Southern Spirit MAR 2023 - Vol 39 Issue 3

THE SALVATION ARMY PROVIDES HUMANITARIAN AID TO MIGRANTS IN EL PASO

BY JOANNA ESTRADA

When Casa del Refugiado, the largest migrant shelter in El Paso, closed on August 6, 2022, The Salvation Army had provided 180,697 total meals. Although that specific project has ended, The Salvation Army has continued its mission to meet human need in His name without discrimination. The Salvation Army in El Paso has continuously participated in community collaborations to deal with emergency situations like the ongoing migrant crisis in El Paso as well as COVID-19 surges among the homeless population.

The Salvation Army served 26,927 total meals in El Paso in December—a 106% increase in monthly meals compared to October. “Our greatest challenge right now is keeping up with sudden migrant surges and making sure we have enough food for everyone,” says Lorine Villa, Project Manager. “These fluctuating numbers mean we don’t always know how many we will need to serve.” The Salvation Army helps at the County Processing Center, providing a fixed feeding site as well as distribution of hygiene kits. The operation serves about 500-1200 meals per day.

The Salvation Army is involved in a second project to continue its feeding operations at several hotels for homeless families and individuals that test COVID-positive. This is three meals per day, all of which are in the shelter kitchen before being transported to participating hotels.

The Salvation Army homeless shelter is also providing relief for the humanitarian crisis. The shelter operates on a first come first serve basis, serving both the local homeless population as well as migrants in need of a place to stay. Currently,

Commissioning Weekend: June 2-4, 2023

BY BRAD ROWLAND

Salvationists from across the USA Southern Territory will gather at the Atlanta Temple Corps for a moving and impactful time of worship, renewal, and fellowship from June 2-4, 2023. In addition to the Commissioning festivities for the Reflectors of Holiness session of cadets, the theme of the weekend will be “All In: Everyone…Everywhere – A Call to Evangelism & Discipleship Mark 16:15 ERV ”.

“Commissioning is the ‘spring time’ for the Southern Territory,” said Commissioner Kelly Igleheart, territorial commander. “Where all things are new, and our fresh new lieutenants are commissioned into the field.”

A youth conference for ages 6-12 will take place during general sessions, and childcare

about 40% of the residents at the shelter are migrants, many with children too. Several of the migrants are regularly attending church services at the El Paso Citadel Corps, and the children are

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President Joe Biden visited with Salvation Army workers during the migrant crisis in El Paso. From left to right: Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, Major Eloisa Estrada, President Biden, Jorge Valenzuela, Major Florian Estrada

2022 Volunteer Awards Luncheon in Leesburg, Florida

BY CHRISTOPHER PRIEST

The Salvation Army is blessed with a magnitude of willing helpers it attracts through volunteering. This can be measured in so many areas of ministry and service. Most visibly of course is the bell ringer during the weeks leading to Christmas Day. It is estimated that during 2022, in the four US territories, there were over 1,270,000 individuals who officially volunteered for the organization.

The Salvation Army of Lake and Sumter Counties (Leesburg Corps) is one of the leading centers in the Southern Territory for its volunteer base. This was evident at the recent 2022 Annual Volunteer Luncheon, held in the corps gymnasium, when over 270 attended, representing a far greater number that are listed as volunteers at the corps. Advisory board membership, Angel Tree, Emergency Disaster Services, food service, Homework Help, Christmas Kettles, mentoring, sports, youth activities, and a host of other activities were represented at the event where numerous Awards were given for outstanding volunteerism. “We cannot do what we do without you!” said Lieutenant Jeremy Porter, Leesburg corps officer as he welcomed all to the event.

Two individuals were especially recognized: Robert Boyd, a soldier of the corps, and octogenarian, was named Top Bell Ringer 2022, (Robert is also a year-round volunteer at the Corps). Then Jackie Cepaitis as Volunteer of the Year 2022, for her untiring support and measurable efforts all throughout the year. Not least is her endless work with The Villages, Friends of The Salvation Army, who with her help raised $10,000 for Salvation Army Feeding Ministries at its annual Soup Off. According to Major Marie Harris, Leesburg Corps PR & Volunteer Coordinator: “She lives by the motto, ‘What more can I do for The Salvation Army!’”. All award recipients were publicly recognized by Lieutenants Jeremy and Crystal Porter.

Special guests Lt. Colonels Kent and Melody Davis, Florida Division leaders supported, and Lt. Colonel Kent Davis brought the keynote, “Love Beyond Volunteering,” citing Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the

least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” He related to his 35 years as a commissioned officer, and the countless opportunities he became involved in disaster response. Latterly the significant Salvation Army response to last year’s hurricanes in the state of Florida, where he oversees all activity as divisional commander. He reiterated that volunteering in times of disaster brought many significant moments thanks to those who volunteered.

The corps staff each contributed to the success of the event with setup, decoration, serving food and of course the tear down and clean up afterward.

Lt. Colonel Melody Davis brought the event to a close with prayer.

“El Paso...” continued from page 1

becoming more involved in youth programs. “These families came to The Salvation Army because they needed a helping hand, and it’s great to see them reach for spiritual support,” says Ma -

jor Floiran Estrada, Commanding Officer. “That’s exactly what we’re here to do—to be good neighbors for our neighbors in need.”

To financially support the ongoing humanitarian efforts of The Salvation Army in El Paso, visit southernusa.salvationarmy.org/elpaso.

will be offered for ages 6 months–5 years, with pre-registration required for both. Music and arts will be featured, with ministry from the Southern Staff Band, Southern Staff Songsters, transMission, and Territorial Arts Ministry (TAM).

On Saturday, June 3, a block party will be held in the evening. This event will be open to the public with the opportunity to evangelize to the local community. This gathering will include a kid zone, vendors, food and drinks, music and arts performances, and a “Jesus Theater” production from TAM.

“Our territory and our world are hungry for a fresh spirit of God to fall and to replenish our thirsty souls,” Commissioner Igleheart said. “It

is time for all of us to plead to our God for His holy presence to spark our hearts to see and save those who are perishing all around us. It is time for every Salvationist to rise up and to rescue the perishing from the tentacles of this world which constantly pull them down.”

Registration will open in the near future and will be available at southernspiritonline.org.

“We want to facilitate a renewed passion of all Salvationists to see their corps and communities as Jesus does, to move them to love, and to serve the way He did,” said Commissioner Igleheart. “If you need encouragement, have an interest in knowing more about the Kingdom of God, and believe that our Salvation Army movement can be the catalyst to save the world, come join our Army.”

President Joe Biden talks with Major Florian Estrada.

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Music and Arts Leaders Gather in Atlanta for National DMD Conference

BY BRAD ROWLAND

After a first-of-its-kind gathering in 2018, Salvation Army music and arts leaders from across North America came together at the Evangeline Booth College in Atlanta from January 10-13. More than 70 attendees from the United States and Canada assembled for the 2023 National DMD Conference with extensive fellowship, instruction, worship, and the sharing of best practices for ministry.

The conference featured 12 united sessions, covering varying topics from the care of youth to brass band conducting and leadership, choral leadership, fundraising, and spiritual formation and discipleship. The group began each morning with a worship-minded session, led by insights from Major Kevin Metcalf and musical worship from Randy Bonifield. The conference concluded with a meaningful service of consecration aimed to send the music and arts leaders back home with a renewed focus.

Several united sessions featured the tutelage of Philip Harper, musical director of the Cory Band (UK) since 2012. The Cory Band is known by many as perhaps the top brass band in the world, and Harper brought a combination of experience and top-end communication to the conference.

“The sessions were truly excellent,” said Nick

Simmons-Smith, territorial music secretary for the USA Southern Territory. “Philip Harper is an innovative programmer and storyteller, and he’s also a fantastic composer and conductor. His work with us was enlightening and very helpful for our ministry. The breakouts were also very informative and a great time of learning.”

In addition to a jam-packed schedule of general sessions, the conference also featured five breakouts with multiple classes offered during each period. Examples included a “DMD101” class aimed at newer divisional directors, a class on the operation of divisional arts rehearsals, a focus on singing company development, and classes on both storytelling through music and reimagining songs for worship.

“I thought there was a great mix of topics and a very good sense of fellowship in the group,” Simmons-Smith said. “Much of the good work happened outside of the sessions, talking around the lunch table and sharing conversations of struggles, successes, or strategies. I think that was a key part.”

Beyond the valuable instruction in both united and breakout sessions, music and arts leaders enjoyed the vital experience of fellowship and the sharing of best practices. The conference itself was planned and executed in a spirit of collabora -

tion between territories with the knowledge that only so much can be done in a four-day period, but the inherent value of like-minded individuals sharing experiences and building each other up shone through the week.

“A crucial part of the time was the sharing of best practices that helped to build each other up,” said Simmons-Smith. “Some of the divisional directors are on their own, some are in larger teams, some are new, some have been at it for 20 years or more, and that mix was helpful to create and facilitate conversations and contributions. It was also pleasing to see the group become more diverse, and we hope to see continued growth across the board.”

Plans are in place for the conference to move forward every three years, with anticipation already building for its return in 2026.

Love In Action at Salvation Army’s Memphis ARC

BY CAMILLE CONNOR

For many, the start of a new year means setting new goals and embarking on new experiences. This is certainly true for Patrick Lewandowski. On an early Thursday morning in January, he found himself settling into a new role in a new city. As a Corps Mission Associate, he has been tasked with managing the food pantry and assisting with worship services at the Salvation Army in Jackson, Tennessee.

Just a few days ago, you could catch Lewandowski assessing residential living spaces, scheduling appointments, and offering guidance to clients living at the Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in Memphis, Tennessee. As the resident manager, he was accustomed to juggling various tasks, all while ensuring clients stayed focused on

their journey toward recovery from addictions. But his goal was to do more than run a tight ship. He galvanized the troops to spread hope far beyond the walls of the ARC.

Lewandowski was also a soldier of The Salvation Army’s Kroc Church in Memphis. In 2022, he began to join the church on outings in the Memphis Area Command’s mobile kitchen unit. The group—which consisted of volunteers, employees, and officers—would ride around Memphis in the canteen filled with sack lunches and water bottles. They made stops at no-barrier homeless shelters and low-income apartments, hoping to provide nourishment for both body and spirit.

During these outings, Lewandowski began building rapport with the individuals they served from the canteen. He told them about the ARC’s

work-therapy program for people recovering from addictions. Through word-of-mouth, Lewandowski was able to get nearly a dozen people to become residents at the ARC within just a couple of months.

Robert Hines was one of the individuals who learned about the ARC as a result of the mobile canteen ministry. Hines said he was homeless and a recovering addict when he met Lewandoski. “He started talking to me along with another guy and said, ‘Well would you be interested in coming with me today and join in our program’.” Hines recalls needing a little convincing. “I was skeptical,” he said, “I knew about the Salvation Army with Christmas. I didn’t know they had a program for anything.” Hines joined Lewandowski on the rest “Love In Action..” continued on page 4

Philip Harper, musical director of the Cory Band, works with divisional music leaders.

Music leaders supported the weekend’s learning by participating in reading band sessions.

DMD Conference attendees gather for a group photo.

The Salvation Army and University of South Florida Partner to Reduce Non-Emergency Ambulance Calls in Tampa Area

BY BRAD ROWLAND

The Salvation Army and the University of South Florida’s College of Nursing recently launched an innovative partnership in the Tampa area. The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Center houses approximately 160 men and women on a daily basis and, before this alliance emerged, between two and three non-emergency medical service calls were placed each day. This partnership aims to alleviate that burden, and early results indicate a decline of non-emergency medical service calls by more than 80 percent.

The program, launched in 2022, provides the opportunity for individuals to prioritize their health through free health education, care coordination, resources, assessments, and transportation to medical visits. USF assistant professor LaTiena Williams is a key piece of the burgeoning collaboration.

“Now clients come to me first and I am usually able to assist them without the need to call 911,” Williams said. “This program has taken a strain off of our county’s first responders and allows them to focus on serious emergencies.”

“Education is prevention,” Williams continued. “Even if someone is a lawyer, it does not mean they are health literate. When we educate the public and community, that’s where a lot of diagnoses are found.”

The pact was cultivated by Elle Kane, The Salvation Army’s director of social services, over approximately nine months before implementation.

“The partnership between The Salvation Army and USF College of Nursing has been a game changer for our community,” said Kane. “Our homeless population finally has a chance to receive medical attention with this partnership that will put them on the right path for better health outcomes leading to self-sufficiency and permanent housing.”

Other agencies, including BayCare Community Health, have come alongside The Salvation Army and the University of South Florida to provide resources. In addition, on-site vaccination clinics and mobile health units are in use, with the program also bringing valuable experience to students and others involved in the program.

Mary Zent, a recent university graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, is a shining example. Zent serves as a volunteer in post-graduation and shares positive experiences with the work being accomplished.

NEWS BRIEFS

• On Tuesday, January 24, a tornado struck the Houston, Texas area, causing widespread damage in various communities. The Salvation Army immediately sprang into action, mobilizing disaster response teams to meet immediate need and provide the infrastructure for long-term recovery. In the first hour of service in Pasadena, Texas, The Salvation Army served more than 200 meals and 400 drinks, and that was only the start of a comprehensive response that also featured the distribution of clean-up kits and tarps for impacted areas.

• The “Cheer Fund” set an all-time fundraising record during the 2022 holiday season, benefiting individuals in Suffolk, Virginia. The non-profit entity raised more than $49,000 with an eye toward providing local families with needed clothes and food each year. The Salvation Army partnered with Suffolk Social Services for implementation and distribution, touching the lives of thousands in the area.

• The Salvation Army’s Dallas Women’s Auxiliary will host its 30th anniversary fashion show and luncheon on Tuesday, May 16 at Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. The annual event, which features a “New York style” runway show, is an opportunity for women to address Poverty, Addiction and Homelessness, by providing programs and housing for domestic violence survivors, people experiencing homelessness and those recovering from addiction. Since its inception in 1993, The Salvation Army

Dallas Women’s Auxiliary Fashion Show & Luncheon has raised over $15 million to support services provided at local Salvation Army facilities.

• In St. Paul, Minnesota, The Salvation Army was the recipient of an atypical donation at the end of 2022. Two families donated an eight-story office building in the city, with the structure reportedly appraised at an $8 million value. “It is heartbreaking to see so many homeless people lined up each evening with not enough beds available for all,” said Dr. Basir Tareen, a member of one of the families. “We hope this building will help the Salvation Army in its work to address homelessness and poverty.” The Salvation Army plans to move its social services operation into the building in the near future.

• The Salvation Army is working closely with other non-profit entities in the Corps Christi, Texas, area on a survey to increase awareness and implement the best assistance possible for homeless individuals.

Kyle Knutson, The Salvation Army’s social services director, is also the president of the Homeless Issues Partnership Coalition, and he indicates the benefit of the survey to bring additional resources. “I work with grants and contracts and usually the four to five components which is street outreach, emergency shelter and homeless prevention,” Knutson said. “That’s preventing someone from becoming homeless, their rent is paid for six months to keep them from living on the streets.”

“It was eye opening to see some of the healthcare issues that our homeless population faces, especially on such a local level,” said Zent. “It helped bridge what we are learning with the real impact we can have in our community.”

Growth opportunities are also present for the partnership, including the implementation of an on-call doctor and volunteers for the program. This projects to further bolster the program, but the impact on the health of individuals is clear and positive, even over only a short period of time.

“Love In Action...” continued from page 3

of his mobile canteen route that day, helping to hand out lunches to others in need. By the end, he decided to go with Lewandoski back to the ARC. “It was the first time anybody really reached out to me, and I kind of felt connected.”

Lewandoski says that not every connection has resulted in a success story. “Not all of them have stayed,” he said, “Unfortunately that’s the way it goes.” Lewandowski says some have only decided to stay for a few weeks instead of completing the full 180-day program. But he hopes the staff at the ARC have planted a seed in the hearts of people who chose to leave. “By showing them that love in the first place, that we’re here, it leaves those doors open.”

Lewandowski personally vouches for the program at the ARC, not just as a current employee, but as a former client. “I came through the program myself in Jacksonville, Florida in 2020.” Soon after completing the program, Lewandowski was offered a job at the ARC in Memphis. He worked as the resident manager for nearly two years.

For clients who have decided to stay, it has been a transformative experience. He has even kept in touch with one of the individuals who he met through the mobile canteen ministry. “Since I no longer work there, I’m able to be his sponsor,” Lewandoski said. The man he is sponsoring has almost completed the 180-day program at the ARC.

Lewandoski sees his new role at the Jackson Corps as a “learning experience”. He hopes that over the next six months, he will gain the ministry and leadership skills that will prepare him to attend The Salvation Army’s Evangeline Booth College School for Officer Training in Atlanta, Georgia this year.

Please visit https://salvationarmymemphis.org/ adult-rehabilitation-center to learn more about The Salvation Army’s ARC program.

Beyond their medical work, Elle Kane and LaTiena Williams helped out at the kettles.

Pain Is a Blessing, Not a Curse

The Salvation Army Prison Ministry

BY MAJOR KWANGHEE CHANG

When transporting cod by train from the northeast United States, it doesn’t taste fresh even if transported frozen. So, the cod was placed in a water tank and transported live. It still didn’t taste fresh. Then someone had the excellent idea to add a few catfish in the tank, natural enemies to cod. Now the cod were busy being chased by the catfish during the long transportation hours. This experiment was successful, and the taste of cod has not changed since. It might be a pain for codfish to be transported with catfish, but it helps their condition and retains their flavor.

Pain is a blessing not a curse.

Poverty might be a curse to some people, but Lincoln became great because of his poverty. Some would lament the physical disability caused by polio, but it was a blessing to Franklin Roosevelt. A hero in classical music and one of the most admired composers, Beethoven, wrote many symphonies even after he became deaf in his later years. Is skin color a hindrance? There are countless people who became great figures, leaving a light in the world in spite of discrimination, like Booker T. Washington, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King and many others.

Pain is a blessing not a curse.

Often, we do not think about inmates or jail, because our intention is not to commit wrong. Many of us can only picture prison by the images shown on TV dramas or movies. I have visited some correctional facilities. They are very isolated. Anyone imprisoned there would be anxious if imprisoned there. We must remember that inmates experience it the same way we would. Locked up away from the world without much to do in an isolated cell makes people more dull than smart. However, it is a blessing when inmates find something to do and make efforts toward their goal. We hope they find the purpose of their life through the Word of God during their incarceration. The Salvation Army Corrections and Institutional Services Department are here to support them.

Let me share one of our student inmate’s testimonies, who has been working through one of our Bible Correspondence Courses.

“My name is H. Zhu, I’m 39 and came to the US for a scholarship to do my Ph.D. in economics at Virginia Tech. My first interaction with The Salvation Army was back in 2008 when I first saw the Red Kettle Drive in front of a Kroger store during the Christmas holiday. I put some change in the red buckets but I didn’t know anything else back then. Somehow life became unpredictable. I was arrested in 2009 for murder and am now serving a life sentence. Until my arrest, I was an atheist, but many Christians wrote and visited me in jail. I was deeply influenced by how they showed unconditional love and support. I was deeply moved and even became a good friends with them. I felt strongly that such a great love couldn’t be bad. I made a decision to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior in the same year. And my life has changed ever since because now I have hope and forgiveness from Jesus and He is always there by my side, even during the darkest hours in my life. I saw The Salvation Army’s Bible Study Courses on its calendar card from the prison chaplain. I completed the last course in the advanced series last month, so now I’ve finished all your Bible Study Courses (Reflective, Basic and Advanced series). It took me three years, but I’ve learned so much. They really helped me grow spiritually a lot during the COVID pandemic. Although I’m in prison Jesus has promised me a bright future with Him and for His cause; I believe God has a purpose for me, and I can be part of His plan to better the world by obeying Him and answering His calling. I have tremendous respect for The Salvation Army and their charity work.”

Sensational Grace

by Commissioner Jolene Hodder

Sensational Grace is a delightful little volume written by Commissioner Jolene Hodder who serves as the National Secretary for Program at The Salvation Army’s USA National Headquarters. The book is comprised of a series of short devotions with anecdotes that connect to spiritual lessons. Each is followed by a “Pearl of Truth” from the Bible as well as space for journaling and reflective thought under the heading, “Your Own Discovery.”

Pain is a blessing not a curse.

One additional testimony from A. Spencer: “I grew up in

Whether you choose to write out your reflections or just enjoy the readings, the book will bless and challenge you. Sensational Grace is available through mytradesouth.com or crestbooks.com.

a very religious Christian family on a farm in a small town. I was the oldest among my brothers and sisters. Responsibilities of taking care of my younger siblings, farm and house chores came early in my life while my parents worked at their jobs. Our family had weekly family devotion and attended various programs at church on Sunday as I grew up. I went to Taiwan to teach the gospel to Chinese people for two years after schooling. I was already fluent in Mandarin by the time I came back home and was offered an airline job because of my fluency in Mandarin. I married and had children, made an easy life in big city. The evils of big city got a hold of me—women, drugs and alcohol. I lost all—desires, wealth, power and even my loved wife and children. That brought me a conviction and sentence for 30 years. Blaming everyone but myself, hatred soon turned into despair, despair into loneliness, loneliness into crying out for help in total embarrassment and humility. I cried for forgiveness of the mess I made on my life. My tears turned to tears of joy, peace, and contentment because I knew our Savior Jesus and His atonement gave me another chance forward in His love and grace!”

Pain is a blessing not a curse.

Even Paul and Silas were arrested and imprisoned in biblical times. Jesus Christ taught His disciples to minister those in need including those who are imprisoned. In Matthew 25:40, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” In our correspondence, we find many testimonies about how life changed and our Bible Correspondence Program helped them achieve real inner freedom and joy over the years. The Salvation Army Prison Ministry’s purpose is to reach out to inmates who need the love of Jesus Christ through offering a Bible and Bible study materials. It is our hope that someone finds new life in Christ while spending their time in jail. If life in prison is torment, but it may be a perfect time for those who need God.

Pain is a blessing not a curse.

Easter People

by Commissioner Phil Needham

Easter People is Commissioner Phil Needham’s latest installment in his book series that takes us through the year with thoughtful devotions. Based on the Christian calendar, a resource too seldom used by Salvationists, Needham carefully walks us through the time between Easter and Pentecost week. Each chapter closes in a prayer that encapsulates the main thought of each devotion and how that applies to our hearts. We thank Commissioner Needham for continuing to supply us with high quality inspirational writing.

Easter People is available through mytradesouth.com or crestbooks.com.

Several Bible courses are offered to prisoners, including some in Spanish.

Jalene Rolader handles Bible lessons and correspondence with prisoners.

Major Chang signing Bible Lesson Course Certificates

CANDIDATES

The Call of Moses

BY LT. COLONEL ALLEN SATTERLEE

Moses went from the palace to the pasture, from naked aggression to fleeing in fear. A fugitive from justice, he never imagined that he would announce the humbling of the most powerful nation on earth. Alone on the backside of the desert, he was but one more solitary shepherd where the closest thing to a human voice was the bleating of a sheep. His earlier childhood fantasies of power and kingdoms faded in the far side of the desert. But it was here, not there, where God spoke to him.

A random fire was not that unusual in the desert. But one that burned without consuming or spreading? That deserved a second look. The wonder of a moment took on an eternal air as God stooped low to speak to a forgotten shepherd whose past was paved with failure. Then more startling than the bush, Moses heard the voice of God.

Soon God laid out the plight of the Israelites, something that Moses knew well. Then, the shocker: “So now, go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:20, emphasis mine).

With evidence of past failure all around him, he asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:21). Even if Moses had not made a total mess of things in the past, this job was just too big. The only thing he had led for four decades was a flock of dumb animals. But God looks beyond resumés.

“I will be with you…” was God’s reply (Exodus 3:22). Whenever God calls a man or a woman, He never sends that one to do anything alone. God

did not encourage Moses to boost his sagging self-esteem, but to assure him that if he would obey he could rely on the all-powerful God of eternity to be right there with him. Those who heed the call of God move forward with this absolute confidence.

Moses offered up a series of excuses as to why it should not be him. No doubt some of these were real concerns. However, at the root of it all was that Moses found life with sheep comfortable in its own way. He knew where his tent was at the end of the day. He had made a nice home for his wife and children. His life was manageable. It was all under his control. But to do what God wanted was to surrender control, to lose the security of a predictable and settled life.

For many, the sticking point to obeying God’s

call is this. They want to choose their own jobs, their own addresses, claim time for themselves. Which is fine if God has not called you. But if He has, you are in a job where He doesn’t want you in a place you shouldn’t be and pursuing what isn’t yours right to have.

This is the first instance when God called someone when they were already at work, but it is not the last. God called David while he was tending sheep, Isaiah when he was laboring in the Temple, Elisha while he was plowing with oxen, Amos while farming, Peter, James, John and Andrew while they were fishing and Matthew while he was collecting taxes. All were busy in their jobs when God interrupted them with His call. Which tells us two things: God’s work is not for lazy people. And, if He calls you to full time ministry, you have to walk away from what you were doing to where He is taking you.

One final observation. When Moses offered his last objection, God asked, “What is that in your hand?” Moses answered, “A staff” (Exodus 4:2). God then instructed him to throw it on the ground and it became a snake. As time went on, that staff was carried into the throne room of Pharaoh, was lifted skyward to release plagues on Egypt and to signal the parting of the Red Sea.

It was a stick, but God took what Moses had in his hand and made it an instrument of His work. God will do the same with you. You are not responsible for what you do not have, but if you will heed His call and give Him what you do have, He will take it and work mighty things through it. Note that after this point, Moses’ stick was called “the rod of God.” Ownership complete. What do you have in your hand? Who owns it?

CANDIDATES

My Calling to Officership

BY LT. MARK CANCIA

I was a kid when my family transitioned from the Haitian Baptist Church and got connected with The Salvation Army. For my dad, it was a reconnection because he was an officer in the Caribbean Territory. But for many of us, it was our first encounter. When I got connected with The Salvation Army, I loved it because I could understand everything that was being spoken since it was in English. The second reason was because the meetings were shorter and a meal was served afterward.

At the corps, I became part of the programs and then went camping during the summer. As I grew older, I continued to connect with the various ministries of The Salvation Army, including working at camp and the Salvationist Service Corps, then taking on local leadership responsibilities at the corps where I was going to college.

I had seen officers and appreciated their work. I saw it as something that was admirable. As I got to high school, understanding the way we impacted the lives of people for good, I knew that that was something that I wanted to be part of. When I was 15, I attended a youth councils when they made a call to officership. I responded to that call because of everything that I had seen being done in the corps. I knew that that was something that I wanted to do as an adult. What’s nice is that the way the Lord wired me as an individual aligned very well with the work that we do as The Salvation Army.

After I was called I continued to experience life, by obtaining a higher education. As I realized more about what The Salvation Army does in the community, I realized the need for an individual to be educated and well-rounded to connect in the community and to relate well with others. I chose a couple of college degrees. I went to Tallahassee Community College first and got a general education degree, and then Florida State University. Both of those experiences allowed me to connect with people and learn about different disciplines that prepared me for the work that we do.

While at Tallahassee Community College, I was part of the Student Government Association, which gave me insight into leadership and organization. I was also able to be part of other extracurricular activities like college cheerleading program, which connected me with other people that were experts when it came to athletics. When I went to Florida State, I studied interdisciplinary social sciences, which helped me understand communities and what it takes for communities to thrive, whether it be education, transportation, government sanitation, medicine. As an organization I began to wonder, “How can the gospel connect within a community?” When I actually went to the training school, those things helped my thinking about individuals and community and what it takes to connect well within both.

I thought the training college was going to be like a more traditional college atmosphere. But it wasn’t. There weren’t athletics on campus but the same communal aspects were there. It was interesting to me that we were reviewed in the way that we were. I thought that was helpful because while I got feedback on my work. That was helpful in my understanding of what I do and how other people perceive it in the community.

Upon being commissioned, I was sent to Louisville, Kentucky as the assistant corps officer for a year. Then I was sent to Nashville, Tennessee, where I was the student ministry coordinator. Then I went to Ashland, Kentucky to stabilize

the operation at the beginning of the pandemic for three months. Then back to Nashville. Shortly after returning to Nashville, I was appointed to Jackson.

I did not foresee the administrative responsibility of officership because growing up, I saw everything done publicly or behind the pulpit. I had heard of statistics, but I didn’t know exactly what the implementation of statistics looked like. I understand its value because our administration helps us do the work, both direct service and telling the story of what we do.

The best thing about officership is doing the work. It’s showing up. It’s being present and active in the community. The corps is a center of influence, a place where people can come, be inspired, part of work that changes lives for good. I love Jesus, so it’s important to remember that in Him, we live and move and have our being. Officership can become challenging when we forget that or when we leave Jesus behind. But we have to remember that He goes before us, He’s with us, and He will continue to be even after we’re gone.

My advice for anyone becoming an officer is to find a mentor, somebody that is currently doing it. Talk to them, work with them, learn from them, connect with them.

It’s hard to measure impact or value of a changed life. What officers do is we improve

lives every day through the sharing of the gospel, through the provision of program services or opportunities that people may not otherwise have access to.

It’s incredible. This work that we get to do as officers is humbling because of the magnitude of it. It’s an honor. It’s honorable work because of what we get to do and be part of in the lives of people. Whether you’re working with a donor or somebody who’s dependent upon our services, we’re creating opportunities for people to live fuller lives, the lives that Jesus had intended each one of us, for us to live. John 10:10 states that Jesus came so that we could live abundant lives. And the life of an officer living with The Salvation Army, allows people on all stages of the spectrum to experience a fuller life.

Lt. Mark Cancia

Service to Others

BY LT. COLONEL ALLEN SATTERLEE

When were they going to understand?

Surely this must have been Jesus’ thought as He watched His disciples stubbornly refusing to serve each other. So it was that He removed His outer robe, took up the basin and the towel, and knelt down before each one of the Twelve as He performed the task of a slave (John 13:1-17). He gently washed their smelly feet, and when Peter protested, He explained, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (vs. 7). Service to others. That is the lesson, Peter.

When He finished, He further explained, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you” (vs. 14, 15). He said even more plainly at an earlier time that he who would rule must learn to be a servant (Matthew 20:26-28). The Bible consistently teaches that our profession must have a practical expression.

Isn’t it interesting that when Jesus raised the little girl to life He told those around her to give her something to eat (Mark 5:42); that when the demoniac was healed of his possession, He told him to go back home and tell people what happened (Mark 5:19)? And if it was so in the Bible days, is it not so for anyone who professes to know Christ? A Christianity without service to others is not only toothless, it is useless.

WE ARE AN ARMY!

On the Trail

BY DR. STEVE KELLNER

Every service member who has ambitions to make the military a career and climb the promotion ladder knows that they will be required at some point to be involved in either recruiting or training new troops. Every current senior officer and NCO has done their time in one of these two areas. For example, the much-feared basic training drill sergeants made famous (or infamous!) in movies and television all came from other military specialties and returned to those specialties after doing their two-year stint “on the trail” as trainers.

This policy may seem strange to an outsider. If the job of the military is to fight wars, why pull war fighters out of the ranks to perform recruiting and training duty? But the policy makes sense when you consider that the military can’t perform its mission without a continuous stream of new

members joining up, and those new members must be well trained. It also makes sense that the military wants recruiters and trainers who have proven field experience, so that the right recruits are selected, and the training is realistic and up to date.

And, importantly, by taking time away from their primary military specialty to serve as recruiters and trainers, service members show their concern for the long-term health of their military service and not just their own career. Nothing serves better to prove a future leader’s commitment and loyalty to the organization and the mission.

In the same way, officers and soldiers of The Salvation Army must be continuously recruiting and training new members, adherents, friends, and volunteers. Otherwise, our Army will disappear in a generation or two. In some ways the Army already recognizes this imperative. You’ll notice, for example, that many of our top divisional and territorial leaders have served as DYS’s and TYS’s (candidate recruitment) and/or on the staff of the Evangeline Booth College for Officer Training, and this is no coincidence.

But all Salvationists, not just our senior leaders, must be on recruiting and training duty. The Army has a neverending need for people who will answer the call to serve, and those people must be well trained. Recruiting and training new members is a time-consuming and sometimes frustrating undertaking, and it may seem to take time away from more important parts of our ministry. But that kind of thinking is shortsighted and will result in the disappearance of our movement in a generation or two.

Recruiting and training are implied in our mission statement even if not stated. In fact, a strong case can be made that the phrase “and recruit and train new Salvationists” should be added as the third clause in our mission statement after spreading the gospel and meeting human need without discrimination.

Like our military brethren, we can prove our concern for the long-term health and vitality of our movement and its mission by our willingness to go “on the trail” in recruiting and training new members always and everywhere.

APPOINTMENTS

On behalf of the Territorial Commander, we are very pleased to announce the following appointments effective as stated.

Arkansas & Oklahoma Division

Major Patricia A. Hambrick (effective 01/16/2023)

Corps Officer—Russellville, AR (PRSA)

Major Margaret L. Kennell (effective 01/16/2023)

Corps Officer—Muskogee, OK (PRSA)

Georgia Division

Major James W. Allison (effective 02/01/2023)

General Secretary—DHQ Staff (PRSA)

Major Lois A. Allison (effective 02/01/2023)

Divisional Secretary for Program— DHQ Staff (PRSA)

Sergeant Sarah Sturdivant (effective 01/30/2023)

Corps Administrator—Macon, GA

Kentucky & Tennessee Division

Captain Sarah E. Birks (effective 02/06/2023)

Associate Corps Officer—Johnson City, TN

Captain Mark S. Love (effective 02/03/2023)

Area Commander—Chattanooga, TN (PRSA)

Captain Sally M. Love (effective 02/03/2023)

Area Commander—Chattanooga, TN (PRSA)

Texas Division

Major Kenneth A. Fagan (effective 01/21/2023)

Corps Officer—Beaumont, TX (PRSA)

Major Linda L. Fagan (effective 01/21/2023)

Corps Officer—Beaumont, TX (PRSA)

Captain Jason T. Moore (effective 01/09/2023)

Health Leave

Captain Michelle Y. Moore (effective 01/09/2023)

Health Leave

A column exploring how the principles, practices and culture of our military services might apply to The Salvation Army

Amsterdam

BY MAJOR SANDRA PAWAR

“People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used.” – Unknown

“The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress” (Isaiah 5:7).

A few years ago, I spent three days in Amsterdam. I stayed in Zaandam, a very picturesque area. In many ways, I felt like I was staying in Epcot at Disneyworld with its model like houses and hotels. It was peaceful and beautiful. I then spent the next morning in an area where there were windmills, cheesemaking classes and a museum of clogs. It was very scenic, far removed from the real world and all its worries and stresses.

A few hours later I went to the city of Amsterdam and found myself lost in a maze of streets in the red-light district. It was horrifying on many levels and made me feel incredibly distraught, unsettled and broken in spirit.

A day after my visit to the red-light district, I again found myself in a different world visiting the house of Christian hero Corrie Ten Boom. I could not have spent my days in two more different worlds. One world was filled with such incredible faith and hope and bravery. The other world just broke my heart.

In the Amsterdam red-light district, women ‘work’ in small rooms behind large windows framed with red lights on top, where they stand and entice men. As men, women, children and teens walk past, they knocked on the window to get their attention. Seeing it in person was incredibly heartbreaking. These women did not look happy or satisfied. They looked like caged animals. As I found myself wandering around these streets, trying hard to find my way back to the main train station, I was crying. Silent tears were falling for the women I saw behind the windows and doors. I cried because I knew that God loved them deeply and wanted so much more for them. I cried because I knew that behind those doors and those red lights were broken and hurting women.

I questioned how society got to this place, where it was acceptable for women to stand in front of windows selling themselves; where they were commodities to be bought and sold; where it was normal for not only adults, but families with small children to wander past these women like it was a normal everyday outing.

This red-light district in Amsterdam and the activities there are legal. Everything is out in the open. The women who ‘work’ there are purported to have rights and protections. Yet even legal prostitution in that city involves human rights violations, sex trafficking, violence against women, immigration issues, and economic problems. The women still suffer physical, psychological, and financial abuse and still experience violence, threats, coercion, and fear.

Some people say that making prostitution legal made things better for these women in Amsterdam, that these new laws keep them out of the back-alley brothels and away from pimps. Yet what I saw was not safe, or secure. Women weren’t valued and cared for. When women are for sale, they are seen as a commodity rather than actual people with families and dreams of their own.

Are these women truly free because laws say they are? Or are they in slavery? Slavery to other people’s desires, slavery to circumstances, slavery to lack of opportunity and choices.

I don’t know all the answers but what I do know is I serve a loving God who desires the best for these women. He desires their freedom from the bondage they are in in every sense of the word. He longs for a world where women don’t have to sell themselves behind windows for all to see.

I can’t change the laws in Amsterdam, but I can pray fervently for these women, for the protection of their hearts, minds and spirits. I can pray that they would know their value, not monetarily, but according to the Kingdom of God. I can pray for their deliverance and freedom. You can too.

My visit to Amsterdam and the heartbreak I felt for these women and their circumstances confirmed for me the call that God had placed on my life years before. I was called to seek justice on behalf of others, and to set the captives free, to bring hope into a hopeless world.

Amsterdam is not the only place where wom -

en are seen as commodities, rather than valued and treasured children of God. It’s not the only place in the world where women are bought and sold. I have made it my mission to find and serve women, men and children around the world who find themselves in vulnerable and exploitative situations like those women in Amsterdam.

What about you? What is God calling you to? How can you set the captives free and give hope to the vulnerable and exploited in your community? Here are a few questions you can answer to help figure out your role in setting the captives free in your community, not just women, but men and children too.

• What is the difference between slavery and freedom?

• What are the ways people can be enslaved in our communities?

• In what ways can you reach out to them?

• What are some ways you can pray for them?

Prayer

Father,

We bring before You the many millions around the world who are held in slavery, who are suffering at this very moment. Father, pour out Your Spirit of comfort on them. We pray You bring freedom, healing and restoration upon each person.

We ask that you raise up thousands upon thousands of people around the world who are willing to pray and work towards the freedom of others. Help us to notice those in our communities who are trapped in slavery and who need us to reach out to them. Open up doors of opportunities to serve them and to help them know they are valued and loved.

Men of the Territory Asked to Hold On to Their F.O.R.K.’s

BY MAJOR MARK SATTERLEE, TERRITORIAL MEN’S MINISTRIES SECRETARY

The scenes throughout Ukraine are hard to watch. Bombed out buildings, citizens fleeing for their lives from shelling and living in makeshift relocation encampments. There is a group however that faces even harder difficulties—the Roma or gypsy population.

It is estimated that over 400,000 Roma live in Ukraine. Amnesty International says, “Their mistreatment goes back before the 19th century. In medieval England, Switzerland and Denmark they were sentenced to death. Many countries, including Germany, Poland and Italy, ordered the expulsion of all Roma. The Nazis in World War II saw them as racially inferior and murdered hundreds of thousands of them. After the war, Roma continued to be discriminated against and oppressed, especially in the Soviet Union. Between the 1970’s and 1990’s the Czech Republic and Slovakia sterilized around 90,000 women against their will.”

“Today the Roma often live in isolated slums, often without electricity or running water, and they struggle to get the healthcare they need. Many live with the daily threat of forced evictions, police harassment and violent attacks. Romani children also often suffer segregation in schools and receive a lower standard of education. As a result, the Roma have more health problems, worse housing and lower literacy rates. A Roma can expect to live 10 years less than their European neighbor.”

“When we were in Hungary ten years ago, we witnessed the conditions the Roma lived in then, and the discrimination was right out in the open,” reports Major Mark Satterlee, Territorial Men’s Ministries Secretary. “Our guide told us that a candidate for mayor of a small town nearby promised to run the Roma out of the area if he was elected.” Centuries of prejudice and discrimination have pushed the great majority of Roma to the margins of society and kept them there. How much more difficult is the life of the Roma in Ukraine when war has caused a scarcity of supplies?

The Salvation Army in Hungary partnering with Ukraine has opened 18 feeding sites where the Roma and other displaced families may receive meals and food. While the effort is currently being supported by The Salvation Army United Kingdom Territory, that funding will end in June this year. The program currently feeds 350 families consisting of 1,750 meals. Lt. Colonel George Baker with The Salvation Army World Services Organization adds, “Pastoral support is also offered, on request, as part of the program, which is covered by local pastors in each community.”

Operation F.O.R.K. ( Feed O ur Roma K ids), the 2023 territorial men’s project, is challenging the men throughout the Southern Territory to raise the $67,200 needed to continue the program and the 18 feeding stations for an additional year. The men can donate or raise funds and turn the money into their divisional headquarters. The funds will then be transferred to THQ Men’s Ministries for forwarding on to the affected area.

“The men of the Southern Territory respond when there is a proven need. Two years ago we asked the men to sponsor beehives for subsistence farmers in the Congo. Although our goal was 100 beehives, we ended up sponsoring well over 300. Last year, we asked the men of the territory to sponsor water tanks for corps in Papua New Guinea. We hoped we could raise $20,000.00 for 10 water tanks. We ended up

raising nearly $100,000.00 purchasing 30 water tanks.” reports Major Satterlee. “This is an ambitious goal, but we want to believe God for big things. I am confident the men of the Southern Territory will rise up again and meet the need. Operation F.O.R.K. is merely a means of giving men the opportunity to care for kids and their families halfway around the world.”

For more information, please contact Major Mark Satterlee at Mark.Satterlee@uss.salvationarmy.org.

Spirit of the South

100 Years Ago

The Salvation Army in Shreveport, Louisiana has announced that it is forming a branch of the Home League at the corps on Crockett Street. Mrs. Lt. Colonel George Wood came to establish the local branch. She is from the Southwestern Division of the Army that is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The Home League is composed of ladies and combines both social and welfare activities. There were 21 ladies in attendance at the meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Shreveport Journal (Shreveport, LA) March 21, 1923.

75 Years Ago

The new Salvation Army citadel will be dedicated Sunday afternoon at 1618 Beech Avenue in McAllen, Texas, Captain John Jordan announced today. Mayor T. B. Watts, Jr. issued a proclamation saying in part, “The City of McAllen is desirous of acknowledging its debt and expressing its gratitude to this organization for the fine work it has done.” Captain Jordan invited the public to inspect the building. The $22,500 structure is stucco tile on a reinforced concrete structure and is designed in a homogenous Mexican architecture style. The Monitor (McAllen, TX), March 3, 1948.

50 Years Ago

The Salvation Army in Staunton, Virginia has served three meals a day to an average of 750 persons involved in rescue work at the disaster site of the Skyline Plaza North at Bailey Crossroads. A portion of the 25-story high-rise apartment collapsed on March 2, killing five people and leaving a number of workers missing and injured. The Fairfax unite of The Salvation Army has a disaster canteen and was the first relief agency on the scene. Daily News Leader (Staunton, VA), March 12, 1973.

25 Years Ago

The Boys and Girls Club operated by The Salvation Army is providing vital services to youth from its campus on the former St. Philip Neri Catholic Church that is being leased to The Salvation Army here in Louisville for $1 a year. The club is in the segment of Old Louisville covered by the Toonsville Trolley Neighborhood Association. The club caters to youth 6-18, charging a nominal $8 year membership fee. But free memberships are offered if needed. Nearly 200 youths have joined so far. The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), March 4, 1998.

WORD SEARCH (ANSWERS)

Potomac Division Corps and Area Commands

“Can These Bones Live?” You Bet They Can

BY MAJOR A. KENNETH WILSON

God provides a powerful image of resurrection power in the vision of an entire valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37. We may even know the song that the vision inspired that says: “The toe bone’s connected to the foot bone; the foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone…“ So, what is the deal with a whole valley of sun–bleached remains as the Lord asks, “Can these bones live?”

Who owned the bones? Shouldn’t someone be held accountable? Perhaps one clue might come from Ezekiel’s fellow prophet and contemporary, Jeremiah, who prophesied to those under siege in Judah. “‘The people of Judah have done evil in My eyes,’ declares the Lord. ‘They have set up their detestable idols in the house that bears My Name and have defiled it… So beware, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead…until there is no more room…

“‘At that time, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried but will be like refuse lying on the ground. Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life,’ declares the Lord Almighty” (Jeremiah 7:30–8:3).

“Can these bones live?” not as lifeless reconstructions but breathing, restored in every way human beings. But is it any more difficult for the Lord to reanimate bones than it was to make a human from dirt and a corresponding mate from one of his ribs?

Can the dead be restored to life the way they were before? Are the dead figurative or literal? Perhaps both—trying to live without God, without a compass for life, without values, without even a pulse, without anything that brings more than just existence.

But when the Lord asked if the bones could live, He had something specific in mind— resurrection life. The average adult human has approximately 206 bones from the fine metacarpals and metatarsals in the hands and feet. to the big bones like the femur in the upper leg, to the delicate hammer, anvil and stirrup in the ear.

On top of that, the adult body has an estimated 640 muscles all connected with ligaments, tendons, cartilage, blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue making the human body such a terrifically complex organism. But the Lord gave Ezekiel an encouraging message in the vision to provide hope for a future.

God asked, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, You alone know” (Ezekiel 37:1-3). In this case “son of man” is translated Adam, just like the name of the first created human. In the same way Jesus used that name to identify Himself as a card–carrying human being just like us. Son of Man was not a name of theology, but one of relationship as a genuine flesh and blood human with two natures, equal and simultaneous—100 percent God and 100 percent human—one like us, and the other completely “Other.”

The Lord said, “I will make breath enter you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:4–6).

As Ezekiel preached, the bones began to rattle and shift from where they had fallen as newly aligned bones and muscles made the former skeletons resemble diagrams in a medical textbook. They were complete bodies, but not alive yet. But many pastors preach to breathing cadavers every Sunday morning. Are you one of them?

The Lord added, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Come, breath from the four winds and breathe life into these slain, that they may live’” (Ezekiel 37:9). It was not as direct as to Adam in the Garden where the Lord delivered the breath of life face to face, but not bad. Ezekiel stood in awe as the reconstituted corpses inhaled with a loud gasp and stood up.

The Lord told Ezekiel that the bones are the people of God who turned their backs on Him, so that there was nothing left to them. But the Lord was going to restore them once their attitude adjustment was accomplished so “that they would know” that His Spirit in them makes them truly alive although they deserved none of it (see Ezekiel 37:11–14). The Lord showed His promise to restore a spiritually dead nation. He can also do the same thing for an individual, local congregation or an entire denomination that seems alive but is anything but.

More than providing a vision of a homeland, or of corpses brought back from mass death, the Lord gives purpose and meaning to life. Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, and more abundantly” (John 10:10). He is the Resurrection and the Life. People who might be medically alive but are lost and gone, will be made alive in Christ. So what bones might there be now? Yours, your family, friends, church, community… but there is still the promise of life and restoration.

So, back to the question, “Can these bones live?” You bet they can. Rattle on in and put yours on the forgiven, resurrected pile. Now how does that song go? “The toe bone’s connected to the foot bone…”

PROMOTED TO GLORY

Major Beatrice Hopper

Major Beatrice

Hopper was Promoted To Glory on January 21, 2023, at the age of 81. She served faithfully as a Salvation Army Officer for over 45 years, and well into her retirement.

Beatrice Maude

Tidman was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on May 18, 1941 to officer parents Reginald and Minnie Tidman. Being in an Army home she was very active in open-air, Sunday morning and night meetings. She taught Sunday School classes, Girl Guards and even Corps Cadets.

She also worked with a Billy Graham crusade as a counselor dealing with people at the altar. She once stated that it was a real blessing to her and that it would be helpful to her future in winning souls for His Kingdom.

Beatrice was converted at age 14 at a Youth Councils in Richmond, Virginia, where she totally

surrendered her life to Christ. In her paperwork for acceptance at the Training College, she stated she gave “all there is of Beatrice Tidman” while the chorus All There Is Of Me, Lord was playing. “I strive each day to live closer to Him in order that I might gain a deeper experience of holiness.”

In 1961, Beatrice entered the Training College from Tampa, Florida. It was there she met the man she would marry, Robert Hopper. They were both commissioned in June 1963 with the Servants Of Christ session. Lieutenant Tidman was appointed to the Baltimore Day Nursery for one year, and then was transferred to Marietta, Georgia as corps officer—where on April 17, 1963, she and Lieutenant Robert Hopper were married.

In January 1967, they were appointed to Columbus, Georgia and later to open a new corps in Phenix City, Alabama. Later corps appointments came at Thomasville and Macon, Georgia. Following a year at the Florida Divisional Headquarters, they were appointed to Hagerstown, Maryland and Parkersburg, West Virginia. They went on the Arkansas-Oklahoma Divisional Headquarters, where she served as League of Mercy and Medical Fellowship.

In 1989, the Majors Hopper were appointed to Territorial Headquarters, where she did special service at the conference center. Their next two appointments were as area commanders in Chattanooga, Tennessee and New Orleans, Louisiana.

June 2002 brought a transfer to the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi Divisional Headquarters, followed by a post at the North & South

Potomac Division Corps and Area Commands

Answers on page 11

Carolina Divisional Headquarters—both stints for her as Community Care Ministries Secretary. They retired in July 2007.

Major Beatrice Hopper is preceded in death by her son, Robert Lee Hopper, Jr., who was Promoted To Glory on December 1, 2001. She is survived by her loving husband of over 45 years, Major Robert Hopper, and her daughter, Joyce Hopper.

A Celebration Of Life service was held on January 28, 2023, at the Memorial Park Funeral Home in Gainesville, Georgia. Committal followed that afternoon at Westview Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia.

PROMOTED TO GLORY

Major Frank Swimm

Major Frank Swimm was Promoted To Glory on February 3, 2023, surrounded by his loving family.

Frank Carlton Swimm was born on January 19, 1937, in Everett, Massachusetts, to parents Maurice and Elizabeth Swimm.

Frank became involved with The Salvation Army at the age of six. When he was thirteen the family moved to Erie, Pennsylvania. He attended a technical school until age 16; working for a period of time before moving back to Massachusetts where he lived with his brother until he entered the military. In July 1955, he entered the U.S. Air Force, performing his training in Denver, Colorado. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal in November 1958 and was honorably discharged in July 1959.

While in Massachusetts, he worked with an elderly lady, Ruth Gregory, who spoke to him about the Lord. Frank did not take her seriously until one day she spoke of eternity—that stayed with him. While attending a revival meeting at The Salvation Army in Norfolk, Virginia, Frank truly repented and accepted Christ into his heart.

As time went by after his conversion, he found a closer walk with God. He did not know about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit until attending the National Seminar on Evangelism in Glen Erie, Colorado. It was at that time he felt the Lord’s calling on his life to fulltime service as a Salvation Army officer.

On December 30, 1960, Frank married Nellie Baker. He was very involved in the corps, served as YPSM for four years, and participated in OpenAir meetings.

In 1971, Frank and Nellie, accompanied by two daughters, Cheryl and Jacqulyn, entered the training college in Atlanta as members of the Blood and Fire session. Cadets Frank and Nellie Swimm were commissioned with the rank of lieutenants on June 10, 1973. Every appointment during their illustrious career was spent in Adult Rehabilitation Centers across the Southern Territory: Houston, Texas (trainee); Atlanta, Georgia (assist); Tulsa, Oklahoma (director); Baltimore, Maryland (administrator); Orlando, Florida; and Alexandria, Virginia—their final appointment until honored retirement on June 30, 2002.

Together they served faithfully for over 30 years as active officers and even in their retirement continued doing the Lord’s work.

Major Swimm is survived by his wife of over 61 years, Major Nellie Swimm; two daughters Cheryl (Klon) Kitchen, Jr., and Major Jacqulyn (Lewis) Reckline; seven grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life was held on February 13, 2023, at the Waxahachie Corps, Texas.

ASBURY AWAKENING

Holy Spirit!

Promised presence fall on me. Holy Spirit! Make me all I long to be.

Holy Spirit! Holy Spirit!

Give Your power to me, O Holy Spirit.

-General John Gowans

BY LT. COLONEL ALLEN SATTERLEE

Asbury University, with its sister institution Asbury Theological Seminary across the street, are the main features of tiny Wilmore, Kentucky, a town struggling to reach 7000 in population. Since its beginning, the small Christian university has had worldwide influence as alumni have scattered around the world and filled leadership roles in churches and business and education. Secure in its mission, it has been a place where thousands have not only received an education but experienced the Lord at pivotal times in their lives.

In 1970, the Lord favored Asbury with a special visitation that resulted in ripples of revival emanating across the country. The burgeoning churches in Africa, Asia and Latin America testify that God has continued to be actively engaged in His world. But the Western world has continued its spiritual slide, leaving many grieving over a collective sinfulness that showed no signs of abating. The faithful have prayed that God would send an awakening, beginning with a revival of His church so that it could be an effective witness and a useful tool in His work of redemption.

The Awakening Begins

How many times and how long have I prayed for this generation to Rise Up and respond to the Almighty! Hear our prayers, hear their prayers O God. Release your Holy Spirit in these days! Amen!

—Commissioner Kelly Igleheart

I feel like the revival is something that a lot of people have been praying over, but it’s also something a lot of people have been doubting.

—Deb Shurtleff

On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, the students, faculty and staff of Asbury University filed into Hughes Auditorium for one of the three weekly mandatory chapel services. A guest speaker, Zach Meerkreebs, was there to share a message on the chosen theme of “Heart of Holiness.” While some may have had their minds on the next class, others felt that God was using the moment.

He was talking about sincere love and like what love actually is and how humans can never compare to the type of love that God has for everybody. And you could just start to

feel like everybody was getting really into it, and then it was time to go.

—Emma Bell

As people responded, it was time for the chapel to end so that students and faculty could get to their classes on time. It is not at all unusual for students to respond to a chapel and for some to stay behind while they met with the Lord. The university has always made allowance for that because they are committed to the spiritual formation of those in its influence. Normally, students leave, go on to their classes and resume campus life. But this time, things progressed differently.

Then he said, in his words that, “He gave a halfhearted call to the altar.”

I did not feel like it was halfhearted at all when I was there. It felt very genuine and a lot of people went up. But it was just very Spirit-led for us to stay there and continue worshiping and praying.

—Elijah Stouder

I was leading worship…after Zach spoke, he invited us up (the Gospel Choir) to sing again. Then three of us continued. We just kept singing songs about the goodness of God. It wasn’t like an agreed time we were going to leave the stage but we one by one left. We went down to the seats and continued praying. I looked around and there were about twenty students. I looked around and noticed that everyone was in their solid time with God.

—Lena Marlowe

Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, there was a shift. From a blessed time of response, there was a universal feeling among the handful that remained in the auditorium that they needed to linger, to continue to praise and seek God. No one said anything. No one signaled anything. It was understood, although if asked at the time, the ones there would be hard-pressed to tell you why they felt that way. It was just right to be there.

Outside of the auditorium, others started to notice, and things started to happen.

I’m below the auditorium in my next class, and the whole time you could hear people worshiping upstairs. It was just really cool because one of my friends in that class with me and who’s in the gospel choir, came down about 30 minutes late to class. Our teacher was like, “What’s going on? Why were you late?” And he said, “Yeah, I was singing that whole time. I don’t know what’s happening, but it’s something really cool. I think everybody should go after class.” You could still hear them praising and worshipping upstairs.

—Emma Bell

Photo by Sevasti Levenioti

Photo by Paul Cain

The first night I was sitting, and there weren’t as many people there at that point. One of my friends turned around to me. He’s said, “Can I pray with you? I just feel like I’m being led to pray with you.” He didn’t ask me what I needed a prayer for, but everything that he said was just everything that was already going on in my life. I was like, “Wow. Look at God. Look at what He just did for me.” —Amber Smith

Still student led, word began to spread through word of mouth, texts, and group chats. Something was happening at Hughes Auditorium, and it was something you couldn’t afford to miss.

In my one o’clock class, three students interrupted, and they said, “Guys if you don’t have anything going on after this class, come to chapel, come to Hughes. Something truly amazing is happening. God is moving.” And so, a lot of people from that class went to chapel, and they stayed there. When I got there, I instantly felt something. I didn’t exactly know what it was. I figured it was the Spirit, it was God.

—Christian Harris

As the class time ended, students just came pouring into the room, like they had been hearing in text messages and things, and they’d been in their classes. Some of them were running, running to get there. The looks on their faces as they came into the space was just pure, holy expectation. They wanted to be there because something beautiful was happening. It was just lovely.

—Dr. Nathan Miller

As word spread, Dr. Kevin Brown, president of Asbury University, sent out an email to all students and staff, to tell them that the chapel service had not yet ended because God was at work. Word spread quickly across the street to the seminary, and soon many of them also made their way over to join in this moment with God.

Around 1:30, Dr. Brown sent out an email and said, “Worshiping is still happening at in Hughes. All are welcome.” It’s just been constant since. I went back and I started to worship out of curiosity honestly. Generally worship ends after chapel, after the last song, but knowing that it was still going on and it was just getting stronger, I wanted to go.

—Ashlie Pelletier

I thought it was very exciting. It also felt very peaceful, which I think is interesting because a lot of people apparently have been sharing that they felt peace.

—Jena Pelletier

Majors Paul and Alma Cain, directors of The Salvation Army Moulton Student Center, became aware and immediately joined in, offering their support with logistics, talking to and encouraging Salvationist students as they processed what God was not only doing across the university but in their individual lives as well. “We knew God was at work,” said Major Paul Cain, “And we were both excited and ready to make ourselves available in whatever way we could as the Holy Spirit guided.”

The Awakening Takes Hold

The meeting continued into the night, then into the wee hours of the morning, and was still going strong when morning dawned the next day. By then, word had spread to the churches and neighborhoods of Wilmore and on to Nicholasville, Danville and Lexington. Pastors and Christian brothers and sisters quietly stole in to join their hearts with those of the Asbury community.

What was striking immediately was how understated it was. H.B. Charles Jr., pastor of a Baptist congregation from Florida noted in the Roys Report, “No high-profile leaders. No programmatic strategies. No multi-ethnic props. Just students crying out to God with devotion, humility, and repentance.”

Jon Burdette, writing in The Christian Post, notes, “…one person leading worship on a piano. No microphone, no words on a screen, no service rundown. Just Spirit-led worship that ranged from calm, quiet harmonies to eruptions of loud singing, clapping and testifying.

“The best way I can describe it is that you felt a sense of tranquility all throughout your being that made it difficult to leave the room. No programs, but complete peace. There were no ‘rules,’ but it was totally in order. There was lots of emotion, but no emotionalism.”

The ebb and flow of the revival gathering is a thing of beauty. No one is rushed, hurried or bothered by seemingly anything. People come and go as their schedules permit. Scripture is read, testimonies given, music played, worship songs sung, altar calls are spontaneous and people are being released from their chains! I am overwhelmed by Gods goodness, but confident that He has so much more to give.

—Major Alma Cain

I mean, there were like six or seven students playing guitar, and many students were there and it wasn’t like special lights from, it wasn’t like mics and all this stuff. It was so simple. And as soon as I got there, after five minutes, I started worshiping. I started feeling the presence of the Lord. And I started crying, I was crying for almost like an hour.

—Sevasti Lavenioti

Right when I walked in, you felt something in the air. You felt something moving. You felt a presence and you just really felt comforted immediately. It was a weird feeling for me because I haven’t really experienced much of that sensation when I just walk into a room, but it was just a sense of, “Oh, I’m home.” It was incredibly amazing to feel.

—Lilli Bell

It’s very interesting to see that this revival is happening. People who you normally see on their phones during chapel or like not even going to chapel are participating. It’s very cool to see them come in for this revival because their attitude towards God has been renewed.

—Deb Shurtleff

Photo by Sevasti Levenioti

Photo by Sevasti Levenioti

You see people only looking at their Bibles reading Scripture and highlighting passages. You see people on the floor praying. I saw a girl painting the whole time and like her paintings were up there. You see people singing, you see people dancing everywhere.

—Emma Bell

Overwhelming for Some

As wonderful as the meeting was in Hughes Auditorium, some found it difficult to be there. But leaders and students from the beginning were very clear that God, the Holy Spirit, was in no way restricted to working only within the confines of the chapel. After all, this was never planned, was not being scripted and no effort was being made to control how things unfolded. Sensitivity to the Spirit had been first and foremost since the awakening began.

I was practicing late into Friday night, and I spent probably almost two hours, just playing out of our Salvation Army Tune Book, old hymns, or tunes that I knew. By myself, quiet, just playing those. That’s where I had my experience was, “Okay, I don’t have to be down in Hughes with thousands of people for God to meet me.”

I was really impacted with just me and God and The Salvation Army Tune Book. This week has been really impactful for me, because it’s given me a chance, to say, “I’ll take my time with Him and focus on this and get myself right.”

—Justin Bowman

(I don’t) like big crowds. It’s all this noise and I can get very overwhelmed. I’m still in the moment, I’m still worshiping, but I have to take a minute and collect everything that’s happening. Every time that happens, I’d wonder, “Am I doing something wrong here? What’s wrong with me? So I had to have a long conversation with my dad. He said, “The way you worship compared to other people doesn’t affect what type of a Christian you are. If you’re worshiping, you’re worshiping.” I took the time to really sit down and think about, and this has caused me to do that.

—Richie Sayre

Wise Counsel from Doctor Kevin Brown

At the beginning of one of the scheduled chapels, Asbury University President, Doctor Kevin Brown, made some wise observations and shared his heartfelt counsel:

• I want to recognize, especially to our students, staff, and faculty what a disruption this is. It’s a good disruption, but it’s a disruption. We’re not an event venue, we’re a university. I want to recognize that. I’m thankful for the students, the staff, and the faculty, to make space and be hospitable.

• I want to recognize that people, who have not been in this space and are looking at us, are right to be skeptical. Certainly, there is a history in Christianity, there are so many men and women who have been recipients of ill-formed, deformed, malformed expressions of our faith who have been hurt by that. God forgive us.

• I also want to recognize that we don’t have a playbook for this. There is a leadership team, and we are trying to be as orderly as possible and at the

After the revival started here, I went to a retreat called “The Grounded.” It was continuing to ask our soul how is it going in our inner being. I think it was the first time I allowed myself to sit and take it all in and realize that God is my friend and that I am a child of God. —Derek

Twinney

same time take our hands off and let what the Lord wants to do occur. So we want to be as humble about that as possible.

• I want to recognize that spiritual growth and spiritual things happen in Hughes Auditorium, but they also happen in a classroom. They also happen outside of this space. And also, I want to recognize that cerebral things don’t just happen in the classroom, but they can happen in this space.

• I want to recognize that there is nothing special about Asbury University, there’s nothing special about its leadership, and there’s nothing special about Wilmore, Kentucky.

• I want to recognize the radical acts of humility that have occurred in this space that are absolutely mind-boggling to me. I want to recognize the radical compassion that I’ve seen, for a student to cry out to all the other students and say, “I’m not seen.” And then to hear other students say, “I see you.” And, for thirty of them to gather around that student and for men and women that live in the Central Kentucky area, to come down and say, “I see you.” God forgive us where we do not see each other. Radical compassion, radical confession, so vulnerable, so much meaningful risk but just raw confession and radical change and transformation.

Crowds Arrive

Fueled primarily by social media, news of the awakening spread far beyond the Central Kentucky area. Word quickly leapt international boundaries. Emails, text messages and phone calls were made and shared with family, friends and even strangers. Many felt a compelling need to be there, to partake of what was happening. The hunger to see God clearly at work made pilgrimage to Wilmore something that for many had to be done. Included in this number were students from more than twenty colleges and universities.

As Dr. Brown noted, Asbury is not equipped for that, but efforts were made to accommodate the growing numbers. Two auditoriums across the street at the seminary were opened for live streaming and spillover crowds. Hughes Auditorium is restricted to seating for a little less than 2000 people but this was strained as every seat was taken, and people stood in the aisles and against the walls. The population of Wilmore was nearly doubled as an estimated 5000 packed the streets of the little town. Screens and speakers were set up so that the thousands waiting in line to get into Hughes Auditorium could worship and join their hearts as they waited to enter.

But not all were there for the right reasons. People arrived with their own agendas, quite apart from being part of this awakening.

“Because a group of students took it upon themselves to meet these folk when they arrived and to remind them that this was God’s work. It was not the students’ agenda. It was not the faculty’s agenda or any outsider’s agenda. This was God’s work. And if these folks were willing to come in and sit and listen and worship God and grow in that experience, they were completely welcome.

“But if they were only there to push an agenda that did not match what God was doing in the midst of this, then they were going to be asked to kind of leave. And, to their credit, they left.” The Roys Report

—Professor James Hampton

Photo by Paul Cain Photo by Sevasti Levenioti

This woman stood up and said, “I don’t know what this means, I don’t know what God’s telling me to do, but the word on my heart is ‘Durham,’ like the way you spell Durham, North Carolina.

I thought, “That’s how you spell my last name. That’s very interesting.” My friends said, “Go up and see like what she has to say.” And I’m thinking, “Maybe it’s for somebody else. But nobody else here has the last name of Durham.” I waited, nobody got up and I said, “Okay, Lord, what are you trying to say?” So, I went up, “Hey, my last name’s Durham.”

She was saying how God really put on her heart that she thinks I’m struggling about what my path is. I’d just been wondering if I chose the right major. And I said, “Yeah, it’s been a struggle.” So, she gave me a Scripture—Psalm 77:1-6, I think. I went back and I read it and because it was a psalm, it was addressed to the choir director.

And thought, “Oh, that’s great.” As a music education major for choir directing, that really helps. I was struggling with that for months, ever since I picked my major. Is that really what God is calling me to do? That was one of the biggest things I’ve ever received from the Holy Spirit. It’s a confirmation that I want to use music for His glory and teach others to use music for His glory.

—Mary Beth Durham

But there’s also been people who try and use this for personal gain by posting on social media about how awesome it is and how much they love it when you really know that haven’t been much a part of it. It’s just kind of like, come on, what are we doing? Let’s let God do this and not us.

—Richie Sayre

Sanctified Weariness

One of the fascinating aspects of the awakening has been that, while the focus has been on what was happening in Hughes Auditorium, life must go on. People have to eat, students have to go to classes, complete assignments, study for tests and nurture their relationships with others. Someone has to pick up the tissues left at the altar and empty the trashcans. Microphone cords have to be moved and people asked to honor the spaces reserved for the students. It can be very wearying. There is a spirit of joy but some weep with exhaustion even as they continue to serve.

No one wants to hinder the Spirit or His work. So there has been a kind of dance between times of meaningful spiritual connection with giving attention to the mundane. But on reflection, one realizes that the Lord never intended there to be some wall of separation between the sacred and the secular. As Albert Orborn penned, “All my work is for the Master.” Done in His name, the humdrum is holy.

I am exhausted. It is a holy exhaustion that sleep doesn’t always fix! I have reached out to people who hold me in prayer when things were overwhelming me. I get to work side by side with stellar people each day as we continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting and hungry world.

—Major Alma Cain

What’s Next?

By the time this is in print, the meeting at Hughes Auditorium may have wound down. As I write, the question of “What’s next?” is very much on the hearts and minds of the students and faculty.

Right now, Jesus is with us and it ought to manifest itself and love for the poor, to good news for the poor, to good news for the lost. But Jesus tells us the poor you always have with you. It’s here just for a time and whatever this is, it’s not going to always be here. This gift is not going to stay like that, but His Spirit is going to go with us, and the work will be there to do. I trust and believe and hope that the minute that the way that the Spirit’s work in these students’ lives is just goes deep down into their bones.

Our students need to process. The discipling that needs to take place now. They need together to process what they’ve experienced and realize how the fruit of the Spirit is going to be worked out in their lives as they go on into the everyday.

—Dr. Nathan Miller

I was telling my dad about all this. He told me that when you feel the presence of the Lord, that’s great. But you need to respond to that, and it’s not just going to the altar and pray, but your life needs to change. And so I hope that after that the campus will be a different place. If all of us have God in the center of our lives and do what God wants for us as a goal, I feel our lives would be so much different. After what I experienced, I want to lean on God more and trust God more.

—Sevasti Levenioti

As amazing as it is when I’m in the auditorium and we’re all raising our voices together, I feel quite strongly the Lord putting on my heart that if we’re using this word revival, which I believe that is what is happening, this is just an event. Revival really is like we’re planting seeds. A lot of those seeds we won’t see for a long time. I keep asking “How is my life going to look differently? How is the Holy Spirit going to be showing up in my life when we are not together in this big room?”

—Jena Pelletier

We’re not neglected. We’re not ignored. It might seem like things are quiet but they’re not. He’s working up in all of us and working in the shadows or in the light just to give us what we need to get through what’s going on. He knows that there are going to be tough times ahead. He knows that this will ease us into it.

—Lilli Bell

While the Asbury Awakening was happening, another tragic shooting that took the lives of several students occurred at Michigan State University. We mourn for these losses that clearly demonstrate that evil has been so terribly emboldened in our day. But then we have these moments when God reminds us, as Lilli Bell said, “We’re not neglected. We’re not ignored.”

The very best thing that can result from this awakening is that it marks the beginning of a new movement of God among us. First, to awaken His people to confess their sin and their laziness, and then to reconsecrate themselves to His work through them to a world that clearly must have Him to survive. While we yearn for the Lord to return to establish His righteous Kingdom on this earth, would His purposes also not be served by an awakening that swept thousands, millions into His waiting arms for their salvation? We cannot affect when Christ returns but we can plead for revival and obey when His direction is given.

Thank you, Asbury University students, faculty and staff, for showing us what it looks like for an awakening to stir. Thank you for not being distracted by all that is wrong but setting your hearts on the Lord alone.

Photo by Sevasti Levenioti

Photo by Sevasti Levenioti