie viewers would have scoffed at even a decade ago are made plausible in the context of a not-so-distant future. Some have called The Martian a story of the battle between humans and the universe.

There are deeper ideas at play here. Watney is alone on Mars.

We don’t get much of his backstory, which suggests that he was largely alone before the mission to Mars. He has parents, but there is no indication of a spouse, children or non-NASA 12 April 2016 Salvationist

friends. Ultimately, he claims he is willing to die, alone, for something “big and beautiful and greater” than himself. But in the meantime, we can see that he uses a lot of humour to cope with his looming fate and his ever-present loneliness.

Yet Watney is not alone in the rescue effort. His life matters to NASA personnel beyond any public relations issues they face. His life matters to average people who follow his story and rally to encourage NASA to bring Watney home. The China National Space Agency is inspired to offer up its secret rocket booster, so his life even matters at an international level. Watney’s plight encourages reconciliation, relationship building and true concern for a stranger. The message is that we are not meant to be alone.

What’s your take on The Martian, Mike?

Aimee Dear Aimee,

I

was struck by a few aspects of The Martian, and the issues you’ve raised—about isolation and humanity’s need for community—were certainly front and centre. Whenever I watch films, one of the questions I ask is, “What does this film reveal about its cultural context?” In other words, why was this film made at the time it was? Films, literature and art are never made in a vacuum. They always reflect the cultural context of the time in which they were produced.

Much of the film focuses on Watney and his attempt to make a life for himself on Mars, which is often quite monotonous.

Then the story shifts dramatically to the group effort to bring him home. The film exposes two unique yet contradictory

REEL TO REAL aspects of isolation: the romanticizing of the lone hero and our fundamental need for community.

The connection you made with Robinson Crusoe is interesting. That’s where my mind went, too—the lone survivor of a shipwreck who replicates a kind of civilization. It’s an archetypal story of a human’s attempt to survive on his own, and to tame the environment to his will. This archetype is replayed over and over in literature and film, from the ancient epics, to the early modern tales of exploration, to westerns, and, in this case, to science fiction. The figure of the “lone” hero is so embedded in our western cultural understanding of power, strength and bravery, that many times we fail to recognize that humans aren’t actually supposed to be alone.

And yet, relationships are hard. People disappoint us. Too often, the thought, “I don’t need other people; I can do it myself” creeps into our brains. I’ll confess to thinking this at times.

Many times. And then something profound happens and we realize that we need people, we need relationships. Whether it’s someone walking with us in despair or tragedy, or sharing a laugh over coffee, we recognize that we’re capable of some pretty powerful and deep connections.

That’s why I was so struck with The Martian. While the film initially romanticizes the idea of the pioneering hero, in the end, it utterly deconstructs that notion. In the mission to rescue Watney, in the cheering crowds watching the dramatic rescue unfold, people come together.

One of the other things about The Martian that struck me was the genre. It’s science fiction—admittedly, a particular type of realistic sci-fi—which is sometimes (wrongly) dismissed as speculative and fantasy-based. I see people’s interest in science fiction and fantasy reflecting a desire to see beyond the scope of our world, to see a larger, more connected and more profound picture of the universe.

Do you have any thoughts on this?

Mike Dear Mike,

I

wouldn’t generally describe myself as a fan of science fiction and fantasy. I’ve only been to one Star Trek convention, and a very small one at that. I do like a number of TV series and films that are set in space. Among my favourites are those that focus on the human passion for exploration and discovery, rather than conquering and colonizing, which I think The Martian captures well.

Today, apocalypse is a popular genre in entertainment.

Most contemporary apocalyptic tales are depictions of a day of reckoning that sucks the life out of society and leaves individuals fending for themselves. This trope certainly has made its way into space. So it’s refreshing to see a movie like The Martian give the audience something to hope for. Bizarrely, this movie reveals that what humans long for is something we can find here and now on planet Earth.

I’m not saying that human relationships are of ultimate worth. But they are part of what it means to be human. We have been created as beings who need one another and who enjoy each other’s company.

We have also been created to look for those who are missing.

For instance, when a loved one dies, it can take time for us to stop expecting them to be in the places where they used to work, play and live. Sometimes we look for them even though

we know they are gone. This behaviour can be explained in psychological terms. It can also be understood in spiritual ways.

The Martian reminds me of the parable of the lost sheep (see Luke 15:3-7). The shepherd in the story notices a sheep is missing. He goes to great lengths to find it, leaving everything behind—his home, his flock, his livelihood—even putting himself at risk. After the sheep is found and delivered from death, the story ends as the shepherd rejoices together with his friends and neighbours.

Isn’t that what we witness when people all over the planet celebrate Mark Watney’s deliverance?

Is The Martian the gospel of Jesus Christ? Maybe not. But I know that the example of the good shepherd is not just a metaphor for how Jesus came to earth to seek out lost human beings and save us from death. It’s also a teaching: we are all created to seek out the lost and bring them home.

Aimee

What humans long for is something we can find here and now on planet Earth Dear Aimee,

Y

ou say you’re not a big science fiction and fantasy fan, but you’ve definitely one-upped me—I’ve never been to a convention! Did you dress up? Are there pictures?

Last night I was out with some friends who are self-confessed geeks. Now, I really like sci-fi/fantasy, but whenever I’m with these people I’m painfully aware that I’m not as serious a fan as I sometimes think. Despite feeling woefully unqualified, here’s my response.

One aspect of science fiction that has struck me is the hopefulness you identify in The Martian. While I wouldn’t say it’s a universal theme of the genre, I’m amazed at how many of the stories are about the hope that there’s something more to the world than the everyday stuff we encounter. At times, I wonder if these types of stories appeal to a metaphysical desire to glimpse a grand design, a grand narrative, at work. For all the trappings of technology, it is the need for community, for relationships, that drives so many of these stories.

The connection you’ve made to the parable of the lost sheep is interesting. As I watched The Martian, another parable came to mind, one that emphasizes the same theme: the Prodigal Son (see Luke 15:11-32). We don’t know what caused Watney to volunteer for this mission, but, like the son of the parable, he chooses to separate himself from his loved ones and head out on his own. In the parable, when the boy returns home, his father slays the fatted calf and has a huge block party (at least that’s how I imagine it) to let everyone know his son is finally home.

When Watney returns, the whole world rejoices. The lost has been found. The cost doesn’t matter. The risk is secondary.

Watney is worth saving because he is human.

Not a bad idea for Christians to consider seriously.

Mike Salvationist April 2016 13

In the Footsteps of the Master

With its innovative taekwondo club, Toronto’s Yorkwoods Community Church is teaching kids discipline and faith

BY KEN RAMSTEAD

14 April 2016 Salvationist

T

he second f loor of Yorkwoods Community Church, located northwest of Toronto’s city centre, is a beehive of activity on a recent Saturday afternoon. Normally used for everything from band practice to after-school activities, the room has been cleared and mats have been laid down.

A dozen white-suited kids have paired off with instructors and are practising how to fall correctly, how to strike and flip an opponent, and the correct way to take down an assailant.

The kids then assemble and watch attentively as Grandmaster John Ko, the head instructor, shows one young girl how to break away from an attacker.

“No matter how strong the other person is, everyone has weak spots that you can exploit,” Ko explains. “The fingers, the ears….”

He then demonstrates to her what she should do if an assailant tries to grab her.

“Exhale. Make your body and mind relax,” he instructs her gently. “Focus, proper posture, eye contact.”

At first, the girl is hesitant but, after a couple of tries, succeeds in executing the move. She grins triumphantly as the class breaks into applause.

“Remember,” admonishes Ko. “This is for self-protection only! It is not to be used to bully. It is to be used to learn responsibility, set goals and achieve them. Know when to say no and how to say no strong enough to let others know you mean it.”

Thomas Yoo was appointed to Yorkwoods Community Church. “As I looked at our congregation, located in one of the most multicultural and multi-ethnic communities in Toronto, I wondered what kind of ministry would be most effective and practical, especially for our young people.”

He thought back to his days as a youth in his native South Korea.

Why not taekwondo? he asked himself.

Developed during the 1940s and 1950s by various Korean martial artists, taekwondo has become popular the world over. Lieutenant Yoo saw it as a way to bring parents and their children together, as well as a way to instill discipline and respect for non-violence.

Lieutenant Yoo realized he’d need at least one or two instructors to teach the

Photos: Homin Kwon

Discipline and Respect The genesis of the taekwondo club dates back to late 2013, when Lieutenant

Under the gaze of John Ko, the Yorkwoods Taekwondo Club students are put through their paces

The taekwondo club is a family affair, with both parents and children actively involved

Oliver Kamama (right and opposite) and Lt Thomas Yoo strike a pose

classes, as well as uniforms, equipment and other paraphernalia.

He approached John Ko, a respected taekwondo grandmaster who has his own studio. Without hesitation, the local businessman offered himself and what resources he had at his disposal.

Word of the new initiative spread throughout the church and the surrounding communit y, and soon Yorkwoods Taekwondo Club had more than 25 kids and adults enrolled in its Saturday-afternoon class.

Each class begins with a prayer by Lieutenant Yoo. After that, instructors and students get down to business.

Limbering-up calisthenics and a warm-up run are followed by the class splitting into groups, each headed by an instructor. Each group is put through their paces as various holds, strikes, throwing and falling techniques are mastered. At the end of the class, one of the instructors offers up a short Salvationist April 2016 15

testimony followed by a closing prayer

by Lieutenant Yoo. “A Beautiful Combination” Yorkwoods Taekwondo Club has been enthusiastically embraced by the community. It has been the centrepiece of many church festivities and the club has even travelled to various tournaments.

“The taekwondo club is the best thing about Saturdays,” says Oliver Kamara,

the outreatch ministry sergeant. “My kids and I love the family environment.

“It’s a beautiful combination,” he continues. “On Saturdays, the fellowship and hard work of the club attend to our physical needs, while our spiritual needs are met on Sunday at church.”

Lieutenant Yoo finds that taekwondo and Christianity are perfectly matched.

“Taekwondo preaches humility, honour, respect for others and discipline. It fits

with discipleship, which is at the core of our faith.”

Lieutenant Yoo is hoping to expand the church’s taekwondo club. “It’s no coincidence that so many of our newest church members attend,” he says. “In fact, all of our newly enrolled junior soldiers are from our taekwondo classes, as are four of the six senior soldiers enrolled (page 26). This impacts not just our church but our entire community.”

Prayer is an important part of every taekwondo class

John Ko and Lt Thomas Yoo with the students and instructors

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UPWARD DISCIPLINES

Download bulletin inserts, one-page study guides and other resources.

A new discipline to explore every month!

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OUTWARD DISCIPLINES

ONWARD DISCIPLINES

Solitude

Prayer

Self-Denial

Evangelism

Confession

Scripture

Service

Tithing

Sabbath

Worship

Hospitality

Guidance

Slowing • Silence • Listening

Accountability • Self-Examination

Resting • Health • Trust • Community 16 April 2016 Salvationist

Submission • Obedience • Presence

Soul Food • Meditation • Convictions

Holiness • Set Apart • Priorities

Simplicity • Fasting • Missional

Servanthood • Others • Supportive

Sharing • Relationships • Thankfulness

Proclaiming • Witnessing • Testimony

Giving • Investing • Kingdom-Building

Mentors • Life Goals • Discipleship

SPIRITUAL LIFE

Celebrate!

Practising the discipline of joy Photo: © abasler/stock.Adobe.com

BY CAPTAIN JENNIFER REID

W

e have just celebrated Easter, the climax of the Christian year. It’s my favourite season, as we rejoice in the reality that Jesus is alive. It’s easy to mark holidays and special occasions, but I am learning to find joy in everyday life as a spiritual discipline—whether it’s an answer to prayer, a good school report card from my children or simply seeing the bottom of the laundry hamper!

Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts, encourages her readers to count their gifts each day, a journey of gratitude that describes the spiritual discipline of celebration. “I found myself on a transformative journey that affected every aspect of my life,” she writes. This is a journey I want to be on, and I invite you as well.

The discipline of celebration invites us to enter God’s presence by remembering his faithfulness and goodness. On this “gratitude journey,” we can celebrate not just the big occasions but the small, everyday gifts and graces. Through the practice of this discipline, we are better equipped when circumstances cause us pain and it becomes more difficult to find joy.

After reading Voskamp’s book, a colleague of mine, Captain Heather Samuel, corps officer at Cambridge Citadel in Ontario, began posting on Facebook three things for which she was grateful each day. “Celebration of God through thanksgiving, grace and joy, has changed my life,” she says. “I have learned that there is always something to celebrate

Celebrate not just the big occasions but the small, everyday gifts and graces in life, even on those days when it seems like nothing goes right. Giving thanks every day has changed my focus from me to God.” My own journey has taken me through deep grief, after losing both of my parents to cancer, and overwhelming fear in a time of sickness. While I didn’t keep a journal or a written list of “gifts,” I was very aware of God’s grace and presence in my life. Although I wasn’t in a celebratory mood, I could still feel the joy of God’s strength through being in relationship with his Son, Jesus.

In the study guide for Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster writes, “Celebration is a grace because it comes unmerited from the hand of God. It is also a discipline because there is work to be done.” He reminds his readers that we must “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13:15).

The discipline of celebration reminds me of the old hymn, Count Your Blessings.

Johnson Oatman Jr.’s words encourage us to celebrate and experience joy. The last

line of each verse, in particular, speaks to my heart: “And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

“And you will keep singing as the days go by.”

“Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.”

Life can often be unpredictable. We may find ourselves experiencing financial stress, sickness, grief, a flat tire or forgotten appointment. But intentionally recognizing and celebrating even the smallest blessings will deepen and strengthen our relationship with God and help make our challenges easier to bear. And, in the process, we will become people of thankfulness.

As you practise this discipline, may you experience the joy of being in a transforming relationship with Jesus Christ in a new and exciting way. “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!” (Philippians 4:4 The Message).

Captain Jennifer Reid is the divisional secretary for spiritual life development and the divisional adult ministries secretary in the Newfoundland and Labrador Division.

Grace Notes Ann Voskamp offers suggestions for how to begin a journey of gratitude and celebration.

Pray. Start with a simple request, making it the refrain of your day: “God, open the eyes of my heart.”

This journey must be Spirit-led, every day.

Receive. Open your hand to the simple, daily gifts, writing down all the unique and ordinary things you notice, from the grand and obvious to the humble and hidden.

Praise. Praise God for the unexpected and the unlikely, for the daily and the difficult and for the graces in disguise. The more you count, the more gifts you will see.

Do not disdain the small. As the moments add up, we will come to believe that the whole earth is full of his glory!

“Beyond that, there is no method or formula,” Voskamp writes. “There is simply a willingness … to take note of the daily love God unfurls.”

Salvationist April 2016 17

The Army in Miniature Salvationist Norman Cuthbert makes history—one metal figurine at a time

T

BY KEN RAMSTEAD

Birth of a Hobby Cuthbert’s passion for miniatures started at a young age.

The son of Salvation Army officer parents, Cuthbert and his family were originally stationed in Ontario, then served in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

When he was a boy in Truro, N.S., Cuthbert’s Uncle Frank, who was a staff sergeant in the Canadian military, would regularly send him a box of toy soldiers on his birthday and at Christmas.

“I was fascinated and started to collect on my own,” Cuthbert says. “When Dad would give me my 25-cents allowance, I would run down to the local Woolworth’s and buy a metal soldier for seven cents. Each of those figures is now worth anywhere from $10 to $50.”

But like so many youthful endeavours, Cuthbert put his collection away as he grew older, got married and had children. Decades later, he happened upon an article in Popular Mechanics that dealt with military miniatures.

The article brought to mind the many hours of pleasure he had had with his 18 April 2016 Salvationist

Photos: Chris Flees

o s t ep i nt o Nor m a n Cuthbert’s house is to find oneself surrounded by The Salvation Army. In one corner, General William and Catherine Booth are being transported to an openair meeting in a horse-drawn carriage.

Elsewhere, Salvation Army lassies are handing out hot coffee and doughnuts to a First World War trooper returning from the trenches. Here, a Salvation Army band happily plays in front of a supermarket at Christmastime. There, three female Salvation Army members sell copies of The War Cry. Nearby are Army bands from Africa and Canada, marching in step.

“I have more than 500 Salvation Army figurines, itself part of a larger collection of more than 5,500,” says Cuthbert with pride. “It’s Salvation Army history you can hold in the palm of your hand.”

Norman Cuthbert at work. “Final painting commences once the primer seal coat is dry. I paint from the flesh tones out to the final uniform details such as the cuffs”

own miniature collection.

Cuthbert promptly bought a couple of figurines and joined the Ontario Model Soldier Society.

“I started attending meetings and shows, and soon had a nice collection.

However, being married with a mortgage

and kids, the hobby was becoming too expensive for me.”

It was then that a fellow club member showed him how he could cast and sell his own miniatures.

“It was a fascinating concept,” says Cuthbert. “I started experimenting with

The Canadian Staff Band in 1914. “I based this on a photo taken right before the Empress of Ireland disaster”

Two Salvation Army lassies in the First World War hand out doughnuts and coffee to a trooper returning from the trenches

General William and Catherine Booth take a ride in a horsedrawn carriage. “This was a conversion of a Revell model kit that I completed two years ago”

figurines of my own. After some trial and error, I managed to produce my first Salvation Army band set, the old Earlscourt Citadel Band in their maroon tunics.”

From Genesis to Final Product Cuthbert can spend three to four years researching before one of his figurines is even cast. He has more than 1,000 reference books and magazines in his library, plus he scours the Internet.

“It’s a lot of late nights,” he says. “And of course, your research has to be historically accurate for the figurines to be of any value. That’s the whole point.

“You have to meticulously do your research, and sometimes sources contradict,” Cuthbert continues. “For example, you’ll have a Napoleonic hussar jacket facing. One researcher will have it one colour while another source will have it a different colour entirely. I need to come to a consensus before I continue.”

Only at that point does Cuthbert start on the actual sculpting and moulding.

He uses typesetters’ metal for its malle-

Salvation Army members Christmas carolling outside a supermarket. “The non-Salvationist figurines and the building are conversions from an HO railway kit”

ability and detail and, if care is taken, one mould can cast up to 800 copies.

After that comes the filing, finishing and painting.

While Cuthbert is starting to concentrate on biblical history, his first love remains Salvation Army figurines,

especially the bands, as he was himself a member of the Canadian Staff Band.

“Right now, I’ve got an order from a Salvationist for the Canadian Staff Band at the time when the client’s father was in it. I’ll cast that set, right up to and including the tiny music stands.”

Salvationist April 2016 19

Fame’s Fortune Photo: Giselle Randall

After a year of heartbreak, even being mugged couldn’t shake Major Samuel Fame’s faith

BY GISELLE RANDALL

O

n the evening of June 6, 2010, Major Samuel Fame went for a walk in his neighbourhood in Langley, B.C. It had been a tough year, and his late walks were a quiet time to be with God—to pray, worship and meditate on Scripture. A time to grieve.

Around 11:30 p.m., he noticed four young people coming toward him, two men and two women. Like most nights, Sam was talking to his sister on his cellphone, and he didn’t think twice as they approached. Without warning, the men attacked him, knocking him to the ground and kicking him viciously as they demanded his wallet.

“It was such a shock,” he remembers.

“I tried to protect myself. I tried to tell them I’d had a heart attack, but they just kept kicking me. The last thing I remember was yelling, ‘Help! Help!’ as loud as I could. I must have blacked out.”

When he came to, a police officer was helping him into an ambulance.

Saved to Serve Sam’s father immigrated to Canada from Turkey at the turn of the last century, a strict, hardworking man who hated religion. His mother, born in Canada of Russian heritage, was one of 11 children.

20 April 2016 Salvationist

After marrying, they settled on 160 acres of land outside Trail, B.C., in a farmhouse with no electricity or running water. It was a hard life, and Sam, one of seven children, felt little love.

Although he didn’t know anything about God, the kindness of a few people—the teacher at his one-room country schoolhouse, an Anglican minister, a woman who paid for him to attend Camp Galilee—began to show him God’s love. At the camp, he discovered the Book of Common Prayer and read it out loud while doing chores. He didn’t understand what he was reading, but it filled him with joy.

By this time, his father had passed away, and his relationship with his mother was strained. At 14, Sam left home and struggled on his own. But when he met then-Lieutenants William and Verna Moores, the corps officers in Trail, “they became like a mother and father,” he says. “They accepted me and made me feel valued.”

They found him a job at The Salvation Army Arrow Trail Camp in Robson, B.C., where, at night, he began to read the Bible. “My life was a mess. I didn’t have anything to live for,” he says. “Then I found 2 Corinthians 5:17: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new crea-

ture: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new’ (KJV). That’s what I wanted. I wanted to start my life over again.” He prayed for God to make him a new person, but still wasn’t sure if he was saved.

At the time, then-Lieutenants Peter and Esther Röed were leaders at Arrow Trail Camp. They invited Sam to attend congress in Vancouver with them. “On Sunday morning, September 25, 1960, I knelt at the mercy seat at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and gave my life to God. I never looked back,” he says.

Three months later, Sam was enrolled as a senior soldier. Three years after that, he entered the College for Officer Training in Toronto. “I always felt that my salvation was my calling, that I was saved to be God’s servant,” he says.

Love Story While working and saving money for college, Sam met a young woman named Dolores (Dodie) Gass, who was already a cadet. “I fell madly in love with her,” he says. They were married on July 25, 1966.

“We’ve always been partners in our ministry, all through the years,” Sam says. “If I led the service, she spoke. If I spoke, she led.” They served as corps officers, in public relations and then spent

15 years at Harbour Light in Vancouver.

“As young officers, we both felt called to overseas mission work. When we arrived at Harbour Light, it seemed that our calling was being fulfilled. It was like a mission field in our backyard.”

His own experience gave him compassion for those who were struggling with addiction. “I always felt it could have been me here, if someone hadn’t intervened. I was a prime candidate, with all the need I had,” he says. He encouraged the staff to care for people where they were and build relationships. “Behind every face is a story, a life. People need to experience love and friendship, like I did, before they can start looking a little higher, seeking after God.” Dodie also loved Harbour Light. For many of the clients, she was like a mom.

But late in 2002, Sam noticed Dodie was becoming forgetful. When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease a

Lost and Found Early in June 2009, Sam was working in the garden when he began to feel chest pains. The doctor did some tests, but thought it might be only anxiety. A few days later, Sam went to the hospital and discovered he had suffered a heart attack.

He spent the next two months at home recuperating.

One Friday at the end of July, Sam took his daughter, Karen, to the hospital for routine, out-patient surgery. They were very close; Karen had struggled with illness for many years—it was one of the reasons they moved back to Vancouver— and was a single mom to Jacob. Jacob spent the weekend with cousins, and on Sunday, Sam took him home. But when they got there, they found Karen unconscious.

“We just couldn’t save your mom,”

Photo: Giselle Randall

Mjr Sam Fame, his grandson, Jacob, and Mjr Dodie Fame on a cruise to Alaska in September 2009, two months after Jacob’s mom died. “I was praying to be there for Dodie; now I have to be there for Jacob,” Sam says

few months later, she found it very difficult to accept. They kept working for another three years, until Sam was able to convince her, gently, that it was time to retire.

As the disease progressed, Sam learned how to care for Dodie at home.

“I went back to Ephesians 5, where it says to love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” he says. “It was a new opportunity to love her unreservedly, even if she didn’t understand what was happening—to take care of her without expecting anything in return. That’s what I’ve done, and will continue to do.”

Mjr Dodie Fame moved into a nursing home in 2011, where Sam visits her every day. “I can still get a little bit of a smile from her, especially with bright flowers,” he says. This summer will be their 50th wedding anniversary

the doctors told Jacob at the hospital.

“He looked at me, and he’s just 12.

‘Papa, now what am I going to do?’ ” says Sam. “I said, ‘You’re going to be with me, with Grandma and me.’ So I became a parent again at the age of 66.”

On the way to Karen’s funeral a few days later, Sam’s son, Sam Jr., and his family were hit by a truck and almost killed. Sam Jr.’s wife, Tonya, was airlifted to the hospital as people waited at the church for the funeral. “It was a tangled mess,” says Sam. At Sam Jr.’s request, they went ahead with the funeral. Although he was in shock, Sam led the service. “I guess God took control,” he says. “The only thing I remember is going up on the platform, and I said, ‘I’m here today to give the devil two black eyes.’ ” Simple Faith As Sam reflected on everything his family had been through, he was determined to be a victor, not a victim, to trust God and have a thankful heart.

He began walking in the evenings, after settling Dodie and Jacob in for the night, to pray—and when he didn’t know how to pray, to sing and praise God. And then he was attacked. He woke up in the hospital with a black eye and two loose teeth and was covered with bruises. But he was still determined to trust God. “My faith is simple. I believe in the sovereignty of God over my life. I believe we’re in his hands,” he says. “None of us are going to escape problems. But God uses the hurt, the pain, the circumstances of our lives to accomplish his divine purposes. Like Joseph said, ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good’ (Genesis 50:20).”

Although the past years have been difficult, Sam has learned that the way we suffer can be redemptive—that God can use it to bless others and for his glory.

“I go back to Psalm 40:2-3: ‘He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth … many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.’

“That summarizes my life, because God put a new song in my mouth—the joy he gave me when I was at Camp Galilee, reading the prayer book. I was filled with joy, and I just feel like I’ve never lost it. And the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Salvationist April 2016 21

INBOX EDITORIAL

hen I was growing up, people referred to the War Cry, Salvationist’s predecessor, as “the official organ of The Salvation Army.” Of course, these days “organ” sounds too old-fashioned. It used to mean a periodical, but now conjures up images of a dusty old keyboard or a transplant surgery—neither of which sounds very appealing!

That’s why in recent years we’ve chosen a new slogan: “The Voice of the Army.” This reflects our editorial philosophy in the following ways: 1) It keeps readers informed. Our mission is to focus on the news that matters to Salvationists. This month, for example, you’ll enjoy our coverage of Bermuda’s Boundless Congress and the visit of General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox, World President of Women’s Ministries (page 8).

2) It broadens the scope of the discussion. It’s hard to engage meaningfully with difficult issues when we just scratch the surface. Our magazine asks tough questions and encourages readers to probe deeper. You’ll find one such discussion on page 14 as Colonel Bob Ward and Major Amy Reardon reflect on whether it’s possible to love our enemies—even terrorists such as ISIS. 3) It acknowledges our diversity.

We may be one Army, but people in our ranks come with a variety of perSalvationist

is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory André Cox General

Commissioner Susan McMillan Territorial Commander Lt-Colonel Jim Champ Secretary for Communications Geoff Moulton Editor-in-Chief

Giselle Randall Features Editor (416-467-3185) Pamela Richardson News Editor, Production Co-ordinator, Copy Editor (416-422-6112)

Kristin Ostensen Associate Editor and Staff Writer

spectives. Some readers have objected to certain articles that don’t represent their viewpoints. But it’s unrealistic to expect that we can achieve consensus on everything. We see Salvationist as a forum for discussion, not a policy document or official position statement.

4) It admits we don’t have all the answers. Although we trust in the authority of Scripture, we don’t live

Our magazine encourages readers to probe deeper

media. As a reader you may find yourself out of your comfort zone at times, but the Army cannot afford to ignore the tough issues.

Collectively, we are “The Voice of the Army.” The Bible says, “Come now, and let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18 ESV).

To do that, we must have respectful and open hearts. Let’s seek discernment as we listen to the Spirit and to each other.

To quote the church fathers: “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty.

In all things, charity.”

GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

in a black-and-white world. Recent research suggests that strong religious belief in “right” and “wrong” often does not allow for a “grey zone,” prompting children from religious backgrounds to be more judgmental of others and less empathetic (see page 25). Do they take their cue from us?

At Salvationist, we believe in editorial openness. We want all voices to be heard. That’s why we’re committed to printing your letters and providing opportunity for comment on salvationist.ca and social

Timothy Cheng Senior Graphic Designer

Brandon Laird Design and Media Specialist Ada Leung Circulation Co-ordinator Ken Ramstead Contributor

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4 January 2016 Salvationist

POINT COUNTERPOINT

Photo: © yoh4nn/iStock.com

Not Doormats With all due respect to Colonel Bob Ward, I disagree with his position about what it means to love our enemies in the context of ISIS (“Behind Enemy Lines,” January 2016). It is correct that we are to love our neigh- Y A bour, and I understand what you are attempting to say when you argue that it may be impossible to love someone you have not met. When refugees move into your neighbourhood, they should be treated with love—but common sense dictates that they should already have been vetted and documented.

Tolerance is a tricky thing. Jesus says, if a man sues you for your shirt, let him have your coat (see Matthew 5:40). Jesus also says not to resist evil but to turn the other cheek (see Matthew 5:39). If you know that your wife or daughter is going to be assaulted if you let them walk by a certain corner each day, tolerance goes out the window in place of safety. Jesus never intended us to be doormats. We should not knowingly put lives in danger.

Jim Noonan loyalty and affection. Jesus was saying we may only hate that which holds us back from the work of the kingdom.

If we are called to love ISIS, we should be equally ready to love the refugees fleeing the war and provide a safe haven. But that is an issue for another day.

In the end, we must ask ourselves—just as Christians asked themselves during the two World Wars—would we prefer for our enemies to be destroyed, or can we be at peace with each other? What do we pray for ISIS? What should we, as a church, advise our decision-makers? How does love impact the answers?

BOB DEAR BOB,

ou really made me think when you said it might not be possible to love people with whom we have no personal interaction. At first, your comment took me aback, but then I realized you weren’t saying that we harbour ill feelings toward them. We neither love nor don’t love, because we don’t have opportunity to do either. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “love is a verb.” I think there is wisdom in that. Love isn’t how you feel; it’s how you act. If that’s a fair statement, we can’t really love those we never encounter.

Your questions are very helpful, I think, in sorting out whether or not we have a Christlike response to others. You ask, which would we prefer: peace, or the destruction of our enemies? Let me pause on that question for a moment. Soon, we’ll be electing a new president here in the United States. I’ve often heard some of my fellow countrymen—even Christians— express a desire for the president to fail when their favourite candidate hasn’t made it into office. Not only is this illogical (if the president fails, we all suffer), it is cruel and un-Christlike.

We should pray for wisdom for our leaders. Peace for all is far better than the demise of those we don’t like. Peace at home, peace for the world.

As for praying for ISIS—what do we say? What do we want?

Perhaps we should pray again for wisdom for ISIS members, so that those who kill, hurt and destroy would turn and value life and our collective humanity. I also think it is important to remember that these men and women are loved by God. He formed each one, knitting them together in their mother’s womb. He longs for relationship with each of them. Though their deeds are heinous, I believe God still yearns to draw them to him, if only they would allow it.

I disagree with what you’ve said about hating the sin but loving the sinner. Sin repels God; that’s why we need a Saviour.

Since it is so offensive to God, I have no problem saying I hate it. I’m not sure what would be wrong about saying I hate murder, lies, infidelity, etc. These things destroy peace and happiness and ruin lives.

AMY DEAR AMY,

t the time of writing, we, too, were in the midst of a federal election, with our own destructive tendencies. What to pray for? Perhaps one response, taking a lesson from past conflict, is to pray for voices that can speak to both sides, people who have their respect, who start to humanize “the enemy.” Or that voices of reason within both sides are heard, leading to respectful discussion and a workable co-existence. This is what I pray for regarding ISIS, or, for that matter, the parties in the North American elections.

In terms of your comment about loving the sinner but hating the sin, I believe that Christians need to begin to model God’s unconditional love. In the end, Christ tells us that we are in no position to point fingers at another’s shortcomings when we fail to acknowledge and correct our own. I hope, though, that the devil feels just a little uncomfortable with the thought that your daughter is praying for him.

BOB Salvationist

Know the Risks Through I’m writing in response to Ken the Storm Debney’s article (“Through the Storm,” January 2016). Thank you T for bravely sharing your story of your son’s suicide. I want to add that there is a very risky period that follows the commencement of treatment. Vital, life-saving medication can sometimes give people the impetus to act on suicidal tendencies that have not receded yet. It’s a dangerous period that some do not survive. Knowing this might help others.

Madonna Agar

January 2016 15

I lost my son to suicide, but the story isn’t over

BY KEN DEBNEY

here are a few truly defining moments in our lives—getting married, losing a loved one, coming to faith. In 2014, I shared my story in Salvationist of becoming a Christian at a Salvation Army men’s camp. It was published shortly before that year’s camp and I hoped it would encourage others to attend, and perhaps even meet Christ.

On August 21, 15 days before the camp, I experienced another defining moment, one that has changed who I am.

That night, I arrived home after working a late shift. My wife was home and my daughter was visiting, doing laundry.

At 10:15 p.m., our world crashed down on us. My daughter answered the phone and started screaming, falling part way down the stairs. My wife grabbed the phone and then fell to her knees. I picked up the phone to hear a police officer on the other end. I asked two simple questions. “Is he gone? Are you sure?”

The answer to both questions was yes.

My son, Gordon, was gone. He had suffered the terrible burden of depression in silence, until it was too much to bear and he took his own life.

That morning, we’d been planning a 30th birthday party for him. The next morning, we planned his funeral.

Light and Dark Nothing can take the pain of that night away, not even faith. Faith can’t fix everything. But in the hours, days and months that followed, in the times when 12 January 2016 Salvationist

22 April 2016 Salvationist

Gordon Debney was a Maple Leafs fan. Friends and family wore Leafs jerseys at his funeral

I faltered, God sustained me.

Some have said this is a test of faith, but I think it has been a depth finder. The journey I have been on is one of sharp contrasts—the dark cloud of grief and the bright light of faith, showing me a way forward. In my darkest moments, faith has sustained me. In the brighter moments, it has shone through me to others.

Someone asked me, “Do you believe what you believe?” I said yes. He asked again. After a moment of reflection, I said yes again. “If you really believe what you believe, and you trust in God, then you can face anything,” he replied.

The night my son died, in the midst of grief, I somehow knew that I would be OK—that although this would be the most painful experience I would ever endure, if I trusted God, I would come through it.

Saying Goodbye After Gordon’s death, I expected the pain that came, but I didn’t expect the immense blessings that came with it.

Our church family, Cambridge Citadel in Ontario, embraced us with compassion, hurting with us.

But it wasn’t only friends who shone a light of encouragement. Complete strangers also did what they could to ease our burden: the manager of the photo store who made sure we had a slideshow in time for the funeral; the server who made sure we had privacy in a busy restaurant; and many other acts of compassion.

The Salvation Army is known for funerals that are a celebration of life.

We wanted to say goodbye to our son in a meaningful way. Gordon was a fanatical Toronto Maple Leafs follower, so we chose to honour him with a Leafs theme and encouraged friends and family to wear their colours. We weren’t prepared for 300 people to show up, most in Leafs jerseys.

We also went ahead with a birthday party for Gordon, inviting friends and family to a celebration and fundraising night, with proceeds going to The Salvation Army Hope Line, a suicideprevention ministry based in Hamilton, Ont. What Matters Gordon’s death has been a dark and painful time, but I have learned so much about my faith and about what matters.

Our friends and family struggled to find ways to comfort us, feeling that words were inadequate. They weren’t. I read every single message of condolence. In the days after Gordon’s passing, I kept my iPad on the night stand and read all the new messages in the morning. It gave me the encouragement I needed to get up and face the day.

The next time you struggle to console someone, remember it’s not the exact words or actions that matter, it’s the love that counts—and it does make a difference.

It’s an often-repeated cliché that the best gift you can give is time. It’s true.

A Dream Fulfilled I was interested to read about The Salvation Army’s partnership with the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge near Maple Creek, Sask. (“A Healing A Healing Place Place,” February 2016). Years ago, when Correctional Service Canada was planning a new network of I women’s prisons across Canada, I served on the Interfaith Chaplains Group, which provided input into the way spiritual care could, and should, be integral to programming. Women from across Canada met in Ottawa to reflect on this and make recommendations. This “healing place” was just a dream at that time. How wonderful to learn of the relationship of the corps with the women who reside at the lodge. Thanks to Captain Ed Dean for his vision of ministry, which honours the contributions of these women and shares the love of Jesus Christ in practical ways.

Lt-Colonel Jean Moulton The spiritual lodge at the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge

The Salvation Army and an Indigenous correctional facility partner to restore women’s lives

BY KRISTIN OSTENSEN

grew up around alcohol and drugs, and I started smoking pot and drinking alcohol when I was 12.

In my late teens, I’d progressed to cocaine, and that’s when I started dealing it, because I wanted to support my habit.”

The woman sharing her story with me is Karen, an Indigenous woman from the northern region of Manitoba. For the past year, she has been an inmate at the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge near Maple Creek, Sask., the only healing lodge for women in all of Canada. A high-ranking member of a drug gang in Winnipeg, Karen was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit trafficking and possession obtained by crime in 2013.

“I was referred here by my parole officer, and I said I would try it out,” says Karen, who has been in and out of

prison since she was first arrested on drug-related charges in 2008. “I have no regrets about coming here,” she adds, “it has helped me so much.”

Guided by Indigenous culture and spirituality, Okimaw Ohci provides a unique alternative to a standard federal prison, and its focus on healing impacts every aspect of life there, including its partnership with The Salvation Army.

Open to Heal Okimaw Ohci is a prison with no bars, located in the Nekaneet Reserve, overlooking a river valley—a cell with a view.

The first thing that struck me when I arrived with Captain Ed Dean, corps officer in Maple Creek, was how little it felt like a prison. No barbed wire. No concrete cell blocks. The facility is a collection of brightly coloured buildings.

The women live in apartment-style housing and cook their own food. The guards are known as older sisters and brothers.

Karen is dressed in ordinary clothes with white, beaded moccasins on her feet. A tattoo dedicated to her late husband and six children is one of few hints at the sorrow she has experienced.

Though there are guards nearby, we are allowed to talk privately in one of their offices. Indigenous art decorates the room.

As Captain Dean explained as we made the half-hour dirt-road drive from the corps to the facility, the Army’s partnership with the healing lodge is unique.

“When it opened in 1995, they would not permit The Salvation Army or any other church on their ground. Native spirituality was what they were going to teach, and there would be nothing else,” Salvationist February 2016 19

Celebrating 130 years of Salvation Army service in Miramichi, New Brunswick

May 21-23, 2016 Greetings can be sent to deborah_hilliard@can.salvationarmy.org

by May 2 for inclusion in a special anniversary brochure

Photos: Kristin Ostensen

Thanks and Respect One Army, Many Voices As I read the editorial in the January W issue, I was inspired (“One Army, Many Voices”). It has led me to give more thought to the mission that Salvationist contributors undertake every month. We are informed and challenged by reports on the hard work done around the world to address illiteracy, hunger, homelessness, community unrest and, during the past year in particular, efforts to comfort and restore our First Nations people. We are blessed by contributors who share their personal pain and Christ’s presence during family depression, suicide and addiction, as well as struggles with gender identity.

In your editorial, you asked Salvationists “to seek discernment as we listen to the Spirit and each other.” I’m grateful for a magazine that seeks to minister to one Army with many voices. It is a ministry deserving our thanks and respect.

Wanda Gregory

Close to the Heart of God

The Salvation Army brings hope to the children of urban slums

BY MAJOR BRENDA MURRAY

Photo: Richard Bradbury

Salvationist April 2016 23

Photo: Mjr Brenda Murray

I

n 2014, the world reached a tipping point—more people now live in urban than in rural settings. They come to cities seeking jobs, safety, a better life. But often, they end up in overcrowded settlements, shanty towns with inadequate infrastructure and little access to education and health care.

The Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya—the largest, poorest slum in Africa—is home to almost one million people. In most The Kibera corps and primary school in Nairobi, Kenya of the slum, there is no electricity, running water or sanitation facilities. Extreme poverty, violence and disease are common.

On a recent visit to Kibera, I met a beautiful three-year-old girl named Belinda. She lived in a home no larger than one of the small bedrooms in my house, with her parents and five other siblings. Belinda came to the attention of the local Salvation Army officer on one of his community visits. She was a very sick, malnourished little girl.

Today, she attends the Salvation Army primary school and receives two meals a day. The officer was happy to see the dif- Mjr Brenda Murray and Belinda The Kibera slum is the largest, poorest slum in Africa ference in her well-being, both physically and mentally. As I stooped down to lift her into my arms, she Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not radiated the most beautiful smile. hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as Children in slums often lack the basic rights outlined in the these” (Matthew 19:14). As Christians, we are called to look United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child—clean after God’s creation and his people. Children are close to the water, food, shelter, health care, education. Instead of spending heart of God and we have a responsibility to love, care for and their days in school, many carry out the family’s daily chores, protect them. as their parents look for casual labour. They are exposed to As the world continues to evolve, we need to intentionally increased threats of violence, surrounded by gangs and crimrespond to opportunities and developing ministry within our inal activity. Many end up as victims of human trafficking. communities. You can help children such as Belinda through As The Salvation Army, we need to understand the everthe Partners in Mission campaign and the Brighter Futures changing world and be willing to fight for the rights of the child sponsorship program, which is operated by the world marginalized and the invisible in our communities. We need to missions department. Your donation will provide funding for be brave and remind our communities that every child matters. holistic care in our children’s homes and schools around the Belinda is thriving today because someone cared and took world. To learn more about the Brighter Futures program, or the time to understand her needs and offer support. Although to make a donation, please visit salvationist.ca/action-support/ she will have many struggles in the environment she lives in, sponsorship. we pray and hope that by providing food and a good education, she will be able to grow up and break the cycle of poverty.

Major Brenda Murray is the associate director of the world missions department.

Photo: Mjr Brenda Murray

Last in a four-part series in support of the Partners in Mission campaign.

TIES THAT BIND

Trumped by the Gospel No one can escape God’s message—not even Donald Trump

BY MAJOR KATHIE CHIU

24 April 2016 Salvationist

Photo: © Jae C. Hong/AP Photo

T

his year, for the first time in many years, I decided to follow the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL)—a collection of readings based on the liturgical calendar—in my preaching schedule. Most mainline denominations in North America use the RCL, so on any given Sunday, you can walk into many churches and hear the same Scripture being read.

For the past few weeks, we’ve been looking at Luke 4, where Jesus enters the synagogue in his hometown, Nazareth, and stands to read Scripture from the Book of Isaiah. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Luke 4:18-19).

These verses are special to me. As a teenager, sitting in a corps cadet class, I underlined the passage in Isaiah with squiggly black lines in my new Bible—it was in modern language, with fat lettering spelling The Way on the groovy, green cover. The words jumped off the page and stuck with me. I remember wondering what they meant, but didn’t ask. To me, a member of The Salvation Army, they were self-evident. I took them literally—they described what our church did.

To be honest, those verses scared me.

I wasn’t ready for such a heavy burden, but they burned a place in my heart.

Now, with two teenage boys at home, I remember how long it took those words, like seeds, to grow and finally be cultivated. It encourages me to be patient.

It would be almost 10 years before I took that Bible back off the shelf. I had stopped going to church, but during a spiritual crisis, I picked it up and opened it at random. My eyes fell on the verses I had underlined so many years before. I felt the burden and knew what it meant.

I quickly flipped to the New Testament, where I thought I would be safe, only to find Jesus quoting the same passage in

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a Sunday service at First Christian Church in Council Bluffs, Iowa

Luke 4. This Scripture eventually led me to give my life to ministry with The Salvation Army.

When you read God’s words, you encounter the Word of God. There is no escaping the message he has for us.

So when I heard about Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner for nomination in the U.S. presidential election, visiting a Presbyterian church on a Sunday, I was intrigued. Since running for office, Donald Trump claims to love Jesus and know the Bible. He even quoted Scripture at a Christian college— although he introduced the passage as being from “Two” Corinthians—courting the evangelical community.

But that day, at church, he encountered the Word of God. The man who suggested banning all Syrian refugees, and building a wall to keep out Mexicans, came face to face with the essence of the gospel in Isaiah 61. I wonder if the disconnect was as obvious to him as it was to me. Of course, Trump thought the pastor had chosen the reading just for him. Not being a regular churchgoer, he wouldn’t know that most mainline

churches use the lectionary, and were reading the same passage. I wonder if he knows what the true gospel message is all about.

I believe God was sending a powerful message to Donald Trump on the day he turned up for church in Iowa. In the passage that was read, Jesus challenges us to live our lives for others. It’s not about us. It’s about the poor, it’s about the Syrian refugee, it’s about the highrisk offender, and it’s about those being trafficked. It’s about others!

Somehow, my children have all picked up this message after a lifetime of exposure to ministry on the front lines. They know the real message of the gospel is the love, grace and mercy of God, offered freely to us. The year of the Lord’s favour, the year of jubilee, is for all. Not for the perfect, but the imperfect; not for the healthy, but for the sick; not for the holy, but for the unholy; not for the strong, but for the weak. For you and for me. Even for Donald Trump.

Major Kathie Chiu is the corps officer at Richmond Community Church, B.C.

CROSS CULTURE

Britain Approves Human Gene Modification

Supermarkets in France Banned from Throwing Out Food

Scientists in Britain have been given approval to conduct gene-editing experiments on human embryos following a landmark decision from Britain’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

While ethicists have expressed concern that this decision could lead to “designer babies,” researchers say their goal is to better understand human development in order to improve fertility treatments and prevent miscarriages. The modified embryos created in their experiments will be destroyed after seven days.

Religious groups responded negatively to the decision, arguing that modifying human embryos amounts to “playing God.” In addition, some scientists expressed concerns, noting that gene-editing may have unintended consequences that will not be apparent until after babies are born, or even generations later.

It is now against the law for large grocery stores in France to throw away or spoil unsold food. As a result of a law passed in February, they are now required to donate unwanted food to charities and food banks. A company that breaks this law could be fined up to 3,750 Euros.

Jacques Bailet, head of Banques Alimentaires, a network of French food banks, told The Guardian that, with this law, “we’ll be able to increase the quality and diversity of food we get and distribute. In terms of nutritional balance, we currently have a deficit of meat and a lack of fruit and vegetables.

This will hopefully allow us to push for those products.”

T he l aw c a me i nto France’s national assembly following a grassroots campaign by shoppers, anti-poverty advocates and those opposed to food waste.

Campaigners hope the law will spread to the rest of the European Union.

NEW FROM SALVATION ARMY AUTHORS Leading the War

Salvation Army officership as vocational extremism

BY COMMISSIONER JAMES KNAGGS AND MAJOR STEPHEN COURT Leading the War is a challenging book for officers and soldiers who want to build the kingdom of God through Salvation Army officership. Far from a cushy job, the authors argue, officership is “vocational extremism,” a radical way to make a difference in the world.

To prov ide a picture of what this vocational extremism looks like today, the authors asked more than 20 officers from around the world five questions: What’s the best thing about being a Salvation Army officer? What keeps you in officership when things are tough? What is the greatest move of God you have experienced in an appointment? What’s the best innovation you’ve helped create or extend? And, what’s the best means of influence and how have you used it? Their call is clear: “Let’s be the revolution we want to see.”

Miraculous Healing

Holy Life Series

BY MAJOR MAX STURGE Does God still miraculously heal? Why do some Christians claim God has healed them, while others wonder why God didn’t do likewise for them? Major Max Sturge’s new book explores questions surrounding divine healing and how it fits into God’s redemptive plan for the world.

In examining this subject, Major Sturge, now retired, d raws f rom h is many years of ministry and life experience, blending interesting stories with theological reflection.

He also brings in outside sources, such as testimonies from well-known Christians and scientific studies. Each chapter concludes with thought-provoking questions for discussion.

The problem of suffering and the possibility of miraculous healing have posed questions for Christians through the centuries. Major Sturge’s book offers a sound framework for the issue.

BY COMMISSIONER SAMUEL L. BRENGLE In the late 19th and early 20th century, there were few preachers as well known as Commissioner Samuel L. Brengle. To this day, he is remembered and celebrated for his teachings on holiness. In this new collection, Holy Life Series, all nine of Commissioner Brengle’s original books are collected into six unabridged volumes: Helps to Holiness, The Heart of Holine s s, T he S e r vant ’s He a r t , Ancient Prophets and Modern Problems, Come Holy Guest and Resurrection Life and Power. Each book has been carefully edited for modern readers by pastor and author Bob Hostetler, who has revised archaic terms and updated Scripture references. Hostetler’s aim in collecting and updating these works is to “enhance and enlarge [Brengle’s] influence, introduce these writings to new readers, and create fresh interest in those who already know the godly wisdom and life-changing power of these volumes.”

Exploring miraculous healing in God’s redemptive mission

Salvationist April 2016 25

Photo: © WavebreakMediaMicro/stock.Adobe.com

Illustration: © freshidea/stock.Adobe.com

IN THE NEWS

PEOPLE & PLACES

TORONTO—Eight young people publicly declare their commitment to Jesus Christ by being enrolled as junior soldiers at Yorkwoods CC. Front, from left, Lt Tina Yoo, CO; Turich Furic; Ajak Furic; Angwach Furic; Malek Furic; Gesly Deffo; David Williams; Mercy Willliams; and Josephine Kanu. Back, from left, Malcolm Manzer, colour sergeant; Mjrs Christopher and Tina Rideout, AC and DSWM, Ont. CE Div; YPSM Heather Ortiz; Lt Thomas Yoo, CO; and CSM Joseph Eloge.

HAMILTON, BERMUDA—Anjelina Chandrasekaran is the newest junior soldier at North Street Citadel.

Enrolled by General André Cox during the Boundless Bermuda Congress this past November, she proudly displays her enrolment certificate supported by her mother, Sujametildah Chandrasekaran, and father, Chandrasekaran Asirvatham.

TORONTO—Yorkwoods CC celebrates the enrolment of six senior soldiers. From left, Lt Thomas Yoo, CO; YPSM Heather Ortiz; Malcolm Manzer, colour sergeant; Mjr Christopher Rideout, AC, Ont. CE Div; Lt Tina Yoo, CO; Mjr Tina Rideout, DSWM, Ont. CE Div; Soonyoung Lee; Seung Lee; Vijaykumari Annapareddy; Margret Majak; Marie Djon; CSM Joseph Eloge; and Joy Williams.

KINGSTON, ONT.—From left, Adele Smith-Thompson and Abigail Howard are enrolled as junior soldiers at Rideau Heights Corps. Supporting them are, from left, Elaine Pedlar, junior soldier preparation class teacher; and Lts Tina and Josh Howard, COs.

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in Salvationist and online at salvationist.ca WHITBY, ONT.—The ranks at Whitby CC are strengthened as a senior soldier is enrolled and six adherents are welcomed. From left, Mjr Marina Jennings, then CO; Bonnie Inks; Wanda Wells; Clara Smith; Eleanor Piercy; Cecil Piercy; Karen McGuire; Sylvia Pollett; and Mjr Bond Jennings, then CO.

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PEOPLE & PLACES

Anniversary Celebrations in Chance Cove and Fairhaven

DOVER, N.L.—Emma Willis receives a certificate of appreciation acknowledging 10 years of faithful service as custodian of the Dover Corps’ building. With her are, from left, Cpt Weldon and Mjr Donna Hayward, COs.

WINGHAM, ONT.—Julie VanCamp is enrolled as a senior soldier at Wingham Corps. With her are, from left, Mike Ryan, holding the flag, and Mjrs Marie and Archie Simmonds, COs.

CHANCE COVE, N.L.—Salvationists and friends from the Chance Cove Corps and its outpost in Fairhaven, N.L., gathered to celebrate the 115 years and 112 years, respectively, that The Salvation Army has been ministering in these island communities. Under the theme Respect Yesterday, Renew Today, Rediscover Tomorrow, weekend events included a community banquet and special Sunday services profiling people from the past. Guests for the celebrations were Mjrs Bruce and Marilyn Shirran, AC and DSWM, N.L. Div, and vocalist Cathy Harris, Bonavista Corps, N.L. Participating in the cutting of the anniversary cake are, from left, Mjr Ralph Fudge, CO; Mjr Gloria Fudge; Cathy Harris; CS Ann Rowe; CSM Angus Brace; and Mjrs Marilyn and Bruce Shirran.

Salvationist April 2016 27

PEOPLE & PLACES

GAZETTE

CHANCE COVE, N.L.—Chance Cove Corps honours Ann Rowe and Angus Brace as they retire following many years of faithful service as local officers, with Rowe having served as the corps secretary for 22 years and Brace as the corps sergeant-major for 37 years. Supporting them are Mjr Lulu Brace, holding the flag, and Mjr Ralph Fudge, CO.

INTERNATIONAL Appointments: Mjrs John Rohmingliana/Lalthangmawii, GS/CSWM, Bangladesh Cmd; Jun 1—Mjrs Cedric/Lyn Hills, CS/TSWM, Finland and Estonia Tty, with rank of lt-col; Jul 1—Cols William/Lorraine Bamford, TC/TPWM, U.S.A. Eastern Tty, with rank of comr; Cols Kenneth/Paula Johnson, CS/TSWM, U.S.A. Eastern Tty; Mjrs Daniel/Tracey Kasuso, CS/ TSWM, Zimbabwe Tty, with rank of lt-col; Aug 1—Comrs Joash/Florence Malabi, TC/TPWM, Zimbabwe Tty; Comrs Henry/Catherine Nyagah, TC/ TPWM, Kenya East Tty; Cols Benjamin/Grace Mnyampi, IS for Africa/ ZSWM, Africa Zone, with rank of comr; Comr Vinece Chigariro, TC and TPWM, Uganda Tty TERRITORIAL Appointments: Mjr Donna Bladen, city chaplain, Edmonton, and DSWM, Alta. & N.T. Div; Mjr Donald Bladen, executive director, Community Resource Centre, Edmonton, Alta. & N.T. Div; Mjr Carolyn Hale, Castledowns Church, Edmonton, Alta. & N.T. Div Promoted to glory: Mjr May Walter, from Toronto, Jan 27

CALENDAR DOVER, N.L.—Edith Collins is commissioned as the community care ministries secretary for Dover Corps. Supporting her are, from left, Cpt Weldon and Mjr Donna Hayward, CONVO2016.PRINT COs.

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Commissioner Susan McMillan: Apr 7-11 130th anniversary, St. John’s Temple, N.L.; Apr 15 closing worship service, 2nd Year Institute (Disciples of the Cross), JPCC; Apr 17 multicultural worship and celebration service, Yorkwoods CC, Toronto; Apr 22-24 convocation, Booth University College, Winnipeg; Apr 25-30 women’s leadership conference, Mexico Colonels Mark and Sharon Tillsley: Apr 17-19 divisional review, N.L. Div; Apr 23-24 convocation, Booth University College, Winnipeg; Apr 25-27 DSBA/DFS conference, Booth University College, Winnipeg General Bramwell H. Tillsley (Rtd): Apr 11-13 Guelph, Ont. Canadian Staff Band: Apr 9-10, music councils, Halifax, Maritime Div

PEOPLE & PLACES

TRIBUTES DEER LAKE, N.L.—Jessie Leah Drover (Butt) (nee Parsons) was born in 1928 and promoted to glory at the age of 87.

She was a faithful home league member. Predeceased by her husband, Josiah Drover; sons Eric and Gary Drover; and all her siblings, Jessie leaves to mourn with fond and loving memories her children Major Willis (Priscilla) Drover, Andrew Drover, Wade (Harriet) Drover, Bill Drover, Jenny (Joe) Chynn, Danny Drover and Bond (Della) Drover; a large number of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.

OWEN SOUND, ONT.—James Lyle McLachlan was born in Greenock, Scotland, in 1916, to a Salvation Army family and from an early age was involved in all aspects of corps life. After immigrating to Canada in 1952, Jim was an active soldier in the corps in Owen Sound as deputy bandmaster, songster leader, corps secretary, Sunday school teacher and was one of the founding members of the current Golden Agers ministry. Jim gave generously of his time at Army music camps across the country as a gifted musician. He married his sweetheart, Isa, in 1940, and they enjoyed 50 years together, raising their two daughters. Jim was promoted to glory in his 100th year having influenced many lives for the kingdom. He was often heard quoting his favourite Scripture, Galatians 6:7-10. Predeceased by his son-in-law, Melville Hutchinson, Jim is lovingly remembered by his daughters Isabel Cook (Elmer) and Jean Hutchinson; grandchildren Major Shona Pike (Keith), Heather Hosken (Tim), Bradley Hutchinson (Christine) and Cheryl Hynds (Jamie); 10 great-grandchildren and many friends.

LONDON, ONT.—Marie Champ was born in Niagara Falls, Ont., in 1923 to Jasper and Martha Morgan. In her mid-teens, she was invited to attend a Salvation Army youth group meeting.

Sunday meetings, corps cadets and soldiership classes soon followed, and in 1942, Marie entered the College for Officer Training in Toronto as a cadet of the Valiant Session. Following commissioning, Marie served in corps appointments in Ontario and Quebec; however, poor health caused her to step out of officership after only three years. This setback did not lessen her love for the Lord or her zeal to serve him through The Salvation Army as a faithful soldier.

For more than 60 years, Marie was a dedicated home league member, with more than half of those years spent in a leadership role as home league secretary at London East and then London South Corps. She was predeceased by her husband, William (Bill), in 2002. Promoted to glory following a brief illness, Marie leaves her children David (Joanne), Lt-Colonel Jim (Major Barbara), Kathryn and Ken (Sandra); 11 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; brothers Bill (Jean) and John (Ruth); and extended family members.

DILDO, N.L.—Edward Harvey Reid was born to Edward and Alice Reid in 1930 in Dildo, where he grew up. Harvey met and married Ruby Pinsent, his loving wife of 47 years, and together they raised nine children who respected and loved them dearly. He was a hard worker who provided for his family, and taught by example the importance of love, respect and faith in God. Harvey committed his life to the Lord in the early days of his marriage to Ruby and began his involvement in the Dildo/New Harbour Corps, now known as the Trinity Bay South Corps. Harvey served as the bandmaster for more than 50 years, giving leadership to eight of his nine children. He continued to be an active bandsman even after his retirement as the band was always close to his heart. Harvey was involved in the men’s fellowship group and held a commission as a songster member. His life was marked by his great sense of humour, which was evident to anyone who spent time in his presence. Harvey will be forever remembered and loved by his children and their families, and his brother, Cecil Reid.

VICTORIA—Nelson George Martin was born in Victoria in 1922, the son of Stan and Alice Martin. A lifetime member of The Salvation Army, Nelson spent his life helping others. He played the euphonium for more than 60 years, at Esquimalt Corps and Victoria Citadel. Nelson was the quiet one of his family who surrounded himself with many friends, both within and outside the church. He was married to Myrtle for 70 years and together they made their home a welcoming place that was always open to others. Nelson loved the Lord and knew one day he would see him face to face. Just minutes before he died, Nelson sang, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest Name I Know. Predeceased by Myrtle in 2015, he is survived by his daughter, June (Dave); granddaughter, Tracey (Dan); great-grandchildren Abbey and Nate; sister, Shirley Giles; brother-in-law, Ernie Bent, and family.

STONEY CREEK, ONT.—Glen Clarence Reynolds, a lifelong Salvationist, was promoted to glory at the age of 87. His parents Clarence and Verna Reynolds were former Salvation Army officers and their Christian influence provided the foundation for his walk with the Lord. As a member of Salvation Army bands for more than 70 years, Glen exhibited a love and commitment to this powerful witness that extended to music camps at Camp Selkirk, from where many will remember him as the “Canteen Man.” Glen was a great encourager to the youth he encountered during his lifelong commitment to the Army. Retiring after more than 41 years with Hamilton Hydro, he worked part time at Canadian Tire for 25 years. Glen was an avid photographer and a faithful soldier of Winterberry Heights Church in Stoney Creek. Following the promotion to glory of his wife of 55 years, Eva Cousins, in 2003, Glen met Lily Trembley and they married in 2005. Missing Glen are his loving wife, Lily; children Jeff (Barbara) Reynolds and Glenda Crawford; grandchildren Anna and Stephanie Crawford, and Michael and Stephen Reynolds; and extended family members.

DEER LAKE, N.L.—Sadie Victoria Smith (nee Tucker) was born in 1930 and promoted to glory at the age of 85. She was a member of the home league, community care ministries, seniors’ fellowship and couples’ fellowship. Sadie was in charge of the kitchen at the corps and enjoyed being behind the scenes, cooking meals for special occasions and different groups of the corps. She was predeceased by her son, Tony; grandson, Brandon; and parents Mary and John Tucker. Left to mourn with fond and loving memories are her husband of 67 years, James; sons Jerry (Caroline) and Dennis; daughter, Judy (Keith Pike); four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; siblings Melva, Dallis (Irving Shears), John, Gary (Geraldine), Maisie and Derick; nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

DILDO, N.L.—Alfred Graham Hefford was born in 1928 to Selby and Emily Hefford in New Harbour, Trinity Bay, N.L., where he was also raised. After spending a short time working on the CN Railway, he moved to Buchans, N.L., and worked in the mines for the Asarco Smelting and Refining Company. There he met the love of his life, Phoebe Luscombe, and they were married in 1950. Alfred was a loving husband to Phoebe and father to their four children. Although living in Buchans, the family enjoyed spending their summers in Dildo. Alfred was an active Salvationist throughout his life and served the Lord well as a Sunday school teacher, corps secretary, corps sergeant-major and bandsman. Upon his retirement, Alfred returned to Dildo and enjoyed the company of his friends and family, especially his grandchildren. Predeceased by his parents; brother, Ron; and cherished brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Alfred is lovingly remembered by his wife, Phoebe; children Doug (Jean), Sharon (Gary), Alfred (Brenda) and Donald (Patsy); seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; sister, Chatfield Reid; sisters-in-law Janet Foote and Marion Davis; brother-in-law, Nelson Luscombe; nephews, nieces, cousins and many friends.

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Photo: © Gutzemberg/Depositphotos.com

#TRENDING

All That Glitters The idolatry of the prosperity gospel

BY CAPTAIN MARK BRAYE

W

hile browsing the religion section at Chapters, I came across a book called You’re Supposed to Be Wealthy

by Creflo Dollar. Dollar is an American pastor, televangelist and founder of the non-denominational World Changers Church International in Atlanta. He made headlines recently when he solicited his congregation to raise $65 million to purchase a private jet for his evangelistic efforts. He was also widely criticized for a post that appeared on his Facebook page: “Jesus bled and died for us so that we can lay claim to the promise of financial prosperity. #ProsperityInChrist. #WealthyLiving. #AbundantLife.” It was later taken down

by Dollar or a member of his team.

Dollar is one of the most extreme examples of those who preach a prosperity gospel—the teaching that believers have a right to health and wealth, and can obtain these blessings by claiming them 30 April 2016 Salvationist

We don’t build up credits to cash in for blessings in faith and by “sowing seeds” (giving financially—often to the leader’s ministry). The prosperity gospel sees faith as a transaction: we put in faith and take out blessings.

This is completely incompatible with biblical teaching. Scripture doesn’t guarantee that we will escape suffering or never face difficult circumstances, though God promises he will be with us no matter what. By creating a “contract” between us and God, the prosperity gospel is a form of idolatry—it encourages

us to put our trust and hope in financial security, rather than the triune God. Jesus says that our treasure should be stored up in heaven (see Matthew 6:1920). Think about some of the happiest and most fulfilled people you know. Are they extremely wealthy? Or are they rich in family and friends, with the joy of the Lord in their hearts and lives?

John Oliver, host of the news satire program Last Week Tonight, recently critiqued TV evangelists who promote the prosperity gospel. The segment (which contains explicit language) is both infuriating and heartbreaking.

Infuriating because these so-called pastors are teaching a poisonous message that perverts the gospel. Heartbreaking because they are preying on the vulnerable, those who are uneducated, lonely, poor—who can’t afford to give what little money they have.

It’s easy to spot the most obvious examples of this false gospel through their unethical, unChristlike conduct.

But does the prosperity gospel creep into our spiritual lives in subtle ways?

Are we guilty, at times, of practising a “lite” version of the prosperity gospel?

When we make plans and ask God to bless them, we’re getting dangerously close to the prosperity gospel. We should be looking to God and his Word for our plans and course of action. We should be asking God how we can contribute to his plan in the world. It’s not the church that has a mission; it’s God’s mission that has a church.

When we get disillusioned when things go wrong, when we think God will bless us if we do everything right, we’re getting dangerously close to the prosperity gospel. We don’t build up credits to cash in for blessings—instead God blesses us to bless others. He blesses us with grace, mercy and love, with a community of faith. I don’t think he’s concerned about our financial portfolio or the amount of money we have in the bank.

The prosperity gospel is not the gospel of Jesus. We may not be using it to exploit others, but we need to be on the lookout for the subtle ways it enters our hearts and minds. For me, John Wesley’s words are the perfect antidote: “When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart.”

Captain Mark Braye is the corps officer at Sarnia Community Church, Ont.

June 24-26, 2016 | London Convention Centre, 300 York St., London ON

CONDUCTED BY Commissioner Susan McMillan (Territorial Commander) FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2016 Welcome Meeting, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2016 Commissioning & Ordination, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2016 Celebration Worship Service (open to the public), 10 a.m.

Visit Salvationist.ca for a complete list of events (including children, youth and outdoor events).

For address changes or subscription information contact (416) 422-6119 or circulation@can.salvationarmy.org. Allow 4-6 weeks for changes. PM 40064794