January 2015
MEET THE NEW DIRECTOR! Sometime in the late 1920s a drunken coal miner in Newton, lA, stopped to listen to the Salvation Army band playing on the street corner. He followed them back to the corps, and at the conclusion of the meeting he came forward to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He never again had an alcoholic drink as long as he lived-which admittedly was not too long, since his liver was already terminally afflicted by what was then an illegal drug: alcohol. Long or short his life was radically transformed. Overnight he became a responsible father and breadwinner, and began bringing his seven children to The Salvation Army's Sunday School, number six of seven was my father.
My childhood was drastically different from that of my father. Rather than by alcoholic dysfunction, my early family life was characterized by warmth and love. My parents practiced "tough love; " we were held strictly accountable for our deeds and misdeeds. But the "tough" never outweighed the love. Even though we went through tough times economically, we had a deep sense of security that, I have learned in the meantime, is very rare in families.
So it was easy for me, having been raised by a just and loving earthly father (and mother) to respond positively to the invitation from my loving and holy Heavenly Father to become his child. This I did at the old Indiana Camp Elm at the age of 12. The "harvester" was Sidney Cox. The day after my conversion he sought me (and the others individually) out, and admonished me as follows:
"Jim, this salvation you have received is a wonderful thing. You can't keep it to yourself. You have to share it with your friends, with other people."
Sharing the Good News of Jesus became my first priority. Throughout Jr. High and High School I witnessed, organized events, even started a Christian Coffee House in an abandoned doctor's office (ah, those days before LIABILITY became everyone's mantra!) . College became an opportunity to continue living out this calling. I concentrated so much on evangelism and Bible study that my education became something of an enigma to me: I changed majors five times!
In the college Christian group I worked shoulder to shoulder with a young woman who was a tremendous organizer, and could get more done in a given period of time than anyone else I knew. Her work ethic caught my attention, but then I noticed that she
was also drop-dead gorgeous! The combination of this relationship and my waffling academics provoked me to put some distance between me and my volatile situation. I got a summer job working for the TYS in Switzerland.
The duties were varied, and it was great fun seeing a bit of the world. The most significant event of this summer, however, was the clear calling God gave me to overseas service (followed closely by becoming engaged-by mail-to my hard-working beauty). 1returned to the USA, changed majors one last time, married the girl of my dreams, and graduated. We accepted a position with the Peoria Corps while we began looking for a mission agency to send us overseas. When God showed us that the Army was to be that agency, we applied for training. In our papers we made clear that overseas was our primary calling, officership was the vehicle to realize that calling. Two years later we were commissioned to the Cologne, Germany, Corps. All together we served 23 years in Germany in six cities. In 20 I 0 we returned permanently to the US because I was diagnosed with burnout. We were given Pastoral Care as a Compassion Appointment. It turned out to be a highlight of our officership.
And now we begin something new: I am director of the Historical Museum and Judy is in the Corps Mission and Adult Ministry department. I have always loved history, especially Church history, but I have never specialized in Army history. I am definitely not the source of all answers. Fortunately I have in Betsy and Gloria competent and knowledgeable coworkers. Working with them has already been an enriching experience. Major Jim Garrington
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HISTORICAL
MUSEUM
NEWSLETTER
NEW MUSEUM ACQUISITIONS
THESE TWO DECORATIVE SALVATION ARMY DISHES WERE GIVEN TO THE MUSEUM BY MAJOR DONNA HUTCHINGS
jANUARY
2015
SOMETIMES BEING NEW TO THE COLLECTION MEANS FINDING ARTIFACTS THAT THE STAFF WAS U NAWA RE OF ALREADY I N THE COLLECTIONS THESE PHOTOS ARE OF THE CANTON, IL CORPS AFTER A LARGE TORNADO I N 1975.
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SALVATION ARMY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Phone: 847-294-2 I 36 E-mail: USC_Museum@usc.salvationarmy.org
We're on the Web! www.uschistoricalmuseum.org
CAN YOU NAME ANYONE?? THE M U SEUM WOULD LIKE YOUR HELP ID ENT I FY I NG THE PEOPLE I N THIS PHOTOGRAPH
I F YOU CAN ID ENT I FY ANYONE PLE ASE EMA I L US AT USC _M USEUM@USC.SALVATIONARMY.ORG O R SE D US A LETTER: SA LVAT I ON ARMY MUSEUM 10 W. A L GONQ UIN DES PLA IN ES, IL 600 16