Salvationist August 2018

Has “Evangelical�

Become a Bad Word?

Indigenous Salvationists Rethink Faith and Culture

From Despair to Hope: A Return to Officership

THE VOICE OF THE ARMY

August 2018

Salvationist.ca

Coverage of Ontario Central-East Divisional Congress

Living Sacrifice

Territory welcomes 16 new lieutenants

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CONTENTS

Salvationist August 2018 • Volume 13, Number 8

20

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Departments

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

5 Frontlines 24 Ethically Speaking

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A Bad Name

by James Read

26 Live Justly Life Together

by Carla Evans

Features

27 People & Places

8 Messengers of the Gospel

30 Salvation Stories

Sixteen Salvation Army officers commissioned and ordained in Toronto during Ontario Central-East divisional congress.

by Pamela Richardson

A New Man Interview with Ken Garrett

Columns 4 Editorial Extra! Extra!

by Geoff Moulton

13 Onward The Playbook

by Commissioner Susan McMillan

25 Grace Notes The Anti-Social Network

by Lieutenant Erin Metcalf

30

14 Toward Right Relationship Salvationists reflect on the 2018 symposium of the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies.

by Lieutenant Kaitlin Adlam, Alex Stoney and Major Wade Budgell

17 Docks, Dirt and Discipleship Men’s mission trip fuels relationships and supports the work of the Army.

by Giselle Randall

18 “Unique as a Fingerprint” Addictions expert Marshall Smith says a variety of treatments are needed.

/salvationistmagazine Like us on Facebook for photos and updates.

Interact with our community of 34,000+ fans @Salvationist Follow us on Twitter for the Army’s breaking news. Use hashtag #SalvationArmy for your own updates and photos Cover photo: Timothy Cheng

Read and share it!

Fighting With Hope

SAGE NORTHCUTT P.22

Power of a Compliment

“WANNA RACE?” P.8

Dignity Through ‘Dos

STREET STYLEZ P.10

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

faithandfriends.ca

AUGUST 2018

20 Walking on Water Despair drove Lieutenants Lance and Monika Gillard to leave officership. God’s relentless love brought them back.

by Kristin Ostensen

22 Seeking Shalom Israel learned a hard lesson through the prophet Amos.

What about us? Are we living up to our vocation?

by Donald E. Burke

Rock of Ages ALICE COOPER’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL ACT IS DEDICATING HIS LIFE TO GOD. P.16

Salvationist August 2018 3

EDITORIAL

M

Extra! Extra!

y journalism career started early. I can still remember trudging through the snow on a frosty February morning, before the crack of dawn, to deliver the London Free Press newspaper. I was only in Grade 7, but for a young boy looking for some pocket money, that experience instilled a sense of calling. People longed to hear the news of the day, and I got to be the one to deliver it.

For many, the newspaper is a morning ritual. I still like to pore over the morning paper with a cup of coffee in hand.

Recently, my son asked me: “Dad, are you reading the newspaper to get ideas for your work? Or are you just reading it like old people do?” Ouch! For a generation raised on TV and tablets, print media can seem antiquated. And yet, there is still something pleasant about holding a book or magazine in your hands. Call me old-fashioned, but I find I can focus better on print and resist the temptation to tumble through cyberspace with repeated clicks. Lieutenant Erin Metcalf can relate: read her article on information overload on page 25.

Much ink has been spilled on the decline of print media and the rise of digital, but it’s not an either/or. When I ask people where they get their news, it’s usually a split between traditional print, television and online sources. While

Salvationist

is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory Brian Peddle General Commissioner Susan McMillan Territorial Commander Lt-Colonel John Murray 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 August 2018 Salvationist

the circulation of Salvationist magazine holds steady at 11,000 copies, we have seen a surge of online interest. The Salvationist.ca website attracts 21,000 visitors and 50,000 page visits a month from this territory and around the world.

Our social media channels are also growing: our Facebook “likes” are nearing 35,000, we have a strong following on Twitter and we’re attracting a younger crowd through Instagram.

Sadly, the rise of so-called “fake news” has cast doubt on the reliability of what we read. Rest assured that our team of Salvation Army reporters is doing their best every month to bring you accurate, informed coverage of Army events, such as the commissioning of 16 new lieutenants at the Ontario CentralEast divisional congress in June (page 8). Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll read Salvationist responses to the annual symposium of the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies (page 14). And we bring you the honest journey of Lieutenants Lance and Monika Gillard who, after a time of soul searching, returned to officership with fresh vision and energy (page 20).

Journalism can be a tricky business. We don’t always get it right, but we always aim to set the rec-

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.

ord straight. I hope you will continue to put your trust in us as we aim to be the “voice of the Army.” When you are done reading this issue, I invite you to pass it along to a friend or family member who could use some inspiration. For 134 years, Army publications in Canada have been sharing the good news. Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry.

GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Subscriptions

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

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

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Inquire by email for rates at salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org.

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

Mission

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

FRONTLINES

Kitchener Garden Grows

Photo: Steve Nelson

A Commissioner Susan McMillan receives a Canadian Staff Band shirt from John Lam as Colonel Lee Graves applauds

Territorial Commander Joins Staff Band

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ommissioner Susan McMillan, territorial commander, assumed the role of executive officer of the Canadian Staff Band (CSB) on July 1. The commissioner takes the place of Lt-Colonel Jamie Braund, who is now divisional commander of the British Columbia Division.

“The band is sad to see Lt-Colonel Braund leave this role, but feel encouraged and validated by the investment of time and support so generously offered by our territorial leader in taking up this unique ministry opportunity with us,” says John Lam, CSB bandmaster.

Major Dale Pilgrim, officer personnel secretary, will be supporting Commissioner McMillan by assuming responsibility for all of the practical management details and will work directly with CSB leadership.

“We are grateful to Commissioner McMillan for assuming this role at this time as we celebrate the Canadian Staff Band’s 50th anniversary,” says Colonel Lee Graves, chief secretary.

Commissioner McMillan explains why she is excited to take on the role: “The CSB was re-inaugurated 50 years ago—55 years after the sinking of the Empress of Ireland in 1914, when many of the original CSB members lost their lives. My grandfather, Alex MacMillan, was a member of that original band, but because of his wife’s illness, was unable to travel to the international congress that year and so was not a passenger on the ill-fated voyage. But because of my grandfather, I feel like I have always had a connection to the band.

“As the CSB celebrates five decades of service to our territory and beyond, I felt it was only fitting to acknowledge the tremendous contribution it has made,” Commissioner McMillan continues. “The band has played in countless concerts, meetings and programs, made recordings, taught music clinics and camps, and encouraged musicians all over the world to proclaim the gospel with their God-given talent. To accompany the band in their public engagements over the next year is a privilege and a wonderful opportunity to meet the people who are being blessed by the CSB’s ministry.”

community garden at Kitchener Community Church, Ont., has grown into a successful ministry since it began in 2011. Of the garden’s 100 lots, 89 are rented out by individuals, families and groups, representing 18 different countries. In addition, eight lots are reserved for the corps’ community and family services and three are set aside for water bins.

Harriet Boyd co-ordinates the community garden and brings the corps’ produce to clients at community and family services. “So many of them appreciate getting the vegetables because they don’t have access to fresh produce and this gives them something good for their bodies.”

While giving people a chance to grow their own food, the Army’s garden also creates community among the participants, says Boyd. “It builds friendships, faith and provides teaching moments. Our garden is there for the people.”

Jelena Radovanovic waters her garden at Kitchener CC

Correction Notice The July issue of Salvationist highlighted the High Council’s election of Commissioner Brian Peddle as the 21st General of The Salvation Army. The General-Elect, then serving as Chief of the Staff, and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle, then World Secretary for Women’s Ministries, assume international leadership of the Army following the retirement of General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox, World President of Women’s Ministries, at midnight on August 2.

We regret that errors were made in the article “From Newfoundland to International Headquarters,” which contained a brief career sketch of Commissioners Peddle.

We wish to clarify that between December 1979 and June 1985, the Peddles held various appointments at the College for Officer Training in St. John’s, N.L., as well as at the College for Officer Training in Toronto.

Their next appointment took them to the then Saskatchewan Division, where he served as divisional youth secretary and she was divisional guide director and then divisional corps cadet consultant. The Peddles returned to corps work in 1988 with appointments to the then Chatham Corps, Ont., and St. John’s Citadel.

In 2000, the Peddles were appointed to divisional headquarters in the then Ontario East Division, where they served for one year before assuming leadership of the Maritime Division.

To read the complete and amended career sketch of the Peddles, please visit salvationist.ca/peddles.

Salvationist August 2018 5

FRONTLINES

S Commissioners Lyndon and Bronwyn Buckingham were previously territorial leaders of the United Kingdom Tty with the Republic of Ireland

New Zealand Officer Named Chief of the Staff

Salvationists Attend Adult Music Camp

ixty Salvationists from across the territory gathered at Jackson’s Point Conference Centre, Ont., over the May long weekend for the second annual Adult Music Camp.

Leadership for the camp was provided by renowned composer Bill Gordon and Lt-Colonels Fred and Wendy Waters, secretary for business administration and assistant territorial secretary for women’s ministries, who provided spiritual teaching on the topic of The Ready Heart. The women’s chorus was led by Rachel Ewing and Heather Osmond of the territory’s music and gospel arts department.

Along with rehearsals and Bible study, the camp included time for fun and fellowship, featuring a Saturday evening hoedown and High Council Jeopardy game. The weekend also included a talent night, showcasing a variety of acts. The camp concluded with a final program at Georgina Community Church in Jackson’s Point.

“Adult Music Camp was everything a music camp should be: a chance to relax and have fun, to have fellowship and to learn from solid Bible teaching,” says Deryck Robertson of Peterborough Temple, Ont.

E

ffective August 3, 2018, Commissioner Lyndon Buckingham has been appointed Chief of the Staff at International Headquarters (IHQ), with Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham taking up the appointment of World Secretary for Women’s Ministries. As Chief of the Staff, Commissioner Buckingham will be second-in-command to newly elected General Brian Peddle.

Commissioned in New Zealand in 1990, the Buckinghams served in the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory until July 1994, when they were appointed to South Windsor Citadel, Ont. They returned to their home territory in 1998 and served there until 2013, when they were appointed to the Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar Territory, as chief secretary and territorial secretary for women’s ministries, and then territorial commander and territorial president of women’s ministries. At the beginning of 2018, the Buckinghams became territorial leaders of the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland.

Announcing their appointment prior to his retirement, General André Cox said, “Commissioners Buckingham come to IHQ with a passion and energy that will certainly inspire the Army world to greater efforts in the building of God’s kingdom.”

6 August 2018 Salvationist

The women’s chorus in rehearsal

T

Thrift Store Opens in Eastern Montreal

he Salvation Army’s National Recycling Operations (NRO) opened a new thrift store location in the Pointe-aux-Trembles neighbourhood in Montreal in May. The store is the second largest among six NRO locations in the greater Montreal area. “This expansion into

eastern Montreal is a cause for celebration,” says Michele Walker, director of retail operations for NRO. “We have been looking for a location in this community and are overjoyed to be opening our doors to offer real savings to individuals and families in and around Pointe-auxTrembles.”

Opening day celebrations drew an estimated 1,500 guests to the store and were a resounding success, says Walker.

“This is just the beginning of new endeavours in Montreal.”

Mjr Rock Marcoux (centre), AC, Que. Div, leads the ribbon-cutting at the new thrift store in Montreal

FRONTLINES

Fundraising Events Support Quebec Shelters

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he Salvation Army’s Quebec Division held two fundraising events in May, benefiting shelters in Montreal and Quebec City.

A jazz evening for Montreal’s l’Abri d’espoir, a women’s shelter, featuring music by Jessica Vigneault and Dave Turner, raised more than $25,000. At the event, a brief tribute was paid to Vicky Robert, who had been a member of the Montreal Advisory Board since 2001 and was its chair for the past seven years. Robert was warmly thanked for her dedication to the mission of The Salvation Army and to the welfare of women in distress. Patrick Trent, legal counsel at Borden, Ladner and Gervais, will succeed Robert. He has been a member of the advisory board for a number of years and has been involved in the Christmas kettle campaign and the Santa Shuffle.

Quebec City’s fundraising evening was held at the Tapas & Liège restaurant, a new partner of The Salvation Army. Michèle Piuze, president of MP Medic, was honorary chair of the event.

“The success of the event is largely attributable to Michèle,” says Damien Rosa, fundraising officer, Quebec Division.

“Through her steadfast dedication to the mission of the Army and her large network of contacts, she rallied relatives, friends and business partners.”

In a moving speech, Piuze emphasized the importance of

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supporting an organization like The Salvation Army as a means of giving back to the community and helping the underprivileged in the Quebec City area. Colonel Glen Shepherd, divisional secretary for business administration, Quebec Division, explained to guests the work of The Salvation Army locally and internationally. The event raised $9,200 for the Army’s Hôtellerie pour hommes, a men’s shelter in Old Quebec City.

Shaheen Bajgiran, co-chairperson of the jazz evening in Montreal, welcomes guests

Thunder Bay Breaks New Ground

he Salvation Army in Thunder Bay, Ont., took the next step in building a new Journey to Life Centre, with a ground-breaking ceremony and launch of a capital campaign in May. This new facility will offer innovative and expanded programs to help clients break free from the cycle of homelessness and poverty.

Various Salvation Army and community leaders took part in the ceremony, including Lt-Colonel Jim Champ, then secretary for communications; Major Everett Barrow, divisional commander, Ontario Great Lakes Division; Major Lori Mitchell, executive director, Thunder Bay Community and Residential Services; Frank Pullia, acting mayor, City of Thunder Bay; and Jordan Lester, Bonnie Moore and Michael Larizza, members of t he T hu nder Bay Communit y Foundation (TBCF) board. As part of the ceremony, the TBCF presented a gift of $350,000 from an anonymous donor to launch the next phase in the capital campaign.

The new cen- Patty Hadju, minister of employment, tre will replace the Workforce Development and Labour, brings aging, former hotel greetings on behalf of the federal government

that currently is home to the Army’s residential and community programs. The 30,000 square-foot, three-storey building will double the size of the old building. Along with continuing the previous facility’s shelter programs and community and family services, the Journey to Life Centre will feature a transitional housing component to help residents learn to live independently in the community. A wild game kitchen will make it possible for the centre to accept wild game and provide traditional meals and feasts for residents. It will also include a wellness centre to provide physical fitness and promote healthy lifestyles.

Construction is planned to begin this month with completion expected by the fall of 2019.

Mjr Everett Barrow, Lt-Col Jim Champ, Frank Pullia, Mjr Lori Mitchell, Jordan Lester, Bonnie Moore and Patty Hadju break ground for the new Journey to Life Centre

Salvationist August 2018 7

Messengers of the Gospel Sixteen Salvation Army officers commissioned and ordained in Toronto during Ontario Central-East divisional congress.

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he Messengers of the Gospel are ready to go and live up to their name!” proclaimed C om m i s s i o ne r S u s a n McMillan, territorial commander, to the 1,200 people gathered on Saturday, June 16, to witness the commissioning and ordination of 16 cadets from the Messengers of the Gospel Session. The event took place in conjunction with the Ontario Central-East Division’s congress, held June 15-17 at the Toronto Congress Centre. The theme of the con8 August 2018 Salvationist

BY PAMELA RICHARDSON gress was “Gather, Give, Go,” encouraging Salvationists to come together for fellowship, give their lives in service and go into their communities to share the gospel.

Having completed 22 months of intense study and practical preparations at the College for Officer Training (CFOT) in Winnipeg, the Messengers of the Gospel entered the auditorium on Saturday evening carrying baskets reminiscent of the story of the loaves and the fishes, symbolizing the offering

of their lives to God’s work.

Lending musical support to weekend events were the Canadian Staff Songsters (CSS) (SL Major Len Ballantine), the Canadian Staff Band (CSB) (BM John Lam), the Ontario Central-East Divisional Youth Band (BM Rob Brown), the Ontario Central-East Divisional Youth Chorus (Sheryl Slous, leader), Fire and Blood Brass, the divisional young people’s band (BM Mike McCourt), and Proclaim, the divisional singing company (Tammi Ritson, leader).

Photos: Timothy Cheng

Cdts Jenny Marin and Carlos Cuellar are commissioned by Commissioner Susan McMillan

Mjr David Allen introduces the Messengers of the Gospel

Cdts Thomas and Kristina Marsh pray together before they are commissioned

Messengers of the Gospel and Messengers of Compassion on stage at the Toronto Congress Centre

Photo: Steve Nelson

Commissioned to Serve Major David Allen, then CFOT principal, introduced the cadets and commended them to the territorial commander. He made special note that Cadet Dominika Domanska, from the Germany, Lithuania and Poland Territory, trained in Winnipeg and will take up her first appointment in Warsaw, Poland. Present to commission Cadet Domanska was Commissioner Marie Willermark, territorial commander for Germany, Lithuania and Poland.

Cadets Jesse Byers, Carlos Cuellar and Dominika Domanska presented the Officer’s Covenant in English, Spanish and Polish, respectively, drawing attention to the multicultural nature of the session. The Officer’s Covenant had been signed by each cadet earlier in the week in preparation for their commissioning and ordination.

Colonel Lee Graves, chief secretary, then stood before the Messengers of the Gospel as they recited the doctrines of The Salvation Army in their Declaration of Faith. As the CSS sang Take My Life and Let It Be, the cadets again picked up their baskets and laid them on the cross-shaped mercy seat as they knelt in prayer.

“Recognizing that God has called you, equipped you and gifted you for sacred service,” Commissioner McMillan told each cadet, “I ordain you as a minister of the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and commission you as an officer of The Salvation Army with the rank of lieutenant.” The territorial commander also shared a portion of Scripture with each cadet that had been chosen espe-

Salvationist August 2018 9

Photo: Steve Nelson

Lt Brian Dueck speaks on behalf of his sessionmates

cially for them by the staff from CFOT. After a brief intermission, the new officers entered the hall wearing their lieutenant’s trim for the first time as officers of The Salvation Army. As the CSB played the iconic Montreal Citadel, the congregation clapped and cheered for each Messenger of the Gospel as they marched to the platform to salute the territorial commander.

Lieutenant Brian Dueck spoke on behalf of his sessionmates. “We are not the only ones called to minister,” he said, and invited those gathered to join them in bringing beauty to brokenness for the sake of Christ and the world he came to redeem. “The body of Christ is made whole by the equal participation of all.”

Following the congregational singing of Our God Reigns under the leadership of Commissioner Willermark, Commissioner McMillan shared from the Book of Mark and asked Salvationists to consider what following Jesus means.

“Are you willing to set aside your own

Cdt Kaitlyn Young carries the sessional flag for the Messengers of the Gospel

ambitions and follow Christ? Are you ready to give your life for the sake of the gospel?” she asked. As Jesus blessed and divided the loaves and fishes to feed a hungry crowd, she said, we must bless and divide the Word of God—the bread of life—so people can hear the message of salvation.

Many responded to the invitation to kneel in dedication of their lives to Christ; others offered themselves for fulltime service as Salvation Army officers.

Gathered Under the Big Top The weekend kicked off Friday evening with Under the Big Top, a familyfriendly community event at the Toronto Congress Centre. The festivities included bouncy castles, sports games, music, food, a petting zoo and face painting. In her devotional message, Commissioner McMillan shared from Luke 4:18-21: “Gather ’round: I have good news.”

On Saturday, Salvationists met for a lunch and learn event at the Toronto

Cdt Andrew Benson enters the Toronto Congress Centre for the commissioning and ordination service

10 August 2018 Salvationist

Congress Centre to hear from Merv Budd, Ontario regional director for FORGE Missional Training Network.

“More than ever before, the church needs to be present and engaged with our world,” he said.

In the afternoon, a candidates’ reception gave opportunity for people considering officership to share time with the territorial commander and be encouraged through the testimony of Cadet Kassie Van Every, a member of the Messengers of Compassion Session, who will begin her second year of training in the fall.

Challenged to Go “Hallelujah! What a wonderful day!” said Lt-Colonel Sandra Rice, divisional commander of the Ontario Central-East Division, as she welcomed Salvationists and friends to Sunday morning’s worship service. Lt-Colonel Rice acknowledged the hundreds tuning in to the weekend’s events via livestream and invited them

Cdt Dominika Domanska shares a happy moment with her territorial commander, Comr Marie Willermark, as she is commissioned in Toronto

Photo: Kristin Ostensen

Photo: Steve Nelson

Sally Ann makes some new friends at the carnival event

to join in as she led the congregation in the Lord’s Prayer.

Accompanied by a massed band comprised of the CSB and the Ontario Central-East Divisional Youth Band, the congregation joined enthusiastically in the singing of Stand Up and Bless the Lord before Colonel Debbie Graves, territorial secretary for women’s ministries and integrated mission secretary, read

Luke 14:15-24.

Salvationist Ken Garrett of Kingston Citadel, Ont., was interviewed by Major David McNeilly, then corps officer at Kingston Citadel, and shared his experience of salvation. Having given his life to Christ, he was invited to attend a men’s spiritual conference in Manitoba.

In spite of his misgivings, the breakage of his eyeglasses, and a mix-up with his

hotel and car rental, Garrett made it to the conference. “I had a new experience of the Holy Spirit,” he shared. “I left the weekend a brand-new man.” With God’s help, he started making changes in his life and asked for forgiveness from the people in his life that he had hurt.

Enrolled as a senior soldier last year, Garrett declared with a smile, “I am a work in progress!” (See page 30 to read

Kids Train as Agents of the Gospel

t the Ontario Central-East Division’s congress and commissioning weekend, held June 15-17 at the Toronto Congress Centre, kids participated in Co-Mission: I.N.G., an interactive program developed and presented by the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s youth and children’s ministries department.

Young people were engaged during the weekend’s meetings as agents in the “secret service” as they solved undercover missions and learned how to become messengers of the gospel.

Kids began their agent training on Friday night at the Under the Big Top event. Young agents received their mission tablets and checked in at Mission Command throughout the evening, completing missions contained within the event attractions.

By the end of the night, agents had completed Mission “I,” having initiated their mission and agent files, and saying “I’m in” for becoming a messenger of the gospel. The young people were invited back to continue their missions through the rest of the weekend.

Connected to both Mission Command and the services around them via wireless headsets, kids continued their training on Saturday and Sunday as they participated in Co-Mission: I.N.G. Unpacking the main points of the gospel message during Saturday evening’s commissioning and ordination service for the Messengers of the Gospel Session, senior agents helped them understand that as messengers of the gospel, they Need to know and live the truth of the gospel message in their own lives (Mission “N”). Sunday helped them figure out Mission “G,” which challenged kids to Go and share the message of

God’s love with their world. Tools were given in their mission kits to help them share the gospel with their friends. Kids were reminded that while their weekend missions were top secret, the message of the gospel is to be shared with everyone.

“What a gift it is to see children engage in worship and respond to God’s leading in their lives,” says Sheryl Slous, youth and children’s ministries consultant. “It is our prayer that God will continue to use the children of the Canada and Bermuda Territory to reach others as messengers of the gospel.”

Photo: Steve Nelson

A

Kids follow the Co-Mission: I.N.G. clues to complete secret agent reports

Co-Mission: I.N.G. kicks off during the Under the Big Top event at the Toronto Congress Centre

Salvationist August 2018 11

Photo: Steve Nelson

Colonel Lee Graves addresses Salvationists gathered in Toronto

The Canadian Staff Songsters in action

Co-Mission: I.N.G. program brings excitement for kids at congress and commissioning events

more of his testimony.)

In a particularly exciting and poignant moment, Lt-Colonel Rice highlighted the Ontario Central-East Division’s commitment to strengthen congregational ministry. Officers and Salvationists from across the division shared stories of salvation and the transformation of lives that are taking place in corps and ministry centres. “We believe that God is going to continue to bring people to

Lt Adriane Cartmell with her parents, Mjrs Ron and Toni Cartmell, and Commissioner Susan McMillan at the Fellowship of the Silver Star luncheon

himself,” she said, “not just in Ontario Central-East, but across the territory.

Arise, go and be messengers to the world.

We give all the glory to him!”

In his message, Colonel Lee Graves spoke about our responsibility as Christians to share the good news of God’s love with the world. “The Great Commission is still the Great Commission,” he said. “Let’s not water it down or lose our way. God raised up The BM John Lam conducts the Canadian Staff Band

12 August 2018 Salvationist

Salvation Army to go for souls and go for the worst. Are you part of the Great Commission?” Referencing Matthew 8, he reminded the congregation that God is the God of the whosoever. “Will you invite them to come?” he asked.

Many moved forward from all areas of the auditorium in response his invitation to kneel at the mercy seat in dedication of their lives to God’s commission.

In the final moments of the service, the territorial commander recognized the newest members of the Fellowship of the Silver Star, people who have made a spiritual impact on the lives of the new lieutenants of the Messengers of the Gospel Session. Following the service, a luncheon was held in their honour.

Major David Allen then joined Commissioner McMillan to recognize the summer assignments of the Messengers of Compassion.

Congress and commissioning events concluded as the congregation stood to joyfully sing “On we march with the blood and fire, to the ends of the earth we will go!” as a declaration of their commitment to share Christ with the world.

Photo: © undefined/iStock.com

ONWARD

The Playbook What are you doing this August?

BY COMMISSIONER SUSAN McMILLAN

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or me, the worst part of August is that it’s on the downhill side of summer. Autumn is closer than it was two months ago, and that means winter isn’t far behind. I’m really not good at winter. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the season—I just don’t embrace it very well. Some of my friends and colleagues are already looking forward to skiing, tobogganing and snowmobiling. I just want August to last as long as possible. I know it can’t be any more than 31 days, but I like to savour every one.

Many people take vacations in August. That’s not a bad thing to do, although it does seem to make the month go even faster. I like to use at least the last couple of weeks in August to make plans for the fall and winter. I need to get my head around the demands of the next season in the territory; to think about how I’m going to prepare for each activity and what I need to do to be ready.

Planning is a good thing, but we have to make sure that we’re not planning against the Spirit of Christ. The first step in any plan must be to consult God, seek his will and plan toward his purposes.

Easier said than done, perhaps—but

much more effective in the long run.

August, therefore, needs to be a time for prayer and meditation on God’s Word; it needs to be a time for seeking the will of the Father so that I can be the best me possible when I need to step up and do what he wants. August needs to be a time for trusting in his plan for me. “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT).

What are you doing this August?

Have you pondered God’s purpose for your life? Have you pondered his plan for the next few months? For August, my intention is to plan my spiritual development over the next months, by asking God to help me map out a direction and methodology for Bible study, prayer and, yes, even sermon preparation. I know that for me that’s part of my work, but it needs to come from my relationship with God. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all of us could, by God’s help, map out a plan to deepen our experience in him, and allow that experience to run over into our everyday lives of work, family and fun? I challenge Salvationists all over

the territory: let’s seek out the plan God has for our lives and, in particular, for our spiritual development over the next months. Remember that God is a God of planning, and his plans for us are good and hopeful. At times, we may not understand them, but we learn by experience to trust him.

“But God has opened the eyes of those called to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, to see that Christ is the mighty power of God to save them; Christ himself is the centre of God’s wise plan for their salvation. This so-called ‘foolish’ plan of God is far wiser than the wisest plan of the wisest man, and God in his weakness—Christ dying on the cross—is far stronger than any man” (1 Corinthians 1:24-25 TLB).

Commissioner Susan McMillan is the territorial commander of the Canada and Bermuda Territory. Follow her at facebook.com/ susanmcmillantc and twitter.com/ salvationarmytc.

Salvationist August 2018 13

Toward Right Relationship

Salvationists reflect on the 2018 symposium of the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies.

The Salvation Army’s delegates to the 2018 symposium

From June 7-9, delegates from across North America and beyond gathered at Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, N.S., for the annual symposium of the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies (NAIITS), the theme of which was “White Supremacy, Racial Conflict and Indigeneity: Toward Right Relationship.” Lieutenant Kaitlin Adlam, Alex Stoney and Major Wade Budgell were among the 17 Salvation Army delegates who attended.

Combating White Supremacy

BY LIEUTENANT KAITLIN ADLAM, CORPS OFFICER, BRANDON, MAN.

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am a Mi’kmaw woman who also has colonial settler roots.

I am thankful to the peoples of Treaty 1 and Treaty 2 territory for allowing me to reside on the traditional land of the Anishaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Assiniboine, Dakota and Dene Peoples and the homeland of the Métis Nation in Brandon.

I have had the opportunity to attend the NAIITS symposium for the past three years. As I started my journey home after 14 August 2018 Salvationist

the symposium this year, I was reminded of the legend “How the cougar came to be called the ghost cat” by Michael James Isaac, a Mi’kmaw storyteller. He shares the story of a cougar named Ajig who leaves his home to journey to another forest.

He finds all the other animals there are afraid of him. Feeling lonely and wanting to belong, he begins to act like those other animals to fit in. Still feeling out of place, Ajig returns home only to find out that he is not welcome—he has become too different. Lost between the worlds, he becomes a ghost cat.

A s C her yl B ea r, a n Indigenous singer-songwriter, said on the last day of the symposium, “We get to be who we truly are at NAIITS.” Each time I attend NAIITS, I feel less like the ghost cat.

Instead, I feel like I belong and that it is not only OK to be me, but I am also a child of God. The NAIITS learning Lt Kaitlin Adlam community, in all its divers-

The Whole Picture

BY ALEX STONEY, CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRY CO-ORDINATOR, UPPER SKEENA CIRCUIT, B.C.

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his was my second NAIITS symposium and I found it inspirational. The topic is one that needs to be discussed and addressed, and the people I met greatly motivated me in my ministry and in my personal walk with Jesus.

I was inspired by the diversity of Indigenous cultures represented at this conference—cultures from all over North America

Photo: Mary Main

ity, creates a safe space to have messy discussions and explore unsettling topics that are necessary to journeying together in a good way.

This year, I was reminded of how much our culture shapes the way we do theology and act out our beliefs. We deconstructed what it means to see Scripture through a white colonial lens. Even when it does not intend to do so, this lens promotes and institutionalizes white supremacy through an ignorance of other cultural viewpoints and an arrogant assumption that its way of thinking and being is the only or the superior way.

This theology sees its practical application as good and helpful, but the results are damaging as they come from a worldview that places white people in a position of power and rightness.

This leaves no space or value for theologies rooted in other cultural paradigms, including Indigenous theology.

Erna Hackett, executive pastor at The Way Berkley in California, gave the example of a western theology of justice, which comes out of Scriptures such as Luke 4 where Jesus opens his ministry with the declaration that he cares for the poor, marginalized, blind and oppressed. She cited white American pastor Tim Keller who asks, “Why should we care about the vulnerable ones? It is because God is concerned about them.”

As we read Luke 4, we choose who we identify with—God or the vulnerable. By identifying himself with God, a statement such as Keller’s subtly places white people in a position of power and authority. When put into practice, this theology of justice can end up looking like what happened with the residential schools, and it opens us up to sharing a message of our own power.

Another example of how western culture shapes our theology is found in the English language itself. Western culture is individualistic; we do not have a word for the collective “you,” meaning a group of people, unlike the languages of collective cultures. So when we read something like Jeremiah 29:11 (“I know the plans I have for you … ”) we naturally read it as a personal statement, even when it is directed at an entire community. Our language contributes to an individualist theology of individual salvation, with no space for collective theologies that prioritize the welfare of the community over the welfare of the individual.

The dominant culture permeates all systems that govern our lives, including our systems of theology. This reminds us of how important cultural awareness is in understanding God and our relationship with him, with each other and with the rest of creation. Alistair Reese, a New Zealand theologian, reframed our treaty relationships as covenant relationships, reminding us that reconciliation is not an end goal to be completed, but is a relationship that is continuously journeyed together.

Erna Hackett presents at the NAIITS symposium in June

and Australia. I am from northern British Columbia. We have many different nations throughout our province with our own distinct languages and dialects, so to see that diversity greatly multiplied was wonderful and invigorating.

Culture shapes the way we do theology and act out our beliefs.

One of the most beneficial aspects of my experience at the symposium came through my talks with non-Indigenous people, as we discussed the topics of the presentations on a more personal level. Oftentimes, I assume that one person knows as much, if not more, about a given subject as I do.

Sharing my knowledge and experiences as an Indigenous person with others reminded me of the importance and the value of what I have to offer. It was also enriching to view the topics from a non-Indigenous perspective. Understanding others’ perspectives helps us to see the whole picture. When the whole picture has been revealed, then we can begin to move toward right relationship.

The people I spoke with wanted to know more about Indigenous peoples’ connection to the land they belong to.

I said we believe we have a responsibility to the land, to care for it so that future generations will be able to live and prosper on it. It is part of our ayookw (laws) that we are to care for the land that was given to us. I wondered if this topic came up because many non-Indigenous people don’t have a connection to the land due to colonization and immigration.

Another conversation I had concerned the trials and struggles of being an Indigenous person. I talked Alex Stoney about how many of us have Salvationist August 2018 15

struggled with addiction, depression, prejudice and so on.

Many of these symptoms and conditions are a result of the government’s systematic attempts to assimilate Indigenous peoples into western ways of being. Many Indigenous people did not know how to cope with the atrocities they experienced in residential schools; many turned to substances to dull the pain. This substance abuse has been passed down to the next generation because they witnessed their parents’ substance abuse. Substance abuse has also led to physical abuse and neglect. This is what many Indigenous children have had to endure because of their parents’ abuse in residential schools. I greatly appreciated speaking with fellow open-minded people about correcting wrongs and elevating the marginalized.

Apart from relationship, there is no way forward.

It was also enlightening to hear the presenters speak about matters that I could never put into words myself. This symposium gave a voice to what many of us can only think about.

Erna Hackett’s presentation, which addressed the issue of white supremacy, was particularly helpful. A lot of people I spoke to associated white supremacy with skinheads and their extreme views and actions. But as Hackett said, white supremacy is a way of thinking that “presents whiteness as normal and neutral—to physical appearance, to how you talk, your value system.” Western theology was created by white people and is shaped by their white experience but, in general, that fact is not acknowledged or named in the way that, for example, black liberation theology, Indigenous theology or feminist theology are.

Reflecting on the symposium, I wonder what we are to do now. Obviously, things have to change so we can have equal representation, but how do we go about it? I don’t know, but I am ready and willing to participate in that change. I may not be the one to lead it, but I will be there to encourage and strengthen that movement when it happens.

An Unending Process

BY MAJOR WADE BUDGELL, DIVISIONAL COMMANDER, MARITIME DIVISION

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experienced the NAIITS symposium as an opportunity to bring worlds together—nations, tribes and theologies— to strive “toward right relationship,” as the theme of the symposium suggested. But how do we do that? The past, with all its pain, was present throughout the symposium and, as a white person, I was challenged to feel that pain.

Terry LeBlanc, director of NAIITS, reminded delegates that, in western culture, we are all about moving on, making plans, proposing solutions and producing results. It’s our way of avoiding or not dealing with the past. “Yet there can be no reconciliation without truth,” he said. The journey of reconciliation is not about sprinting into the future with a multiplicity of strategies and solutions, but taking the slow walk into the past to process history on an intellectual and emotional level. While it 16 August 2018 Salvationist

is true that pain was undeniably present, it was my sense that hope was the honoured guest. The language of hope pervaded the presentations and conversations, and the conviction that deep listening, respecting and responding is opening a path toward right relationship.

That was another theme that resonated with me— apart from relationship, there is no way forward. As one presenter reminded us, Mjr Wade Budgell in the context of Indigenoussettler relations, “reconciliation” may not be the right word as it implies that a previous relationship existed. For example, a treaty by its nature is a legal contract, not a human relationship. So in many respects it is not about reconciling broken relationships but creating new relationships on the basis of mutual respect and not contractual convenience.

Furthermore, delegates were repeatedly reminded that reconciliation is not a state or a checklist but a process. Apologies, important as they are, do not achieve true relationship. They are necessary first steps in a process that is unending. The idea that injustices spanning centuries can somehow be corrected in a few years through completed checklists is terribly naive and adds insult to injury for our Indigenous friends who will continue to feel the impact of the past for a long time. We must therefore be committed to hearing their stories, feeling their pain, sharing their hope of a better future and journeying with them into places of healing and hope.

Finally, I was reminded that moving toward right relationship requires love. Referencing 1 Corinthians 13, Kimberlee Medicine Horn Jackson reminded delegates that “love is patient.” Her reflection on her experience of forced adoption and separation from her mother for four decades was incredibly moving. Mother and daughter, ripped from one another’s embrace, until the day their patient love was rewarded as they reunited. “The hand of God has brought us together,” Jackson said to her birth mother in that precious moment of reunion.

As we look to the future, we must remember that it will take time to overcome the sins of the past and achieve right relationships, but we should not be discouraged for “love is patient” and “the hand of God will bring us together.”

Videos of the NAIITS presentations are available on Facebook. Search “An Indigenous Learning Community.”

About NAIITS The North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies (NAIITS) is a non-sectarian organization dedicated to encouraging the Indigenous community to develop and to articulate Indigenous perspectives on theology and practice.

NAIITS currently has five degree program partnerships offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs. Major Shari Russell, territorial Indigenous ministries consultant, is a member of the board of NAIITS.

Men’s mission trip fuels relationships and supports the work of the Army.

BY GISELLE RANDALL

Men from Hope CC in Ajax, Ont., help get Newport Adventure Camp ready for the summer.

From left, Mark Hemming, Connor Hemming, Craig Carleton, Sal Ayala, Cpt Jason Sabourin, Jim Sabourin and Roy Risely

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t The Salvation Army’s Hope Community Church in Ajax, Ont., the men’s ministry starts with a burger, not breakfast. “For the past three years, we’ve led a mission trip to the Army’s Newport Adventure Camp in Muskoka, to help get the camp ready for the summer,” says Captain Jason Sabourin, corps officer. “On the drive up, we always stop at Webers, a burger place on Highway 11.”

The road trip to the camp, located on the shores of Skeleton Lake near Huntsville, Ont., is part of the fun for the group of eight to 10 men, who arrive on Wednesday evening and stay until Saturday. “In the morning, we have a laid-back time of devotions, and then get to work,” says Captain Sabourin. “We sweep and mop the cabins, put out the canoes and dock, rake pine needles and

cut up fallen timbers.”

The trip is a way to get men active and involved in their faith.

“For guys, the idea of physical labour is appealing,” he says.

“Most men are introverted, and want to stay in the background— something like leading a Bible study can be daunting. But ask them Jim Sabourin and Mark Hemming on their way to build a gazebo to come and help, and it’s different: ‘I can find my place because says Captain Sabourin.

I can work.’ They feel like they can offer “It’s great to go and support the Army something.” in another country that lacks resources, As they laugh and joke throughout but we need to do that at home as well. the day, they get to know each other and We need to share what we have—whether build relationships, leading to a sense of financial or people resources—with other belonging. Craig Carleton, who started ministry units, so they can help people attending Hope in 2010, has been on the in their own community.”

Salvationist August 2018 17

Photos: Nathan Richardson

Docks, Dirt and Discipleship

mission trip twice. “Working as a team with guys I go to church with was great,” he says. “We had a brotherly bond after the trip. We’re all good friends to this day because of it.”

Spending time together away from the corps also helps Captain Sabourin break into people’s lives. “I talk to them about anything. It could be sports, it could be cars, whatever they have an interest in—especially if they’re new,” he says. “I’m not in any kind of ‘priestly garb,’ just wearing work pants and a tool belt, getting dirty—it helps fuel the relational piece.”

The relaxed, informal setting can open the door to deeper conversations.

“Men don’t respond well to sharing their feelings on the spot—they tend to shut down. It has to happen naturally,” says Captain Sabourin. “Being outdoors, just having casual conversation, they are able to open up easier. If I say, ‘Hey, come to my office and let’s talk,’ most men would feel like they’d been called to the principal’s office.”

In the evening, they have a campfire.

“I throw out a couple of topics, but I try not to structure it too much,” he says.

“Invariably the conversation turns to issues going on in people’s lives. I just let it flow, and see where God leads—I believe God is already working on them.”

Along with discipleship, the mission trip helps to alleviate the financial burden of ministry for the camp. “If they don’t have to hire people, it reduces costs—and helping the camp helps kids,”

“Unique as a Fingerprint” Addictions expert Marshall Smith says a variety of treatments are needed.

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s a person in recovery and now the director of corporate development and community relations for Cedars at Cobble Hill, a Vancouver Island-based addiction treatment centre, Marshall Smith is uniquely positioned to address Canada’s struggle with substance use.

Smith’s expertise in the field of substance-abuse disorder and related public policy is unrivalled. A sought-after speaker and consultant, his findings have been shared at international conferences throughout the world.

Now a member of The Salvation Army’s advisory board in British Columbia, he shared his insights recently with the Army’s territorial social services department, ministry units across the territory and the National Advisory Board: What is the biggest challenge facing our addiction care system in Canada?

The fact that we don’t have one. There is no addiction care system in this country.

You hear all the time that the system is broken. It’s not broken. It just doesn’t exist. What we have is a patchwork of service providers, all of them doing good work in their own areas, but there is no system in the sense that there is no unified strategy in place or formal interaction between them.

If I have a heart scare, to use another chronic illness as an example, once I get to the hospital, there’s a well-articulated pathway that the health-care system is going to guide me through. There’s immediate testing, assessment and evaluation. A team of physicians, nurses and other health-care providers are going to come in and make recommendations.

I’ll be efficiently moved through a system of care.

That doesn’t exist with addiction at all. In fact, the opposite occurs. You’re more likely to be kicked out of the ER for showing symptoms of your illness.

18 August 2018 Salvationist

Marshall Smith’s perspective is informed by his own experience with addiction

Part of the problem is stigma. Let’s face it: addicts don’t behave very well when they’re using.

We have to have an honest conversation with ourselves about what addiction looks like and how we’re going to manage people with an illness who are combative, who don’t believe they have a problem and who are not behaving in a way that is consistent with society’s expectations.

What other obstacles do people with addictions face?

Not only are we lacking a nationwide system but what there is varies in access and quality. At one end, people with means and privilege are swaddled with the best care available: doctors, psychiatrists, long continuums of care from primary treatment to second-stage housing to continuing care in the community and monitoring with their employer.

At the other end of the spectrum, we have those who don’t have the means to access health care. They have to apply for welfare or social services, and perhaps sell whatever assets they have.

The welfare-based portal required for

addicts to enter the health-care system is inadequate, stigmatizing and barriered.

It’s designed to keep people off of the welfare roll.

Then, in the middle and probably most alarming to me, is the constituency of people who can’t afford addiction care but don’t qualify for welfare. They’re probably working two jobs. They’re a paycheque away from being homeless.

And it’s difficult to convince them they have a problem in the first place, let alone that they should take up arms to fight for their right to addiction care. So they continue to get sicker and sicker until their disease progresses to a point where they lose their job or their home and fall into the welfare system.

I believe in a system where it doesn’t matter what treatment provider you have—if you show up for addiction treatment, you hand in your health-care card and in you go.

What are we doing about the fentanyl crisis in Canada?

I don’t talk about this in terms of a fentanyl crisis. This is an addiction crisis.

It’s a crisis of people and it’s a crisis of community. Scapegoating fentanyl for all of our failings as a community is irresponsible and is not going to get us to where we need to go.

Fentanyl use and addiction is happening in homes, businesses, schools, workplaces and universities, not just in the inner-city back alleys that the media so often portrays. That reality, and those who are addicted on the streets, are a small percentage of the overall substance-using population. The vast majority of the addiction problem in our communities is going on behind closed doors.

“You hear all the time that the addiction care system is broken.

It’s not broken. It just doesn’t exist.”

when we asked people their reasons for maintaining their recovery, 45 per cent— more than double—replied that they wanted to maintain a heightened state of spiritual connection, which underscores how important faith-based groups are to the recovery process.

What can The Salvation Army do?

The Salvation Army makes an incredible difference all across Canada and Bermuda, there’s no question of that.

What the Army needs to do more of is put that shingle in the window, that you have programs that specialize in grief and drug addiction, that you’re in communities, large and small. And keep modernizing and evolving your addiction services and programs.

What is your dream?

Addiction disease impacts everybody in different ways. It’s as unique as a fingerprint, with different combinations of challenges.

We need a full continuum of services, ranging from harm reduction on one end right through to an abstinencebased recovery focus on the other, and everything in between. People should be able to enter that continuum where they’re at, and move back and forth along that continuum as the risk in their life presents itself.

And we have to be there for them in a non-judgmental way, to help get them connected with the services that are going to work for them where they’re at.

—Marshall Smith Are there other myths out there?

Groups that are doing good work, such as The Salvation Army, need to be more assertive. A prevailing social work mantra is “We meet them where they’re at.”

But the other piece of that should be “And take them where they need to go.”

We need to be more assertive in helping people along a pathway, especially if they don’t even know that there is a pathway.

As well, people often say that addicts need to hit rock bottom before help will be effective. That’s simply not true.

Addicts don’t need to want help in order for help to be effective. And help may not be effective on the first go, or the second, or the third. But every time we initiate help, they learn and grow and discover pathways to recovery.

Is there a role for faith-based organizations in the war against substance abuse?

There’s a huge role. When we asked people why they went into recovery, 22 per cent of respondents said that they wanted to make changes in their life to improve their spiritual condition. But Salvationist August 2018 19

Walking on Water

Despair drove Lieutenants Lance and Monika Gillard to leave officership. God’s relentless love brought them back.

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alled. Equipped for sacred service.

Where there was certainty two years earlier, when those words were spoken over Lieutenants Lance and Monika Gillard as they were commissioned in 2012, there was now doubt. They had left everything to become Salvation Army officers, believing they were called by God. But as challenges in their first appointment overwhelmed them, the Gillards couldn’t help but wonder: Are we actually called, or did we get it wrong?

“When I think of that time in our lives, I always go back to the story of when Peter walked on water,” says Lance.

“He sees Jesus walking toward him and says, ‘I can do that.’ He steps out of the boat and starts walking. But then he sees the wind and the waves. He loses his focus on Jesus and he starts to sink.

“That’s what was happening to 20 August 2018 Salvationist

BY KRISTIN OSTENSEN Monika and me. The storm was all around us, and we couldn’t see anything else. We were sinking.”

Action and Service For Lance and Monika, who are now corps officers at Sussex Community Church, N.B., the storm has long passed.

Though they left officership during that time of despair, they returned with a firm conviction that this was God’s will for their lives.

“We are loved by a relentless God,” Lance says with a smile. “When he has a calling, when he has a purpose for your life, he doesn’t let you go.”

Before they were Salvation Army officers, Monika and Lance were members of the Canadian Armed Forces, serving in the Navy. They met in 2000 while stationed in Victoria on the HCMS Algonquin. Both grew up in Christian homes, but were not connected to any

church when they met. After they married in 2002, Lance wanted to bring his young son to church, so they decided to try The Salvation Army.

“I was dedicated at the Army in Englee, N.L., and I went to youth group and other events they had there,” Lance says. “I remembered The Salvation Army being lively, fun and upbeat.”

From the beginning, Victoria Citadel was the right church for them.

“Being in the military, I liked structure, routine, orders and regulations, the uniform—so I had a natural connection to the Army,” Lance says. “I grew up seeing Christianity talked about and modelled at home, but we rarely did anything beyond that and I always thought that there had to be something more.

In the Army, there was a call to action and service.”

“It made sense to us,” Monika agrees.

“The mission of The Salvation Army

Photo: Kristin Ostensen

Lts Lance and Monika Gillard have been COs at Sussex CC, N.B., since June 2017.

“We love this town,” says Lt Monika Gillard

and the covenant we signed—it just fit.”

The Call The Gillards were enrolled as senior soldiers in 2004, and soon after, Lance began to feel the pull to officership.

“I was growing in my relationship with God and I wanted to do more for him,” he says. “I felt that officership was the next logical step.”

At the time, Monika was at home with two young children, so the couple decided to hold off on entering fulltime ministry and instead took up new positions with the Air Force in Greenwood, N.S. “It wasn’t the right time, but the calling was still there,” Monika says.

By 2009, they were ready. They applied for officership and entered training college in 2010. “God opened the doors and everything fell into place,” says Lance. “We sold our house, we had my release date, we were ready to go!”

The Storm After 22 months of training, the new lieutenants were sent out to Dartmouth, N.S., for their first appointment. Along with the corps, the Gillards would oversee community and family services and a food bank.

“We left training college very idealistic,” Lance admits. “We knew there would be challenges, but we believed we’d be able to overcome them. When you go out with an idealistic mindset, sometimes the reality of what you get takes the wind out of your sails.”

The Gillards hired a new community and family services worker who helped expand the corps’ programming, they created budgeting and cooking classes, and ran a successful mom-and-tots program.

But the corps was plagued by property issues. Both the corps building and their quarters were in a state of serious disrepair, rendering them unfit for occupation. Within four months of their arrival, the Gillards had to move house, creating stress for the family as their children changed schools again.

Meanwhile, they struggled to find a new home for the church, meeting at a fire hall before settling into a chapel attached to their store-front community and family services location. “That was challenging as some people had a strong connection to the building and felt that we were closing down their church,” says Lance.

“At that point, we were overwhelmed and we weren’t relying on God ’s strength,” says Monika. “We were asking ourselves, ‘How are we going to fix this?’ rather than, ‘How’s God going to use us to fix it?’ ” “I remember going to our second-year institute feeling exhausted and defeated, and having very little to give our congregation at the time,” says Lance. “We felt lost and alone. We were burnt out.”

Convicted Heartbroken, Lance and Monika decided to leave the Army and rejoin the Navy in Victoria. “Like Peter, who went back to fishing, I went back to what I knew,” says Lance.

“But we were only there for a couple of months before we started to wonder that maybe this was not what we were supposed to be doing,” adds Monika.

“God’s got a sense of humour,” Lance smiles. “I got on the HCMS Vancouver, and the combat chief said to me, ‘Hey,

“As Christ’s body, we’re all in this together.”

—Lieutenant Monika Gillard Gillard! I hear you used to be a padre.’ I said yes, and he said, “Well, the chaplain’s not able to make this trip, so you’re doing all the church services for the next six weeks!’ ” The combat chief wasn’t the only one who sought out Lance for spiritual leadership.

“I’d be up on lookout and the next thing I know, I’d have somebody beside me, saying, ‘Hey Lance, I hear you used to be a pastor,’ ” he shares. “I’d have people coming up to me all the time, asking questions about God. “So I’d be praying with people, right there in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!”

Lance laughs. “I remember thinking, Why don’t you leave me alone, God? It wasn’t subtle.”

Meanwhile, Monika had taken an office job with a helicopter squadron.

“One day, Lance and I went out for a drive and he said, ‘I have this podcast I’ve been meaning to listen to,’ ” she recalls.

“So he put it on, and it was talking about following God’s call. It really convicted

us. We had to pull over because I was in tears. For me, that was the affirmation that God wanted us back in officership.”

Not Alone With that renewed conviction, Lance and Monika went back to where they started: Victoria Citadel.

“The corps family surrounded us with love and support,” Monika says. “They told us they had been praying for us ever since we’d left.”

“It was amazing,” Lance adds. “Here was the family that saw us come to the altar and make our first-time commitments as Christians, and dedicate our lives to Christ, and they were still helping us on our journey.”

In the fall of 2016, Lance and Monika started the process of returning to officership, supported by their corps officers, Majors Brian and Deborah Coles. After they were reaccepted, they spent a few months assisting at Victoria’s Westsong Community Church before taking up their current appointment in Sussex in June 2017.

“We had a seamless transition, coming to Sussex,” says Lance. “We have a wonderful, supportive community, where we feel like we fit, and I believe that’s all God’s doing.

“Coming back to ministry has been absolutely amazing,” he continues. “I feel like there’s nothing that I can’t do, with God going before me, because I have that reaffirmation. We learned so much through our first experience as officers, so we know the red flags and we are much better at taking care of ourselves.”

“We have all these wonderful things that God’s placing on our hearts to do,” Monika adds, “but we know we need to step back and allow God to work through us, with the support of the congregation around us, because we can’t do it on our own. As Christ’s body, we’re all in this together.”

For others who may be facing their own storms, Lance and Monika have a message of hope: “You’re not alone,” he says. “No matter what you’re going through, there’s always somebody out there who has walked the path before you or is willing to walk beside you.”

“If you’re struggling, it’s OK to ask for help,” Monika adds.

Looking back now, Lance says he can see how God was still with them, even when they were sinking. “He never gives up on us. And that’s wonderful.”

Salvationist August 2018 21

Israel learned a hard lesson through the prophet Amos.

What about us? Are we living up to our vocation?

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he prophet Amos lived in the eighth century BC, a time when some Israelites lived in extreme affluence, while the vast majority lived in extreme poverty.

A short drought, an insect infestation in the fields or a natural disaster could lead to famine and starvation. Food security was reserved for the wealthy.

This was not the way Israel was supposed to live. Rooted in its covenant with God, Israel’s vocation was to be a different kind of community: one in which love for God was expressed in love for fellow Israelites and neighbours. They were to work together to ensure they never again experienced the kind of injustice and oppression that had crushed their ancestors in Egypt centuries earlier.

But in its rush to be like other nations, by having a king—reflecting a lack of trust in God as their king—Israel had lost sight of its mission. With the concentra22 August 2018 Salvationist

BY DONALD E. BURKE tion of power and wealth in the hands of a few, community gave way to selfinterest. Poorer Israelites were pushed aside. Laws that should have corrected abuses instead became instruments of injustice. Perjury became the norm.

Corruption was rampant.

Against this backdrop, Amos spoke out, proclaiming that Israel had relinquished its covenant as the people of God. As God declared through Amos, “The end has come upon my people Israel” (Amos 8:2 NRSV). This was not something God desired. It was simply a consequence of Israel’s abandonment of its vocation to be a community that cultivated the shalom—the well-being and flourishing—of all.

Justice and Righteousness Through Amos, God called for justice and righteousness as the true expression of his covenant relationship with

Israel. “Justice” referred primarily to the integrity of the legal system to settle claims and offences in a way that would promote shalom. It was not about a desire for revenge or dishing out retribution.

Justice is concerned with promoting the wholeness, the well-being of the community—especially for the most vulnerable. Justice itself was not the goal, but it pointed toward the goal of God’s covenant with Israel—shalom.

“Righteousness,” on the other hand, referred to fulfilling the obligations of a relationship. It meant being our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper (see Genesis 4:9).

When we ignore the needs of our sisters and brothers, the fabric of our community is torn.

But describing this ideal community wasn’t Amos’ main task—that was left to others, such as Isaiah. Amos was called to something more modest: to diagnose the terminal illness that was sapping the

Photo: © malerapaso/iStock.com

Seeking Shalom

life out of Israel. His task was to shock Israel to its senses, much like a defibrillator shocks a malfunctioning heart into the proper rhythm.

As it turned out, the patient—Israel— was too far gone. All that was left was to pronounce Israel dead (see Amos 8:2-3) and to sing the funeral song (see Amos 5:1-3). It was a hard message to deliver and Amos is a hard book to read, especially for Christians who want to hear only words of comfort and affirmation.

Salt and Light So why should we read the Book of Amos? Why should the words of this prophet matter to the church? Simply put, because the church’s relationship with God is fundamentally the same as Israel’s relationship with God. We are called into a covenant with God through Jesus Christ—a covenant offered in grace, but one that requires a faithful human response.

What kind of response is required?

When an expert in the law asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment, he responded, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment.

And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’ ” (Matthew 22:3739 NRSV). Jesus did not create this twofold commandment—it is found in the Old Testament and is a basic statement of the covenant relationship between God and Israel (see Deuteronomy 6:5;

Leviticus 19:18). Undivided, uncompromising and thoroughgoing love for God, coupled with deep love for our neighbours, expressed in our pursuit of their shalom, is the essential statement of biblical Christianity.

The church—as Israel was before us— is called into existence to be a community in which love for God and love for neighbours are the hallmarks of our life

Amos is a hard book to read, especially for Christians who want to hear only words of comfort and affirmation. together. We are called to be a community of contrast. When Christians live out this vocation, the church is salt and light in the world. But too often, in our rush to be like the world—and to be liked by the world—we adopt the world’s values.

We accept the consignment of so many to poverty and the margins of society, as though this is the only possibility.

But the prophet Amos reminds us—as he reminded Israel—that in

these circumstances, we, too, fall short of fulfilling our vocation to love God and love our neighbour. We forget that in the language of the Bible, love is not a fleeting and fickle emotion. Rather, love demonstrates a deep commitment through acts of loyalty, faithfulness and care. Love for God and for neighbour is expressed most clearly when we couple our devotion to God with our devotion to our neighbour’s shalom.

A Warning The Book of Amos does not present us with the entire biblical message. No single book of the Bible does. But it does provide us with a serious warning about our complacency when we separate our religious practices from how we actually live our lives. Sham worship is offensive to God if we do not work toward the shalom of our neighbours and neighbourhoods. It’s one thing to sing praises to God, but they ring hollow when our neighbours are hungry and homeless.

If we read the Bible only for comfort, then we will probably set aside the Book of Amos. But as Israel learned the hard way, ignoring Amos will not alter God’s message or its potency—it will lead only to a famine of hearing the words of the Lord (see Amos 8:11-12). That’s a famine we want to avoid.

Dr. Donald E. Burke is a professor of biblical studies at Booth University College in Winnipeg.

This is the second of a two-part article.

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ETHICALLY SPEAKING

Photo: © klosfoto/iStock.com

A Bad Name Has the word “evangelical” become an embarrassment?

BY JAMES READ

T

he International Headquarters (IHQ) website tells the world that The Salvation Army is “an evangelical part of the universal Christian church.” That has been part of the identity statement since 1994, so it’s not new. But in the past year or so, I’ve wondered whether it’s a label we should be proud to wear.

That’s because “Evangelical” (with a capital E) seems to have taken on a new life and received a lot more attention in the media since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump in 2016.

Reliable polls report that more than 80 per cent of white American Evangelicals voted for him. That’s a huge bloc of supporters.

In the United States, “Evangelical” is now treated as a political word. One pastor said, “[Evangelical] is now a tribal, rather than a creedal, description.” He and several other pastors will no longer describe themselves as “Evangelical.”

Last year, the campus organization Princeton Evangelical Fellowship—a name it had held since 1937—changed its name to Princeton Christian Fellowship.

And we are told that African-American Christians cringe because of the racial overtones of the word “Evangelical.”

It may be different elsewhere in the world. When I chaired the social action commission for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), Brian Stiller, EFC’s president, told me he frequently had to explain to the Toronto Star and other Canadian media that, in Canada, “Evangelical” was not synonymous with the “Christian Right” as it was in the United States. Fast-forward 20 years and Stiller is still explaining 24 August 2018 Salvationist

to Christianity Today’s readers that “Evangelical” is not a term owned by the United States, and that whatever their internal angst may be, 600 million people elsewhere in the world are happy to own the term as a description of their faith commitments.

Those commitments were identified

by David Bebbington in his research of the history of religion in Britain from the 1730s to the 1980s (a period that includes John Wesley, William and Catherine Booth, and John Stott). Bebbington claimed history shows that four features could be used to describe “evangelicals”: 1. A high view of the Bible’s authority; 2. An emphasis on the need for a personal, saving relationship with God; 3. A focus on Jesus’ sacrificial death; and 4. An activist faith that pursues personal sanctification and the improvement of society.

By those criteria, Salvationists should be OK with being called evangelicals.

Bebbington’s four features fit.

1. We affirm that if there is a divine rule about faith or life, it will be found only in the Bible; other sources give knowledge but not divine rules.

2. Salvationists place an emphasis on personal faith in Christ. Belief, not a ceremony, makes someone a Christian.

3. From the beginning, The Salvation Army has said that Jesus alone is God-incarnate and that he suffered death in order to free all people from sin.

4. Activism is the Salvationist’s middle name. The heartbeat of the Salvationist is transformed people

in a transformed society.

As William Booth put it, “We are a salvation people—this is our speciality—getting saved and keeping saved, and then getting somebody else saved, and then getting saved ourselves more and more until full salvation on earth makes the heaven within, which is finally perfected by the full salvation without, on the other side of the river.”

Despite the fact that The Salvation Army fits Bebbington’s description, I still have a problem embracing the term for myself. Part of that is because I can’t understand how “Evangelicals” could overwhelmingly vote for a man who is proudly not Christlike.

But even if I ignore what’s happening in the United States right now, I rankle at the fact that “evangelical” is often used like a kind of membership card— one that is meant to exclude as much as include. If saying “I’m an evangelical Christian” is a way of looking down my nose—of implying that Catholics and Orthodox and members of the United Church couldn’t be real Christians—I don’t want the adjective. The Apostle Paul said, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31). Any person or denomination that wants to boast about being “evangelical” should take note.

In the end, the question for me—and it’s a big one—is not whether a term can be salvaged, but whether people can discover through us that the gospel really is “good news.” That is, after all, what the Greek word “evangelion” means.

Dr. James Read is the director of The Salvation Army Ethics Centre in Winnipeg.

GRACE NOTES

The Anti-Social Network Let’s stop comparing ourselves to others online.

I

t was the end of my Grade 10 year when I first heard the words “World Wide Web.” As my friends and I sat at the back of a school bus, a tech-savvy acquaintance explained that this web would ultimately eliminate the need for encyclopedias, libraries and the Dewey Decimal System.

I rolled my eyes.

Fast forward a couple of decades and I face the impossible task of attempting to keep up with all the various social media platforms and “apps” designed to keep my life in order. Facebook, Messenger, Twitter (oh, how I love Twitter), Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp. Email, iMessage and texting. Then there’s Pinterest, Babbel, games, Amazon, mobile banking, the Bible…. Let’s not forget Safari—the ultimate gateway to the World Wide Web. And all of this on my phone, a device I carry in my hand 92 per cent of my waking hours. As many can relate, I can be contacted instantly, via numerous platforms and apps, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. All of it designed to make me feel available, in touch, connected.

The trouble is I don’t feel connected.

Not really. Mostly I feel insecure, inadequate and insufficient. I end up comparing myself to other people’s newsfeeds or photos, often resulting in a crash diet, $200 Amazon book order or a total revamp of the kids’ daily chores, because clearly our kids are lazy, entitled brats.

Every once in a while I take a break from social media and, let me tell you, it is glorious. I find after 24 hours “offline” I feel lighter emotionally. I feel more present when I’m home with my husband and the kids. The truth is, I am much happier and I can actually think more clearly and effectively when I’m not hyper-connected to a thousand other

friends, or receiving news (or other people’s opinions on the news) as fast as my Twitter feed will update.

This is not an earth-shattering revelation, and I’m certainly under no illusions that my experiences are unique. So why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we continually gravitate to social media threads? Why do we ceaselessly indulge in other people’s lives, neatly compartmentalized in posed, filtered photos, and then beat ourselves up because we believe we don’t measure up?

There are enough stats to prove that depression is on the rise, and while there isn’t enough evidence to state with any certainty that social media is to blame, it’s not hard to see why it could be a contributing factor.

We have been created by a communal God to live in community with one another. And yet, increasingly we are becoming solitary beings connected only through technology. Gone are the days when we willingly carved out time to travel and sit on the couch of a trusted friend, hugging mugs of warm coffee.

From that space on the couch we could see life in all its messy splendour, the perfect and imperfect working together.

It seems we’ve traded those experiences for the convenience of an online maze of obscurity, accepting that the whole story can be told in 120 characters, or settling for a photo captioned with an upbeat snippet describing the moment: #welookhappy #blessed. We compare and evaluate, and sometimes we have no idea of the damage we are inflicting on ourselves.

It’s not all bad, of course.

Social media has the power to unite people across the world in an instant, motivating change and action.

Posts on Instagram and Facebook can be uplifting and encouraging. But I think we need to be cautious.

We need to make sure that we are not robbing ourselves of joy and peace by absorbing half-truths and misconceptions. Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” We know a picture only captures a moment in time. It isn’t the whole story.

Scripture says, “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7 NLT).

The only real truth is a life built on and rooted in Christ—everything else is meaningless. I find true joy when my life reflects the love and grace of Jesus Christ. When I find myself discouraged or lacking joy and gratefulness, it always helps to take a step back from social media and take inventory of the things that really matter.

Lieutenant Erin Metcalf is the corps officer at Niagara Orchard Community Church in Niagara Falls, Ont. Salvationist August 2018 25

Photo: © artursfoto/iStock.com

BY LIEUTENANT ERIN METCALF

Life Together In divine community, there is no “us” and “them.”

BY CARLA EVANS

T

he Salvation Army’s motto “Heart to God, Hand to Man,” helps us understand that a life of Christian compassion and service to others must be rooted in and motivated by love for God and relationship with him. If we abide in God, we will love whom God loves—sharing the good news and offering people the help they need.

This sounds simple, but we do face some challenges. We sometimes assume that we know what people need, but without a relationship, without knowing their stories, we can miss the mark. We can also fall into the pattern of viewing our relationships with people we help as one in which we give and they receive, feeding an “us/them” mentality.

Corps across the territory are called to be places of welcome and divine community where these lines and barriers do not exist, where life is shared and true hospitality happens. So I come to these two questions: How do we get to know people? What kind of posture and attitude of heart does God call us to have in relationship with them?

As a Salvation Army, we will know 26 August 2018 Salvationist

In order to be truly compassionate, to “suffer with,” we must enter into relationships with humility and vulnerability. how to care for and love people in ways that usher in transformation and justice when we first position ourselves as Jesus did, as One who came close, asked people questions and discerned the place requiring God’s touch. I believe this happens in the context of family.

Two Scriptures come to mind regarding God’s heart and plan. One is where the Psalmist describes God as “father to the fatherless, a defender of widows….

God sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:5-6). God calls us to be places of welcome for strangers and guests, with room for listening to and knowing one another. God calls us to truly become family through Christ, making room at our tables and in our homes, and, as leaders, accepting the role of spiritual mothers and fathers to those who have been alone.

Second, as Paul writes to the Thessalonians with whom he, Silas and Timothy have shared the gospel, their posture was one of humility, gentleness and vulnerability: “Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8).

God’s mission wasn’t sharing good news and then exiting the picture. For these apostles, sharing God’s heart for people also meant sharing themselves, their very lives—their comings and goings, their struggles and victories.

In some ways, it can seem easier (and perhaps more efficient) to operate as a professional social service agency, where we hand out goods or services as we identify the needs in our communities.

However, in order to be truly compassionate, to “suffer with,” we must enter into relationships with humility and vulnerability. Listening in the context of divine community is the place where this will happen. When we’re in tune with God’s listening and suffering heart for others, we’ll be compelled and guided into acts of justice for his people.

Questions for Reflection: • How are you sharing yourself/your life with those God has called you to serve?

• How are we teaching/preparing leaders in The Salvation Army to position themselves in relationships with those with whom we share the gospel, and serve? What do we believe about spiritual family?

• What structures or processes in our corps and centres get in the way of listening to the people we serve?

• What signs of family and community do you see in The Salvation Army that bring transformation and inspire acts of justice?

Carla Evans is the corps leader at Boundless Vancouver.

Photo: © FatCamera/iStock.com

LIVE JUSTLY

PEOPLE & PLACES

GREEN’S HARBOUR, N.L.—The hard work and dedication of volunteers who assist with the Christmas kettle and Red Shield campaigns in Green’s Harbour are acknowledged during an appreciation supper. With them are Alma Crocker and John Engle, volunteer co-ordinators, and Mjrs Brian and Betty Thomas, COs.

PETERBOROUGH, ONT.—From left, Alexandra Westcott and Maddison Elkiw are enrolled as junior soldiers at Peterborough Temple. Supporting them are, from left, JSS Kelly Elkiw and Mjrs Kathie and Herbert Sharp, COs.

GREEN’S HARBOUR, N.L.—Supported by their corps officers, Mjrs Betty and Brian Thomas, and CSM Roy Green (back), Gabriel Coombs and Shirley McLeod are enrolled as senior soldiers at Green’s Harbour Corps.

CONCEPTION BAY SOUTH, N.L.—Salvationists and friends gathered under the leadership of Commissioner Susan McMillan, territorial commander, to celebrate 110 years of Salvation Army ministry through the Conception Bay South Corps. Weekend events included an anniversary dinner on Friday, family activities and a concert by the Conception Bay South Corps Band and St. John’s Temple Songsters (SL Carolyn Reid) on Saturday, and morning and evening worship services on Sunday. Cutting the anniversary cake are, from left, Jonathan Pardy, junior soldier; Maisie Bishop, senior soldier; and Cullen Hynes, junior soldier. Joining them are, from left, CSM Mjr Lloyd George; Mjrs Barbara and Lorne Pritchett, COs; Commissioner McMillan; Lt-Cols Genevera and Eddie Vincent, DC and DDWM, N.L. Div; and ACSM Claudette Hillier.

TORONTO—Barb Morrell of North Toronto CC, shown here with her basketful of yarn, is not one to let her disability hold her back. She has pursued a talent for corking (also known as French knitting) since childhood, most recently making and selling key chains in the shape of crosses and other designs. Barb first came to The Salvation Army more than 10 years ago through LIFT (Ladies in Fellowship Together) Bible study. “It helps my hands to exercise,” Barb says of the corking. “I love to create things that make people happy.”

Salvationist August 2018 27

PEOPLE & PLACES

OFFICER RETIREMENT Major Beverley Buell retired July 1 from her final appointment as chaplain at Toronto’s Evangeline Residence.

Enrolled as a senior soldier by General Frederick Coutts at the 1967 centennial congress in Toronto, Beverley was commissioned in 1978 in the Disciples of Jesus Session. Prior to marrying sessionmate Sydney Buell in 1979, she served as assistant corps officer in Hanover, Ont., and Estevan, Sask. The Buells served together as corps officers in Indian Head, Sask., Haliburton, Ont., and Neepawa, Man., and in Harbour Light appointments in Kingston, Ont., and at the Toronto West and Toronto centres.

Beverley’s service continued in Toronto where she ministered through the River Street social services office and as chaplain at Florence Booth House, Booth Industries and Evangeline Residence. Beverley feels blessed to have served the Lord and looks forward to spending time with their children James and Laura Kelly (Buell), Jennifer and Luke Faulkner, and Jonathan Buell; and grandchildren Cassidy, Alex, Sophie, Logan and Ronan.

MIDLAND, ONT.—The ranks of Midland CC are reinforced as a senior soldier is enrolled and colour sergeant commissioned. From left, Mjr Velma Preston, CO; Larry Tite, senior soldier; Ross Perry, colour sergeant; Mjr Bill Preston, CO; and CSM Joan Finley.

ENGLEE, N.L.—The Partners in Mission fundraising campaign was a great success at Englee Corps thanks in part to the efforts of Mjrs Wilfred and Wavey Simms, retired officers who attend the corps. The couple designed and built a model farm, complete with a barn and corral, to which animals and a well were added as money was collected. Members of the congregation stand beside the model farm as they celebrate exceeding their $4,000 goal.

SAINT JOHN, N.B.—From left, Mjrs Derrick and Judy Barrow, then COs, Saint John Hope CC; Louise Armstrong, emergency disaster services (EDS) and volunteer co-ordinator, Saint John; Perron Goodyear, territorial EDS director; Jan Keats, EDS co-ordinator, Maritime Div; and Dana Cobierre, business manager, Saint John Hope CC, share a moment together at an EDS training event in Saint John. The more than 30 people in attendance participated in small group exercises, discussions and a tour of a community response unit.

OSHAWA, ONT.—Oshawa Temple Band commissions three local officers and presents five members with senior musician bonds. From left, Col Lindsay Rowe, then CO; David Reid, newly commissioned quartermaster; Kristen Moore, newly commissioned librarian; James Corrigan; Kevin Sharp, newly commissioned assistant band sergeant; Al Speed, band sergeant; and BM Andrew Burditt. Front, from left, Jesse Ritson, Julianna Gerard, Holly Ritson and Charlotte Robertson.

28 August 2018 Salvationist

KENORA, ONT.—Darleen Fish (left) receives a certificate of appreciation for 25 years of volunteering at the thrift store in Kenora. Making the presentation is Sandra Poole, business manager for The Salvation Army in Kenora and Dryden, Ont.

STONEY CREEK, ONT.—Shirley Wynne retires after 54 years of faithful service as the office administrator at Winterberry Heights Church.

PEOPLE & PLACES

GAZETTE

CALGARY—The corps family at Glenmore Temple celebrates as one senior soldier is enrolled and two senior soldiers are reinstated. From left, Mjr Guy Simms, then CO; Colleen Young, reinstated as a senior soldier; Mjr Fred Ash, pastoral care officer; Elsie Allan, reinstated as a senior soldier; Katelyn Patrick, senior soldier; and Mjr Donna Simms, then CO.

Guidelines for Tributes

Salvationist will print tributes (maximum 200 words), at no cost, as space permits. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Tributes should be received within three months of the promotion to glory and include: community where the person resided, corps involvement, Christian ministry, conversion to Christ, survivors. A high-resolution digital photo or high-resolution scan of an original photo (TIFF, EPS or JPG; 300 ppi) should be emailed to salvationist@ can.salvationarmy.org; a clear, original photograph mailed to 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto ON M4H 1P4 will be returned.

TRIBUTES CLARENVILLE, N.L.—George Fredrick Monk was born in Monkstown, N.L., in 1911, and promoted to glory in his 107th year. George was a man of compassion and was very caring of others. During the years he lived in Monkstown, he owned and operated his own sawmill along with the town store which provided a well-needed service to the small town and helped him to support his family. As a lifelong Salvationist, George was very involved in Monkstown Corps for many years before he and his wife moved to Clarenville, where he continued to be an active soldier of Clarenville Corps. He will be missed by his many good friends that he made over his lifetime.

George was predeceased by Eva, his wife of 75 years; son-in-law, Arch; and six grandchildren. He is lovingly missed by his children Alvina (Charlie), Elsie, Kay (Bill), Myrtle (Ted), Joe (Edwina) and Kirby (Susie), who lived and worked with George for 25 years; 18 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; 23 great-greatgrandchildren; and a large circle of relatives and friends.

GARNISH, N.L.—Born in Flat Island, Placentia Bay, N.L., in 1930, Chesley Senior was promoted to glory in his 87th year. Chesley accepted Christ in 1950, in his home corps of Flat Island, and enrolled as a senior soldier in March 1951.

Following his marriage to Almeda, they moved to London, Ont., where he attended London East Corps (Rectory Street) and was recruited as the drummer in the band. In 1956, they moved to Almeda’s hometown of Garnish, where Chesley took an active role at the corps. He was commissioned as the corps sergeant-major in 1977, a position he held for 16 years. Chesley was a member of the men’s fellowship, where he served as chaplain, and the over-60s club. Although his work often took him away from home, he was a faithful Salvationist who attended the Army wherever he went. Chesley loved ministering to others, visiting the sick and shut-ins until his own health no longer permitted him to do so. He lived the Army motto of “Heart to God, Hand to Man.” Chesley is survived by his wife of 66 years, Almeda; sons Keith (Carol Ann), Lyndon (Trudy) and Neil (Marie); seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

INTERNATIONAL Appointments: Sep 1— Lt-Col Jennifer Groves, private secretary-designate, office of the Chief of the Staff, IHQ; Mjr Deborah Sedlar, executive secretary-designate, office of the General, IHQ; Oct 1—Lt-Cols Samuel/ Hagar Amponsah,TC/TPWM, Ghana Tty, with rank of col; Lt-Cols Samuel/ Mary Mkami, OC/CPWM, Liberia Cmd; Lt-Col Jennifer Groves, private secretary to the Chief of the Staff, IHQ; Mjrs Daniel/Anne Kiama, CS/ TSWM, Tanzania Tty, with rank of lt-col; Mjr Deborah Sedlar, executive secretary to the General, IHQ, with rank of lt-col TERRITORIAL Appointments: Lt Michelle Cale, Nelson CC, B.C. Div; Mjr Barbara Carey, acting executive director, Montreal l’Abri d’espoir, Que. Div; Lts Carlos Cuellar/Jenny Marin, 614 Vancouver, B.C. Div; Mjr Dena Hepditch, CFS officer, North Street Citadel, Hamilton, Bermuda Div (additional responsibility); Cpt Karen Holland, CO and assistant community services officer, Chatham-Kent Ministries, Ont. GL Div (designation change); Cpt Stephen Holland, CO and community services officer, Chatham-Kent Ministries, Ont. GL Div (designation change) Retirement: Aug 1—Mjr Virginia Kristensen Promoted to glory: Lt-Col Margaret Hetherington, from Guelph, Ont., May 20; Brg Freda Choi, from Hong Kong, May 17; Mjr Raymond Van Schaick, from High River, Alta., May 23; Mjr Joanne Davison, from Owen Sound, Ont., May 28

CALENDAR

Commissioner Susan McMillan: Aug 22-24 Imagine Canada’s 2018 Sector Champion Roundtable, Halifax; Aug 25-26 A Celebration of Culture (pow wow), Pine Lake Camp, Alta. & N.T. Div Colonels Lee and Deborah Graves: Aug 11-13 installation of Mjr Sandra Stokes as divisional leader, Bermuda Div; Aug 24-26 A Celebration of Culture (pow wow), Pine Lake Camp, Alta. & N.T. Div

HAMILTON, ONT.—Major Gilbert Fowler was born in St. John’s, N.L., in 1930, to Elizabeth and Gilbert Fowler. As a teenager, Gil came into contact with The Salvation Army through the invitation of a friend, eventually becoming a soldier at St. John’s Temple before entering the College for Officer Training in 1952 as a member of the Heralds Session. In 1953, while at training college, he met his future wife, Ruby Hunt, and in 1955 they were married. Together they served in many places across Canada including the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Retiring in 1993, they became faithful soldiers of Hamilton Temple, now Meadowlands Corps. Gil is survived by his wife of 62 years, Ruby; daughter, Marilyn (David); son, Perry (Bridget); grandchildren Kristyn, Greg, Cameron, Peyton and Emily; and great-grandson, Remy.

HAMILTON, ONT.—Major James Alexander McEwan was born into an Army family in Toronto, where he learned early in life the joy of service at East Toronto Corps. Following marriage to Evelyn Tidman in 1960, he entered the College for Officer Training in Toronto and was commissioned in the Soldiers of Christ Session in 1962. For more than 20 years, Alex and Evelyn served as corps officers in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. After nine years in men’s social services, they retired in 1991, attending Hamilton Temple, now Meadowlands Corps, where Alex played piano and was a faithful bandsman and songster. Known for his faithful ministry on the Christmas kettle every year, his face became well known in the community. Promoted to glory in his 93rd year, Alex is missed by his loving wife of 58 years, Evelyn; son, Craig (Janice); daughter, Elspeth (Dan) Millar; grandchildren Matthew (Meaghan), Sara (Carter) and Jennie McEwan, Danielle and Kyle (Brookelyn) Millar; and great-granddaughter, Beth McEwan.

Salvationist August 2018 29

SALVATION STORIES

A New Man Surrender and confession lifted the burden of sin.

Major David McNeilly: Please tell us a little about yourself.

Ken Garrett: My name is Ken. I’m a journeyman carpenter. I’m happily married and we have a 10-year-old son named Jackson. My father is a pastor.

Although I grew up in a Christian home, I didn’t follow a Christian lifestyle.

DM: The last couple of years have been tumultuous for you. Tell us about them.

KG: In August 2016, after months in the hospital on life support, my mother died.

A couple of weeks later, Jackson wanted to go to church on Sunday, so we did. But then he wanted to keep going. I’d meet him at the bus after school on Fridays, and he’d say, “Church on Sunday, Dad?” What kind of father would say no?

DM: Way to go, Jackson!

KG: When you asked if I’d be interested in attending a class called “Hearing God,” I said sure, thinking it would be good for my dad to get out. But God started to speak to me.

One Sunday in February, Jackson and I made it to church, despite 30 centimetres of snow on the ground. During the invitation after the sermon, I went forward and surrendered my life to Jesus.

DM: I’m glad we didn’t cancel the service that day.

KG: Right! I took a new believers’ Bible study for men. When you asked if anyone wanted to attend a “Set Free” conference in Manitoba, I said I would go. But as we got closer to the date, I started to think about reasons why I couldn’t go. Despite those feelings, we left for the conference.

We made it to the Park ’N Fly just down the road, and I lost my glasses in the parking lot. Now my sight was totally impaired for the weekend. Then we made it to airport security, and I was stopped because I had a little knife on my keychain.

30 August 2018 Salvationist

Photo: Timothy Cheng

Ken Garrett shared his testimony at the Ontario Central-East Division’s congress and commissioning weekend in Toronto in June, interviewed by Major David McNeilly, then his corps officer. Garrett attends Kingston Citadel in Ontario.

Ken Garrett speaks with Mjr David McNeilly at the congress and commissioning weekend in June

DM: Security doesn’t like that kind of stuff.

KG: No. Once we landed in Winnipeg, I found out my hotel room was booked in the wrong city, and my car rental was not available.

DM: If I remember correctly, you were not in a good mood right about then.

KG: No! But we carried on. As we entered the church, we were greeted by the most welcoming people you could ever imagine. You could feel God’s presence in the building. And the whole black cloud over me just completely disappeared.

DM: And this was before the teaching even began.

KG: Right. During the weekend, I learned something new. I had already been taught to confess my sins to God, but now I was taught to confess my sins to others. James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” I was carrying 50 years’ worth of sin. As I confessed, I felt the burden lift and God’s healing begin.

DM: You started to sense God changing you.

KG: I did. There was also teaching on the Holy Spirit. We were instructed to ask the Holy Spirit what he would like us to do. Right away, I heard the Spirit say,

“Go home and say sorry to your family.”

Since my mother’s death, I’d had a lot of anger. I hadn’t been very nice to family members or anybody that I met. I also heard the Holy Spirit say, “Go and tell everyone of your filling of the Holy Spirit, and tell them to repent and confess, and tell others.” I left the weekend a brandnew man.

Once I got back to Kingston, I started to make changes in my life, with God’s help. I asked for forgiveness from the family members that I had hurt. I built a roaring fire outside, behind my shop, to dispose of all the things in my life that I’d kept hidden from God for all those years.

DM: I remember you sending me a picture of the fire. The pile was large, and the smoke was very black.

KG: Records burn very nicely.

DM: And now you’re a soldier in uniform.

KG: I was enrolled as a soldier on December 17, 2017, by the territorial commander, Commissioner Susan McMillan. I often feel unworthy, but I chalk it up to being a work in progress.

I’m on a road I never could have imagined being on.

DM: We praise God for all he’s doing in your life, and give Jesus the glory. Thank you, Ken, for sharing with us.

Catch up on the latest Salvation Army books from Across an Ocean and a Continent Brass bands, Christmas kettles, thrift stores—these are what most Canadians commonly associate with The Salvation Army. Few know, however, that between 1904 and 1932, the Army was an official immigration agency, approved and financially sponsored by Canada’s Department of Immigration.

During that time, the organization brought to Canada approximately 111,000 British settlers, most of them juvenile male farm helpers and young female domestics.

Across an Ocean and a Continent is an account of the Army’s immigration work that includes reports of trips across the Atlantic and Canada in its chartered ships and trains, its dealings with Canada’s Department of Immigration, and the public’s perception and reception of its efforts.

Also from Triumph Publishing Glory! Hallelujah! The Innovative Evangelism of Early Canadian Salvationists by R.G. Moyles It Is Written: The Collected Works of Bramwell H. Tillsley

by Bramwell H. Tillsley Convictions Matter: The Function of Salvation Army Doctrines

by Ray Harris

To add these books to your summer reading list, visit store.salvationarmy.ca, email orderdesk@can.salvationarmy.org or phone 416-422-6100.

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