SAconnects, Volume 2, Number 4

VOL. 2, NO. 4 • MAY 2016

the magazine

The New York Staff Band’s historic trip to Cuba SACONNECTS.ORG

page 14

our leaders

IN focus

ELEVATOR etiquette los modales en

el ASCENSOR Elevators can be uncomfortable places. Recently, I was riding in an elevator with about eight young people. I was the only old person, the only “unknown” in the group.

An interesting elevator conversation ensued.

One person said, “Why is it that no one ever makes eye contact on an elevator?” Another person agreed, “That’s true.

You don’t even look at people you know in the elevator.

Maybe that’s why they put this poster on the wall—to give you something to look at besides each other.”

So true! I was struck by the thought that an elevator is a fake environment.

Or is it?

Is the elevator a microcosm of our larger world and just one of the many uncomfortable places in which we live and move?

Do we actually make eye contact, or any type of contact for that matter, with the people who cross our paths? Or do we instead look at the “poster on the wall”?

As I pondered that encounter on the elevator, I was challenged in my own life to make eye contact “in the elevator” or wherever God places me. I pray, Lord, give me boldness in the uncomfortable places of life, to bring your joy, to speak your words, to break the silence. Amen.

By the way, when we finally exited that elevator, we were all smiling and even laughing. It’s amazing what a few kind words can do.

— Colonel / Coronela G. Lorraine Bamford Territorial Secretary of Women’s Ministries Secretario Territorial de la Ministerio Mujer

Los ascensores pueden resultar algo incómodos.

Hace poco, estaba en uno con ocho jóvenes. Yo era la única persona mayor, el único “desconocido” del grupo. Y entablamos una conversación muy interesante.

Alguien dijo: “¿Por qué las personas nunca se miran a los ojos cuando se encuentran en un ascensor?” Otro agregó: “Es verdad. Cuando estás en un ascensor ni siquiera miras a los ojos a las personas que conoces. Quizás sea por eso que suele haber un afiche como este pegado a la pared, para darle a la gente algo que mirar y así evitar verse unos a otros”. ¡Es cierto! Me impresionó la idea de que un ascensor pudiera dar lugar a un ambiente falso. ¿O lo es? ¿Será el ascensor un microcosmos de lo que es nuestro mundo más amplio y sólo uno de los muchos lugares incómodos que habitamos y en los que nos movemos? ¿Miramos a los ojos a las personas que se cruzan por nuestro camino o por lo menos establecemos algún tipo de contacto con ellas? ¿O en vez de hacerlo nos quedamos mirando “el afiche” que está pegado a la pared del ascensor?

Al reflexionar sobre ese encuentro en el ascensor, me sentí desafiado a mirar a los ojos a las personas que se cruzan en mi camino, en mi propia vida, “en el ascensor” o donde sea que Dios me ponga. En mi oración digo: “Señor, dame valor para enfrentar los momentos incómodos de la vida, para dar alegría, para expresar tus palabras y para romper el silencio. Amén”.

Para terminar la historia, cuando finalmente salimos del ascensor, todos estábamos riéndonos y hasta carcajeándonos.

Es asombroso lo que pueden hacer unas pocas palabras.

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2016 MAY

1

Commissioning 2016 June 10-12 | Hershey, PA

Led by

Commissioners Barry C. & E. Sue Swanson Special Guests

COMMISSIONERS dawn & Merle HEATWOLE AND

Colonels F. Bradford & Heidi Bailey

Livestream Event www.saconnects.org #MessengersOfLight

EMPOWERMENT CONFERENCE 2016

OCTOBER 28–30

Special Guests Major Denny Hewitt (R) & Mrs. Yvonne Hewitt Southern Territory

|

CAMP LADORE LODGE & PARC

|

WAYMART, PENNSYLVANIA

Guest Chaplains | Worship Leaders Majors David & Margaret Davis Massachusetts Divisional Leaders

Open to Youth and Adults ages 14 and up. Contact Your Corps Officer for Registration Materials.

People of all ethnic groups are welcome to attend this empowerment conference, held every two years for Salvationists of African descent, officers and lay leaders ministering to communities of African descent. The mission is to empower people with knowledge about effective ministries to those cultures and to develop tools to help increase our church membership and expose people to ministry opportunities within The Salvation Army. The conference includes some significant ethnically sensitive worship elements along with our Salvation Army culture.

Vol. 2, No. 4

CONTENTS MAY 2016

IN focus

1 our leaders 4 from the editor 6 sound doctrine

ON file

20

5 relevents Dorothy Gates on her favorite town in Ireland, her marriage, and Cuban Salvationists.

7 great moments The Salvation Army in Cuba—against the odds.

14

30 wholly living The story of Phoebe Palmer.

32 testimony

9

God tested Captain Iris Guevara through her youngest daughter, Keren.

7

FAITH in ACTION 19 ‘Beautiful’

features

9 A Pathway of Hope

Outside and Inside The New York Staff Band picks up paintbrushes in Cuba.

20 ‘The Glory Shop’

The Pathway of Hope program has taken hold in 50 locations in the USA East. Hear the stories of two women who are now on a path to a better life.

30

The Salvation Army is bringing a discipleship/arts school to Times Square.

COVER STORY

14 A Music Ministry

23 OOB Preview General André Cox and Commissioner Sylvia Cox will headline OOB this year.

26

24 One Stitch at a Time Combatting human trafficking in Ohio.

The Salvation Army’s New York Staff Band was recently greeted in Havana, Cuba.

Their historic performances lifted hearts and minds, honored Salvationists of the past, and awakened this generation to the musical traditions of the Army.

Cover photo iStock

26 No Longer a Slave Cadet Bree Barker talks about her work with human trafficking victims.

28 corps news

Para leer más artículos en español por favor visite

28

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SACONNECTS.ORG/ENESPANOL

2016 MAY

3

IN focus

from the editor

letters from you

via social media

walking in love caminemos en amor After you read the next issue of SAConnects, you’ll probably want to choose a beautiful day and then take a nice long walk with the person you love.

For more than 20 years, that’s one of the things Commissioners Barry C. and E. Sue Swanson, territorial leaders, have done to keep their marriage and ministry on the path to success, and it’s working for them. After having walked together in 40 nations around the world, they know what it takes to stay on the straight and narrow path—of life.

In June, they’ll retire from service as active Salvation Army officers. Our story about them will surprise you, warm your heart, and inspire you to reach your goals and to embrace your loved ones for the sake of Christ.

You’ll discover how the Swansons found God, each other, and their calling as Salvation Army officers. They’ll share what they hope will be their legacy— and your future.

We’ll also report on a recent trend happening around the territory that will appeal to you coffee and doughnut lovers, Starbucks™ and Dunkin Donuts™ notwithstanding. You’ll read about the Army’s corps cafés that promise to kick start your day with something to eat, drink, and ponder from God’s word.

And we’ll show you how years ago the Army opened its first café in the heart of New York City’s famous West Village!

— Warren L. Maye Editor in Chief / Editor en Jefe

4

MAY 2016

Una vez que hayas leído el próximo número de SAConnects, es probable que decidas elegir un día bonito para dar una larga caminata con la persona que amas.

Por más de 20 años, esa es una de las cosas que los Comisionados Barry C. y E. Sue Swanson, líderes territoriales, han hecho para mantener su matrimonio y su ministerio en el camino del éxito, lo que les ha dado buenos resultados. Tras haber caminado juntos en 40 países, saben lo que se necesita para permanecer unidos en el sendero recto y angosto de la vida.

En junio, se van a retirar de su servicio como oficiales activos del Ejército de Salvación. La historia que contamos de ellos te sorprenderá, te emocionará y te inspirará a alcanzar tus metas y abrazar a tus seres queridos en nombre de Jesucristo.

Descubrirás cómo conocieron los Swanson a Dios, cómo se conocieron ellos y su llamado a ser oficiales del Ejército de Salvación. Ellos expresarán lo que esperan sea su legado y tu propio futuro.

También informaremos acerca de una nueva tendencia que se ha estado viendo en todo el territorio y que te gustará si eres amante del café y de los donuts, y no me refiero a Starbucks™ y Dunkin Donuts™. Leerás acerca de los cafés de los Cuerpos del Ejército, los que seguro te ayudarán a comenzar en buen pie tu día con algo sabroso para comer, beber y reflexionar sobre la Palabra de Dios. ¡Y te mostraremos cómo fue que hace años el Ejército inauguró su primer café en el corazón del famoso West Village de la ciudad de Nueva York!

Major Lauren Hodgson, your “Detoxifying Your Soul 2: Staying Focused” was well written (SACONNECTS March 2016). I remember you from our Middletown days.

—ANN CARRUTHERS GRIGOR

Our friend, [Colonel] Richard Munn, just started a much–needed column on “Sound Doctrine” in SACONNECTS, the magazine of the Eastern Territory of The Salvation Army (SACONNECTS March 2016). Every summer, I teach, direct, and perform at their Territorial Arts Ministry Conservatory (TAM).

Richard’s opening column celebrates the upcoming 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses. Being the descendent of the brother of another reformer, Ulrich Zwingli, I was particularly grateful to be reminded of the many contributions that came from the Reformation.

— RICH SWINGLE actor, writer, teacher, www.RichDrama.com

Inspiring! Thanks so much for another great issue (SACONNECTS March 2016).

I’ve shared the story “Healing in Honduras” with my doctor. I’ve also shared with my Facebook friends other news items in the issue of the Salvation Army’s work in the aftermath of disasters. The photographs were outstanding. Delighted to read about Joe Pritchard leading a group to India.

God bless you abundantly!

—MAJOR JOY EMMONS certified life coach, and Maine representative for International Christian Concerns

Glad to see a sister Asian officer!

(SACONNECTS April 2016 “Relevents,” Major Soo Jung Kim). What a beautiful family the Army has around the globe. Major Kim’s written testimony stimulates and creates a desire in us to move forward!

— JEAN–MARIE MALAN Belfort, France

You can also send a letter to: Warren L. Maye Editor in Chief SACONNECTS Magazine Communications Department 440 West Nyack Road West Nyack, NY 10994

relevents

ON file

Dorothy Gates, senior music producer for the Salvation Army’s Eastern Territory, speaks with SAConnects about her favorite Irish town, Cuban Salvationists, and how music can be a form of expression that transcends words.

Interview by Hugo Bravo

Since I was 13, I’ve been writing music*. One of my earliest musical memories was taking John Lennon songs and turning them into trombone quartets that we could play in our trombone section in the Y.P. Band. I play trombone, as my father did; and piano, as my mother did. My love of music is only made greater by the fact that I can use it to express my faith. I think that’s what connects music to an audience. They can sense what you are trying to get across to them—without words.

When the New York Staff Band traveled to Cuba, what stood out for me was how the Cuban Salvationists fully embrace Salvation Army culture. Cubans have lived under such a militaristic government for so long that one might think they’d be hesitant to accept titles, ranks, or even uniforms. Instead, they accepted them and even embraced them with pride and fervor. It was a beautiful thing to see, and it was a joy to perform our music for I feel a kindred connection with the people who live them. Part of me wanted to step away from my instrument and in nations that are going through political difficulties. It’s an just be in the audience, among the Cuban Salvationists. understanding that is difficult to explain unless you’ve lived through it. Years ago, I remember seeing news footage of little coffins being carried through the streets of Palestine. It hurt My faith as a child was developed in Northern Ireland, my soul so much that the only way I could express how I felt and The Salvation Army played a huge part in that. Both my was through music. I wrote a piece called “Hope,” which has parents were officers, and our Army upbringing was strong. a Middle Eastern sound to it. Music takes over when words fail Northern Ireland was a country in political turmoil—almost to describe the pain and the empathy felt in a person’s heart. a civil war–like atmosphere. As a child growing up there, it was a scary time. But The Salvation Army was my refuge. It offered so many activities for kids and young teens that it kept my mind distracted from the havoc going on outside its walls.

The town of Donaghadee in Northern Ireland is gorgeous. It’s a seaside town with a lighthouse. God’s power is in the sea and it’s refreshing. The town is a beauMy husband Mark and I just celebrated our 25th wedding tiful, peaceful place that I often visited with my family. We anniversary. We’re really opposites, and I know that’s true for enjoyed shopping, having dinner, eating ice cream, or just many couples, but it’s something that makes our relationship going for a weekday drive. For me, it’s a nostalgic place. exciting. Together, I feel God takes our differences and unifies and uses them to form a cool little union. Learning to live with our * In 2011, Dorothy Gates earned a PhD in music composition differences is always a challenge, but getting to this point in our from The University of Salford in Manchester, England. marriage is a trophy of grace. God is definitely working in our lives.

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2016 MAY

5

IN focus

Sound Doctrine

by Colonel Richard Munn

the magazine

your connection to The Salvation Army

EL SALVACIONISMO

USA EASTERN TERRITORY

¿Cuáles son las características del Ejército de Salvación que lo distinguen de las denominaciones hermanas y de otras familias cristianas? La respuesta se suele expresar con esa maravillosa y evocadora frase: “El Salvacionismo”.

Es un concepto único que suele dar lugar a una gran variedad de respuestas cuando se nos pide que lo definamos durante alguna conversación o café.

Y, sin embargo, lo interesante es que el “Salvacionismo” es parte esencial de la manera en que entendemos lo que somos. Los soldados enrolados en el Ejército de Salvación se comprometen a “mostrar el espíritu del Salvacionismo”.

Si dudas, recurre al confiable Manual de Doctrinas, que describe los cuatro aspectos del Salvacionismo:  La misión es la esencia misma del Salvacionismo  El Salvacionismo consiste en la tarea de llamar a las personas a una vida nueva en Jesucristo  En la enseñanza de la santidad uno encuentra los fundamentos mismos del Salvacionismo … la relación íntima entre la espiritualidad y el servicio  Una misión permanente entre los no salvos y los marginados

CHIEF SECRETARY Colonel William A. Bamford III

Estos son los valores centrales que encarnan el evangelismo, la santidad y la acción social. Muestran que el Salvacionismo es abarcador y preciso, tan amplio por su alcance como específico en su enfoque.

Brillante.

El General Shaw Clifton escribe: “Es lo que define lo que somos. Es lo que marca el ritmo de nuestro pulso, de nuestros latidos”. Sazonaría lo antedicho diciendo que el Salvacionismo aporta a esta mezcla un buen poco de romance, de sentido dramático y una dosis de ingeniosidad. ¿Qué te parece? ¿Abrirías fuego?

TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioner Barry C. Swanson Commissioner E. Sue Swanson

SALVATIONISM

SECRETARY FOR COMMUNICATIONS Lt. Colonel Cheryl A. Maynor

What are the features of The Salvation Army that stand distinct from sister denominations and other Christian families? The answer is often expressed in that quite wonderfully evocative word, “Salvationism.”

This is a unique concept quite likely to elicit a wide variety of responses when one is pressed to define it during a coffee conversation. And yet, interestingly, “Salvationism” is deeply part of our self–understanding. Enrolled soldiers covenant to “show the spirit of Salvationism.”

When in doubt, turn to the trusty Handbook of Doctrine, where Salvationism is mentioned in four ways:  Mission is the very essence of Salvationism  Salvationism is the task of calling people to new life in Jesus Christ  In holiness teaching one finds the very essentials of Salvationism … the intimate relationship between spirituality and service  A permanent mission to the unsaved and the marginalized

EDITOR / HISPANIC CORRESPONDENT Hugo Bravo

Here we see broad values that embody evangelism, holiness, and social action. Thus, Salvationism is encompassing and precise; wide– ranging in latitude, specific in focus.

Brilliant.

General Shaw Clifton writes, “It is what makes us who we are. It is about our pulse, our heartbeat.” Maybe for flavoring, I would say Salvationism adds romance, a flair for the dramatic, and a penchant for ingenuity into the mix.

What do you think? Fire a volley?

EDITOR IN CHIEF Warren L. Maye MANAGING EDITOR Robert Mitchell

KOREAN EDITOR Lt. Colonel Chongwon D. Kim ART DIRECTOR Reginald Raines PUBLICATION DESIGNER Lea La Notte Greene GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Keri Johnson, Karena Lin, Joe Marino PHOTOGRAPHER Keri L. Shay CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brenda Lotz, Major Young Sung Kim CIRCULATION Deloris Hansen COMMAND NEWS CORRESPONDENTS ARCC Major Charles Deitrick

PENDEL R andall Thomas Major Kathryn A. Avery EMP Jaye C. Jones

MASS Drew Forster

NNE Cheryl Poulopoulos PR & VI Linette Luna SNE James Gordon

WEPASA Captain Kimberly DeLong NJ Siran Farrar

Territorial Music Liaison Ronald Waiksnoris

Territorial Youth Liaison Captain Gillian Rogers New command correspondents will be appointed soon for

CFOT, GNY, NEOSA, SWONEKY

THE SALVATION ARMY

MISSION STATEMENT

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

SAConnects is published monthly by The Salvation Army USA’s Eastern Territory. Bulk rate is $12.00 per month for 25–100 copies.

Single subscriptions are available. Write to: SAConnects, The Salvation Army, 440 W. Nyack Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994–1739.

Vol. 2, No. 4, May Issue 2016. Printed in USA. Postmaster: Send all address changes to: SAConnects, 440 West Nyack Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994–1739. SAConnects accepts advertising. Copyright © 2015 by The Salvation Army, USA Eastern Territory. Articles may be reprinted only with written permission.

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6

MAY 2016

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great moments

ON file

The Salvation Army in CUBA

Photos by Desmond Boylan

by Warren L. Maye

In 1918, Cuba and the United States were political allies. Trade between the two countries flourished. Guantanamo Bay had already been leased to the U.S. as part of the Platt Amendment of 1902, which among other things gave the U.S. the right to intervene militarily in Cuba.

General Mario G. Menocal, president of the Cuban Republic and a former manager of the Cuban American Sugar Corporation, announced that Cuba would join U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in declaring war against Germany at the start of WWI. Menocal had prepared 25,000 Cuban troops to set sail for Europe.

That same year, The Salvation Army officially launched its spiritual fight for the souls of the Cuban people, having already commenced its war on sin and poverty there as early as the 1890s.

In 1912, General William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army, made his last public appearance in Royal Albert Hall in London on May 9. And on August 20, he was promoted to Glory.

His memory inspired Salvationists around the globe and in Cuba to continue the fight. Religious meetings and social services became the hallmark of the Army’s work on the island. And in 1918, the government’s campaign against the dreaded malaria virus was in full swing.

Then in 1953, the 26th of July Movement, led by Fidel and Raúl Castro, overthrew dictator Fulgencio Batista during the Cuban Revolution (1953–59). As a result, Communism became the nation’s system of government.

That government required all foreign– born Salvation Army officers to leave the island. Many Cuban Salvationists also fled to the U.S. Under the new regime, Christianity was barely tolerated.

The Salvation Army in Cuba has stood the test of time and turmoil, and has emerged with a powerful testimony of faith in God. Shown are members of the New York Staff Band painting the headquarters facade in February of this year.

President Castro recognized all churches that had been in Cuba prior to 1959, but rigorously restricted their activities.

The Army’s children’s homes closed.

Open–air meetings, the sale of War Cry magazines, and the wearing of uniforms were prohibited. And because of these restrictions, the Army’s social work and church growth seemingly stopped.

By 1962, the United States had severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba, imposed a trade embargo, banned all U.S. citizens from traveling there, and had strongly encouraged other nations to do the same.

With all contact with the outside world essentially cut off, it was thought that Salvation Army ministry had ceased to exist in Cuba. For the first time, a remnant of Cuban Salvationists found themselves taking charge of a struggling movement that was determined nonetheless to remain alive—against all odds.

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A GREAT MOMENT In 1973, Salvation Army Major Francisco Ramires traveled from Cuba to Jamaica to attend a Christian Caribbean Conference of Churches. There he met Colonel John Needham, then commander of the Caribbean Territory.

When Needham saw the Spanish words Ejercito de Salvacion written on Ramires’ hat, a conversation ensued.

Ramires wrote down the names of the corps that still existed in Cuba. He explained that the training college was also still operating. And the numbers of Salvationists were actually growing, mainly through the courageous sharing of personal testimonies.

Needham looked at Ramires in disbelief, but also with gratitude. They both thanked God for His faithfulness and asked Him to bless and to guide The Salvation Army in Cuba.* *The War Cry, February 7, 1998

2016 MAY

7

16

JU D LY O R 30 C H –A AR UG D B US EAC T H 5

20 OL

OX X& AC S CO V I E R S L R É S Y A D EADER L & ND R LE L E I E L IA R L A ON A IN , II TO & R A S S I I O N TERRI R A R D D ITH E I T W OR FO N W M A AN L NE GE M RN O F G. A M FB N CO T E B AF AL TIO L S .

A IN LA ST ORI AL NE M ST RK IT LO IA IN C O I L L E D BY Y O E R R T W EW N T S OR PP E N ER ER SU TH ST ST EA ONG S

LAY LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 2016

The kingdom of God is within you.

–Luke 17:21

JULY 30–AUGUST 6 UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 2016 OOB CAMP MEETINGS

COST: $100 TO REGISTER GO TO :

saconnects.org/lead/ GOING DEEPER

COLONEL RICHARD MUNN

Educate

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

CAPTAINS KEITH & PAM MAYNOR

SKILLED LEADERSHIP

Empower

CAPTAINS KEVIN & TAWNY ZANDERS

Encourage

Tanya Linsinbigler

a pathway of

HOPE A

Two women tell their stories. story and photography by Robert Mitchell

Audree Weirick

udree Weirick had always worked and supported her two children, but last year, a bad car accident left her with failing health and a limited income.

The Toledo, Ohio, woman, who also takes care of her elderly father, was finally overwhelmed by the entire ordeal.

“We were having a hard time,” Weirick says. “I was pretty frustrated and upset. I was having health issues, but needed to get to work to make money to support my children and me.

“I was unable to work and my kids needed school supplies.”

Weirick, 29, went to The Salvation Army’s Toledo Temple Corps for “back to school” supplies when someone introduced

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2016 MAY

9

(Top left) Audree Weirick and caseworker Tonia Pace.

(Bottom left) Caseworker Kayla Seader and Tanya Linsinbigler.

(Top right) Linsinbigler reads to her son at The Salvation Army.

(Bottom right) Pace and Weirick hug during their meeting.

10

MAY 2016

“

The Salvation Army is there to help you and to guide you through every situation you have. They try to help you meet your goals. I think it’s a wonderful program.

”

– Tanya Linsinbigler

her to the Army’s Pathway of Hope (POH) initative.

“I told them I was having a hard time emotionally and physically and I asked what assistance they had,” she recalls.

“It took a lot to ask for help, but I was at the point I felt I needed to ask for help.”

mental pain. It has meant so much just having someone there to listen and to understand and to be a witness to my pain and my struggles … and I’m just so thankful.”

FINDING SOLUTIONS

POH, which began in the USA Central Territory several years ago, is fairly new in the USA East, but is now in 50 locations offering enhanced case management and hope to families who desire to break the cycle of poverty.

“The initative is designed to be a high–impact approach to assistance by focusing on finding the root causes that keep families from becoming self–sufficient,” according to the website, easternusa.salvationarmy.org (Ways We Help/Children & Families/Pathway of Hope). “The program will target families with children in an effort to impact generational poverty.”

POH clients can find help, such as job training, health services, childcare, education, housing options, and legal services.

The caseworkers act as mentors and provide long–term case management, “building hope at each step.”

Tanya Linsinbigler of Reading, Pa., has a similar story. She is a 34–year–old single mother with eight children ranging from ages 4 to 16.

Before starting the 10th grade, Linsinbigler got pregnant and dropped out of school. During subsequent years, she struggled financially and was even evicted and forced to move in with her parents—until they were also evicted.

“Every day, I sat down and prayed that my family and I would make it and that everything would go OK,” she says of her struggles.

“I couldn’t find a job without my GED. If you don’t have a high school diploma or a GED, you’re not going to get anywhere.”

Since Linsinbigler came to POH six months ago, The Salvation Army has helped her get out of an apartment and into a five–bedroom house. Her youngest child goes to daycare at The Salvation Army while she works on her GED.

SUPPORT AND LOVE

LEARNING LIFE SKILLS

NEW BEGINNINGS

When Weirick entered POH, she met caseworker Tonia Pace, who became a loving mentor and friend and helped her access childcare and obtain gas money to attend school. During Christmas, The Salvation Army also filled Weirick’s dining room with gifts for her two children, ages 6 and 7.

Weirick is now on a path to get her high school diploma and is training to be a clinical medical assistant. She also is receiving scholarship offers for additional schooling.

“The support has been wonderful,” Weirick says. “Without Pathway of Hope, I would be struggling and would not have the means to be where I wanted to be.

“The support of [Tonia Pace]—who pushed me and encouraged me to keep carrying on—helped to take away the

“They’ve done a lot for me at The Salvation Army,” Linsinbigler says. “I have time to get my GED and they’re making a way. I want to be a registered nurse or a nurse’s assistant.

“I’m learning how to budget my money. I have money for my rent, money for my bills, and a little bit left over for accessories.”

Linsinbigler says she is a believer in POH. “I think [POH] is excellent for anyone who is struggling and needs help,” she says. “The Salvation Army is there to help you and to guide you through every situation you have. They try to help you meet your goals. I think it’s a wonderful program.

“If you’re struggling or have a downfall, this provides an opportunity to get yourself up and motivated and to be reliable and dependable.”

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2016 MAY

11

“

We’re now doing more of a long–term, holistic approach. We’re identifying the barriers that cause intergenerational poverty and we’re working with the families to overcome them.

– Kayla Seader

”

OVERCOMING BARRIERS

Kayla Seader, the POH case manager in Reading, Pa., is helping to motivate Linsinbigler. Seader helps eight POH families, including single mothers, single fathers, and intact families.

POH accepted the first families in August, and Seader meets them at their homes where they feel the most comfortable.

“We’re really meeting the clients where they are,” she says.

While The Salvation Army still provides such resources as emergency food or utility assistance, Seader explained that POH goes deeper.

“We’re now using more of a long–term, holistic approach,” she says. “We’re identifying the barriers that cause intergenerational poverty and we’re working with the families to overcome them. It’s roughly a six–month to two–year program.”

FOLLOWING A PLAN

“Crisis is not always self–inflicted,” Seader says. “There are a lot of structural issues that are going on. We’re really partnering with the family to identify these issues and how to work around them.”

Seader said that, in Reading, the biggest barriers are the lack of education, employment, and housing.

“There is a huge need for safe and adequate housing,” she says. “When you don’t have that security, then a lot of other aspects of family well–being crumble.”

In Toledo, Pace said she develops a plan with each POH client to overcome such issues, and at each meeting they talk about their progress. She meets at a local library with Weirick. They plan goals in the areas of education, employment, and the maintenance of her car.

Pace said that the POH’s goal of moving people to become self–sufficient is “crucial.”

EXTRA MOTIVATION

Kayla Seader

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“Most people don’t want to be on public assistance or have to use a food pantry or get utility assistance,” she says. “They want to work. They want to take care of their children.”

Weirick said all of the hard work she is doing to earn her diploma and further her education will be worth it because of her children.

“I am exhausted,” she says. “I am happy, tired, sleepy, and drained. But when I get finished, I will be so happy and proud and have something to show my kids.”

Weirick said that, each night, she eats with her children and imparts to them spiritual wisdom. They also see her study. And she hopes that rubs off on them.

“They’re looking up to me,” Weirick says. “When I was

un camino de going through surgery, they saw me crying and upset and in pain. They saw me go through things. But they also saw me turn those things around. And I’m showing them it’s important to have education.”

GOD IS INCLUDED

Pace, who is mentoring another POH family, said it would be “wonderful” if it could expand.

“You see so many people coming in,” she says. “The need is overwhelming. I know expansion takes time, but the need is great.”

Pace and Seader use a distinct spiritual element found in POH. Seader says, “We understand that a lot of functioning is not only psychological and physiological, but also spiritual. So how do we draw on that foundation?

“If the client is receptive to the Gospel and what The Salvation Army preaches, then we’ll pray at the end of home visits or at the end of sessions and then offer them pastoral care and invite them to the corps.”

‘I AM A WITNESS’

A positive response to the Gospel and to the mission of The Salvation Army results in Pace and Weirick praying together to conclude another productive Pathway of Hope session. ‘It would be wonderful if the program could expand,’ says Pace.

Pace said she prays with clients and offers spiritual advice.

“It’s all the time,” Pace says. “I just remind Audree that faith has brought her this far. I remind her that everything is for a reason. We talk about it often.

“I pray with her regularly. I just remind her there is faith and that’s why God brought her to The Salvation Army. Faith plays a huge role in how she handles things and how I handle things.”

Weirick is grateful for the spiritual advice.

“She prays with me and encourages me and talks to me about God and how He can support me and be there for me and make my dreams come true,” Weirick says.

“Instead of me going down the wrong path, I’m going down a good path with education and spiritual leadership. I am a witness to The Salvation Army making a way when you think there is no way. You can make it.”

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ESPERANZA

Audree Weirick de Toledo, Ohio, y Tanya Linsinbigler de Reading, Pensilvania, tienen historias parecidas en cuanto a cómo las ha ayudado el programa Camino de Esperanza (“Pathway of Hope” o POH por sus siglas en inglés) a mejorar sus vidas.

El programa POH, que se inició hace varios años en el Territorio Central de EUA, es bastante nuevo en el Este, pero se está afianzando. El objetivo del programa es ayudar a quienes vuelven a solicitar ayuda de emergencia a superar las crisis que enfrentan y a desarrollar vidas estables.

A través del programa POH, los clientes pueden acceder a capacitación laboral, servicios de salud, educación, opciones de vivienda y servicios legales, todo lo cual los ayuda a superar la pobreza.

El año pasado, un accidente automovilístico dejó a Weirick en delicado estado de salud y con ingresos muy limitados.

Hoy, el programa POH está ayudándola a obtener un diploma de escuela secundaria mientras se capacita para convertirse en asistente de enfermería.

“El apoyo que me han dado ha sido maravilloso”, dice Weirick. “De no ser por el programa Camino de Esperanza (POH), habría seguido atrapada en una situación difícil y no habría accedido a los medios que me han permitido estar donde quiero”.

Linsinbigler, madre soltera de ocho niños, tuvo dificultades financieras durante varios años, al extremo de que llegó a ser desalojada de su vivienda, lo que la forzó a mudarse a la casa de sus padres.

Desde que llegó al programa POH hace seis meses, el Ejército de Salvación ha ayudado a Linsinbigler a mudarse del apartamento en que vivía a una casa de cinco habitaciones.

Su hijo más pequeño va a la guardería infantil del Ejército de Salvación mientras ella estudia para obtener su GED (su diploma de equivalencia de la escuela secundaria).

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A Music Ministry La histórica visita de la NYSB a Cuba | The New York Staff Band’s

El Teatro De Miramar in Havana, Cuba. (Below) Tenor trombone player Matthew Luhn enjoys the Cuban sunset before the show.

ON A WARM SATURDAY NIGHT

in February, the lights dimmed inside an auditorium in Miramar, Havana, Cuba. Melodious sounds filled the air. As the audience listened to The Salvation Army’s New York Staff Band (NYSB) playing, a new and powerful bond formed between Cuban Salvationists and musicians from the USA Eastern Territory.

For more than 100 years, The Salvation Army has had a presence in Cuba. But in 1956, an embargo imposed on Cuba by the U.S. government made travel to the island difficult for most Americans.

In recent years, the U.S. has slowly lifted some of the sanctions. As a result, travel for journalists and religious groups has increased.

On that February evening, Salvationists from the 25 active corps on the island came to hear the NYSB minister in El Teatro de Miramar (The Miramar Theater) auditorium. It would be the first of two historic performances in Cuba by the Staff Band.

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by Hugo Bravo photography by Desmond Boylan

historic visit to Cuba Bandmaster Ron Waiksnoris leads the New York Staff Band during their Saturday performance.

in Cuba was being lost and left behind by the rest of the world. The presence of the New York Staff Band in Cuba is a sort of rescue mission to save our Army identity.”

Soldier Julio Moreno from the Central Corps in Havana, agreed that visits like these are invaluable to Cuban Salvationists.

“It’s so important for us to take part in these activities,” says Moreno. “We don’t have a lot of contact outside of Cuba. This performance opens our minds to know that there is this big, beautiful Salvation Army world beyond what we can see.”

‘IT FELT LIKE HOME’

‘WE’RE GOING TO CUBA’

In late 2014, discussions for the NYSB’s visit to Cuba began.

Derek Lance, band secretary and manager for the band, says that as soon as the idea was brought up, Commissioner Barry C. Swanson, territorial commander, agreed.

“We presented a list of places that we had not visited,” says Lance. “Cuba was mentioned and so was Florida. But when Commissioner Swanson saw the list, he immediately said, ‘We’re going to Cuba.’”

“The biggest challenge was waiting for the visas,” remembers Lance. The much-needed documentation finally arrived.

The band took off from Newark Airport, stopped overnight in Miami, Florida, and then continued to Cuba. After a short flight, the band landed in José Marti International Airport in Havana. They deplaned, eager to share their musical talent in a country that seemed to be frozen in time. As Salvationists from the United States, they anticipated that their audiences would be seeing such musicians for the first time.

‘OUR ARMY IDENTITY’

In Cuba, street ministry is forbidden. The government regulates any sort of community outreach such as providing shelters for women or children.

“Our ministry, for the most part, is completely spiritual,” says Captain José Morilla of the Diezmero Corps. “For years, we were isolated from the rest of the Army—from its music, and its unique ministries.

“At times, we sadly felt as if the Salvation Army’s identity

The NYSB delighted their Cuban hosts with a Saturday night performance in Miramar’s residential district, and during a Sunday morning service in Havana. So many people came that organizers moved the service from the smaller Central Corps to a larger church to accommodate everyone.

Both concerts featured traditional music from Salvation Army composers, along with performances of “David Danced,” in which members of the band sang in Spanish.

That day, Cuban Salvationists learned a new song and took it home to use in their ministry.

The performances ended with a brass band interpretation of “Conga,” a song written by Cuban–born Gloria Estefan.

Salvationists in the auditorium and in the church clapped and sang the lyrics and music. A few even danced in a traditional “Conga line.”

“Seeing that gave me chills,” says Dorothy Gates, NYSB chorus leader and trombone player. “Watching them as they clapped and danced to our music felt so special.”

Harrison Lubin, soldier from the Westbury, N.Y., Corps and a flugelhorn player for the band, says that, when you’re giving glory to God, you can feel at home even when in a different part of the world.

“I’m Haitian,” Lubin said, “and seeing the Cuban Salvationists dance to our music was just shades of the motherland to me. It’s a blessing to be part of an event that is so lively and where people can freely express themselves.”

For the Cuban people, music is as big a part of their lives as eating and sleeping. They will tell you that a Cuban baby will make music before it can understand words. Walk down any street in Havana, and you will see people of all ages playing instruments—real or homemade—either as a way of earning income or to simply showcase their talent.

“Music is just ingrained in us,” says Soldier Ernesto

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Torreblanca, who watched the NYSB perform on Sunday. “And our musical ability seems to be even more prominent when you are a Christian and your music’s purpose is to worship the Lord.”

‘TODAY, YOU ARE CUBANS’

Lt. Colonel Julio Antonio Moreno is the divisional commander in Cuba. While introducing the band on Sunday, he said, “It is an honor to welcome these musicians who are not only immensely talented, but who also use that talent to love and serve God. “Each of you are ambassadors of a melodic message to our spirits. And today, you are all members of the Central Cuban Division, and you are Cubans like us.”

After the service, soldiers took pictures with members of the band. A few discussed music and the possibility of Cuba starting its own brass band.

Bandmaster Ron Waiksnoris said that, although the band’s expectations of the trip were wide open, they all had a fantastic time.

“The Salvationists here were a joy and absolutely welcoming,” says Waiksnoris. “We are leaving Cuba even more inspired in what we do. God has once again proved faithful and powerful.”

Waiksnoris also encouraged Soldier Anairis Guevara Fonseca, who had practiced flugelhorn in her youth.

Watching the NYSB had encouraged the 17–year–old to start playing again.

Waiksnoris said to Anairis, “One day, it could be you performing or conducting a band like this and traveling all over the world.”

“It’s a great moment when you hear that someone is directly inspired,” Waiksnoris later said. “That’s when you really see the hope.”

‘MUSIC TRANSCENDS’

Charles Olsen, NYSB treasurer and property secretary, hopes that as negotiations between the U.S. and Cuban governments progress, so will what The Salvation Army can do in Cuba.

“If we could go back, I would love for the band to showcase to non–Salvationists what The Salvation Army does,” says Olsen. “[Outreach ministry] is a big part of what we do. But for this trip, everything went so well for us and for the Cuban Salvationists. They welcomed us warmly and positively.”

The NYSB would undoubtedly be welcomed back to Havana for a repeat performance. “When a band like the New York Staff Band plays here, you have no need to worry about translation or language barriers. The music transcends all that,” says Soldier Ernesto Torreblanca.

“We will be praying for the New York Staff Band to return, and I know that God will hear us,” says Torreblanca.

“Cuba lives for Christ.”

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Young Cuban soldiers watch the NYSB perform on Sunday.

U n Ministerio de Música Los Comisionados Barry y Sue Swanson con soldados cubanos.

UNA CÁLIDA TARDE SABATINA

en febrero, se atenuaron las luces al interior de un auditorio en Miramar, La Habana, Cuba. Sonidos melodiosos llenaron el aire. Mientras la audiencia escuchaba a la Banda del Estado Mayor de Nueva York del Ejército de Salvación (NYSB, por sus siglas en inglés), un nuevo y poderoso vínculo se estrechaba entre los salvacionistas cubanos y los músicos del Territorio Este de EUA. Por más de 100 años, el Ejército de Salvación ha tenido presencia en Cuba. Pero en 1956, un embargo impuesto a la isla por el gobierno de Estados Unidos le dificultó a la mayoría de los estadounidenses viajar a ese país. En años recientes, Estados Unidos ha ido levantando lentamente algunas de las sanciones. Esto ha redundado en un aumento en el número de periodistas y grupos religiosos que han podido viajar a ese país.

Esa tarde de febrero, los salvacionistas de 25 Cuerpos activos en la isla acudieron a escuchar a la Banda del Estado Mayor de Nueva York ministrando en el auditorio del Teatro de Miramar. Sería la primera de dos presentaciones históricas de la NYSB.

‘VAMOS A CUBA’

Hacia fines de 2014, se comenzó a planificar la visita de la Banda del Estado Mayor de Nueva York a Cuba. Derek Lance, secretario y gerente de la banda, dice que apenas se mencionó la idea, el Comisionado Barry C. Swanson, Comandante Territorial, estuvo de acuerdo.

“Presentamos una lista de lugares que aún no habíamos visitado”, cuenta Lance. “Se mencionó Cuba y también la Florida. Pero cuando el Comisionado Swanson vio la lista, de inmediato dijo: ‘Está claro, vamos a Cuba’.”

“El mayor desafío que enfrentamos fue esperar que se procesaran las visas”, recuerda Lance. Al cabo de unos días, los tan deseados documentos por fin llegaron. La banda partió del Aeropuerto de Newark, hizo una escala en Miami, Florida, donde pasó toda la noche, y luego prosiguió su viaje a Cuba. Al cabo de un viaje bastante breve desde Miami, la banda aterrizó en el Aeropuerto Internacional José Martí de La Habana. Todos desembarcaron, ansiosos de compartir su talento musical en un país que parecía congelado en el tiempo. Como salvacionistas provenientes de los Estados Unidos, creían que sus audiencias verían músicos como ellos por primera vez.

‘NUESTRA IDENTIDAD COMO EJÉRCITO’

En Cuba es prohibido realizar actividades de evangelización en la calle.

El gobierno regula todos los servicios de asistencia a la comunidad como los albergues para mujeres o niños.

“Nuestro ministerio, en su mayor parte, es completamente espiritual,” dice el Capitán José Morilla del Cuerpo Diezmero. “Por años, estuvimos aislados del resto del Ejército, de su música y de sus ministerios tan característicos. ”Por desdicha, a veces nos parecía que la identidad del Ejército de La Banda del Estado Mayor de Nueva York ofreció su segunda presentación en Cuba el domingo por la mañana. El Teniente Coronel Julio Moreno le dijo al pueblo cubano que ellos eran los “embajadores del mensaje musical”.

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Salvación en Cuba se estaba perdiendo y había quedado marginada del resto del mundo. La presencia de la Banda del Estado Mayor de Nueva York en Cuba es una suerte de misión de rescate para salvar nuestra identidad como Ejército”.

El soldado Julio Moreno, del Cuerpo Central de La Habana, coincidió en que visitas como esas son valiosas para los salvacionistas cubanos.

“Es tremendamente importante para nosotros participar en estas actividades”, explica Moreno. “No tenemos mucho contacto con salvacionistas fuera de Cuba. Esta presentación nos abre la mente y nos permite saber que existe este gran y hermoso mundo del Ejército de Salvación allende el mar que nos rodea”.

‘FUE COMO ESTAR EN CASA’

La Banda del Estado Mayor de Nueva York deleitó a sus anfitriones cubanos con una presentación que hicieron un día sábado por la noche en el distrito residencial de Miramar, y durante un servicio dominical que ofrecieron por la mañana en La Habana. Fueron tantas las personas deseosas de ver a la banda que los organizadores debieron trasladar el servicio desde el pequeño Cuerpo Central a una iglesia más grande que pudiera acomodar a todos los presentes.

Ambos conciertos incluyeron música tradicional de compositores del Ejército de Salvación junto con interpretaciones de “David danzaba”, las cuales los miembros de la banda cantaron en español. Ese día, los salvacionistas cubanos se aprendieron una nueva canción y se la llevaron a casa consigo para usarla después en su ministerio.

Las presentaciones culminaron con la interpretación que realizó la banda de bronces de “Conga”, una canción escrita por Gloria Estefan, oriunda de Cuba. Los salvacionistas en el auditorio y en la iglesia llevaron el ritmo con las palmas mientras entonaban la melodía y la letra de las canciones. Algunos de ellos se atrevieron a bailar formando una tradicional “línea de Conga”.

“Ver eso me hizo vibrar de emoción”, dice Dorothy Gates, líder del coro de la NYSB, además de trombonista. “Verlos llevar el ritmo con las palmas y bailar al son de nuestra música fue algo muy especial”.

Harrison Lubin, soldado del Ejército de Salvación del Cuerpo de Westbury, N.Y., y fiscornista de la banda, dice que cuando das gloria a Dios te puedes sentir en casa a pesar de que te encuentras en otra parte del mundo.

“Soy haitiano”, dice Lubin, “y ver a los salvacionistas cubanos bailar al son de nuestra música fue para mí como sentir palpitar el corazón de su patria. Es una bendición poder participar en un evento tan vibrante como este en el que las personas se expresan con libertad”.

Para el pueblo cubano, la música es una parte tan importante de su vida como comer y dormir. Te dirán que un bebé cubano hará música antes de aprender sus primeras palabras. Camina por cualquier calle de La Habana y verás personas de todas las edades tocando instrumentos —reales o caseros— para percibir algo de ingresos o simplemente para hacer gala de su talento.

“Lo que pasa es que llevamos la música en la sangre”, dice el soldado Ernesto Torreblanca, que asistió a la presentación de la NYSB el domingo.

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“Y nuestra habilidad musical parece destacarse aun más cuando eres una persona cristiana y tu propósito como músico es adorar al Señor”.

‘ESTE DÍA TODOS USTEDES SON CUBANOS’

El Tte. Coronel Julio Antonio Moreno es el Comandante Divisional. Al presentar a la banda el día domingo, dijo: “Es un honor dar la bienvenida a estos músicos que no sólo son muy talentosos, sino que además usan su talento para amar y servir a Dios”. ”Cada uno de ustedes son embajadores de un mensaje melódico dirigido a nuestros espíritus. Y este día todos ustedes son miembros de la División Central de la Cubana, y también son cubanos como nosotros”.

Una vez concluido el servicio, los soldados se tomaron fotos con los miembros de la banda. Varios de ellos comentaron sus impresiones de la música y la posibilidad de que Cuba forme su propia banda de bronces.

El maestro de banda Ron Waiksnoris dijo que, si bien en un principio las expectativas que la banda tenían de este viaje eran muy variadas, todos terminaron pasándola fantástico.

“Los salvacionistas aquí en Cuba han sido una alegría y nos han hecho sentir muy bienvenidos”, dice Waiksnoris. “Nos estamos yendo de Cuba aún más inspirados por lo que hacemos. Dios se ha mostrado fiel y poderoso una vez más”.

Waiksnoris también alentó a la soldada Anairis Guevara Fonseca, que solía practicar el fiscorno en su niñez. Sólo el haber escuchado a la NYSB alentó a esta joven de 17 años a volver a tocar ese instrumento.

Waiksnoris le dijo a Anairis: “Un día, podrías ser tú la que esté ahí interpretando tu instrumento o dirigiendo una banda como esta, y viajando por todo el mundo”.

“Es un gran momento cuando oyes que alguien es directamente inspirado”, dijo más tarde Waiksnoris. “Es ahí cuando realmente ves lo que es la esperanza”.

‘LA MÚSICA TRASCIENDE’

Charles Olsen, tesorero y secretario de propiedad de la NYSB, espera que conforme avancen las negociaciones entre los gobiernos de Estados Unidos y Cuba, también lo haga la obra que el Ejército de Salvación logre llevar adelante en la isla.

“Si regresamos, me encantaría que la banda pueda mostrar a los no salvacionistas lo que hace el Ejército de Salvación”, dice Olsen. “[El ministerio de evangelización] es parte importante de lo que hacemos. Pero para efectos de este viaje, todo ha resultado estupendamente bien tanto para nosotros como para los salvacionistas cubanos. Ellos nos acogieron con mucha calidez y en un espíritu muy optimista”.

No cabe duda alguna de que la NYSB será bienvenida una vez más en La Habana e invitada a hacer una nueva presentación. “Cuando una banda como la del Estado Mayor de Nueva York toca aquí, no hay que preocuparse por la traducción o la barrera del idioma. La música trasciende todo eso”, afirma el soldado Ernesto Torreblanca.

“Vamos a orar para que la Banda del Estado Mayor de Nueva York regrese; sé que Dios nos va a escuchar”, dice Torreblanca. “Cuba vive para Cristo”.

FAITH in ACTION

‘Beautiful’ Outside and Inside

by Hugo Bravo

Photos by Desmond Boylan

Hours before their historic concert in Cuba, members of The Salvation Army’s New York Staff Band (NYSB) traded their brass instruments and uniforms for paintbrushes and T–shirts.

Joining them was Commissioner E. Sue Swanson, territorial president of Women’s Ministries, Lt. Colonel Kenneth W. Maynor, territorial program secretary, and soldiers and officers of the Havana Central Corps. That morning, everyone pitched in to help give the 55–year– old corps, which also serves as the Divisional Headquarters, a makeover.

“It’s a joy to count on this group of soldiers, officers, and friends of the Army who have traveled to Cuba,”

said Lt. Colonel Julio Antonio Moreno, divisional commander. “They are doing more than just handiwork here. They’re sharing the love of Christ.”

Watching members of the NYSB climb ladders and navigate awnings to reach the highest walls of the corps building caused the local residents to take notice.

Some people asked about future services and events, and others shared stories about how they had received assistance from the Central Corps.

Beyond just getting a fresh coat of paint, the Havana Central Corps is in the middle of a real makeover. The Cuban government has recently allowed the Army to open its own store on the premises, which Moreno says will increase the Army’s visibility in the community, as well as provide much needed funds for the corps.

Across the street, a two– story residence and office building was recently completed. It will provide offices The Salvation Army Central Corps' second building in Havana, Cuba

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Commissioner E. Sue Swanson, territorial president of Women's Ministries, gives the corps a fresh coat of paint.

for corps employees and accommodations for officers who visit from other territories.

Getting approval from the Cuban government to grow has been a difficult task, but Moreno is grateful for the support he’s received from General André Cox, who visited the island last year.

“The General’s visit highlighted the influence that the Army is having on Cuba.

There’s great respect in the community for what we do here,” says Moreno.

Commissioner Sue Swanson, who was happy to climb ladders and to touch up letters in the name “Ejercito de Salvacion” on the corps building, said she was impressed with the NYSB’s devotion to their duty.

“To see how hard our staff band is working makes me proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. They have skills I didn’t think they had!” says Swanson.

“It’s a blessing to make the outside of the Central Corps look beautiful again, but it’s even more of a blessing to meet the people inside this corps. Their love and hospitality have been wonderful."

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Photos by Susan Magnano

FAITH in ACTION

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‘The Glory Shop’ launches in

Times Square The 2002 Territorial Arts Ministry (TAM) Conservatory had a profound influence on the life of young Olivia Munn. During that weeklong event, she accepted Christ as her Savior. And the spiritual seeds were sown for an initiative that has germinated 14 years later.

“I remember thinking, I wish this [conservatory] could be longer than a week,” she says. “I wish this was like a college where I could go away and just focus on dance and on Jesus.”

Fast–forward to 2016, and the former Olivia Munn is now Lieutenant Olivia Munn–Shirsath, a Salvation Army officer who is married to Lieutenant Pratik Munn–Shirsath.

Last year, the couple was assigned to the Times Square Corps in New York City. Both have a passion to see a discipleship and arts school called “The Glory Shop,” which, decades ago, was the name of a corps in Times Square.

HITTING ALL STRIKEPOINTS

(Clockwise) The Lieutenants Munn–Shirsath stand in Times Square. Danielle Diakanwa practices in the studio. A state–of–the–art theater sets the stage.

Olivia said her original idea came into clearer focus when she heard Commissioner Barry C. Swanson, the territorial commander, lay out his “Strikepoint” agenda of deeper discipleship, skilled leadership, integrated mission, and young adult empowerment.

“I saw that this Glory Shop idea kind of summarized all of that,” Olivia says of the “Strikepoint” initiative. “I thought the time was right to pitch it.

It just keeps coming back to my head, ‘We can actually do this.’”

The Glory Shop will give budding artists, ages 18–35, a chance to train

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by Robert Mitchell

in Christian discipleship and in the performing arts each year from September through June. They’ll do so at the Times Square Corps and integrate themselves into New York City’s theater community.

Beginning in 1883, The Salvation Army had a dramatic presence in Times Square. In the 1930s, Lt. Colonel Lyell Rader, Sr., created the corps known as “The Glory Shop.” But in 1987, the Army closed it and sold the building to the Rockefeller Center Foundation.

In 2002, the new corps opened at 315 W. 47 St. in the heart of the theater district.

Pratik says, “We just felt that was the most fitting name for this place and what the Lord has in mind.”

A CHANCE TO GROW Olivia said the first year’s class of six students will receive intensive training in Bible study, prayer, worship, evangelism, and service “as discipleship is the primary aim of this school.”

Pratik said, “We’re really passionate about the arts and discipleship. It’s not going to be an easy ten months. They will be rigorous, but if you want to grow, they’ll be a great ten months.

“We’re really passionate about the vision God has given to us and how it will play out though these students in our day and time.”

As they would for a mission trip, students will raise the $8,000 tuition, which covers the cost of room & board.

They’ll also have an opportunity to receive scholarships and grants and benefit from other funding sources.

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Photo by Susan Magnano

The Salvation Army Times Square Worship Center is located in midtown Manhattan.

The Glory Shop will have two fulltime employees, a creative arts director, and an outreach director. Volunteers from the Christian and Salvation Army arts community will also be involved, Olivia says.

BUILDING ON STRENGTH “People who are in The Salvation Army and are involved in the arts will love it because they’re going to have some of the same teachers from the territory and from TAM whom they know and love,” she says. “They’re going to see people who have already inspired them.”

During the summer, students will participate in the TAM Conservatory.

The presentation of a show, that they will create, will culminate the curriculum.

“In our hearts, we feel the arts in this territory are strong and one of our greatest strengths,” Olivia says, “both for evangelism and discipleship.

“People who are involved in these classes are getting to know the Lord and are growing. It’s a great place for healing, expression, and self–discovery. We want to use this tool to empower, develop, grow, and invest in young adults.”

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BRANCHING OUT

ALL FOR CHRIST

The students will live at the Williams Residence in New York City and spend 40 percent of their time in discipleship, 40 percent in arts classes such as dance, drama, and music, and the remaining 20 percent in missions.

“They will be linked to the arts community in the neighborhood,” Olivia says.

“The students are going to be involved in getting out and in telling people about Christ with their art.”

The ideal candidates would be Salvationists who want to grow in the Lord and who love to perform or create. Olivia also stressed that a teachable spirit is a plus.

“We want them to be all in and give 150 percent to this while they’re here.

We’re looking for people who are really dedicated to this.”

“We’d love to see some of the students go into performing … in the secular world as artists, bringing the Gospel with them,” Olivia says.

Olivia added, “There’s a bit of the DNA that’s going to carry over because the discipleship aspect is true for both of those schools. Young adults are at a key time in life when they’re zealous and have a lot of excitement and passion to change the world. I think it’s an important time to invest in that.”

The couple also has the spiritual background. Olivia is the daughter of Colonels Janet Munn, the principal of the College for Officer Training, and Colonel Richard Munn, the territorial secretary for Theology and Christian Ethics.

Originally from India, Pratik is a fourth–generation Salvationist who grew up Christian in a largely Hindu country. When Pratik’s great–grandfather became a Christian and a Salvation Army officer, his family disowned him.

“I thank God for [my great–grandfather’s] faithfulness and for the Lord’s faithfulness in his life,” he says. “I exist because of that beautiful testimony.”

DISCIPLESHIP BACKGROUNDS

APPLAUSE FOR CHRIST

Pratik said he hopes The Glory Shop will help bridge the gap between believers and non–believers in the theater district.

“The whole bottom line is to shine the Light through the arts,” he says.

Olivia said she and her husband would be more involved in spiritual training and in discipleship while other teachers will handle the arts training.

The couple comes well prepared for the task. Pratik is a product of the former Project 1:17, and Olivia spent three–and–a–half years with the Army’s War College in Vancouver, Canada.

Pratik said he wants the students to “get deeper in Christ” at The Glory Shop.

“We both are products of good discipleship schools and programs that the Army has started,” he says. “We feel discipleship is an important part of who we are as an Army.”

Olivia and Pratik both believe the creative arts are another important way to share a testimony.

“I think any art form has an ability to cut into our hearts,” Olivia says. “I think people feel opened—without even noticing it.

“Ideally, art should also speak to the human condition. People can relate to it, seeing their own story and experience [on the stage].”

Pratik said the creativity and emotion that goes into a dance or a monologue “is a beautiful way to bring others into the presence of the Lord.”

Pratik called The Glory Shop a “beautiful ministry.”

“I think artists have this idea that art is about giving glory to self as they live for the applause. But with The Glory Shop, we want to shift the glory concept from celebrating self to applauding Christ.”

FAITH in ACTION

General and Commissioner Cox Headline Old Orchard Beach 2016

Background photo by Warren L. Maye

by Robert Mitchell

General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox, The Salvation Army’s international leaders, will headline the Old Orchard Beach Camp Meetings, July 30–Aug. 5. They will install the Eastern Territory’s new leaders, Commissioners Lorraine G. and William A. Bamford lll.

“It’s the General’s first official visit to the mainland of the Eastern Territory,” says Major Margareta Ivarsson, assistant territorial program secretary.

The General and Commissioner Cox will speak on Saturday, July 30 and on Sunday, July 31, at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

At the Saturday meeting, the Bamfords will be installed as territorial leaders.

The New York Staff Band, Eastern Territorial Songsters, and ARC Chorus will provide musical ministry for the weekend.

The children of officers, the Coxes have been officers themselves since 1979. The Army’s High Council elected André Cox as General in 2013.

The Coxes’ official biography reads, “As international leaders of The Salvation Army, the Coxes encourage the diligent reading of Scripture, the highest ethical standards that truly reflect sound biblical stewardship, and authentic Christian witness in which belief and behavior are indivisible, thereby ensuring the grace and love of Jesus are wholly reflected in daily living.”

On Monday, Aug. 1, the Coxes will be on hand when the Eastern Territorial Songsters and New York Staff Band perform in concert at 7 p.m.

Monday will begin with two Bible studies; one will be led by Commissioners Judith A. and R. Steven Hedgren, the

former territorial leaders in the East. The study will occur each weekday in the Pavilion at 10 a.m.

The Hedgrens, who retired (effective April 1st) after 38 years as officers, served in the East as territorial leaders from 2010 to 2012. They returned to the Southern Territory in 2012 due to Commissioner Steven Hedgren’s health concerns and have served there as senior consultants.

For people who prefer the outdoors, Lieutenants Felix and Lorissa Padilla, assistant corps officers at the Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Dayton, Ohio, will lead a beach Bible study each day at 10 a.m.

On Tuesday, Aug. 2nd from 5:30 to 6:50 p.m. on the Pavilion grounds, “Family Night” will offer activities such as pony rides, face–painting, and more.

Majors Jodi and Philip Lloyd, Youth Department leaders, will conduct the Tuesday evening meeting at 7 p.m. in the Pavilion. Summer Brass and the Hands–On teams will also be there.

Wednesday, Aug. 3rd, will feature the Creative Arts Services Team (CAST) production, “Moses: An Old Story, A New Telling.” The show starts in the Pavilion at 7 p.m.

Carol Jaudes, who leads the Special Events & Arts Ministries Bureau, developed the script and concept for “Moses.”

Kathryn Higgins is in charge of staging and choreography; Joseph Skinner, music; and Jerome Green, video.

There will be no meeting in the Pavilion on Thursday, Aug. 4, as everything will move to the Pier as an evangelistic

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outreach. Commissioner William Bamford lll, territorial commander, will be among the speakers and Crossfire Brass will provide music. That evening, a fireworks display will conclude the festivities.

Each night of the camp meetings, a team of evangelists, dancers, singers, and actors will minister at the Pier from 7–10 p.m., under the direction of Envoys Sharon and Steve Bussey, leaders of The Salvation Factory.

Sharon Bussey says, “Unbound, CAST, and several other artists will perform. And taking place each night, we’ll have evangelists, prayer warriors, and volunteers conducting the children’s ministry.” She continued, “We anticipate another wonderful week of ministry where our desire is to see many people saved and others encouraged in their walk with the Lord.”

The camp meetings will close on Friday, Aug. 5, with a performance in the Pavilion by Christian comedian Ken Davis.

Davis’ website (kendavis.com) says he is a “best–selling author, frequent radio and television guest, and one of the country’s most sought–after inspirational and motivational speakers.”

2016 MAY

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FAITH in ACTION

one

at a time

Massillon, Ohio, Combats Human Trafficking

by Robert Mitchell

Massillon, Ohio, with its tidy homes and midwestern charm, could easily serve as a set for the movie “Pleasantville.”

The blue–collar folks who live there are hard working and proud, especially of the local high school football team.

“However, just like anywhere in the world, if you look around hard enough, you’re going to see where sin has come in and made some strongholds,” says Major Thomas Perks of the Massillon Corps.

That was certainly true last year when Massillon police asked Perks and the corps members to help them solve a human trafficking case. “[The traffickers] think they can come into a small town like Massillon and be under the radar,” Perks explained.

The police had received a call from Detroit, where a mother said her 19-year-old daughter and 3–month–old grandchild were being held in Massillon against their will. The daughter was being forced to perform sex acts and to sell drugs.

“The police were able to rescue the daughter and her child, who were both scheduled to be sold separately into slavery,” Perks said.

Dot Keller shows off some of her dresses.

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MAY 2016

Photo courtesy of Dot Keller

SAFE AT LAST The Salvation Army in Massillon moved the daughter and her child into a hotel for the night as their traffickers looked for them. The next day, the daughter and child were on a bus back to Detroit. Then another snag developed.

The woman’s would–be captors knew where her mother lived, so The Salvation Army’s human trafficking division in

USED BY GOD “Bringing freedom to people is one of the battles that we fight as The Salvation Army.”

Perks called the sexual trafficking episode a “huge ball of terror,” and said Massillon also has a heroin problem.

“As you drive through Massillon, you think, what a nice little town. It’s not a huge place like Cleveland or Toledo or any of those larger cities, but all of that trickles down and finds its way here,” he says.

For Mathess, the episode was personal, as are most of her cases. She was once a victim of domestic violence who found herself homeless.

“I don’t want anyone to experience any of the pain and hardship that I went through in my life,” Mathess says.

“I believe God has chosen me and brought me here. Every day, I feel a sense of accomplishment in knowing that I’m making a difference in people’s lives.”

BACK TO BASICS One way the corps is making a difference is with its Adult Living Skills Sewing Class where, each Tuesday morning, 5 to 10 women gather.

Judith Jones, community relations director at the corps, said the class harkens back to the early days of The Army’s fight against sexual trafficking.

The Army opened homes for women and girls and taught them life skills.

“That was a way to bring women out of trafficking and prostitution and give them an income so they didn’t have to be on the streets,” Jones says.

“In the old days, The Salvation Army … gave them the skills to become seamstresses and that’s really the origins of the sewing program. In a sense, that’s what we’re doing here.”

The women meet from 10 a.m. to noon, and while none of them is a victim of trafficking, Major Linda–Jo Perks said the clothing they are learning to make could potentially be sold.

About two years ago, the corps converted a computer lab into a sewing center. Major Linda–Jo Perks says, “We love sewing and we love talking. When they are skilled, our plan is to help them find a job, if they want one.”

TEACHING SKILLS “We’re going to give them lessons and help them along the way. They can start their own business or sell on eBay.” The class leader is Dot Keller, a humble woman who is reluctant to talk about herself. But Perks calls her a great designer and sewer who is a mentor to the other women.

Keller, 86, has been sewing since age 13 when she learned the craft from her mother. She still uses a Singer sewing machine built in 1954.

“I wouldn’t give it up for anything,” she says. “It’s a gem.”

She first thought about giving back to the community by using her skills when she learned about the need for children’s clothing in Africa to help AIDS orphans.

“I thought, I can do that,” Dot recalls.

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Photo by Robert Mitchell

Detroit made arrangements to meet the woman and her child upon arrival, and then whisked them away to safety.

Becky Mathess, the director of social services in Massillon, says, “That night in Detroit, they actually met her at the bus station and put her into a shelter to keep her safe. She is now in permanent housing.”

Perks said he was glad The Salvation Army could help.

“That’s when it’s awesome to be a part of The Salvation Army because you can reach out anywhere in the world,” Perks says. “Any one of the Army’s locations can be quickly used to help free someone.”

Louise Stone sews a pillow.

GIVING BACK—100 FOLD Keller’s first project was to make 100 dresses for an organization called “Little Dresses for Africa.” In 2013, she made another 100 dresses for the victims of a tornado in Oklahoma. Perks delivered them to her niece, who is a Salvation Army officer there.

Last year, Keller made another 100 dresses for a back–to–school giveaway at the corps and is now working on another batch of 100 dresses for a distribution this spring.

“I just keep sewing and I enjoy it,” Dot says. “It’s my way of giving back.

It’s a fellowship. If I didn’t sew, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Major Linda–Jo Perks said Dot’s “caring heart shines through her craft.”

“She is teaching mothers how to do it,” she says. “It’s great to give a gift. But the gift of knowledge and skill will continue on and perpetuate itself.”

Gabrielle Miller has been coming to the corps for nine years. She began attending the sewing class last year. And with Keller’s help, Miller made dresses, a car seat cover, and other items.

“She’s taught me all the techniques I need to know and she’s still teaching me,” Miller says.

Louise Stone, who attended The Salvation Army in England, came to Massillon when her husband’s job was transferred there. She is a “novice sewer,” she says, but is learning.

“It’s good fun and I’m making some very cool stuff,” she says.

2016 MAY

25

Photos by Cadet Jamie Crowell

FAITH in ACTION

No Longer a Slave

Bree Barker (standing far right) and other cadets from the College for Officer Training took part in a recent flash mob at the Palisades Park Mall in West Nyack, N.Y., to raise awareness about human trafficking.

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MAY 2016

I have always been intrigued by the existence of human trafficking in our world. I’ve often wondered, how could such a heinous crime be so prevalent in a world that we say is so advanced?

In pursuing this question, I was told that the answer is to combat this crime through our purchasing decisions; through what we choose to watch, see, and read; and through what we choose to say via social media and governmental forums.

All of these strategies were great, but I wanted to do more.

While working as a youth director at The Salvation Army in Newport,

by Cadet Bree Barker

Kentucky, I decided to take a day off. I drove to Columbus, Ohio, and volunteered to work with the Army’s Anti–Human Trafficking (AHT) Department.

That day, members of the department were working to restore a house that would be used as a safe haven for victims of human trafficking. As we painted and cleaned the interior of the house, someone called the AHT hotline.

She was a woman whom I’ll call “Linda” (not her real name).

The program director spoke to her and then asked me if I would help

“rescue” her. Of course, I obliged.

Linda’s neighborhood was one that many people would probably avoid. As we approached her house, I realized that God was involving me in the process and purpose of Linda’s redemption. My heart pounded.

As we entered the house, Linda frantically collected her few belongings. We met Evan, her son, who was less than a year old and sick. A rash covered his body. She told us that he was also having trouble eating.

Linda’s abuser, who had left the house that day for a short time, was due to come back at any minute. Knowing that this was her chance to escape, we quickly loaded Linda, Evan, and her things into our car and left.

At the safe house, a group of employees and volunteers from AHT immediately showered Linda with love.

She could offer them little, but because she was a human being worthy of being loved, they loved her.

For the first time, Linda experienced such love. Accepting this love became the platform from which she would rebuild her life.

Linda and Evan received medical treatment, a warm and safe place to call their own, and practical help.

She also met other women who had recently been in her situation. In sharing their stories, they created a bond of equality, respect, and love.

That evening, I drove home wondering, what will happen to Linda and her son? They had a long road ahead of them that required difficult decisions and concrete changes. But I went to bed that night knowing that The Salvation Army would offer them the resources and support they needed to begin their physical, spiritual, emotional, financial, and social rehabilitation.

For several weeks, I visited Linda and Evan at the safe house. He had become such a healthy and happy baby. And

the life had returned to Linda’s eyes.

She went through daily treatments to detox from her addictions.

I could tell by Linda’s words and actions that she truly felt loved, accepted, cared for, and respected by the AHT staff.

Each time I visited the house, I noticed Linda’s growth. God was doing a great thing in and through her life.

As I reflect on my AHT ministry and my time spent with Linda, I realize that, as human beings, we all have similar stories.

At some point in our lives, we’ve been enslaved by something. Linda’s enslavement was physical, but it can manifest in a variety of ways. We can be enslaved to greed, hate, jealousy, violence, drugs, or sex. And the list goes on.

Linda saw her opportunity to escape.

She knew whom to call and she trusted them. Once Linda was physically safe, she could then focus on her emotional and spiritual safety.

There are times when we need to make that call and talk with someone who can help us out of our enslavement. God himself offers us freedom from our enslavement. In Romans chapter 6, Paul tells us that we were once slaves to sin, but we have been given the opportunity for freedom.

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Personally, I used to be a slave to comparing myself to others. I thought that I wasn’t good enough if I wasn’t as pretty, as talented, as thin, as cool, or as sporty as my peers. I didn’t think I was worthy of being accepted or loved.

This mindset controlled my life; every choice, every action, and every word were filtered through my desire to make myself worthy.

However, when I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior, my thinking radically changed. I realized that I was loved because I was a child of God, rather than because of my appearance or my ability. Moreover, I didn’t have to be perfect or “all cleaned up” to be accepted

by God. He accepts me just as I am.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that I should continue living my life in the same way. God loves me so much that He didn’t want to leave me as a slave to sin. He desired to restore me spiritually and emotionally. God restored me because I called out to Him. Incredible things happen when we call out to our Savior. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) —Cadet Bree Barker is a member of the Messengers of Light session at the College for Officer Training in Suffern, N.Y.

2016 MAY

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FAITH in ACTION

In ‘Corps News’ we share grassroots stories of how God is working in your corps and ARCs. Have news?

Send it along to us at SAConnects!

YOUTUBE STAR DRAWS CROWD

TAKING ‘A PLUNGE’ Milton, Pa.— During the frigid month of January, The Salvation Army of Milton, Pa., held its third annual “Take the Plunge” event to help fund youth programs.

“The event usually takes place in a setting of about 25 degrees outside and 32 degrees in the water with some ice and snow to top it off,” says Joel Harris, the corps outreach ministry assistant. “This year, we got lucky and had an air temperature of 40 degrees and a water temperature of 38 degrees.”

Harris said the event drew 10 participants to the boat launch in East Chillisquaque, Pa., but there were about 50 spectators on site who donated $2,600.

The Standard Journal, a local newspaper, donated $125 and also provided free advertising and a video for the event. Harris said Chris Coup, a local relator, promoted and even participated in the plunge.

Newark, Ohio—Roman Atwood, a YouTube personality who makes public prank videos, knows how to draw an audience, and did it again for The Salvation Army.

Just before Christmas, a local Toyota dealer held a “meet-andgreet” event with Atwood.

“If you dropped off a Christmas toy for The Salvation Army, you got a chance to meet Roman and his wife, have your picture taken, and get an autograph,” said Kaye Hartman, volunteer coordinator at the corps.

Atwood, who was scheduled to be at the dealership from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 19th, actually stayed longer than expected.

“Before Saturday arrived, there were people pouring in from everywhere,” Hartman says.

By 8 a.m., people were lined around the building. Atwood finished greeting people at 7 p.m.

“On Sunday, they brought us seven pick-up trucks full of toys!”

Hartman says.

East Stroudsburg, Pa.—Longtime volunteer Joanne Featherman, who has helped The Salvation Army for three decades, was honored at a recent recognition dinner.

Cari Friend, the executive secretary at the corps, said that, in addition to donating generously to the corps, Featherman has volunteered countless hours. She has worked in the food pantry, front office, Women’s Ministries (formerly known as Home League), and the Community Care Outreach Program.

She was honored in February along with more than 200 other volunteers.

Accepting the award on her behalf was her son, Jeremy.

“Her son was inspired by his mother’s selfless giving and now leads our Bible Bowl program,” Friend says.

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MAY 2016

Photos courtesy of The Salvation Army corps and ARC’s.

30-YEAR VOLUNTEER HONORED

corps news

REFUGE AT ‘THE PORT’

B.B.A.L.L.

McKeesport, Pa.—There has been a soup kitchen at the corps for many years, but now it has a name, “The Port.”

“We came up with this name because our soup kitchen, like a port, is a place for refreshment and care,” says Lieutenant Kate Esker, the corps officer. “It is also a play on the corps name, McKeesport.”

The Port offers lunch on Fridays and Saturdays and breakfast and dinner on Sundays. On Mondays, workers feed homeless people who live at a shelter and at a park in town.

“We’re feeding the people physically and spiritually. We are doing what we are called to do as a holiness movement,” Esker says.

“I am excited because this outreach program has brought new people into the corps. The meals are beneficial physically, and the homeless are being fed spiritually.”

Esker said the Sunday morning breakfast is at 9:30 a.m.

And since the worship service is only a half hour later, “people have stayed to also feed their souls.”

Lorain, Ohio— Last May, the corps started the “Becoming Better At Living Life” (B.B.A.L.L.) youth basketball program.

“This program is more than basketball,” says Cassandra Marr, a case manager at the corps.

Marr said the evening begins with prayer and then the youth and coaches take part in drills and in an exercise session. The sessions are followed by a devotional.

“The youth take turns reading and sharing, guided by the corps officer and the coach. They provide insight into the Word of God, based on the lesson for that day,” Marr said.

After a short break, the youth play a competitive game.

“We have seen a tremendous improvement in their attitude, skill, and performance,” Marr said.

Parents have given Marr positive feedback on the program, saying it has helped their children in school and at home.

“This program is designed for the ‘whosoever....’ These children tend to be the ones who don’t fit into the crowd and who lack confidence,” he says.

“We are excited about working with youth by coaching them to become better at living SENIORS HELP THE HOMELESS life through the Newark, N.J.— In January, senior Word and love adults of The Foster Grandparent of Jesus Christ.” and the Senior Companion programs of Newark Area Services, joined other area seniors to celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday.

Maria Guzman, the foster grandparent program manager, said the theme was “Serve & Volunteer—Do One Thing For a Better World.” The event also included a collection of items that were distributed to about 100 homeless people.

“Because we intended to do what MLK wanted us to do—and that was to be united and do something for others,” Guzman said, “we collected two boxes full of socks, gloves, and hats for the homeless of our community.”

Guzman said about 150 people were fed at the event.

“Everybody ate and food was made available to the homeless. It was a great success for all attendees.”

VERIZON GRANT BENEFITS SHELTER Rochester, N.Y.—The Salvation Army of Greater Rochester recently received a much–needed $30,000 grant, courtesy of HopeLine from the Verizon Foundation.

The grant will help pay for a case manager at the Army’s Hope House emergency women’s shelter.

Hope House is a 19–bed residential facility serving women age 18 and older and their children up to age 5.

The shelter has served the community since 1999. Last year, the shelter helped 346 women and 64 children.

The goal of Hope House is to meet emergency needs of homeless women, such as their safety, shelter, food, and clothing. The women are connected to community resources that help them move toward transitional or permanent housing.

“When basic emergency needs are met, the next step is to help women move toward self–sufficiency,” says Christina Barnwell, program manager.

“The case management provided by this grant will truly make a difference in the lives of women who come to us for assistance.”

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2016 MAY

29

ON file University. The Palmers maintained a happy marriage as well as a remarkable partnership in public ministry, which was unusual for an age in which the role and position of women were restricted to the private sphere.

“

… one of the most prominent figures of the

”

19th–century American

PHOEBE PALMER

holiness movement.

Mother of the Holiness Movement

by Major Young Sung Kim

Known as the “Mother of the Holiness Movement,” Phoebe Palmer (1807–1874) stands as one of the most prominent figures of the 19th –century American holiness movement.

Palmer’s influence is acknowledged in the origins of several holiness denominations, including The Salvation Army. It was Palmer who had a profound influence on Catherine Booth, the Army’s co–founder. Palmer’s inspiration led Booth to write the pamphlet Female Ministry: or Woman's Right to Preach the Gospel (1859), which manifested

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MAY 2016

Booth’s theological conviction that female preaching is a biblical mandate for ministry.

Phoebe Worrall was born on December 18, 1807, in New York City, where she lived until her death 67 years later on November 2, 1874. Phoebe’s childhood was fully immersed in the piety of Methodist faith and discipline through the influence of her devoted Methodist parents, Henry and Dorothea Worrall.

In 1826, when she was 19 years old, Phoebe married Dr. Walter Clark Palmer, a physician, trained at Rutgers

On July 26, 1837, Palmer found entire sanctification, in which the heart of the believer is cleansed from inbred sin by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. She called that moment “the day of days.”

By 1840, Palmer became the sole leader of the “Tuesday Meetings for Promotion of Holiness,” which were initially led by her sister, Sarah Lankford.

From that point until Palmer’s death, her leadership of the meetings would remain a distinctive contribution to the body of churches in North America and beyond in terms of her influence in promoting Holiness renewal.

Consequently, from the mid–1850s to the final day of her life in 1874, Palmer and her husband, Walter, poured their time and effort into traveling and speaking at holiness revivals, camp meetings, and various conferences in the United States and in the United Kingdom. The Palmers’ special concern was for “holiness in action,” especially in mission work both at home and abroad.

It is quite clear that Phoebe Palmer’s social activism was motivated by her Bible–based, holistic understanding of entire sanctification and of God’s salvific intention for the world. For instance, she engaged in tract distribution and relief for poor people in New York City.

wholly living

She was also a strong advocate for the abolition of slavery in America. And in 1850, she established the “Five Point Mission,” which provided effective outreach for the care of children in one of the city’s poorest areas.

As an influential holiness writer, Palmer published popular books including The Way of Holiness (1843), Entire Devotion to God (1845), and Faith and Its Effects (1848). Particularly in one of her books entitled The Promise of the Father (1859), Palmer amplified her prophetic voice for the defense of women’s rights to preach, based on her own egalitarian piety and scriptural conviction. For a decade (1864–1874) Palmer contributed, with her husband as editor, to the Guide to Holiness. By 1870, it became one of the most widely circulated religious journals in America.

The distinction of Palmer’s holiness teaching can be characterized in her concept of the “shorter way” and in her theological method and metaphor she coined, “Altar theology.” Palmer’s ideas represented the optimism of the Wesleyan doctrine by emphasizing the instantaneousness work of the Holy Spirit.

In highlighting the “shorter way,” Palmer affirmed the possibility of experiencing entire sanctification in the present moment, based on a believer’s total faith in Christ. That is to say, one must believe that Christ Himself is the “divine altar.” As people surrender their lives to Him, they are immediately purified and empowered.

“Among all the ‘elect ladies’ whom Christianity has produced,” wrote Rev. A. Lowery,* Palmer’s legacy will forever be remembered as one in which “holiness is power.”

—Major Young Sung Kim is the territorial ambassador for holiness * In Memoriam: Mrs. Phoebe Palmer, Advocate of Christian Holiness, by Reverend A. Lowery, D.D. (1874)

Detoxifying Your SOUL

We often confuse the words excellence and perfection. Striving for excellence is a noble aim, but perfection, as the world describes it—being spotless, faultless, and flawless—is humanly unobtainable.

Society dictates its view of perfection to us in areas such as physical appearance, self–seeking achievements, worldly knowledge, and sterling reputation.

If we are not careful, such expectations are bound to become unrealistic.

They lead to damaging comparisons, and we become blind to the flaws in the ideal that we strive to attain.

Matthew 5:48 says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This verse is often misconstrued as instructions to become “Holy Ghost, Junior” (a judgmental and critical spirit). We all know that there is only one God and you and I are not He! The MESSAGE Bible paraphrase of this verse makes the biblical idea of perfection understandable. “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up.

You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God–created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

The theme of this series is the detoxification of the soul. In this series, we have looked at staying focused and not being overwhelmed by clutter in our spiritual lives; finding a place for the soul, which includes chiseling out time and space for our personal, spiritual growth; and now, we’re looking at striving for excellence

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Striving for Excellence part four of a five–part series

by Major Lauren Hodgson

and not getting paralyzed or bogged down by the idea of perfection.

Being “perfect” is living out your God–created identity. What is it that makes you, you? What enlivens you?

What stirs your passions and makes you exclaim, “For this I was born!”?

The answers to these questions reveal God’s tailor–made image of perfection for you.

In Christ’s presence, name the passion that you desire for yourself, rather than for your family, co–workers, or church community members.

This isn’t an act of selfishness. Jesus repeatedly asks His followers, “What do you want from me?”

Take your time in understanding your desire. We tend to be uncomfortable asking for things for ourselves. We are taught to think about everyone else’s needs, rather than our own.

But your God–breathed desire is what makes you who you are. If we do not take the time to understand that desire and who we are in Christ, our spirits will become polluted with toxins such as the addiction to approval, the seduction of ambition, or the relentless management of our image.

Being perfect “… as your heavenly Father is perfect” is not a life sentence of pursuing yet never meeting some unrealistic mark. Instead, being perfect means being free to be who we are created to be.

Today, be uniquely you. This is your mark of excellence. Worldly imperfections will fall away as we pursue God’s will for our lives.

2016 MAY

31

ON file

A Mother’s Trial

32

MAY 2016

“ What I thought would be life’s storms turned out to be beautiful reminders of His love.”

Due to her difficult birth, the doctors had warned me about the possibility of serious complications. And I had medicine that I could give her in an emergency. But it was under lock and key, and in my panic, I struggled to remember where I had put the key.

Photo by Desmond Boylan

I never thought that during my officer training, I would become pregnant at age 44 with our 3rd daughter. At the orientation for married couples enrolling to be officers, I remember telling my husband, “Oh, don’t worry. This part doesn’t concern us.”

When I got pregnant, I thought my dream of being an officer was over. I felt as if I needed guidance every hour of the day. I was fortunate to have the support of my sessionmates, my teachers, and my husband.

There were days when I felt as if I could not go on. But one day when I desperately needed just 15 minutes of patience and wisdom to study for my exams, I prayed to God to give me those 15 minutes. And He did.

Doctors had to deliver my child surgically. They said that the procedure was risky for both the baby and me, and that during the course of the C– section, I would lose a lot of blood.

I said to God, “Lord, I know that even if science cannot help my child right now, You can.” The only thing I wanted to hear was the sound of my child crying. And I did.

I named my daughter Keren, after one of Job’s daughters in the Bible. I felt that I had gone through a number of trials, as Job did, to arrive at this moment.

However, my most difficult test was coming.

Two months later while I was alone cleaning, I heard Keren crying. But as I approached her, her crying stopped suddenly, as if someone had shut her mouth. When I picked her up, I realized that her breathing had also stopped.

And her body was as stiff as a board.

I tried every method of breathing stimulation that I had learned in medical school, but nothing worked.

by Captain Iris Lilia Guevara

Captain Iris Guevara and her daughter Keren.

Thoughts raced through my confused mind. How could I have long believed that serving God as a nurse was the path for me?

I thought that at 44, I would be accomplishing my dream to enroll in the College for Officer Training in Cuba to be an officer with my husband in The Salvation Army. But now, my dream was turning into a horrible nightmare.

For what seemed like 20 minutes,

Keren’s expression remained fixed.

I started praying, “Please God, have mercy on my child,” and I prayed until I ran out of prayers. As I held Keren close to me, her face still frozen, I remembered how God had tested Abraham with the life of his son Isaac.

I said one last prayer. “Lord, she is a gift from You alone. If it is Your will to cure my daughter, please do so. But if Your will is to take her, please take her now and ease her suffering.”

About a minute after I had prayed, I felt Keren’s breathing slowly come back through her tiny nose. I waited for her breathing pattern to return to normal. And it did.

Today, Keren knows how God healed her at two months old. She knows that her presence on this earth is only through His divine power. Whenever she has a problem, she goes to her father and me and asks us to pray with her.

She has seen the power of God in her life. It is a privilege to be a mother to her and to her two sisters. And it is a privilege for me to serve the Lord.

I have always said that I am just a pawn on God’s chessboard of life. He is the One who controls me and He moves me to where He sees fit. What I thought would be life’s storms turned out to be beautiful reminders of His love.

Even at my worst moments, I know God has a plan for me that is better than anything on earth. He hears me, He answers me, He calls me, and He has tested me.

And if God should test me again, I pray that He will strengthen me. And He will.

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The Hispanic Ministry of The Salvation Army

by Frank E. Payton We are indebted to Colonel Frank Payton for this book. In tracing the history of the Salvation Army’s work among Spanish–speaking people in the United States and inPuerto Rico, he reveals not only a cultural and sociological story that is important in understanding our history, but also the work of God in bringing people to salvation.

Commissioner Barry C. Swanson Territorial Commander, USA Eastern Territory

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