Salvationist July 2017

Exclusive Interview With General André Cox

Farm Fresh: Youth Grow at Agricultural Program

A Look Back at the Army’s Impact on Canada

THE VOICE OF THE ARMY

July 2017

Salvationist.ca

God Keep Our Land

AJOURNEYof RECONCILIATION Canada 150 Celebration of Culture:

FRIDAY Registration 2-4pm Welcome Ceremony & Talent Showcase

Schedule SATURDAY

Morning Prayers Cultural Teachings

SUNDAY Morning Prayers Worship Service

Pow wow *Children’s programming available

Pow Wow Master of Ceremonies: Bryan Brightcloud Host Drum: Turning Robe Head Man: Casey Church Head Woman: Lora Church

Cheryl Bear Worship Leader Multi award-winning singer/ songwriter

Commissioner Susan McMillan Guest Speaker Territorial Commander for The Salvation Army in Canada

CONTENTS

Salvationist July 2017 • Volume 12, Number 7

Hi kids!

Departments

God Sends His Spirit

Several weeks ago it was Easter and we celebrated Jesus’ death and Resurrection. The story about His time on earth didn’t end there, though. After He rose from the dead, Jesus spent 40 days talking to His friends.

Then He went back to heaven.

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5 Frontlines

ISSUE

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Jesus told His friends and followers about the Holy Spirit. He said God would send the Holy Spirit to take care of them and help them tell others about Him. The first day that the Holy Spirit was given to Jesus’ disciples is called “Pentecost.” Read the story to see what happened.

Your friend, Kristin

19 Calling the Courageous

Connect the flame with the disciple.

Sealing the Deal

by Ken Ramstead

Reprinted from Kids Alive! (May 14, 2016)

Just for Kids

20 Fresh Ideas A Growing Experience

by Pamela Richardson

26 Cross Culture 27 People & Places 30 Salvation Stories The Key to Forgiveness

by Lieutenant Erin Metcalf

Columns 4 Editorial With Glowing Hearts

by Geoff Moulton

25 Herstory #ThingsWeNeedtoHear

by Lieutenant Kristen Jackson-Dockeray

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Features

Just for Kids is an exciting weekly activity page published by The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda for children ages five to 12. Packed with Bible stories, games, puzzles, colouring, jokes and more, Just for Kids can be used in a variety of children’s ministries and programs, and in community and family services offices, food banks or anywhere there is an opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ with children.

General André Cox encourages Salvationists to be mobilized disciples of Christ.

Interview by Geoff Moulton and Kristin Ostensen

E-mail circulation@can. salvationarmy.org or phone 416-422-6119 to learn how you can receive Just for Kids in your ministry unit.

12 On Guard for Thee

Read and share it!

8 Force for Change

Celebrating my Canadian—and Salvationist—identity.

by Major Ray Harris

14 Building a Nation Together For most of Canada’s 150 years, The Salvation Army has seen needs and met them, making it a better place.

by R. Gordon Moyles

Second World War Epic

DUNKIRK P.8

Salvation Army Helps

SNOW NIGHT P.10

Searching for Love

ANDRE AGASSI P.16

Faith&Friends I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G

faithandfriends.ca

SUMMER 2017

18 Just One Try Jerry Mercer had been away from God for years. He found him at Conception Bay South Corps, N.L.

by Diane Stark

22 Mobilizing for Good Cover: Canada 150 logo used with permission

The Army shows its colours around the world.

by Commissioner Rosalie Peddle and Ester Ellen Nelson

The Life

Aquatic

SWIMMER JILLIAN FRIESEN IS READY TO TAKE THE PLUNGE AT THE CANADA SUMMER GAMES P.12

Salvationist July 2017 3

EDITORIAL

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With Glowing Hearts

h, Canada! We are 150 years young. The Salvation Army has proudly been a part of our national story for most of those years.

It was 1882 when Joe Ludgate and Jack Addie first “opened fire” in London, Ont., and used Westminster skating rink for their open-air meetings (how typically Canadian!).

We announced ourselves with a bang.

In fact, Captain Addie was soon arrested for beating a drum too loudly in public.

At his trial, he affirmed, “The Salvation Army is made up of law-abiding citizens.

Many of its members in the past have appeared in this court again and again, but where the law failed to reform them, God, through The Salvation Army, has succeeded. Drunkards are now sober, thieves are now honest, those who were swearing are praying, those who were bad are good.”

That has been our mission ever since: helping change lives for the better by the power of God. In the intervening years, the nation has embraced the message of redemption and hope that we have proclaimed from coast to coast. We have left a significant mark on Canada, and Canada has left its mark on us.

This month, we welcome General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox, World President of Women’s Ministries, to the Mobilize—Newfoundland and

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 and Literary Secretary Giselle Randall Features Editor (416-467-3185) Pamela Richardson News Editor, Copy Editor and Production Co-ordinator (416-422-6112) Kristin Ostensen Associate Editor and Staff Writer 4 July 2017 Salvationist

Labrador congress and commissioning in Mount Pearl (watch the salvationist.ca livestream). In anticipation, we reached out to the General for an exclusive and candid interview about his hopes for the congress and his thoughts on tough social issues facing the Army today (page 8).

This is also a homecoming for Commissioners Brian and Rosalie Peddle, Chief of the Staff and World Secretary for Women’s Ministries, who will be on hand to help us celebrate Canada’s 150th and experience once again the hospitality and warmth of the Newfoundland and Labrador Division.

Read Commissioner Rosalie Peddle’s compelling update on how the vision for The Whole World Mobilising has spread across the globe (page 22).

Just in time for Canada Day, we have an article by historian R. Gordon Moyles, tracing the roots of the Army’s social services ministry in the territory—from immigration at Pier 21 to our efforts during the Second World War (page 14). Lastly, Major Ray Harris shares how his identity as both a Canadian and a Salvationist has been formed over the years (page 12).

In these days of populism and political turmoil, we are careful not

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.

to confuse our national pride with devotion to God. And we acknowledge, with respect, that our Indigenous forebears held rights to this land we call Canada long before Confederation. And yet, we thank God for 135 years of Salvation Army ministry in our nation, and pray he will continue to keep us “glorious and free.” Keep on beating that drum!

GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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Mission

The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world. Salvationist informs readers about the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. salvationist.ca facebook.com/salvationistmagazine twitter.com/salvationist youtube.com/salvationistmagazine instagram.com/salvationistmagazine

FRONTLINES

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Thrift Stores Support Brighter Futures

he Salvation Army’s National Recycling Operations (NRO) held a record-breaking fundraising campaign this spring to help children in need overseas.

Carried out at 109 NRO thrift stores across Canada, the campaign raised $63,013 to support the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s Brighter Futures sponsorship program in Sri Lanka, South America East, Democratic Republic of Congo and Bangladesh. The program provides basic necessities, educational opportunities, medical care and assistance to sustainable economic programs.

The amount raised exceeds this year’s goal of $40,000 and last year’s contribution by over $20,000. “It is obvious that helping children in these developing countries is very close to the hearts of our guests and donors,” says Michele Walker, NRO national retail operations manager.

“Being able to go to school regularly, and have nutritious meals for growth in body and mind, is essential to the

successful development of children,” says Major Donna Barthau, sponsorship co-ordinator. “The thrift stores’ guests

Thrift store staff in Burlington, Ont., present a cheque to Mjr Donna Barthau and Mjr Brenda Murray, director of world missions, for the Army’s Brighter Futures program

New Location Extends Reach in Saint John

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and staff have provided a good start in life for hundreds of impoverished and vulnerable children.”

hen Captains Darren and Danette Woods arrived in Saint John, N.B., last summer, they were struck by the large number of kids living in the Crescent Valley community. Crescent Valley hosts a significant population of newcomers and their families, and is considered to be a priority neighbourhood for new and ongoing social programs.

Recognizing that The Salvation Army could provide valuable programs and services, Captains Woods opened a community and family services satellite office in Crescent Valley this spring.

“We are building relationships in this great community by reaching out to Syrian refugees settling here, with the help of Arabic interpreters,” says Captain Darren Woods, corps officer, Saint John Hope Community Church.

The Army provides programs in Crescent Valley on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, including a pancake breakfast on Saturday mornings, a coffee club for seniors and meals for children. The seniors’ friendship group draws more than 35 people each week, while the meal program feeds up to 250 children in the morning and 50 at lunch.

“This satellite office means we have gone from no presence in this neighbourhood to having a regular presence,” says Captain Woods. “We hope to introduce more children and youth programs, as well as Sunday evening services.”

Mississauga Women Encouraged at Camp

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omen from Mississauga Temple Community Church, Ont., experienced spiritual refreshment at the corps’ annual women’s retreat, held at Jackson’s Point Conference Centre, Ont., in May. The weekend retreat brought more than 50 women together to hear from speaker Nancy Hicks, a former Salvationist from Mississauga Temple and Toronto’s Yorkminster Citadel. Sharing on the theme “You Were Meant to Live,” Hicks encouraged those in attendance through the Word and in song.

“Nancy challenged us not just to know about Christ, but to be in relationship with him and be known by him,” says Major Lois Garcia, corps officer.

“As Nancy shared the Word of God and her personal experiences with us, we were immediately drawn into the message of how we could grow in our spiritual lives,” says Sandra Ham, who attended the retreat. “She achieved her goal, which was to ignite a life of passion for Christ within each of us.”

The women also enjoyed free time, during which they could attend a painting class or go on spiritual walks, as well as an evening of group games reminiscent of camping at Jackson’s Point.

“This retreat truly hit the mark and left a wonderful lasting spiritual impression on all of those who attended,” concludes Ham. Salvationist July 2017 5

FRONTLINES

Booth’s 2017 graduating class with, front, from left, Dr. Marjory Kerr, president; Colonel Lee Graves, chief secretary; Commissioner Susan McMillan; Commissioners Brian and Rosalie Peddle; Col Glen Shepherd; and Dr. Michael Boyce, acting academic dean

Booth University College Celebrates Graduates With Chief of the Staff

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ommissioners Brian and Rosalie Peddle, Chief of the Staff and World Secretary for Women’s Ministries, returned to their home territory from International Headquarters in London, England, to take part in convocation celebrations at Booth University College in Winnipeg in April.

Commissioner Brian Peddle delivered an inspirational convocation address that touched on both the challenges and opportunities of today’s political landscape, and encouraged graduates to “choose well” as they go forth into the world.

“We are not pleased with the status quo of our world right now. And generations like mine, like ours, are looking for leaders who will step in and lift this world to a new place where life, opportunity and dignity are available to all,” said Commissioner Peddle. “I hope you will make the choices that need to be made today to become the kind of individuals that will be able to lead us in 6 July 2017 Salvationist

times such as we live now and will live in the future.”

This year’s valedictorian, bachelor of social work graduate Markus Beveridge, echoed Commissioner Peddle’s words.

“Through its promise to provide ‘education for a better world,’ Booth clearly states its intent of bringing positive change through its programs and students,” Beveridge said. “While we all came to Booth for our own unique reasons and from our own unique backgrounds, we leave here together with our faith, our education and a shared purpose—the desire to make our world a better place.”

As part of the ceremony, Commissioner Susan McMillan, territorial commander, presented the Chancellor’s Medal to bachelor of business administration graduate Emma Gerard and the General’s Medal to bachelor of arts graduate Major Tiffany Marshall, now area commander for corps, British Columbia Division. Commissioner

Commissioner Susan McMillan awards Emma Gerard the Chancellor’s Medal

McMillan also recognized Colonel Glen Shepherd, who is ending his term as chair of Booth’s Board of Trustees in August after 15 years of service.

Earlier that day, at Booth’s baccalaureate service, Commissioner McMillan offered her own challenge to Booth’s graduates. “If you want to be the kind of leader that stands the test of time, I leave you with three important messages: Clothe yourself with humility. Be resilient. And stay faithful, even in difficult times, and you will see that God is also faithful.”

FRONTLINES

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Building Dedication Honours Former Territorial Leaders

o mark Booth University College’s 35th anniversary, its main campus building was dedicated in honour of the late Commissioners John and Helen Waldron, in recognition of the critical role they played in the establishment of Booth. Commissioner John Waldron was Canada and Bermuda’s territorial commander in 1981 when the decision was made to establish Catherine Booth Bible College in Winnipeg. The building will now be known as “Waldron Building.”

Commissioner Rosalie Peddle, World Secretary for Women’s Ministries; Commissioner Brian Peddle; Commissioner Susan McMillan, territorial commander; Lt-Cols Eugene and Edith Pigford; Dr. Donald E. Burke, former president, Booth University College; and Dr. Marjory Kerr, president, Booth University College, with the building dedication plaque

NEWS IN BRIEF Mumbai Sally Dinner Benefits Army The Salvation Army in Edmonton will be able to provide better support to unemployed clients, thanks to a successful fundraising dinner held in April. The Mumbai Sally Dinner was organized by a group of friends known as the “Doughboys”—Nick Lees, Bruce Bowie, Mark Scholz and Mark Connolly—and held at the Haweli restaurant, which donated the food. Between ticket sales and a live auction, the event raised more than $27,500—far exceeding organizers’ expectations. These funds will go toward the purchase of new computers and equipment for The Salvation Army’s Futures Centre, which helps unemployed people apply for services and housing, develop life skills and write resumés with the support of trained staff.

Waterston Centre Holds Open House The Salvation Army’s Waterston Centre in Regina hosted a successful open house in May, inviting the community to meet the staff and residents, and see the services the Army provides. The event, which included guided tours of the men’s shelter and transition house, took place during Mental Health Week, as many of the centre’s clients struggle with mental health issues. More than 70 people took part in tours of the facility. The Waterston Centre hopes to make the open house an annual event.

“Commissioners John and Helen Waldron had a vision of something more for The Salvation Army in this country and this territory. They had a desire to invest in the education of our emerging leaders, and through their leadership and faithful service, they accomplished just that through this institution,” said Commissioner Brian Peddle, Chief of the Staff, at the dedication ceremony in April. “We thank them for their visionary leadership in establishing and supporting the ongoing development of Booth University College.”

Lt-Colonel Edith Pigford, one of the Waldrons’ daughters, spoke on behalf of the family. “Dad would say it was the faith and service of many that brought about Booth University College, but we are indeed grateful for his vision of what this institution could be and proud of what it has become,” she said.

Women’s Retreat Equips Warriors for Christ

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ore than 100 women gathered at Victoria Citadel in April for a weekend that focused on putting on the armour of God. Major Amy Reardon, corps officer, Seattle Temple Corps in Washington, spoke throughout the conference, encouraging the women to “be self-controlled and alert, for your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (see 1 Peter 5:8).

In addition to Major Reardon’s teaching, the women could sign up for two workshops, which included a medieval armour demonstration, Bible journalling, a face and foot spa, and a session on living with depression and anxiety.

The weekend also raised funds for a territorial project in Liberia, offering fair-trade scarves from the Army’s Others— Trade for Hope program, peanut brittle and pictures in a fun photo booth, complete with medieval armour props.

“There was good fellowship, connecting with God and each other,” says Major Deborah Coles, corps officer. “We learned that we have an enemy and we’re in a war, but God has provided us with armour.”

Mjr Amy Reardon and Mjr Deborah Coles share a lighthearted moment during an armourthemed women’s retreat at Victoria Citadel

Salvationist July 2017 7

Force for Change

General André Cox encourages Salvationists to be mobilized disciples of Christ.

General André Cox leads a march of witness at Poplar Corps in London, England, the oldest surviving corps in the world

From June 30 to July 7, General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox, World President of Women’s Ministries, will visit the Canada and Bermuda Territory, bringing encouragement and challenge to Salvationists in the Newfoundland and Labrador Division and the Quebec Division. Ahead of his visit, Geoff Moulton, editor-in-chief, and Kristin Ostensen, associate editor, spoke to the General from his office at International Headquarters (IHQ) about the importance of getting out of our corps halls, and how the Army is responding to difficult issues facing the church today.

8 July 2017 Salvationist

What can Salvationists expect at the Mobilize—Newfoundland and Labrador congress?

It’s an opportunity to gather and to celebrate, but more importantly, it’s an opportunity to reflect on what God is calling us to do and be. My message will be that we have to be true to our integrated mission. We are called by God to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name, but sometimes we split that mission, and when we do that, it’s not really The Salvation Army anymore.

There’s an urgent need for us to be a mobilized Army. When we look at the world today, we are not an Army serving

in a time of peace; we actually have some huge issues to deal with. Poverty has not yet been defeated around the world, so there’s work for us to do; we need to roll up our sleeves. And we need to be an Army that doesn’t count on its own abilities but is renewed by God’s Spirit and power. That’s what this congress is about. If we don’t come with a desire to be in God’s presence, to be renewed and energized and then sent out, then it will be a good time, but the congress won’t achieve much.

Speaking of mobilizing, you recently launched The Whole World Mobilising campaign. Why

Photo: Lakitha Deewantha Daniel

is this initiative a priority?

Its roots go back to the Boundless 150 congress in London, England, in 2015.

At Boundless, I issued a challenge to the Army to get out there, to be involved in communities and not hide away, and this initiative stems from that. It is about a concern that we might have a feeling of settledness, and there is not the same urgency as our forebears had to go out and preach the gospel. The secret’s in our name—an army only makes sense if it is mobilized. What’s the point of an army that stays in its barracks? Jesus said, “You are to be salt and light,” and it’s only as we go out that we can begin to make a difference.

You have repeatedly emphasized the importance of accountability within the Army. Can you point to some signs that this commitment is taking hold?

Around the world, I see that territories are becoming more serious about this issue. Part of it involves being good stewards because Army funds belong to God and not to us. But also, much of our work has charitable status, and if we are found wanting in the way that we administer funds or run our programs, ultimately we place the mission of The Salvation Army in jeopardy.

But it’s not just about money; it’s the way we act. In November, we had a General’s Consultative Council, which brought together territorial leaders from every territory and command around the world. These leaders agreed to a statement confirming that we will proactively protect all vulnerable individuals in our congregations and programs. That’s a huge issue because, for example, we have 2.7 million children in programs around the world, whether in corps, schools or children’s homes. The Salvation Army, as with other churches, has had problems in the past where some people have not upheld our standards, with devastating effects. So a lot of work is happening with a number of issues. I’ve appointed an international secretary for accountability and governance, who is already fully engaged with the work.

You have written that, despite globalization, there are more barricades being put up in our world now than at any other time in history. Why do you think the world is so divided, and what can we do about it?

I think we have to recognize the fact that there are many people who feel forgotten or left behind in this globalization movement. We’ve talked for a number of years about the rich getting richer and the poor poorer, and that is a reality in our world today. What concerns me is that we are now making sweeping political changes based on anger and a feeling of disenfranchisement—that is a dangerous route.

“What’s the point of an army that stays in its barracks?”

I think the other factor is that there is increasing competition for disappearing resources. We use too much of the earth’s renewable resources. If everyone in the world wanted to mirror the lifestyles that we take for granted in much of the western world, we’d need about two and a half worlds, but we’ve only got one. When we talk about making nations great again, I ask, does a nation

become great because it has a strong military, or because it has economic clout and concentrated wealth? There has to be a point where we stop amassing and begin to share what we have around the world. What makes a nation great is not its military power or its economic wealth; it’s the way it treats the most vulnerable people in society.

Since taking the office of General, you have met with various religious leaders, from imams to the Pope. Why have you made inter-denominational and interfaith dialogue a priority?

The world becomes stronger, not by building walls, but by building partnerships. Large though The Salvation Army is, working in 128 countries, we’re just a drop in the ocean when it comes to responding to the world’s problems, and we need to recognize that. We can’t work in isolation. No organization, government or church is equal to the task.

But if we join hands, a lot more can be achieved.

Historically, senior leadership positions in the church, including The Salvation Army, have been occupied predominantly by men. How is the Army working

The General meets residents of the Dehiwela Elders’ Home in Sri Lanka

Salvationist July 2017 9

to ensure that there are equal opportunities for men and women officers?

This is an issue that we take seriously at IHQ, and we track it on an annual basis.

We look at positions with a reserved or senior reserved appointment status, because those are the ones where I, as the General, can have an influence. The trend we’re seeing is a slow increase in the number of women officers, including married women, who are taking up these appointments. The international management council, which I chair, actually has more women—mainly married women—than men.

I recognize that there’s clearly progress to be made in this area, but I think we have come a fair way in the past decade. We’re beginning to see traction in

The General and Commissioner Silvia Cox take the salute at centenary celebrations in the India Eastern Tty

“The world becomes stronger, not by building walls, but by building partnerships.… If we join hands, a lot more can be achieved.” places like the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and even Africa.

In the U.S.A. territories, it’s now mandatory for Cabinet members to undertake ARROW leadership courses or to complete a degree. That is developing a whole range of possibilities for our women officers.

At the international service council, when appointments are discussed, it’s mandatory to ensure that there are suitable opportunities given to both spouses when it’s a married couple. We have changed all the language in the Orders and Regulations so it doesn’t refer to “the chief secretary and wife” but is gender neutral. We’ve recently appointed two assistant chief secretaries here at IHQ, tasked with personnel development, so that will keep this very much on the agenda as we go forward.

Human sexuality is a difficult subject for the church. How is the Army responding to questions about the inclusion of LGBTQ persons?

We are at a very early stage in beginning to wrestle with these issues. We maintain the traditional view on mar10 July 2017 Salvationist

riage—that marriage is between a man and a woman, it’s a lifelong commitment, and sex is seen to be within the context of that marriage. Of course, that has no bearing on our service to people or our employment of people. It is as a faith community that we wrestle with these questions, and we’ve got to be very careful in our community not to judge. We need a greater ability to simply listen to people’s experience, to walk in their shoes and understand their realities before we’re swift to condemn.

I think our understanding on the whole subject of sexuality is growing. We realize that it’s a very complex topic, and we shouldn’t just weigh in with absolutes, but be willing to listen and dialogue.

As The Salvation Army, we should recognize that LGBTQ people are among the most marginalized, and some of our harsh attitudes are causing harm to individuals. We’re in the process of developing theological tools to help Salvationists reflect and dialogue. There are people who have strong views on both ends of the spectrum, so reconciling those different viewpoints is a huge challenge for us. We have to find answers to questions such as, how can we

reflect Christ? If we’re to preach the gospel and meet human needs in his name without discrimination, what happens when people respond? How do we receive people who don’t fit into our lifestyle choices as Salvationists? How can we be a place where people are welcomed and accepted, without compromising our own theological underpinnings? If we are more inclusive, where does that lead us? What is God calling us to do?

These are some of the questions that the Army is grappling with. I hope that we are able to have this conversation—a conversation means speaking, but it also means being quiet and listening.

In Canada, the Army is reaching out to Indigenous Peoples to help redress past injustices and build new relationships. How do we promote reconciliation?

We have to begin by acknowledging the wrongs of the past. Reconciliation can only happen if we’re prepared to listen and to recognize the pain and the suffering that injustice has inflicted upon people, and then to work with them to build a better and a brighter future. From my own experience in Africa, these are wounds that may never fully heal. But I’m glad to see that the Army is reaching out. We’ve done it in many places around the world—New Zealand, Africa, Canada—and that’s a positive development, but it’s a long journey. I don’t know that there’s any way you can compensate for the suffering. But recognizing the value that they have as people and the contributions that they make, valuing them in the context of their traditions

and respecting them, is an important way forward.

Another hot topic in Canada right now is medical assistance in dying. How do we balance compassion with conviction on this matter?

Our stance is quite clear: We are pro-life in the sense that we believe that we were known by God before we came into the world, that God controls our destiny, and therefore we’re not in favour of assisted suicide. That said, I don’t know anyone who would choose to go this route unless they were absolutely at their wits’ end and in a profound crisis. What do we do with people who make choices that we disagree with? Do we simply turn our back and walk away?

There is no question that we would not be in any way involved or encourage this, but in some places, we cannot prevent those choices being made by people who live in our institutions. In Switzerland, my home territory, it’s a hot potato. We challenged the right of the government to impose this possibility on our institutions, and we were told, “If you fund them yourselves, you can do what you want. While you have government funding, you have to apply the law.” So, there’s a minefield to walk through. But, at the end of the day, we

shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that there are individuals, some of whom are in extremely desperate situations, and no matter what our belief, we don’t abandon someone in their greatest hour of need.

As General, you travel extensively, visiting Salvationists all around the world. Has there been a specific moment or encounter that encapsulates what The Salvation Army is about?

Recently, we were at Poplar Corps in London, England. As a Salvation Army corps that’s 150 years old, it’s had to reinvent itself many times, but in a building whose foundation stone was laid by Catherine Booth. I saw there an expression of the integrated mission of The Salvation Army. In co-operation with other local churches in the East End of London, the corps hall is turned into a night shelter on a regular basis, so that people living on the streets can be kept warm and safe. That epitomizes what The Salvation Army’s about—it’s not just a place where we gather on a Sunday morning.

Another example that comes to mind is in Switzerland, where the Army has one of the largest contracts in providing shelter and accommodation for refugees.

While we were there for a congress, all of the shelters were full, and the Army

was told another 350 refugees would be arriving the following week and there was nowhere to put them. An appeal went out to corps, asking if they would be willing to temporarily house them while solutions were being found, and about 10 corps put their hands up. To me, that shows an Army that understands its mission.

That mission, of course, is always grounded in the Word. Is there a passage of Scripture that is speaking to your heart these days?

I’ve been reflecting on John 12:24-25, where Jesus tells us that “unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Jesus is reminding us that if we cling to this life, we lose it, yet if we surrender to God’s will, even contrary to what we might expect, we ultimately gain life. The challenge for us as Christians is that it’s one thing to say that we belong to God, that we are disciples of Jesus, but as they say in England, the proof of the pudding’s in the eating—we have to demonstrate that we are.

General Cox visits the Army’s Eva Burrows Centre in Scotland

Salvationist July 2017 11

On Guard for Thee Celebrating my Canadian—and Salvationist—identity.

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Photo: Carson Samson

I

am a Canadian. I am a Salvationist.

While there is much more that makes up my identity, these two realities impact me deeply. And they impact each other. Canada has shaped my life as a Salvationist; The Salvation Army has shaped my life as a Canadian. Let me explain.

The year was 1883. A small company of Salvationists met for an evening service in Kingston, Ont. As the meeting started, the door opened. They gasped.

In walked Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. He wanted to learn about the people who made up this new nation called Canada, so he came to The Salvation Army. A few years later, under William Booth’s “In Darkest England” plan, the Army helped individuals immigrate to Canada, among them my maternal grandmother’s family. Her first grandson was born in the Grace Haven Home in Hamilton, Ont. Hamilton shaped my early understanding of Canada. Its east end formed my neighbourhood. Steel playground became the site for all things baseball, football and ball hockey, and clumsy attempts to smoke a cigarette. The neighbourhood grew as I delivered the Hamilton Spectator, attended Queen Mary Elementary School and then Delta Secondary School. I learned to define the city against Hogtown to the north of us. Toronto, that is. You see, some people affectionately called Hamilton “the armpit of southern Ontario.” We preferred to call it Steel Town, like the toughness of our local football team, the Tiger-Cats. After high school, I went to work at Westinghouse, a manufacturing company, and Stelco, one of Canada’s steel giants.

The city’s heavy industry and brand of football shaped me in more ways than one. The Salvation Army also impacted those early years. A trombone was put in my hands at an early age. I followed the Hamilton Temple Band as it marched up James Street to an open-air meeting near Gore Park; early on I learned that Christian faith is a public faith. Those

BY MAJOR RAY HARRIS

“Canada has shaped my life as a Salvationist; The Salvation Army has shaped my life as a Canadian,” says Mjr Ray Harris, who plays the trombone at Heritage Park Temple in Winnipeg

Mjr Ray Harris played third base for a minor league baseball team in Hamilton, Ont.

early years in Hamilton formed me in many ways, but questions related to faith pushed me beyond Steel Town, and beyond Canada.

As Canada celebrated its centennial in 1967, I joined many others at Expo in Montreal. The same year saw me leave Canada for theological studies in the United States. Chicago became home for two years, and significant years they were. During my time there, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and the city became an armed camp. Through the week I took my classes; on the weekends I joined other Canadian and American students, driving families to grocery stores because they feared walking the streets. I came to love Chicago, and Americans. But those years also sharpened my sense of Canadian identity.

Often we come to understand who we are when we know who we are not; I was not an American. So I returned to Canada to teach in a Hamilton high school.

Eventually, my own sense of calling led me to the College for Officer Training with my wife, Cathie. Our various appointments took us to different parts of Canada. I remember our first drive over the top of the Great Lakes, and the majesty of Lake Superior. The prairies have never been boring; they

possess their own beauty. And the sight of the Rockies for the first time was incredible. We learned to live in the Badlands of Alberta, the home of Tyrannosaurus rex. Cathie gave birth to our first child in Drumheller. The corps treasurer instructed these wimps from Ontario to make sure we took our son outdoors in the prairie winter. We did. Years later, Colin formed a not-forprofit called “Take Me Outside,” and ran across Canada while speaking to 20,000 students about the need to get away from digital screens.

Our next appointment in Calgary introduced us to the famous Stampede and its parade. From there we went to Fort McMurray, Alta., to help begin The Salvation Army’s work in this booming oilsands city. I recognize the environmental concerns, but the city will always mean people for me. When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Fort McMurray after the 2016 fires, he noticed a Salvation Army emergency vehicle and walked up to the divisional commander, Major Ron Cartmell: “You guys are everywhere!” He was saying more than he realized. The story of Canada is deeply linked to the story of The Salvation Army.

With each appointment, my understanding of Canada grew. I came to appreciate Toronto and joined the crowds celebrating the Blue Jays World Series victories. I first learned about Winnipeg during its disastrous flood in 1950, but eventually discovered its beauty as a corps officer. St. John’s, N.L., became our last home as active officers.

As a “come from away” I learned to love

its people, music and humour. Canada is a huge land, with 51/2 time zones, and I have only scratched its surface.

As a Canadian and as an officer, it has been my privilege to help harvest wheat in Alberta and join other Salvationists in fighting Manitoba’s 1997 flood of the century. It has also been my privilege to solemnly stand in the sands of Juno Beach at Normandy on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of D-Day; benefit from the health-care system put in place

by Saskatchewan’s fiery Baptist, Tommy Douglas; admire the Magna Carta in the new Canadian Museum for Human Rights; and work with Winnipeg’s Jewish community and Salvationist colleagues to help Yazidi refugees find a welcome and home in Canada.

But I have also increasingly become aware of Canada’s dark side. We turned away the steamship Komagata Maru in 1914 with Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus on board; we rejected a shipload of Jewish refugees in 1939; in recent years we have become aware of the horror of our residential schools; and in this past year we have been shamed by the number of women whose experiences of sexual assault have been dismissed as “unfounded.” We are a nation as complex as our geography is great.

Many attempts have been made to portray this nation. I smile at Peter C. Newman’s quip: “Canada is the only nation in the world who would rather b e C l a r k Ke n t than Superman.”

Canada’s Governor Genera l Dav id Johnston argues

Mjr Ray Harris and his son, Colin, at the Terry Fox Memorial in Thunder Bay, Ont. Colin founded a not-for-profit organization called “Take Me Outside” and spoke to students about the need to get away from digital screens, while running across Canada

that “Canada has no pretensions of greatness.” I resonate with that. But as we celebrate our 150th anniversary, it’s very apparent we enter uncharted waters. Nations in our global community are turning inward, preoccupied with their own perceived greatness. Anger, if not rage, fuels voter responses.

Within these dynamic forces, I ask what it means to be engaged in a mission shaped by a Christian understanding of salvation. This “boundless salvation” is characterized by reconciliation, healing and welcome to the stranger. The salvation I have come to know and embrace looks beyond ourselves to others, because that is the nature of the triune God’s love for us. God’s love is not insular. I also ask what it means to be a Canadian who appreciates our parliamentary system with all its flaws. We live at a time when these institutions and convictions can no longer be taken for granted. Being Canadian and Salvationist has its tensions, and its immense blessings.

On July 1, we celebrate our 150th birthday as a nation. It’s time for fireworks and speeches on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill. Let’s pray our anthem as we sing: “God keep our land, glorious and free….” But remember—Clark Kent, not Superman.

Happy birthday, Canada!

Major Ray Harris is a retired Salvation Army officer.

He attends Heritage Park Temple in Winnipeg.

Mjrs Cathie and Ray Harris at Takakkaw Falls, Alta. The name Takakkaw means “It is magnificent”

Salvationist July 2017 13

Building a Nation Together

Jeff Robertson, Caroline Franks, and Cpts Graciela and Jeff Arkell represent The Salvation Army with The Whole World Mobilizing flag on Parliament Hill

For most of Canada’s 150 years, The Salvation Army has seen needs and met them, making it a better place.

14 July 2017 Salvationist

revivalist and social activist.

But it soon was—as early as July 1882, in fact.

Canada, the 15-year-old nation, was growing into maturity. Already she had added three new provinces (Manitoba in 1870, British Columbia in 1871 and Prince Edward Island in 1873), was building a railroad across the vast prairies and was becoming, both politically and financially, self-sufficient and prosperous.

The Salvation Army (so re-named in 1878) though just 17, was, astonishingly, already one of the most popular evangelical movements in the world.

William Booth’s blend of old-fashioned Wesleyanism and military deportment was attracting thousands into its ranks,

even across the ocean. And soon after India, Australia and the United States had been “invaded,” Canada became acquainted with Booth’s drum-beating, hallelujah-shouting Army of salvation. It was an acquaintance that would mature into a lasting friendship.

What made the relationship between The Salvation Army and Canada so agreeable was not solely to the infusion of revivalism but that the Army proved to be an active partner in the nation-building process. As stated often by Booth, it was not enough simply to sit in the barracks, sing happy songs, play soulsaving music and experience revivalism; Salvationists were expected to go into the community, as both evangelists and social workers. At the local community

Photo: Neil Leduke

O

n Monday, July 1, 1867, when Queen Victoria proclaimed the Dominion of Canada, uniting Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into a single nation, William Booth, future General of The Salvation Army, most likely paid little attention to the momentous occasion. As the church bells rang in the four capital cities, as brass bands played, bonfires were lit and fireworks lit the sky to celebrate the event, Booth was more concerned with getting his East London Christian Mission established, finding ways to alleviate the poverty and spiritual torpor of London, England’s “submerged 10th.”

The new Canada was not, as far as we know, of much interest to the 50-year-old

BY R. GORDON MOYLES

level, this meant visiting jails and hospitals, providing Christmas hampers for the poor, and helping in any way possible to alleviate suffering and poverty. At a national level, such altruism resulted in the following ventures that helped to change, improve or aid the progress of the growing nation.

Canadian troops congregate around a Salvation Army mobile canteen during the Second World War

Photos: Territorial Archives

After-Prison Care and PoliceCourt Work In late 1890, Torontonians might have seen a red carriage, on whose side was emblazoned The Deliverer, drawn by two fine horses. By those who rode in it, it was called the Red Maria, for when they had been taken to the central prison they had been transported in a Black Maria. But now they were being taken away from prison to The Salvation Army’s PrisonGate Home, where they might readjust to society, find work and hopefully lead new lives. The Army had commenced the first after-care program for convicts in Canada.

The program was so well accepted by prison officials that soon Salvation Army officers were allowed access to other jails and prisons, not only to conduct religious services but to interview prisoners and establish the contact necessary for effective after-care. Soon, prison-gate homes became recognized features of many Canadian communities. Equally significant was the fact that the Army’s prison work helped change penal philosophy to the extent that in 1898, the first Canadian Parole Act (popularly known as The Ticket of Leave Act) authorized the governor general, on advice, to grant any prisoner conditional release. And since little thought had been given to the task of supervising the paroled person, the Army again stepped in to accept yet another challenge, leading to another “first.” On May 1, 1905, Brigadier W.P. Archibald, who had overseen the program, became Canada’s first Dominion parole officer, Army officials being only too happy to accept his resignation for the benefit of the nation.

“Our prisons,” wrote William Booth in 1890, “ought to be reforming institutions, which should turn out men [and women] better than when they entered their doors.” While one may feel that Booth’s ideal has never been fully achieved, his Canadian Salvationists might nevertheless be proud that, through the Army’s correctional and justice services—its police-court counselling, after-care programs, parole

Winnipeg Grace Hospital

supervision and chaplaincy services— they have at least made a considerable effort in that direction.

The Salvation Army as a Canadian Immigration Agency On April 26, 1905, the Dominion Line steamship S.S. Vancouver left Liverpool, England, with 1,000 immigrants bound for Canada. They were given a rousing send-off by the Liverpool Salvation Army Band, interspersed by prayers and speeches by Mrs. Bramwell Booth and civic officials, including the lord mayor of the city. Just before the ship sailed, a message was read from William Booth himself: “God carry you safely to your new homes. Fearlessly calculate upon hard work. Make Canada a home that will be a credit to the Old Land. Put God first. Meet me in heaven.” At 6 o’clock, as the band played Maple Leaf and God Be With You Till We Meet Again, and “amidst cheers, waving of hats and handkerchiefs, and the singing of the

Doxology,” the S.S. Vancouver glided into mid-river and began her journey across the Atlantic.

The lavish send-off, though typical of most Salvation Army events, was intended in this instance to give public notice of the Army’s newest venture— immigration; that, in fact, the Canadian government had accepted the Army as one of its official immigration agencies.

The S.S. Vancouver was the first of 11 ships chartered by the Army to transport its sponsored (and financially assisted) immigrants to Canada. They were tee-total crossings, with Army officers as “conductors,” and were met on landing by other officers to see them eventually to their final destinations.

By such exclusive charters, and by many hundreds of other “conducted parties” in the following years, The Salvation Army assisted approximately 112,000 immigrants from 1905 to 1932—whole families, juvenile farm labourers, young domestic servants, war widows—to make Salvationist July 2017 15

Canadian Legion—The Salvation Army had played a strategic role in the successful conclusion of that horrific war.

And it was that role which made Sally Ann household words, its Red Shield becoming a national symbol of its wartime work.

Thousand of immigrants found a new home in Canada thanks to The Salvation Army

Canada their home. And by doing so, they helped fulfil the Confederation dream of a nation “a mari usque ad mare” (“from sea to sea”).

From Rescue Homes to Grace Hospitals In 1887, when Captain Susan Jones invited a few “wayward” girls to live with her at her officers’ quarters at 270 Farley Avenue, Toronto, she commenced what would soon become the Army’s first major social outreach—a chain of rescue homes across the nation. That initiative would lead to a series of Grace maternity hospitals in nine of Canada’s major cities. Since there were almost no maternity hospitals in Canada, some doctors working at the rescue homes began to think that they (or an adjunct to them) might fulfil that function.

Thus, in 1898, and later in 1905, when new rescue homes were opened in Saint John, N.B., and Toronto, they were called and considered to be maternity hospitals (though neither was accredited) with “staffs of doctors who rendered skilled service gratuitously.” And finally, with the astounding success of the first accredited Grace Hospital in Winnipeg (opened May 15, 1906) and the proliferation of the same across the nation, many thousands of young Canadians were making the proud claim, “I was born at the Grace.” It was, for most if not all, a badge of honour.

The Salvation Army as a Second World War Auxiliary Service If Canadians of the 1950s were asked to define a Salvation Army icon, they would almost immediately suggest the 16 July 2017 Salvationist

Red Shield. It endured in the hearts of so many because during the Second World War (1939-1945) they had, either at a Canadian base or at the battlefront, been refreshed, consoled or fed at one of the Army’s mobile canteens or Red Shield huts. It endured, writes Scott Young in his Red Shield in Action, “because so often The Salvation Army provided the reassuring link between the fighting man and his old world of peace and kindness and sanity.”

For the contribution of nearly 60 Red Shield supervisors, at home, in England and at the front, and for that of the thousands of non-professional Salvationist volunteers at the huts, the Canadian people were ex t remely grateful. Sixty-seven million soldiers had taken part in Red Shield activities, 170 million had visited their canteens and nearly t wo mi llion had slept in their leave hostels.

A long w it h t he other auxiliaries— the YMCA, Knights of Columbus and Then-Captain Weldon Carr counsels a man in the chapel of the Richmond Street Rehabilitation Centre in Toronto, circa 1980

Happy 150th, Canada!

“The Salvation Army saw a need and met it.” That comment, so often used, aptly describes the Army’s 135 years of community service in a nation that this year celebrates its 150th birthday.

Sometimes, as the examples offered above show, when the need is satisfactorily met and society, for a variety of reasons, no longer requires a continuation of the service, The Salvation Army moves on to meet other needs. That it will continue to do so has been made obvious by its response to the flood in High River, Alta., and the Fort McMurray, Alta., fire. At Canada’s 200th anniversary, it is likely that another essay of this sort will be written to extol many other new avenues of community outreach (but not by me!).

Salvation Army historian R. Gordon Moyles is the author of The Blood and Fire in Canada and Glory! Hallelujah!: The Innovative Evangelism of Early Canadian Salvationists, available at store.salvationarmy.ca.

The Salvation Army in the Canadian Community: A Timeline of its Significant Outreach Services resulting in Canada’s first parole program

1902 The first Salvation Army Christmas kettle appears on the streets of Ottawa, seeking public support for its “Christmas hamper” program, still a prominent feature of its social services

1904 The Salvation Army’s immigration department is created with Brigadier Thomas Howell in charge. It is the beginning of a 30-year program, which saw more than 110,000 British emigrants brought to Canada by the Army

1882 The Salvation Army is officially launched in Canada, pioneered by such enthusiasts as William Freer, Walter Bailey, and Jack Addie and Joe Ludgate (above)

Brigadier W.P. Archibald resigns his Salvation Army commission (with the Army’s blessing) to become Canada’s first Dominion parole officer

The Salvation Army plays a major role in the rescue efforts following the Halifax Explosion—the greatest pre-atomic explosion known to man—during which 2,000 died, 8,000 were injured and 10,000 left homeless. This marked the beginning of the Army’s emergency disaster services

1939 With the declaration of war, The Salvation Army again mobilizes its forces to assist the war effort, this time becoming an official auxiliary of the Canadian military. More than 50 “auxiliary officers” and thousands of volunteers serve in its many Red Shield huts at home, in England and at the front 1949 The liner Noronic burns in

Toronto Harbour with much loss of life; Salvationists play a prominent role in the rescue and relief operations

1887 The first Salvation Army rescue home (for “wayward” girls) is opened on Farley Avenue, Toronto, with Captain Susan Jones in charge. By 1890, similar homes had been established in at least nine major Canadian cities

1954 Salvationists assist in the relief

1890 The establishment of the Army’s

1961 The Salvation Army anti-suicide

operations when an area of Toronto is devastated by hurricane Hazel

1956 Extensive relief work is undertaken by the Army after the Springhill, N.S., mine disaster

first prison-gate home in Toronto marked the beginning of its men’s social service and, in particular, of its after-prison care work

bureau is established

1892 The league of mercy (now known as

1997 Salvationist volunteers from across Canada descend on Winnipeg to provide practical assistance in the wake of the Red River flood

1893 The Army takes over Joe Beef’s

2001 Some 65 Canadians are part of five teams that work at Ground Zero after the terrorist attack on New York City’s Twin Towers

Canteen in Montreal and turns it into the “Salvation Lighthouse,” a hostel for working men

1894 The Army establishes a social farm

at Little York, Toronto, as a rehabilitation centre for the men who take advantage of its after-prison services

1897 Commissioner Eva Booth (above,

right) convenes a “mammoth” Armenian Demonstration in Toronto’s Massey Hall to highlight the plight of the many refugees fleeing the effects of the recent Turkish massacre of Armenians

1900 The first Salvation Army fresh-air camp in Canada is held at a site on the Red River for the underprivileged children of Winnipeg, marking the beginning of many such camps across Canada 1901 The Salvation Army recommends to the Canadian government that a system of prisoner probation be adopted,

1905 The S.S. Vancouver leaves Liverpool, England, with 1,000 British emigrants, the first of 11 ships chartered by the Army to transport its sponsored settlers to Canada

1906 Winnipeg’s Grace Hospital, the first accredited Salvation Army maternity hospital, is officially opened. Nine more would follow in Canada’s major cities 1914 With the outbreak of war, The

Photo: Major Bruce Mac Kenzie

community care ministries) is established as a lay ministry to local hospitals, jails and other social institutions

Salvation Army mobilizes. Adjutant Robert Penfold becomes the first Salvation Army chaplain with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Five more chaplains follow

1915 Five motor-ambulances are

presented by the Canadian Territory to the British military for service on the Russian Front

1917 Formal opening of the Army’s new training college on Davisville Avenue in Toronto; it is then handed over to the Canadian government to be used as a military hospital

2016 An emergency disaster services

response team, along with four community response units, are deployed to deal with the physical and emotional trauma of the Fort McMurray, Alta., fire (above) Salvationist July 2017 17

Just One Try

Jerry Mercer had been away from God for years. He found him at Conception Bay South, N.L.

BY DIANE STARK Shirley’s church, but when they relocated to a different place, they stopped attending. Then, in 1988, the couple settled in Conception Bay South, N.L. “We didn’t like the crowds, so we decided to move out of the city,” Mercer says.

The Mercers found a church in their new community, but it didn’t seem like a good fit. “As we were driving to our other church, we would drive by The Salvation Army,” Mercer says. “One day, we just decided to give it a try.”

“I wanted to return to the faith I was raised with,” says Jerry Mercer, here with his wife, Shirley

I

n 1988, Gerald “Jerry” Mercer and his wife, Shirley, walked into the Salvation Army church in Conception Bay South, N.L. Mercer heard the beautiful sounds of the brass band and felt as though he’d come home. Mercer was raised as a Salvationist, but he hadn’t heard those lovely melodies in nearly 40 years.

“A Good Fit” Mercer was born in Mundy Pond, N.L. His parents were founding members of the Salvation Army corps there, which united with Duckworth Street Corps and is known today as St. John’s West Corps. “When I was six years old, we had church services in our home,” Mercer says. “Then we met in a school until we got our own church building in 1939.”

Mercer enjoyed church as a child, but when he was 17 years old, he wandered away from God. “There was no special reason why I left the church,” he recalls.

“It was just one of the things you do when you’re a teenager. All the kids I knew stopped going to church at that age.”

18 July 2017 Salvationist

“The first time we attended church there, we knew that was where we needed to be.”

When Mercer was 19, he spotted a beautiful girl in a convenience store. Her name was Shirley, and Mercer asked her for a date. Just four months later, Mercer proposed to Shirley and the couple was married in 1952. They have five sons and one daughter, 15 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Over the next 30 years, the Mercers were busy raising their family. Mercer is a jack of all trades and worked many different jobs, although his favourite was landscaping, and he is also a skilled woodworker.

For a time, they worshipped at

“Meant to Be” And one try was all it took. “The first time we attended church there, we knew that was where we needed to be,” Mercer says. “Everyone was so kind. I realized I needed God in my life. I needed his forgiveness for my sins. I wanted to return to the faith I was raised with, and Shirley and I knew that this church would be a good place to reconnect with God.” Over time, Mercer’s faith in God grew and soon he realized he wanted to solidify his commitment and serve God in an important way. In 1990, Mercer was enrolled as a senior soldier. A few years later, he was commissioned as the colour sergeant, a position he proudly held for 13 years. Mercer also served as the property sergeant. “When you’re the property sergeant, you are responsible for anything that needs to be done around the building,” he explains. “And if you can’t do it yourself, you find someone who can.” Mercer loved that post as it allowed him to work outside with his hands.

Today, Mercer still plays an active role in his corps. “For the past 20 years, I have greeted people at the door and welcomed them to our services,” he says.

Mercer continues to help out at church wherever he is needed, while Shirley is a member of the home league and community care ministries.

In 1988, God drew Mercer back to himself and back to The Salvation Army.

“All it took was one time” he says, “and I knew I’d come home.”

CALLING THE COURAGEOUS

Sealing the Deal For Matt Schnaider, soldiership was a natural progression.

BY KEN RAMSTEAD

I

can’t say what becoming a soldier will do for you,” says Matt Schnaider.

“Soldiership is a personal commitment between you and your Saviour.

No one can tell you when or why you should become a soldier or what will happen when you do. Only God can tell you that.”

Soup and Ping-Pong Schnaider was raised in a Christian home but walked away from his faith when he became a teenager. “I didn’t so much get into trouble or anything as much as I didn’t conduct myself in a Christian manner,” he says.

Schnaider’s mother died when he was young and he left home when he was 15. “I ran away to Toronto and lived with my aunt and grandmother for a couple of years,” he says. Schnaider then joined the Canadian Armed Forces, eventually serving in Lahr, Germany.

Now married, the soldier would attend chapel and church services, “but I was just going through the motions.

“However, when we were on manoeuvres, The Salvation Army was always there for us,” he recalls. “There was a canteen truck that went out with the troops and The Salvation Army had a canteen on base where they would serve soup, hot chocolate and hot dogs. We could play Ping-Pong or just hang out.

If you didn’t want to go to a bar in town, that’s where you went.”

Happy Reunion The end of Schnaider’s time in the military coincided with the dissolution of his marriage.

“I wandered aimlessly, but there were certain signs that I saw, certain things that made me think there’s got to be something more to life than this,” he says.

Now remarried and after a period of soul-searching, Schnaider returned to his faith. “But the church my wife and I were attending seemed too large and impersonal to us,” he says, “so we decided

at The Salvation Army,” he smiles, “so I didn’t want to subject my wife to anything too weird.”

Schnaider attended a service and enjoyed it. Phoning the church the next day, he ended up talking with Captain Peter van Duinen, the corps officer.

“While we were chatting, I mentioned my military service and he told me his parents had been in Germany, too. It turned out that they had been manning the canteen that served me and my mates!”

Matt Schnaider

“The Army helps people not one or two days a week but 365 days a year—and I wanted to be part of that.” to look for something smaller. We went to two or three different churches and then we decided to try The Salvation Army.

“I’d had a good rapport with them when I was in Germany,” he continues, “and they seemed to do a lot of good for a lot of people, so we decided to check out The Salvation Army’s Southlands Community Church in Winnipeg.”

Schnaider went by himself on that first visit. “I didn’t know what to expect

A Dose of Feel Good The Schnaiders started attending Southlands in the spring of 2014. He became an adherent in the spring of 2015 and a soldier in March of the following year.

Why? “For too many churches I know of, their idea of outreach is when they hand out water or clean up a yard,” explains Schnaider. “They do a lot of good but they do it one day a year, maybe two. I saw what the Army did—how the Army helps people not one or two days a week but 365 days a year—and I wanted to be part of that.”

“Schnaider is our emergency disaster services representative and serves as our director of business administration on our mission board,” says Captain van Duinen. “He’s active in serving God through the men’s ministry and the youth ministry—anywhere there is a need—and he has found an outlet to do that through The Salvation Army.”

Schnaider also helps out with the Salvation Army soup truck, which hands out hot food in the evenings.

“That’s my weekly dose of feel good,” he says. “I’m doing something to help others.

“Becoming an adherent was a natural means to that end but I needed more.

Becoming an adherent became a part of belonging, and then soldiership became the commitment.

“And for me, becoming a soldier sealed the deal.”

Salvationist July 2017 19

Photo: Judy Heisler

FRESH IDEAS

Orchardist Ron Schneider (right) teaches Timothy Rose how to empty plums from a picking bag without bruising the fruit

A Growing Experience Youth harvesting program in British Columbia yields much more than fruits and vegetables.

BY PAMELA RICHARDSON

W

hen Barb Stewart, program co-ordinator for The Salvation Army in Penticton, B.C., and Clark Taylor, youth pastor at Penticton’s First Baptist Church, met in 2011 to discuss programming for youth, they could not have imagined what God had in store.

With dozens of young people gathering every Friday night at The Ark, First Baptist’s drop-in centre, many from families who rely on The Salvation Army for assistance, Stewart and Taylor thought it would be a good idea to join forces.

“We wanted to connect with youth through active work in our community,” explains Stewart, “particularly with The Salvation Army Community Food Bank.”

“We live in the rich and fertile South Okanagan Valley,” Taylor says, “so we discussed how we could give youth an opportunity to learn how our beautiful valley provides for us and how that relates to God’s creation and creation care.”

That was the starting point for Fresh From the Farm, a gleaning and preserving program for youth aged 10-16 operated through a partnership of The Salvation Army and First Baptist 20 July 2017 Salvationist

Church, that supplies fruits and vegetables for distribution through the Army’s food bank. The program also provides a much-needed childcare option for children whose parents struggle to make ends meet.

“They consider The Salvation Army a safe place,” explains Stewart, “and they trust that their youth will be kept busy— and loved.”

The Farmers From the earliest days of the program, Stewart has fostered relationships with local farmers who let her know when the time is right for the young people to get started.

“Everything revolves around the farmers,” she says. “We never know from one year to the next when cherries are going to be harvested, when peaches are going to be ripe, let alone when the farmers are going to be finished with their own crop and tell us that we can come in and glean the rest. It’s really a gift from God that they allow me and a group of children onto their farms during their high pressure time. This wouldn’t

FRESH IDEAS

Photo: John Pettifer

goodwill, and a feeling of fulfilment after a hard day’s work.

The young people feel good that they have helped and are proud of what they have done.”

“I love working with more experienced people,” says Tessa Hartmann, 12. “They are very kind and generous.”

After the Harvest Since it began in 2012, Fresh From the Farm has expanded beyond caring for the Army’s garden and harvesting fruits and vegetables. Utilizing the community kitchen located at Penticton Community Church, Fresh From the Farm provides lessons in canning, dehydrating, juicing, freezing and more, all under the supervision of mentors.

“A small portion of each harvest is reserved to be used by the young people,” explains Stewart, “and then they take home what they have preserved to their famThe Mentors ilies.”

Thanks to a host of community “Trying to make a pie crust and Salvationist volunteers, most for the first time is my favourof whom are retired seniors, the ite memory,” says Ronnmark. “It young people are not alone in their was hilarious trying to make an efforts. apple pie.”

“Just south of Penticton is the It is hoped that this hands-on Similkameen Valley, the organic nutrition education will continue capital of Canada,” Stewart says. to impact the young people long “There are so many food-wise after they have moved on from the mentors here who have a rich program. In addition to helping to knowledge, and the time as retirfeed their families, Fresh From the ees, to share it with our young Sylvia Long is all smiles as she works in the blueberry patch Farm participants can earn their people. We’ve never had a shortFOODSAFE Level 1 certification age of volunteers willing to spend their time with us.” at no personal cost if they harvest five times or more for the An added bonus of Fresh From the Farm is the bridging of food bank. They can also take training in first aid and CPR. the generation gap that exists between young people and seniors.

“Many are the children and grandchildren of the food bank “A lot can be learned when you’re working side by side clients that we serve,” Stewart says. “We would be so happy if trying to fill your bucket with blueberries,” explains Stewart. this program makes a difference for these kids, so that they “Trust and relationships are built when your hands are busy won’t need to access the food bank in the future.” and your mind is free. There’s a sense of productivity and To help offset the cost of this part of the program, Fresh From the Farm is grateful for financial support from a number of sponsors, including the Community Foundation of South Okanagan Similkameen, the Kitchen Creations Fund through Food Banks Canada, the RBC Foundation, McCains and summer job grants.

As Stewart engages in the sixth season of Fresh From the Farm, she encourages others to seek out opportunities to make a difference in the lives of young people.

“Reach out to other church organizations who are doing things with youth,” she advises. “Engage with the youth—talk to them—about what they want to do and how they want to be involved.” She suggests talking to parents and connecting with programs already in operation, such as a food bank or thrift store, that could be expanded to include young people.

“Fresh From the Farm was started to engage young people in the work of our community,” she concludes, “and with the A lesson in making pickles takes place in the community kitchen at mission of The Salvation Army.” By God’s provision, they are Penticton CC doing that, one fruit and vegetable at a time.

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Photo: Clark Taylor

work without their generosity.”

“I like going to the orchards to pick fruit and to the big farms to pick carrots, tomatoes and peppers,” says 13-year-old Jenna Ronnmark, who has spent three summers with Fresh From the Farm.

“I loved the trips to all the farms,” adds Angela Patrick, 15. “We learned how the farmers grow their crops. That was my favourite part.”

Fruits and vegetables are also harvested from the Penticton Community Garden and the Army’s own garden, which was started four years ago to supply produce for programs at The Salvation Army, including cooking classes for clients of the food bank.

“Fresh From the Farm participants are very involved in the Army’s garden, right from the point of spring planting,” explains Stewart.

Mobilizing for Good The Army shows its colours around the world.

W

BY COMMISSIONER ROSALIE PEDDLE AND ESTER ELLEN NELSON

ell done, good and faithful soldiers!

We’ve passed the half way mark of The Whole World Mobilising campaign and it has been amazing up to this point. It has been so exciting to see how Salvationists around the world have embraced this initiative and have been getting out there.

We’ve seen flags “marching” via motorcycle, snowmobile and canoe, and for miles on foot, over rough terrain.

But that’s not all. Prayer walks, coffee outreach, little chef classes for children, football tournaments for community involvement, cleaning dilapidated buildings, distributing care kits and Scripture on the streets and in hospital, and so much more. Salvationists around the 22 July 2017 Salvationist

world are spreading the good news and love of Jesus to our neighbours who so desperately need him. It’s beautiful and humbling for us to see, and we’ve been inspired by the enthusiasm, courage and resilience of our people to move “out of their comfort zones” and into their neighbourhoods, communities and cities.

Christians are in the minority in a number of the territories that have fully embraced this campaign, but that hasn’t stopped them from taking their flag, their faith and their Salvation Army out into the streets, publicly declaring that Jesus is alive. God continues to do a new thing as more Salvationists respond to the call to mobilize, for “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:37).

We’ve seen many wonderful images, videos and articles about mobilization.

Visit our social wall for a few snapshots.

One highlight was seeing people in Peshawar and Kohat, Pakistan, come together and march out in the streets, singing and carrying their flags. Or watching the flag being run through one of the offices in Japan and then out into the busy streets. Southern Africa Territory did a great video with a new theme song that gave us all a good giggle, and has encouraged more of the same.

And a corps in Mexico made a video of stopping traffic at busy intersections to dance. It has been so much fun to watch!

Our app and website have been key tools in this campaign. Salvationists are standing together in prayer for one another and for our world, sharing their

Cpts Jimmy and Lacy Parrish from the Kerrville Corps in Texas receive The Whole World Mobilising flag, driven down by motorcycle from a soldier at the corps in Waco, Texas. This picture was taken at the start of a ride around their community and ended at the corps on Easter morning. The U.S.A. Southern Tty has organized motorcycle runs across the territory, showcasing the flag from event to event. The ride started in February with the Florida Div and will end in September with the Georgia Div and Evangeline Booth College

The Whole World Mobilising flag in the northern-most part of the Norway, Iceland and The Færoes Tty

Photo: John Docter

testimonies on our blog, reading Words of Life to build their faith, and reaching out to others in creative ways by trying our “reach tips.” We hope that seeing the activities of others both encourages and spurs people on. If you haven’t yet downloaded the app, please join us (Android/ iOS links—sar.my/twwmandroid and sar.my/twwmios).

I (Rosalie) am personally engaging in the Read, Pray and Mobilise sections of the app every day, and I am also finding the blog contributions on the website inspiring. It is my prayer that many Salvationists would feel that they are not only connected to our global Salvation Army world, but to God. I am grateful to be able to pray for specific needs that are being posted on our website. Another favourite activity is prayer walking. I decided in March that I would turn my 30-minute walk to International Headquarters (IHQ) in the morning into a prayer walk. It has transformed my prayer life. I pray for a number of concerns on my heart for our international Salvation Army, our friends who need our prayers and our family concerns, but I have also taken time to be aware of the people around me as I walk. The Lord always helps me to focus on certain people. I don’t know them or their needs, but God does, and I always pray that at some point throughout the day, they would have reason to think about God. I sometimes wonder what they would think if they knew a stranger was praying for them. I would love to hear their stories, but I will leave that for God to enjoy.

The campaign is achieving outcomes far greater than we could have imagined.

For example, 57 countries participated in our live blog during the Mobilise: Go

Soldiers and friends enjoy a tamale lunch following the United Latino Rally at Los Angeles Central Corps in January

Children and youth march in a cultural procession in Sri Lanka during the General’s visit in April

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Salvation Army staff and volunteers pray as they prepare to distribute food to vulnerable people after tropical cyclone Dineo struck Mozambique in February. A total of 465 families received essentials, including flour, rice, cooking oil and beans. In addition to these food parcels, families with infants received baby food

coming to know Jesus and lives being transformed by his grace. I don’t think we will ever be able to capture all of the campaign, but we will celebrate what we are aware of, and God will celebrate the rest. This is a campaign that has no ending. The international Salvation Army has experienced a fresh wind from the Holy Spirit, and with holy boldness and courage, we are showing the world what God has called the Army to be—a mobilizing force for good, visible in a world that is in desperate need for the hope found in Jesus.

As a result of this campaign, we want to see the Army grow—enlisting new soldiers and attracting new candidates;

Photo: Cadet Megan Mercier

Children and Youth! weekend, and many more reached out to report their activities in the weeks following. Youth and children took part in mobilizing activities that involved outreach and evangelism. From painting parties, sports events, neighbourhood cleanups and praying God’s Word over people on the streets, to leading worship and preaching sermons, the youth of The Salvation Army stood up and made some noise for the kingdom of God—and their voices were heard.

The outcome and engagement of the weekend was so powerful that IHQ has declared a second annual international children and youth weekend for March 23-25, 2018. We are grateful to all the territorial and divisional youth secretaries who worked to make this weekend a memorable event for their territory.

There have also been challenges. The Salvation Army now works in 128 countries, so developing a website and app that could connect the global Salvation Army was a great step of faith and courage. It has not been an easy journey, but we are very pleased where we are today.

We pray that God would continue to open doors so we can celebrate victories won for the kingdom together.

We’re now looking forward to our Mobilise: Go Forward! event at Regent Hall in London, England, on October 8, hosted by IHQ with the General. We’ll be broadcasting the event live all day and celebrating the amazing work going on in our territories throughout the world.

Finally, our hopes are being realized every day as we hear stories of people

In March, cadets from the U.S.A. Southern Tty travelled to Peru to lead ministry in the cities of Lima, Ica and Pisco. A young girl wears a cadet’s hat with pride as she joins their march of witness

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colleges filled with cadets training for mission; families finding refuge and a home at The Salvation Army; and God’s kingdom growing as men, women and children find and follow Jesus.

Commissioner Rosalie Peddle is the World Secretary for Women’s Ministries, and the chairperson and co-ordinator of The Whole World Mobilising campaign. Ester Ellen Nelson is the campaign’s project manager, based in the United Kingdom.

For more photos from The Whole World Mobilising campaign, visit www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/ wwmsocial.

Officers from the India South Eastern Tty shared the love of God with people at the bus stand of Kadaigramam in February, and distributed fruit along with Salvation Army literature. People responded with gratitude

HERSTORY

#ThingsWeNeedtoHear Twitter hashtag reveals deep cracks in the church when it comes to gender.

Photo: © DNY59/iStock.com

BY LIEUTENANT KRISTEN JACKSON-DOCKERAY

I

n m id-Apr i l, Sa r a h B e s se y, author of Jesus Feminist, started a Tw it ter conversat ion t hat quickly went viral, under the hashtag #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear.

Here are a few of the hundreds of tweets that poured in: If you preach, I will get up and walk out.—Sarah Bessey OK, you can teach this, but there has to be a male leader in the room when you do. We’ll send someone.

—Sandy Biblic al wom anhood c an be defined by marriage and motherhood.

—Joy Beth Smith If the pastor fell into sin and raped you, it was you who seduced and tempted him.—Sierra White Your clothes can cause boys to sin.—Amber Wingfield These tweets are sexist, abusive, toxic and insulting. But perhaps what is most upsetting is that these experiences weren’t hidden deep at the bottom of church life. They were so close to the surface—all these sharp, thorny words, like a splinter just under the skin. It took only a hashtag to get women’s fingers

typing across a blank page. #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear is important. It brings all of these splintered words and wounded lives to the light. It exposes the experience of women in the church and in ministry. It offers solidarity. It says, You’ve been wounded?

Me, too.

While it is deeply disheartening to read these tweets, to see these fragmenting words in black and white, knowing they have wounded so many of us, it also brought me a strange kind of healing to know that I am not alone.

The women who wrote these words have been hurt by the bride of Christ.

Hurt by the church that I love. We, the church—oh boy, have we made mistakes.

We have injured real people with our words and actions, made a negative impact on their lives. This hashtag puts names and faces to these people, and we should have to look them in the eye and understand what we have done.

A nd before we thin k we are immune as Salvationists, here is the first tweet of a new Twitter hashtag: #ThingsOnlySalvationArmyWomen Hear:

In one of my first weeks in ministry, I went to the door to greet a member of the church. “Is the lieutenant here?”

I was asked. “You’re talking to her,” I replied. “Not you, I mean the real lieutenant.” He was referring to my husband.—Kristen Jackson-Dockeray I laughed it off, but I wish you could have seen the excitement on my face as I went to meet this man. New in ministry.

Ready to respond to the call that God had given me. And then, with a few words spoken in the entryway of the church, made to feel as though I did not belong, that I had nothing to offer. That somehow my calling and years of training were not comparable to my husband’s.

Later in April, a new hashtag emerged, sweeping in like a breath of fresh air, bringing hope: #Things ChristianWomenShouldHear. Tears flowed as I read the words, words that I longed to hear—my calling validated, my God-given gifts confirmed.

Here’s the thing—I have heard really awful things said about me and my calling. But, thank God, both men and women in the church have affirmed me; have seen God at work in me. So, Christian women, here is what you should hear: Lead. Preach. Serve. Be confident in your gifts.—Cody McMurrin In a time when women were seen as property, Jesus sought them out and treated them as equals.—Sara Hudson You are never responsible for what a man chooses to do with his eyes/ body/self.—Wendi Nunnery Without you, the church is missing half of its voice, half of its gifting, half of its mission and ministry.

—Scott Lencke In Christ, and because of Christ, both men and women are chosen and invited to participate in the kingdom of God. Nothing more and nothing less.—Kristen Jackson-Dockeray Lieutenant Kristen Jackson-Dockeray is the divisional youth secretary in the British Columbia Division.

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CROSS CULTURE

IN REVIEW The Ultimate Exodus

Finding freedom from what enslaves you

BY MAJOR DANIELLE STRICKLAND The Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt is one of the best known stories of the Christian faith. In The Ultimate Exodus, Major Danielle Strickland tells the tale afresh, providing 21st-century context for this timeless story. As Major Strickland writes, “In many ways the Exodus story is the story of life.… This story that begins in tragedy and slavery and bondage and fear is actually a story of birth and hope and kindness and beauty changing the world.”

Each of us has our own story of oppression that we need to be free from, she writes. In The Ultimate Exodus, Major Strickland weaves scriptural truth with powerful stories of transformation that can open our eyes to the things that enslave us, set us on the path to exodus and then live in such a way that others can find their exodus as well.

Through the Year with William Booth Through the Year with Catherine Booth EDITED BY STEPHEN POXON These two books, edited by British Salvationist Stephen Poxon, offer daily readings from the writings of William and Catherine Booth, with Scripture verses and prayers. The carefully selected entries are short and focused, drawing the reader’s attention to one significant topic each day.

Poxon takes the entries from a wide variety of sources, including published writings and personal letters. Each book offers a unique voice, as William and Catherine comment on contemporary circumstances and eternal issues such as the nature of salvation, repentance, evangelism, prayer, holiness and revival. These books are aimed primarily at Salvationists, but would be suitable as daily reading books for Christians from all denominations.

This is Amazing Grace FOURHYMN This British foursome has been called The Salvation Army’s first “boy band.”

Based at The Salvation Army Regent Hall in London, England, the group made their debut at a brass arts festival in 2015 and recently released their first album, This is Amazing Grace. The album is a mix of traditional and contemporary tracks, with new arrangements of songs by musicians such as John Gowans and John Larsson, Phil Laeger and Gloria Gaither.

As member Karl Westwood has said, they are passionate about pushing the boundaries of Army music: “We have such a rich history of Salvation Army music, and it’s something to be proud of. I feel that by fusing old and new tunes together, we can reach new audiences while still catering for our past generations.” The album is available for digital download on iTunes and various online music outlets.

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Undaunted CANADIAN STAFF BAND The latest a lbum from the Canadian Staff Band (CSB) features new music from Canadian composers and music written for the band to perform at the North American Brass Celebration, in honour of the U.S.A. Western Territory Staff Band’s 10th anniversary, which took place in May 2016.

Commissioned for the CSB, the title track is described by composer William Pitts as “a musical celebration of uninhibited emotions…. The piece is unabashedly joyous and celebratory, which I feel is the overarching mission of the musical outreach provided by Salvation Army music ensembles.”

Another highlight of the 13-track album is Life of Worship, which was commissioned by the CSB with the London Citadel Band, Ont. It was composed by Andrew Wainwright in loving memory of Jane Lam, to whom this album is dedicated.

Jane was the wife of John Lam, CSB bandmaster, and mother of Jonathan Lam, CSB band member, who attend London Citadel.

IN THE NEWS Religion @ Canada 150 On the occasion of Canada’s 150th anniversary, the Cardus think tank commissioned a study of Canadians’ religious beliefs and practices, through their Faith in Canada 150 project. Conducted by the Angus Reid Institute, the study reveals that “while the role of institutional religion in society has diminished in many respects, faith remains an evolving and important element of Canadian life.”

The study sorts Canadians into four groups: NonBelievers (19 percent of the total population), Spiritually Uncertain (30 percent), Privately Faithful (30 percent) and Religiously Committed (21 percent). Within these groups, the study examines how various factors—for example, age, location, gender and country of birth—affect personal religiosity and attitudes toward religion generally.

Overall, just 25 percent of Canadians say that the word “religion” has a positive meaning, while 33 percent say it has a negative meaning. Notable for Christians is the survey’s finding that nearly half of respondents felt the words “evangelism” and “born-again” had a negative meaning (48 percent and 41 percent, respectively).

On the positive side, the study found a correlation between higher degrees of religiosity and higher levels of self-professed happiness, community involvement, volunteer work and charitable giving. And while only 20 percent of Canadians attend religious services once a month or more, 50 percent do reflect on their own existence and the meaning of life at least once a month.

Visit angusreid.org/religion-in-canada-150 for the full report.

PEOPLE & PLACES

OSHAWA, ONT.—These are exciting days at Oshawa Temple as six young people are enrolled as senior soldiers. From left, RS Linda Leigh; Shona Burditt, director of youth and young adult ministries; Holly Ritson; Charlotte Robertson; Charlie

SAINT JOHN, N.B.—During Saint John Hope CC’s annual volunteer appreciation event, Pat Gilliland (right) is recognized for giving 82 hours of service to the Christmas kettle effort in 2016, the highest number of hours of all the volunteers. Making the presentation is Shelly McCready, community ministries co-ordinator.

Ball, holding the flag; James Corrigan; Cameron Mouland; Jesse Ritson; Olivia Frost; and Cols Lynette and Lindsay Rowe, COs.

TORONTO—From left, Alina Bouliane, Kieran McAlister, Alex King, Axel King, Kenza Johansson, Brayden Cameron, Sarah L’Heureux, Juliana Moulton, Brent Sambrano and Zeus Sambrano are the newest junior soldiers at North Toronto CC. Supporting them are, from left, Lt-Cols Ann and Jamie Braund, preparation class leaders; CSM Rick Cameron; and Cpts Jeff and Shannon Howard, COs.

OSHAWA, ONT.—From left, Owen Bolt, Isaac Thompson, Tayler Bellingham, Alyssa McIntyre and Joshua Frost are the newest junior soldiers at Oshawa Temple. Supporting them are, from left, Cols Lynette and Lindsay Rowe, COs; Jory Hewson, holding the flag; Shona Burditt, director of youth and young adult ministries; Wendi Westcott, Ready to Serve leader; and JSRS Charlie Ball.

CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C.—Tessa Marie Grace is dedicated back to the Lord by her parents, Shannon and Dennis Fortin, at Ocean Crest CC. Joining in the happy occasion are Lts Keith and Violet Hopkins, COs; Alyssa, Tessa’s big sister; and Hazen Taylor, holding the flag.

Salvationist July 2017 27

PEOPLE & PLACES

Sharing Uniforms with Mexican Salvationists SALTILLO, COAHUILA, MEXICO—During one of his regular business trips to the Saltillo area of Mexico, Canadian Ron Bennett was approached by a Salvationist collecting donations in support of the local Salvation Army. Struck by the well-worn condition of the man’s uniform, Bennett mentioned it to his wife, Wendie, who has worked for The Salvation Army in Guelph, Ont., for the past 25 years. She explained that uniforms can be expensive, so they turned to Salvationists at Guelph Citadel for help.

Thanks to their generosity and the assistance of Col Ricardo Bouzigues, TC, Mexico Tty, Bennett was able to deliver suitcases full of uniforms, blouses, shirts, sweaters and hats to Cpt Israel Martinez in Mexico. With the help of a translator, Cpt Martinez told Bennett that the man he had seen collecting money had been volunteering for one of the Army’s children’s homes for more than 20 years. He believes he has worn the same uniform for that entire time.

Accepted for Training Messengers of Compassion Session (2017-2019) College for Officer Training, Winnipeg Derek Kerr Meadowlands Corps, Hamilton, Ontario Great Lakes Division As former clients of the Army’s community and family services office in Dundas, Ont., my family and I were in desperate need of a new church.

Sometime after we arrived at Meadowlands Corps, Major June Newbury, who was then our area commander, asked me if I had ever considered officership. “God uses people like you, Derek,” she said, “to validate the work of the Army.” I began to pray and discern that God was calling me to officership. I believe CFOT will help me fulfil that call by preparing me mentally and spiritually to share the love of Jesus Christ.

Angela Kerr Meadowlands Corps, Hamilton, Ontario Great Lakes Division God has been preparing me for officership since I was a young child. He has grown in me a heart and passion for the lost, misguided, forgotten and rejected through situations, challenges and obstacles in my life. A conversation with our divisional youth secretary helped make it clear to me that God was leading me to full-time ministry as an officer. When I surrendered to his will, I found a great peace and confidence in his plan for my life.

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Officer Retirements Majors Stanley and Deborah Higdon retire July 1 following 52 years of combined service. Stan and Debbie testify that they are humbled, blessed and privileged to have served the Lord as Salvation Army officers in Ontario, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador. “The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been and the memories we’ve made along the way,” they say. “Our ministry as Salvation Army officers has allowed us to enjoy the best. To God be the glory!” Stan and Debbie acknowledge and thank their children, Adam, Peter and Sarah, for the part they had in their ministry. “We are grateful to God for them and their understanding and support over the years.” The Higdons look forward to retirement in Deer Lake, N.L., but will continue to do ministry for God as he leads them forward.

Major Gerald Lacey was born and raised in Lewisporte, N.L., and entered the College for Officer Training in St. John’s, N.L., in 1976. Major Doreen Lacey, born and raised in Carter’s Cove, N.L., also trained as an officer in St. John’s, entering the training college in 1974. Gerald and Doreen were married in 1978 and served together in several corps in Newfoundland and Labrador, as staff officers at the College for Officer Training in Toronto, and at Saint John Citadel, N.B. Together they raised three children, Charlene, Sarah and Sonia, all of whom are now married. Gerald and Doreen have three grandchildren, Arianna, Abigail and Ava, who are the children of daughter Captain Charlene Vincent and her husband, Captain Corey Vincent, currently the corps officers at Sydney Community Church, N.S. Gerald and Doreen are grateful for the many opportunities to present the gospel and to be engaged in kingdom building. They had the joy of making many lifelong friendships during their officership and of seeing many people come to know Christ as Saviour. They look forward to retirement in their home in Springdale, N.L.

CORNER BROOK, N.L.—Two local officers are commissioned at Corner Brook Temple. From left, Cpt Cory Pinksen, CO; Marilyn Forward, assistant corps sergeant-major; and Dan Lavigne, corps sergeant-major.

PEOPLE & PLACES

TRIBUTES TORONTO—Ian Ross Howes was promoted to glory at the age of 75 after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease. Born in Toronto in 1941, Ian came to know the Lord through a friend who invited him to Sunday school. He attended Toronto Temple, played in the band and later led the young people’s band. He moved to Scarborough Citadel where he met and married his wife, Lois (Gray), in 1971. He ministered as a Sunday school and adult Bible study leader, bandsman and songster. Having to retire early from his teaching career, Ian volunteered at the territorial music department and Heritage Centre, and pursued his love of history, genealogy and writing. He also enjoyed several years in the Metro Toronto Reservist Band. Ian will be remembered for his faithfulness to God, zest for life, love of family, athleticism and warm personality. Ian is deeply missed by his beloved wife of more than 45 years, Lois; daughter, Julie (Dave Ellis); son, Matthew; granddaughters Chelsea and Hayley; many nieces and nephews; extended family and friends.

HAMILTON, ONT.—Colonel Clyde Riggs Moore was promoted to glory in his 81st year. Commissioned in 1956, Clyde dedicated his life to God, his family and The Salvation Army. He served for more than 43 years in Canada and the United States before retiring from his final appointment as chief secretary of the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

Remembered as a man of God, Clyde was the brother of James (Ruby) Moore and the late Howard (Barbara) Moore; brother-in-law of the late Meta Ginn, Cyril White (Geraldine), Claude White (late Madeline), Freeman White (Roma), Gladys Barnes (Randy) and Lemuel White (Paulette).

Clyde is survived by his beloved wife, Mary (nee White); children Wanda, Clyde and Cathy (David Millar); grandchildren Stephanie, Stacy, Zachary and Joshua; cousins, nieces and nephews.

GAZETTE TERRITORIAL Appointments: Mjr Lauren Effer, divisional secretary for spiritual life development, Que. Div (additional responsibility) Reaccepted as lieutenant: Lance/Monika Gillard, Aida Munoz-Perez, Ian/Deanna Scott Retirements: Mjr John Goulding, Mjrs Stanley/Deborah Higdon, Mjrs Kenneth/Colleen Kimberley, Mjr Gerald Lacey, Mjrs Ron/Donna Millar, Mjr Glenn Patey, Mjr Barbara Penney, Mjrs Owen/Sharon Rowsell, Mjrs Leigh/Vida Ryan, Cpts Gary/Nancy Sheils Promoted to glory: Mjr Herbert Sharp Sr., from Barrie, Ont., Apr 19; Mjr Ed Peltier, from Clarke’s Beach, N.L., Apr 30; Mjr Eva Snow, from St. John’s, N.L., May 12

CALENDAR Commissioner Susan McMillan: Jun 28-Jul 3 N.L. divisional congress and commissioning, with General André Cox, Commissioner Silvia Cox, Commissioners Brian/Rosalie Peddle, Mount Pearl, N.L.; Jul 3-7 tour of Que. Div, with General André Cox, Commissioner Silvia Cox; Jul 27-Aug 1 camp meetings, Old Orchard Beach, Maine Colonels Lee and Deborah Graves: Jun 28-Jul 3 N.L. divisional congress and commissioning, with General André Cox, Commissioner Silvia Cox, Commissioners Brian/Rosalie Peddle, Mount Pearl, N.L.; Jul 3-7 tour of Que. Div, with General André Cox, Commissioner Silvia Cox Canadian Staff Band: Jun 30-Jul 2 N.L. divisional congress and commissioning, Mount Pearl, N.L.; Jul 28-31 camp meetings, Old Orchard Beach, Maine

TORONTO—Mrs. Major Annie Barfoot was born in Bonavista, N.L., in 1924 as the younger of two sisters. Annie became a Salvationist as a teenager. She married Aubrey Barfoot and they entered the College for Officer Training in St. John’s, N.L., along with their two children. Following commissioning, Annie and Aubrey were appointed to Little Bay Islands, N.L., the first of their various corps appointments. They served at the training colleges in St. John’s and Toronto, where Annie’s bookkeeping skills were utilized. Additional responsibilities at the training college in Toronto included supervision of the childcare program and brigading with cadets. Annie was in charge of bookkeeping for the Harbour Light in Toronto and Hope Acres Rehabilitation Centre in Glencairn, Ont., and served in the finance department at divisional headquarters in Toronto and at territorial headquarters. Prior to retiring with Aubrey in Toronto, Annie’s final appointment was as divisional league of mercy secretary in the Ontario West Division.

LANGLEY, B.C.—Donna Ellen Graham (nee Noseworthy) was born in St. John’s, N.L., in 1946. A third-generation Salvationist, she attended and served in numerous corps in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and British Columbia.

A gifted musician, she had a special love for children and seniors. Donna was a songster, pianist, Sunday school teacher, youth leader and community care ministries worker. Donna married Alf Graham in 1965 and they enjoyed close to 52 years together. They were blessed with a son, Richard, who was her pride and joy. Donna regularly prayed for others as she played and sang her way through the song book. Donna struggled with bipolar disorder throughout her adult life, but continued to live in hope. She went out of her way to encourage others, and will be greatly missed by her loving husband, Alf; son, Richard; extended family members; brothers and sisters at Southmount Citadel in Vancouver.

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The Key to Forgiveness How my imperfections as a parent showed me the depth of grace.

BY LIEUTENANT ERIN METCALF

Lt Erin Metcalf and her son, Elliot

S

everal years ago, when my father was terminally ill, I found myself desperate for a “normal” day with my family. My husband, Curtis, was out of town, so I thought a bike ride with my children would be a welcome break from the heaviness of pending loss and grief.

It was easy enough to orchestrate— take the bikes out of the backyard, down the narrow path beside the house and out through the big locked gate that separated our yard from the road. Only it wasn’t easy.

What I needed was simple and uncomplicated. What I needed was peace and calm. What I needed was a key to the gate—a key that I last remembered being in the hands of my then-threeyear-old son, Elliot. Hands that liked to hide things in undiscoverable places.

Chubby hands that I loved to hold and kiss, but now angered and defeated me.

Careless hands that stood between a day of freedom and laughter and a day of confinement and tears.

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“Where are the keys?” I demanded in a harsh tone. “Tell me where you put them, and please don’t say you don’t know—because you DO. You DO know.”

Big, brown eyes looked up at me, and started to pool with tears. “I don’t know, Mama. I didn’t hide them.”

My rage grew with every denial.

Accusations of carelessness, silliness and stupid games flew out of my mouth faster than I could control. Hot tears burned down my face as tears of fear and helplessness ran down my son’s face.

He sobbed. He pleaded. He didn’t know where he put the keys. He was sorry. He was sorry for hurting Mama.

That morning, all the sadness and anger I felt toward that big “C” word— cancer—and the battle that my dad was bravely fighting were selfishly and cowardly directed at a small boy who stood crying, watching his mother unravel.

A little boy who stood absorbing every hurtful word.

As I watched him search fruitlessly for

the keys, I should have been filled with love and awe at this small wonder. But I lost control of my anger. I was relentless.

I was mean. I was unforgiveable.

The keys were not found, but Grandma’s arrival (and a desperate phone call to my brother to ask how to take apart and reassemble the bike trailer) enabled us to salvage part of the day and carry on with the planned bike ride.

As we ventured out into the sunshine, my heart remained heavy. I knew I had been too harsh with my son, but I also knew that he was either extremely careless or lying to me. And with all the pain and suffering I was going through, couldn’t he at least refrain from hiding things around the house? I justified my anger.

All day, my son smiled at me and hugged me when we stopped for a break.

He told me he loved me and was so sorry I was sad. And that he would find the keys and make it all better. And still I remained angry.

Several weeks later, on a rainy day, I put on a jacket I hadn’t worn in a while. Reaching into the pocket, my hand brushed against a familiar pile of metal and my heart stopped beating. As I pulled out the keys, I dropped to the floor, sobbing and gasping for air as I realized what I had done.

I had blamed my little, chubbyhanded, brown-eyed boy. I had heaped all of my pain, suffering and anger on him. And it had hurt him—deeply. But he loved me unconditionally, and so he had held my anger for me, when I couldn’t hold it anymore. He had searched in vain for keys he knew he didn’t hide. And he had said sorry for something he didn’t do.

I begged him for forgiveness. I held him so close neither of us could breathe.

He looked up at me with big, brown eyes, and said, “I love you, Mama. It’s OK.” It wasn’t OK. It may never be fully OK. But what I learned that day was that my failures and shortcomings as a parent—the things I say and do in moments of weakness that I shouldn’t—are nothing compared to love.

God showed up in the eyes of my three-year-old and offered me love, forgiveness and grace that I didn’t deserve.

Sometimes our children teach us far bigger lessons than we will ever teach them.

Lieutenant Erin Metcalf is the corps officer at Niagara Orchard Community Church in Niagara Falls, Ont.

Photo: Lieutenant Curtis Metcalf

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