Southern Spirit - Nov 2022 - Vol 38 Issue 8

THE SALVATION ARMY RESPONDS IN WAKE OF DEVASTATING IMPACT LEFT BY HURRICANE IAN

BY BRAD ROWLAND

After intensifying over the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28 near Cayo Costa in southwestern Florida. Upon its arrival to the United States, Ian was a Category 4 hurricane, just short of a Category 5 listing as the strongest classification on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. With wind speeds measured at approximately 150 miles per hour, Hurricane Ian was the fifth-most powerful storm to strike the United States, and the slow-moving storm poured water across Florida before strengthening again to make an additional landfall on the coast of South Carolina.

Ian left catastrophic damage in its wake, in cluding more than 130 reported deaths from its impact. More than four million individuals report ed power outages in the Southeast, with early estimates ranging from $30 billion to $60 million in overall damages. As meteorologists forecasted what projected to be an extremely strong storm, The Salvation Army was on guard, preparing a potential emergency disaster response, and hun dreds and thousands of officers, employees, vol unteers, soldiers, and partners deployed in ear nest to serve those in need.

“Hurricane Ian will be remembered as one of Florida’s worst disasters,” said Jeff Jellets, territo rial disaster coordinator for The Salvation Army’s USA Southern Territory. “Damages stretch from the southwest coast of Florida across the state as

far east as St. John’s and Volusia counties. More than 40 Salvation Army feeding units from six states are deployed and even at this early stage, more than 100,000 meals have been served. In ad dition to our disaster teams operating in the hardest hit areas—Fort Myers, Port Charlotte, Naples and Venice—lo cal corps across the state are also out feeding, dis tributing clean-up kits, and providing emotional and spiritual care.”

The Salvation Army meticulously planned its response, staging can teens and other equipment for immediate disper sal after the storm exited the affected areas. With the response coming directly on the heels of a relief effort following Hurricane Fiona, challenges arose, but incident commands were immediately established with feeding, emotional and spiritual care, and willing hearts.

Across the state of Florida, stories began to circulate on the work of The Salvation Army. In Naples, Captains Ben and Annie Bridges, corps officers, were unable to reach the corps building

and, in their stead, Roger and Ada Morales of fered to stand guard and maintain order at the facility during Ian’s height. Individuals sought refuge within the corps walls, with the Morales’ sleeping at the corps, utilizing available cots, and bringing a hopeful and God-driven spirit to the proceedings.

“One of the most beautiful things that came out of this was that everyone seeking shelter had

“Hurricane Ian...” continued on page 2

Fit for Mission: Potomac Powered Up

BY LT. COLONEL ALLEN SATTERLEE

From seashore to mountains, over 600 gath ered to meet at the Fit for Mission Conference hosted by the Potomac Division. Held at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center on the weekend of September 23-25, it was the first time that all ages have gathered in the newly formed Potomac Division. Although not the purpose of the week end, the call for unity between the two former divisions was frequently expressed and from all appearances, was enthusiastically embraced.

Special guests for the weekend included Jeniffer Dake and TSM Jeremy Rowland. The divi sional music and creative arts programs, heartfelt testimonies and fervent prayers filled the spirited and exciting programs throughout the weekend.

Lt. Colonels Allan and Fiona Hofer, support ed by the Potomac Division staff, gave inspiring leadership. In his opening remarks, Lt. Colonel Allan challenged, “Together we come as one to do business with the Lord in our God-given mis sion.” Then outlining the mission priorities, he concluded by calling for the Potomac Division to “be marked by prayer and holiness.” TSM Row land offered a prayer of dedication for the divi sion and its mission.

Jeniffer Dake, in her characteristic fashion, captured the imaginations of those gathered.

“Am I slow to speak, to anger, swift to listen? When anger comes first, I am not spiritually fit. When I am hurt, I need to stay in place where I am and be healed but not fester. God is not discour aged by our hurt or discouragement. He wants us to come to Him, to make the final move.” As happened throughout the weekend at the end of each meeting, people crowded the front to find salvation, to rededicate themselves, to pray for themselves and each other.

On Saturday morning, Lt. Colonel Allan Hofer brought a stirring message based on the story of

“Potomac...”

Photo by Michelle Hartfield

Reginald and Belinda Johnson are recognized for their outstanding service through the Baltimore Temple Corps.

Photos by Captain Dennis Smith

an attitude of gratitude,” Ada said. “There was no complaining, yelling or frustration.”

“It was a beautiful night despite all the pain and aggravation. Despite losing many things and despite a terrible situation, there were grateful hearts and harmony, which was beautiful to see.”

In Port Charlotte, an assisted living facility, Charlotte Towers, was unable to keep genera tors running, leaving seniors vulnerable due to elevator challenges and the immobility of some housed at the center. Salvation Army workers pro vided hot meals, dry meals, and bottles of water, with volunteers scaling the stairs to hand deliver the nourishment.

The Salvation Army also established a feed ing location in a shopping center parking lot in Punta Gorda, aiming to maximize service delivery for those who needed it. Along the way, an en vironment of community materialized, with Ma jor Serge LaLanne offering a pen and paper to a recipient upon request to give thanks for what transpired. Major LaLanne then placed the pad on a table, continuing service, before realizing that the pad was then filled with impromptu goodwill messages from others receiving help.

“Thank you for your generosity and service to our community,” wrote Paul and Beth. “Thank God for people like you.”

“Thank you so much,” wrote Cindy. “You don’t know what this means to someone who can’t even get into their house.”

On-duty officers and staff from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office received assistance from The Salvation Army as they were deployed to

serve others. In addition to active duty in emer gency disaster management, three staffers lost homes to the storm.

“Thank you so much,” said retired deputy Lynn Nix. “Our staff is so appreciative. We do 12 days on and 12 days off… The Salvation Army has been amazing. We are sure going to miss you guys when you’re done.”

On Saturday, October 8, a Golden Labra dor Retriever named Dunkin toured homes near Ft. Myers, spending time with survivors as they tended to condominiums that suffered from storm damage. Dunkin arrived via a partnership with Canines 4 Christ, and the service dogs go through extensive training to be certified in crisis response therapy through the American Kennel Club. Dunkin interacted with approximately 40 survivors.

“The mission of Canines 4 Christ is to share the love of Jesus Christ in times of despair through the dog,” said Tina Reeder, Dunkin’s handler and an ordained chaplain. “People stop and pet the dog, and it gives us an opportunity to talk and pray with them.”

“Animals are accepting of everyone, and dogs typically remind people of a better time in their lives,” said Bobby Martin, who led the emotional and spiritual care of The Salvation Army’s Emer gency Disaster Team in Fort Myers. “The focus of the person is instantly moved to the dog and no longer on their current circumstances.”

Salvation Army units also sustained consid erable damage from Ian’s wrath. In North Port, a service center was wholly destroyed and will need to be rebuilt. The Port Charlotte Corps suffered significant damage to its roof and fence, with no table tree and flood damage at the Venice Corps, along with roof leaks in Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Sanford, and others.

“Just like everyone else in southwest Florida, we’ve been deeply impacted by the damaging ef fects of Hurricane Ian,” said Lt. Colonel Michele Matthews. “But these are our neighbors, and this is what we are called to do, so we have responded with the full resources of The Salvation Army.”

The Salvation Army also could not serve at maximum capacity without the generous assis tance of myriad partners. The Salvation Army uti lized Polaris off-road vehicles to distribute meals to individuals and families not accessible to can teen units and larger vehicles.

“One of the Army’s great strengths is its abili ty to be flexible,” said Captain Jeremy Mockabee, chief of operations for the Port Charlotte incident command team and corps officer in Lakeland, Florida. “This is never more prevalent than in times of crisis. We adapt, even in our vehicle re sponse. The Polaris meets a specific need. Its size, speed, and versatility make it almost essential in meeting needs in places our other, larger vehicles would not be able to navigate.”

The Walmart Foundation committed $300,000 to The Salvation Army, with $150,000 dedicated to Hurricane Ian relief in support of feeding and hydration efforts. Walmart also offered space in parking lots through the affected areas to allow canteens to set up and provide meal service.

“We are grateful to the Salvation Army teams who quickly mobilized to provide much needed resources and services for the communities im pacted by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Fiona,” said Brooks Nelson, senior manager, disaster re sponse and preparedness for Walmart. “We are proud to work side-by-side to serve the commu nities impacted.”

Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, wife of Governor Ron DeSantis, also visited a food dis tribution site in Venice, thanking The Salvation Army and its workers for the work being done.

“There are a lot of hardworking people on the ground right now, and they will continue to be,” Jellets said. “From our disaster volunteers to officers to staff, the Florida Division has been absolutely committed to this work and we’ve had support not just from across the South, but the Eastern Territory, Central Territory, and National Headquarters. We’ve also had amazing partners

and donors, such as Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Mercy Chefs, PepsiCo, and Midwest Food Bank who have helped with food, as well as Baby 2Baby with infant supplies; UPS, FedEx and Delta Airlines who have donated shipping and air trav el, and Polaris UTV for off-road vehicles which have given us access into some of the hardest hit communities.”

Through October 17, The Salvation Army served 295,560 meals, 188,942 drinks, and 77,296 snacks, with 44,022 hours of active service, and 12,806 emotional and spiritual care contacts across the state of Florida, with those numbers sure to grow. The Salvation Army plans to con tinue its response as long as is required, with continued coordination with partners, as well as federal, state, and local officials. Financial dona tions are encouraged at help.salvationarmy.org or 1-800-SAL-ARMY.

“Disaster responses are both a sprint and a marathon,” said Jelletts. “Right now, we are in the sprint – getting food, water and other emergency supplies out to people as quickly as possible. But The Salvation Army never leaves these local com munities. We will transition to recovery. What ex actly that will look like is hard to say right now, but The Salvation Army will be there to help impacted families meet long-term needs through our corps and our disaster recovery programs.”

Maria Matheus, Jay Pritchard, Michelle Hartfield, Dan Fur ry, Eric Short, and Tawny Cowen-Zanders contributed to this report.

Territorial Commander

Photos by Steven Nolan and Ed Escobar

First Lady Casey DeSantis (right) visits Salvation Army distribution site

The Salvation Army and The Chosen Continue Partnership With Opening of Dedicated Structures at Camp Hoblitzelle

BY BRAD ROWLAND

On Thursday, October 6, The Salvation Army and The Chosen further cemented a growing and fruitful partnership with the official ribbon-cut ting and opening of new construction at Camp Hoblitzelle in Midlothian, Texas. The Chosen, cre ated by Dallas Jenkins and distributed by Angel Studios, is a seven-season television program focused on the life of Jesus, earning a world re cord as the highest crowd-funded video project of all-time. Still, as The Chosen navigated its sec ond season, Jenkins and his team needed filming locations, and with the help of a viewer pointing the program’s leadership to The Salvation Army, a collaboration was born.

Jenkins was introduced to Casey Bilbrey, di rector of operations for Camp Hoblitzelle, and a tour of the property led Jenkins to a vision of what was to come.

“The Salvation Army has been an extraordi nary partner throughout this process, and it did start with Casey,” Jenkins said. “He’s been a broth er through the process and will continue to be.”

The Chosen constructed a one-of-a-kind, 30,000 square-foot soundstage, temperature and sound controlled with 16 inches of insulation. The structure helped to expedite the content produc tion by allowing The Chosen’s sets to be main tained and turned over quickly.

In addition, The Chosen and The Salvation Army partnered on the permanent construction of a recreated village of Capernaum, built on the

site of Fort Tejas. More than 85 percent of wood used to construct Fort Tejas in 1971 was repur posed for the project, and The Salvation Army plans to make extensive use of the area for camp instruction and biblical teaching.

“This is not only about a vision for the fu ture, this is about grat itude for the present,” Jenkins said. “I thank each and every one of you for listening and for serving, and for giving the loaves and fish that you have and making them the best they can be.”

Major Barry Corbitt, general secretary of the Texas Division and a primary liaison with The Cho sen, indicated at the ribbon-cutting ceremony that the “possibilities are endless” for the newly constructed locations, citing a film camp already held at Camp Hoblitzelle and extensive plans for future camp experiences. In addition, The Cho sen recently wrapped on its third season of film ing and, earlier in the process, filmed the moving scene of the “Feeding of the 5,000,” which Jen kins indicated simply would not have been possi

ble without The Salvation Army’s hospitality and partnership.

“The people from The Salvation Army and the people from The Chosen are really aiming to be Kingdom builders,” said Bilbrey. “Everything that’s being done here is to bring Christ to the world. The hearts and the mission of The Chosen so aligns with what the Army is already doing. Our collective mission is to bring the love of Christ to a world that needs it. One is doing it through the ministry and service of the Army, and the other is doing it through film, but we’re both aiming to do the same thing.”

Scenic view of newly constructed Capernaum, Camp Hoblitzelle, and newly constructed sound stage (see building with white top)

Internal view of one-of-a-kind sound stage built at Camp Hoblitzelle

(Left to right) Major Barry Corbitt, Colonel Ralph Bukiewicz, Casey Bilbrey, Lt. Colonel Art Penhale, Lt. Colonel Ann Penhale, Captain Odessa Smith, Captain Derrick Smith

‘An Army of Hope’ Gala in Charleston

The Salvation Army Honors Standout Volunteer, Raises Needed Funds

BY PATRICIA TILLEY

On August 26, 2022, The Salvation Army’s Charleston, West Virginia Area Command held its fifth annual “An Army of Hope” gala. Held at the Embassy Suites in Charleston, it included a guest speaker, silent auction, awards pre sentation, and dinner, with the overall eye toward fundraising and the sup port of Salvation Army services and programs across Central West Virginia.

Vicky Bullett, a former professional basketball player, served as the guest speaker. Bullett set records during her collegiate career at the University of Maryland and played for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics in the WNBA. In addition, she was selected to the 1988 and 1992 United States Olympic Teams, winning a gold medal. She currently works for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Eastern Panhandle in West Virginia.

The gala was attended by donors, volunteers, board members, and staff. In addition, Lt. Colonels Allan and Fiona Hofer, divisional leaders of The Sal vation Army’s Potomac Division, were in attendance alongside Majors Jo seph and Jayne May, area commanders, and Captain Kathy Palladino, corps officer for the Charleston Citadel Corps.

The Volunteer of the Year award, chosen by the area command staff, was presented to Mrs. Phoebe Whidby, an ever-present force for The Salva tion Army. She has taken Christmas applications, answered phones in social services, passed out donuts on National Donut Day, stuffed envelopes for events, acted as receptionist for the Boys & Girls Club, and dressed cuts and scrapes for club members, dispensing hugs while wiping little tears. Whidby is also a member of the Charleston Citadel Corps and gives even more time for her church. When asked, staff members said that Phoebe is always willing to jump in where she is needed, and that she truly reflects what it means to love others as Jesus commanded.

News and Notes From New Orleans

The Salvation Army of Greater New Or leans is excited to announce an unbelieve able new opportunity for its Center of Hope guests. We are now partnering with Delgado Community College River City and Advanced Manufacturing Center to offer free job train ing and professional certification to those who qualify. Delgado recently held an open house at The Salvation Army, where guests can reg ister and gather more information on educa tional prospects and even try out virtual weld ing equipment.

The Salvation Army of Greater New Orleans continues to work closely with its media partner WVUE/FOX 8. The station recently recorded and ran a PSA for the New Orleans Command promoting its “Santa in the Summer” program, which launched with a curbside school supply drive at The Salva tion Army. A second, much larger drive was held in partnership with FOX 8 at three area Walmart Superstores on August 6. The Salvation Army dis tributed all the supplies collected to families who attended our Sunday ser vices and teachers, who were invited to a special distribution on August 13.

It’s not all work when you join The Salva tion Army of Greater New Orleans Women’s Auxiliary! As a fun way to introduce potential new members, the Auxiliary invited Alisha Fa gan, custom baker and owner of Orlando, FLbased Iced Cotton Co., to lead a cookie deco rating class. The decorating theme focused on summer, so cookies were bathing suits, flamin gos and watermelons. Alisha also decorated a watermelon cake that not only served as a sample of how far a little imagination can go but was also served as dessert for the evening.

Life Saving Water Distributed in Jackson, Mississippi

BY MICHELLE HARTFIELD

Heavy rain and flooding caused damage to the main water treatment facility in Jackson, Mis sissippi, on August 29, leaving more than 180,000 residents without clean drinking water. The Salva tion Army’s response was immediate and critical to the welfare of the community.

While the city was still putting together plans for a large-scale water distribution program, The Salvation Army stepped in and, working in coor dination with the Mississippi Emergency Manage ment Agency (MEMA), arranged its own distribu tion plan with support from Walmart, a national partner.

The ALM Division put together a seven-per son emergency response team, under the lead ership of Incident Commander Major Bill Shafer, to work with local Salvationists and volunteers. Response teams were also dispatched from Tu pelo and Hattiesburg, with their role mainly to transport water to underserved communities and take supplies to people unable to get to the city’s distribution points.

The Salvation Army’s first action was to dis tribute two truckloads of bottled water in a drivethrough event in a Walmart parking lot. Octavia Mallard, whose house had no water pressure, told the Salvation Army responders: “I’ve been ev erywhere trying to get water. This is such a help. We don’t know when we will have access to water again. This is life-saving.”

Salvation Army teams have continued to pro vide help to those who were in the greatest need.

The Jackson Institute for the Blind was pro vided with water by the team from Tupelo and

48 cases of water were distributed to a dialy sis center that had not been able to access water from city author ities. A partnership with Lowes enabled the team from Hat tiesburg to take water to outlying areas that were far from the of ficial city distribution points, and contacts made with the local fire departments and other first responders opened up effective channels for knowing the places of greatest need.

There were many stories about how grateful and relieved people were to receive help. Lieu tenant Victor Estudiante recalled that he and his brother were about to leave one neighborhood which seemed to have been abandoned by its residents. He said: “I remembered a verse about casting your nets on the other side of the boat (John 21:6) so we turned around and drove back down the street. An elderly lady flagged us down and asked if we had water.

After we told her we did, she grabbed her cellphone and told the person on the other end, ‘The Salvation Army is here, tell everybody!’ With in minutes the street was full of residents getting water and thanking the team for not forgetting them.”

Another signifi cant partnership— with PepsiCo, the PepsiCo Foundation

and Brown Bottling Group—enabled The Salva tion Army to organize a large-scale distribution on Labor Day at McLeod Elementary School. Vol unteers from PepsiCo and Brown Bottling served alongside Salvation Army staff and volunteers to distribute 14,000 meals, 15,000 cases of bottled water and hygiene items.

Will Trueblood, The Salvation Army’s Direc tor of Emergency Disaster Services for ALM, said: “These families are resource-limited, have little access to support, and are physically and emo tionally drained by the stress of this ongoing crisis. They need help, they need hope, and The Salvation Army is committed to providing both.”

Through its response, The Salvation Army has given out 14,417 cases of water, 15,130 meals, 480 boxes of cleaning supplies, 2,600 hygiene kits and 10,368 pairs of socks. The Salvation Army in Jackson remains available to all who need help.

MALA Aims to Develop Salvation Army Music and Arts Leaders Through Digital Learning

BY BRAD ROWLAND

In a partnership that is the first of its kind, The Salvation Army’s four American territories, along with the Canada and Ber muda Territory, are coming together to launch the Music and Arts Leadership Acad emy (MALA) in 2022. This project is digitally based, coming alongside the efforts already kickstarted in each territory and providing a standardized, rewarding and uplifting expe rience that aims to invest in the lives of both present-day and future-facing music and arts leaders.

MALA is free to the user and will launch with comprehensive courses. Current offer ings include brass band leadership, begin ner band leadership, theater leadership, dance technique, and sound engineering, with courses on choral leadership, singing company leadership, worship planning, wor ship team leadership, and others in develop ment.

Courses are easily navigated with check points and the ability to track progress through a course in step-by-step fashion. This is fully au tomated, with the user needing only to sign up for free and equipped with email reminders and notifications.

“MALA is designed to be flexible and meet you right where you are today,” said Nick Sim mons-Smith, territorial music and arts secretary. “You can choose to take a full course exactly how it is laid out and work at your own pace. Simply follow along with each lesson, in turn, from begin ning to end, and then start again if you so choose. Or, for a different approach, you can choose to search for topics and only watch videos or lessons that are related to your current needs. There are so many takeaways that you will never be emp ty-handed.”

Each territory was engaged in similar dis cussions as the digital emphasis of the world in creased, and the cross-territory partnership be gan before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic and its challenges further revealed the need for digital learning capabilities, and there was an effort to avoid the duplication of efforts, combining forces for the best possible product.

“Since this is a na tional project, every per son who logs in to MALA will have the opportunity to learn under someone new,” said Bethany Far rell, territorial creative arts director. “Whether we are brand new be ginners or experienced leaders, we always have something new to learneven if it’s a different ap proach to doing some thing we’ve been doing one way for decades. The scope of this project allows all of us to expand our tool belt of skills.”

“It was the first time that I think we really col laborated at the highest levels with the five North American territories on a project like this,” said Simmons-Smith. “It’s a

rewarding experience, and it is very nice to work together. I believe that helps to make it the best product and ministry possible.”

For the USA Southern Territory, this launch also arrives as a support to established work at the local levels and through the Territorial Music Institute (TMI). Each summer, TMI offers a slate of leadership classes, investing in the development of those who will be on the ground in the corps, and MALA courses are designed to be scalable to small or large corps environments.

“Part of what started all of this was an impe tus to find what would help The Salvation Army the most at the corps level,” said Robert Snelson, territorial music education director. “We believe that an investment in leadership can and will help corps music and arts development to hap pen. We have offered leadership tracks at TMI for years, but not everyone can come for that 10-day period. In conjunction with that, we think this is something that can be done year-round and on a convenient schedule. We train kids with music or dance or vocal skills at conservatory programs or TMI, but teaching is different than knowing how

to play and perform, and this really invests in the corps level.”

One example of the program’s versatility and scalability comes with the development of worship team materials. Recent TMI gath erings have shown an explosion in worship arts interest across the Southeast, and it is important to MALA’s development to ensure that the instruction and knowledge can be instituted at any corps, no matter the size.

“A big emphasis of the worship team courses is that everything should be scal able,” said Joshua Powell, territorial contem porary music specialist. “You can work on your own. You can work with a band of 10 people. But the idea is that you take what you have available to you and attempt to squeeze excellence out of it and lead to the best of our abilities.”

“We want these courses to help people use what they have available to them. It’s easy to look at megachurches with seeming ly endless resources, but not everyone has that. That doesn’t mean you can’t deploy quality work to enhance worship and get every thing possible out of the experience while remov ing any distractions from worship.”

Each course is also designed to bring more than simply a nuts-and-bolts approach to the ma terial. On the brass band side, that includes the full picture, from the fundamentals of conducting to rehearsal management and the spiritual aspect of The Salvation Army’s music ministry.

“The brass band leadership module, as an example, is a great mix of technical and music elements, the spiritual elements, leadership in tangibles, communication, and the entire pack age of what we want in developing leaders,” Sim mons-Smith said. “It even dives into pastoral care for group leaders, and it is an emphasis to focus on every facet of the leadership process.”

While The Salvation Army is traditionally known for its brass band excellence, MALA is also equipping current and future leaders in the arts, including the implementation of Spanish-speak ing courses and the combination of leadership and technical instruction.

“All of the modules are excellent. I also think the dance classes are a fan tastic example of what this program can do,” Farrell said. “We have classes available in Spanish to make the material more accessible, and even if you are a beginner dancer that isn’t leading yet, the class teaches the techniques and how to better understand the movements. At the end of each section, there is a technique discussion and tips on what leaders should be looking for to help dancers to take the next step.”

Divisional and territorial music and arts groups provide fellowship and the chance for soldiers to gather on a monthly or quarterly basis to praise the Lord through this ministry. Still, the daily and weekly ministry at the corps level requires strong leaders, both to guide current participants and develop The Salvation Army’s arts ministries for the future.

“What we’ve realized in recent years is that corps with strong, embedded leaders will produce more leaders in the future, but not every corps is in that situation,” said Simmons-Smith. Utilizing the online elements that people can follow at their own pace allows those potential leaders to develop. We still want local leaders pouring into potential leaders, but this gives us another av enue to invest in the present generation and the next generation of leaders.”

“There is a dual focus of both helping and improving leaders, but also to encourage leaders to find others to pour into as well,” Powell said. “We must always think about building up the next generation and train up those leaders. Even at the corps level, it can be easy to get into a lane and stick to it, but no man is an island. We need to train others to come alongside us in this ministry.”

For use at the corps level, courses will be streamable and downloadable via Ministry Toolkit, with MALA’s future website designed for clean implemen tation and a searchable platform easily accessible for even beginner users. No matter the use of the materials, music and arts leaders from across The Salvation Army and in the USA Southern Territory make it clear that the most important goal is to strengthen worship and pour into ministry to spread the message of Jesus Christ.

“MALA provides a wealth of information on how to be a well-equipped leader with a Kingdom-building mentality,” said Farrell. “You can find infor mation about teaching and leading all over the internet, but MALA is focused on the mission behind what we do: inviting others into relationship with Jesus Christ. It just happens to be through the arts.”

Hezekiah who was told by the prophet Isaiah to put his house in order before he died. Although Hezekiah was granted a reprieve, the long-term results had tragic results. “Hezekiah did not respond to the kindness that God had shown him. His heart became proud. When told his foolish acts would affect future generations, his attitude was, ‘As long as I’m okay.’ His son, Manasseh, was the most wicked king in the entire history of Judah. Instead of pouring himself into his son, Hezekiah lived for himself.

“What about our future generations in our personal lives and in our corps? What we do has consequences far beyond ourselves now. We need to commit to God by beginning at home. But it is not enough for us to walk with God. Our children, our grandchildren need to walk with Him. It is not enough that you have enjoyed the blessings of God. You must tell them about the wonders God has brought into your life. We need to cry for mercy that our house may be in order.”

The remaining hours of Saturday morning and into the afternoon were spent in a series of evangelism workshops and family recreational activities.

Saturday night began with a great time featuring The Brain Show, far more funny than it was a competition. High spirits continued as individuals were recognized for their witness and leadership where they served. These included:

Johnny Smith (Huntington, WV): Although struggling to form words, Johnny has the heart of an evangelist. The sixteen-year-old has a bold wit ness at school, the corps and community where he proudly wears his uniform and seeks to bring people to Christ.

Reginald and Belinda Johnson (Baltimore Temple): Serving as soldiers at the corps for over 25 years, the Johnsons have demonstrated a passion for the less fortunate. Ms. Belinda has a transportation ministry, helping people with numerous needs. Mr. Reggie readily shares Bibles with the homeless or anyone else he finds does not own one. He coordinates the corps feeding program called Mobile Cornbread Café Street Feeding Ministry. The couple take their ministry of caring and hope to those who have camped out in aban doned row houses.

Abi Burns (Richmond Citadel): Pouring herself into the youth of the corps, Abi teaches music while sharing the love of Jesus. Her radiant witness not only makes an impact on the lives of others but also serves as an example to other people.

Hilda Nzuwah (Sherman Ave. Washington DC): Known as a prayer war rior, Hilda is a third generation Salvationist who is constantly at work around the corps helping whomever and wherever she can.

Rosario Flores (Sherman Ave. Washington DC): Joining the corps five years ago, Rosario shares the gospel boldly yet lovingly. She joined her husband and children in becoming soldiers in March 2022 and now proudly wears her uniform. Busy working around the corps, she also actively invites others to join the corps.

Following recognition of these individuals, those present were invited to put a light on a huge map of the division that was by the platform, signaling the division’s determination to light the world where they live across the Potomac.

In preparation for the final session on Sunday morning, each chair hosted a copy of the “Soldier’s Covenant,” as well as the books Called to be a Soldier and Day by Day. With a spirit of consecration, the meeting brought all into the holy presence of God. With his final message of the weekend, Lt. Colonel Allan Hofer said, “The condition of our present age is one of crisis: in govern ment, the church and the world. We need the presence of God to guide and protect us. Our greatest need is for the presence of God. Our greatest fear in The Salvation Army should not be an attack in the media or a drop in our finances but the fear that God may have removed Himself from us.

“We cannot be impatient, seeking other gods when God doesn’t move fast enough for us. We need to have the courage to break away from any thing that separates us from God. Because if we do not, we cannot have the glory of God among us. God came to be near us in Jesus Christ. And so we must draw near to Him and refuse to go where He is not leading.”

Again, the response of those attending was immediate and wholeheart ed. The weekend came to a conclusion as the praise band led the singing of Evangeline Booth’s song, reworked and reimagined by Marty Mikles and Phil Laeger:

The world for God! The world for God!

I give my heart! I’ll do my part!

The world for God! The world for God! I’ll give my heart, I will do my part.

Lt. Colonel Allan Hofer shares passionately from God’s Word.

There were many moving scenes at the altar throughout the weekend.

Photos by Captain Dennis Smith

BY LT. COLONEL ALLEN SATTERLEE

When we served over seas, we found that few American customs were more fascinating to the people we served than the American Thanksgiv ing. From movies and tele vision, they could tell this was a festive occasion with a lot going on. But they were especially in trigued by our food. As one asked me, “What’s that huge chicken you eat?” The most puzzling of our culinary delights was pumpkin pie. Elsewhere in the world, pumpkin is served as a vegetable, a side dish. Most people outside North America cannot picture pumpkin as a dessert.

In each place, we shared Thanksgiving by in viting people into our home to join us. We could find turkeys in each country because there were enough Americans and people who had lived in America to create a local demand, albeit the pric es were very steep. For example, a twelve-pound bird in Singapore cost the equivalent of US$75

Thanksgiving Readiness

twenty years ago. Cranberry sauce, dressing and gravy were similarly priced. We wanted our friends to have a true taste of our tradition. We swallowed hard and bought the necessary food anyway.

Those who sat around our table were so pleased to hear about the Pilgrims and Native Americans, of our customs and all that went with this national day set aside to thank God for His blessings. They were intrigued by the food se lections and most of the time, though with trep idation, they were willing to try the pumpkin pie. While we sorely missed our family back home on this most family-oriented day, we cherish the memory of those family of God members who shared our Thanksgiving meal where flew other nation’s flags. And now we very much miss them.

Thanksgiving is more of an attitude than a day. It is meant to be noisy, a little bit chaot ic but mostly a joyful time sharing together. Like we found, if your dear ones are not near there are those who will share a table with you and for whom you can be thankful. Because it really is an attitude. Always an attitude.

A Lighter Look in Defense of WFH (Working From Home)

BY DAVID NEW

Fewer things are brought up to me more than the fact I am young. I could be talking to a colleague about some recipe I made up and without fail, an old er, much wiser human being for no real reason will point out how young I am. Like it’s the final point in an argument no one is having with them. It’s an argument as old as time (ironically). Perhaps a lazy argument, but an ar gument, nonetheless. I could quote Scripture. I could pull up numerous examples of young peo ple doing amazing things. But it will always exist.

Maybe that’s why the idea of allowing work ers to do their work from home scares people. This is perhaps a topic that takes up 40% of my mental power at any given moment. After all, that is certainly NOT how it has “always been done.” To be honest, I am not one to throw out tradition for the sake of it being old. In fact, I consider myself fairly old-fashioned. Regardless, this idea of someone daring to work while simultaneous ly not being in a fluorescently lit, perhaps less cost-conscious office building has become just so much fun to talk about. Like admitting you listen to rap. Or talking about the latest episode of Game of Thrones.

BY DR. STEVE KELLNER

The phone call invariably came in the middle of the night. “Report to the com pany area with all your gear in one hour for a full field layout.” I would groggily roll out of bed, throw on my uni form, and grab my field gear, which included a duffle bag, a rucksack, and another large duffle containing my Nuclear-Biological-Chemical suit (sealed in aluminum foil), more than a hundred pounds of equipment altogether. Then the short drive to the base, Ft. Stewart, GA, to get to the band building.

Once there, my fellow band members and I unpacked our gear and laid it all out on the ground in a carefully prescribed order, so that our officers and NCOs could inspect it to make sure we had everything we had been issued and that it was all in working order. Any deficiency was not ed, and appropriate corrective action taken.

All this was done in the name of “readiness”, the US military’s term for, and obsession with, having the personnel, equipment, and training necessary to deploy immediately anywhere in the world. My division, the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), was part of the Rapid Deployment Force, and thus always had to be at the highest level of readiness. In addition to full field layout alerts, we also piled into the base gym every three months to update our wills and immuniza tions, and sign proxy paperwork so our wives and family members could drive our cars off the base if we were suddenly deployed.

The gear we carried could be broken down into three categories: Things that protected us, like the NBC suit, a gas mask, and a shelter half (half a tent). Things that sustained and nourished us, like a canteen, a mess kit, and K-rations. And

things that we needed to fight, like a rifle, a bay onet, ammunition, grenades, and a combat knife. (We had a lot of fighting equipment!)

What might be included in a Salvationist’s field gear? To start with, things that protect us, like putting on the whole armor of God, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. Then, things that sustain and nourish us, like Bible read ing, prayer, worship, and fellowship. And finally, things we need for spiritual warfare, like a bias for action, putting others first, a willingness to serve, being ready to provide a reason for the hope that is within us. And don’t forget the “sword of the Spirit”, the Word of God.

Perhaps we all need to do a spiritual full field layout to see if we are truly ready to be effective Salvationists “at any time, and anywhere”, as the old chorus says. Do you have all the necessary equipment, and is it all in working order? Ask the Lord to help you do a thorough inspection, as King David often did. But don’t do it in the mid dle of the night!

“So… did you hear [so-and-so] left his job for that remote position?”

“SHHHH!!! Pipe down! My boss might over hear us and think we’re plotting a revolution to take over this business and eventually the world!”

This is the part of the column where I list the various reasons why WFH could be awesome.

1. You get to sleep in and not do any work ever again.

2. You get to trash-talk the company you work for AND pet your dog at the same time.

I lied. This is actually a list that I imagine a boss terrified of their employees being happy would make. This is even funnier for me because I happen to have wonderful bosses. Bosses that would be open to this idea.

Which brings me to my final point…

We must tear down the systemic oppression of making employees show up to work! What is this, 1995?? Workers of the world, DISPERSE! To your various homes. Please do not gather in one place. That would defeat the purpose.

I can’t help but think about what work life looked like at the height of the COVID-19 pan demic. Such a scary time for the country and the world, yet the work seemed to get done. That’s what jobs should be about, right? Getting the work done. What other metrics are being used?

I remember seeing emails from various em ployees and supervisors saying things like “I don’t know how we did it, but all the work is get ting done! It’s a miracle.” And although I think miracles happen every day, this was not one of them. We didn’t stumble upon a miracle - we discovered the solution, the future.

I want to end this time by saying that I love The Salvation Army and all the supervisors that might read this.

FROM

EDITOR

Salvation Army Commences Work in 133 rd Country – Guinea

BY COMMISSIONER TED HORWOOD

General Brian Peddle has confirmed that Guinea will be the 133rd country in which The Salvation Army is officially at work. The country will be part of the Liberia and Sierra Leone Com mand, under the leadership of Lt. Colonels Mary and Samuel Mkami.

Guinea is a country with a population of more than 13 million people. It is differentiated from Guinea Bissau and Equatorial Guinea by the use of its capital city, Conakry. It achieved indepen dence from France in 1958, retaining French as its national language. A predominantly Muslim country, it has a Christian population of less than 10 per cent.

Preliminary exploration of ministry potential in the West African country took place in 2018. The first expression of interest was received from a Canadian Salvationist working in Guinea. The Liberia and Sierra Leone Command indicated its willingness to explore opening the doors of min istry and by January 2019, in cooperation with the Congo (Brazzaville) Territory, Captains Benarde and Thomas Mbouabani were appointed to initi ate the new ministry. Their work led to the official registration of the Army as ‘Armée du Salut’ on 15 November 2021.

The work has grown rapidly since those first days, resulting today in one corps and five out posts being established. In their visit to Liberia in February 2022, the General and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle (World President of Women’s Min istries) noted a contingent of more than 100 peo ple had come from Guinea to participate in the celebrations and whose expressions of joy to be

part of The Salvation Army family were evident.

Commissioner Keith Conrad, Internation al Secretary for the Africa zone at International Headquarters, said, “The official confirmation of Guinea as the 133rd country in which The Salva tion Army has opened fire is an assurance that God is true to His Word, as when Jesus said to Peter, ‘On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’” (Mat thew 16:18 ESV). The Africa zone celebrates this confirmation as the mission of God continues to

advance through The Salvation Army in Africa. Hallelujah!’

Speaking about the establishment of work in Guinea, the General said: “I am delighted to welcome Guinea into the worldwide Salvation Army fellowship. Africa is a wonderful example of God’s presence. It is fantastic to see God answer prayers made in faith so many years ago in cre ating this opportunity. God bless The Salvation Army in Guinea.”

World Services Report

India West Territory and Italy and Spain Commands

BY MAJOR RAY COOPER, TERRITORIAL OVERSEAS PROJECTS OFFICER

One of the great disciplines of serving within the ranks of The Salvation Army is the gift that is given to each of us to in turn support our Army brothers and sisters around the world through our World Services effort. The territorial office of Overseas Projects exists to process such requests and to give financial assistance to these projects. A portion of our annual territorial campaign is re served to support these ventures.

On behalf of a those around the world who benefit from your kindness and generosity, we thank you for your support—both financially and prayerfully.

This month...

INDIA WEST TERRITORY

Project #1 – Prayer Hall and Officer Quarters

Abhalod Corps – $20,270

Abhalod Corps is in the Dahod Division. The present officers’ quarters and prayer hall is in bad condition. The quarters and prayer hall ceiling are collapsing and there are also cracks in the wall. Due to roof leakage, it is very difficult to stay in the quarters or to conduct the worship in the prayer hall.

It was decided through this project that a new prayer hall and officer quarters will be construct ed in the same place.

Project #2 – Repair of Officers Quarters

K E Home Compound – $24,324

THQ officers are staying at the KE Compound and officer quarters building which is very old. During the rainy season all the quarters face wa ter leakage due to roof damage. The present zinc sheets are damaged and need to be replaced. Also the walls need repair and renovation. It was determined to change the roof of the officer quarters and do the repair work necessary.

SPAIN COMMAND

Project #3 – Repairs to Bella Vista Center –$59,400

The Bela Vista house is located in beautiful Sintra with views to the ocean. It has a capacity of 44 people, with three floors, a private apartment with kitchen and bathroom, as well as dorms and bathrooms on lower two floors and a full commer cial kitchen for big events. It is hoped that after the repairs are completed, it will be ready to house delegates/groups for youth, adults, and children for events/ camps, as well as small events for fami lies, and it will be available for outside guests. The dorms are also being repaired to make them hand icap compliant. The income collected from these events will increase the finances of the property and command in general, which in turn will take the command into a more financially sustainable.

ITALY AND SPAIN COMMAND

Project #4 – Replacement Roma Center and Command Van – $35,000

The Rome Complex consists of the Command Headquarters, the Rome Corps and the Social Centre with 150 residents. The three entities share the use of two minibuses for all transport needs of people and material, including some officers’ trans portation needs. One of the two vehicles is over 12 years old and no longer meets safety and pol lution standards.

Spirit of the South

100 Years Ago

William Miller is in jail at Catlettsburg, Ken tucky and The Salvation Army in Ashland, Ken tucky is richer by 300 pounds of sugar and six sacks of meal. Authorities raided Miller’s still, de stroying it, and arresting him. He remains in jail, unable to provide the bail of $500. Kentucky Pos ta and Times-Star, Covington, KY November 23, 1922, page 3

75 Years Ago

Major L. C. Parham of the Ponca City, Okla homa Corps reports that band classes are be ing conducted. George Sadio, the school band director is instructing the free lessons. Twen ty-three youth have joined in. And the corps ca dets received a plaque for their excellent work at the recent rally in Cushing. They were joined at the rally by corps cadets from Drumright, Enid and Bristow Corps. Ponca City News, November 19, 1947, page 2

50 Years Ago

When Charles walked into The Salvation Army in Anniston, Alabama he announced, “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to kill myself.” Although Captain Milton Keith had never seen the beard ed, unwashed 21-year-old before, Keith listened to the man’s heartbreaking story. When Charles walked out, he left his knife behind, promising to come back. And come back he did for 14 months, now off drugs and alcohol and holding a steady job. The Anniston Star, November 2, 1972, page 1

25 Years Ago

The Impact on the Future campaign came to a successful conclusion after garnering $27 mil lion in pledges. Funds have been used for major construction projects at the College for Officer Training including married cadet housing (for families with three or more children), a new dining room, wellness center, student activity center and a continuing education center. Funds were also slated to be set aside as an endowment for cadet scholarships. Dr. John Stumbo, Board of Visitor chairman, was honored. Also involved from The Salvation Army side of things were Ed Laity, Lt. Colonel John Mikles, Lt. Colonel Ted Arrowood and Commissioner Kenneth Hood.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Woman/Veterans/ Disabled

The Salvation Army, Evangeline Booth College has a job opening for an Administrative Assistant II in our Administration Department, located in At lanta, GA. This individual relieves the Assistant Principal for Training/Business Administrator of administrative detail; performs advanced, complex, and often confidential secretarial work with a broad scope of responsibilities; prepares ad vanced and technical reports and spreadsheets from start to finish; coordinates information and arrangements for meetings and seminars; responds to inquiries regarding departmental operations and ensures the office runs smoothly while the supervisor is absent; serves as back-up to the Receptionist/Switchboard Op erator for breaks, lunches, vacation, sick and personal days.

For questions about the positions, please contact Peggy Brown (Peggy. Brown@uss.salvationaarmy.org). To apply, please visit The Salvation Army Ca reers website at (www.Salvationarmycareers.org) requisition #20938

The Salvation Army, has a job opening for a Director of Social Services for the New Orleans Area Command in New Orleans, LA. This position plans, directs, coordinates, supervises, and monitors the administration of all social service programs within the department including but not limited to crisis in tervention counseling, transitional living accommodations, emergency services as well as financial, food, clothing, and furniture assistance; supervises all de partment staff and ensure work is in compliance with established policies and procedures; develops, implements, and enhances programs to effectively meet the needs of the community; administers the department budget and secures funding for programs; writes grants proposals and ensures program operations are in compliance with contract agreements; serves as leader in the community by performing public speaking and promoting program services.

For additional information regarding the position and to apply please search job requisition #22737, TSA Southern Territory employees, please click on the Careers icon located on the home page of Ceridian Dayforce. (External candidates, please apply at www.salvationarmycareers.org)

The Alabama, Louisiana & Mississippi Division is actively seeking a HR Generalist for the Alabama, Louisiana & Mississippi Divisional Headquarters lo cated in Jackson, MS. This position plans, administers, coordinates, and moni tors the Human Resource functions for Divisional employees; prepares and main tains personnel records for all employees; relieves the Divisional HR Director of administrative details; assists with compiling, copying, and filing of paperwork for background checks, E-Verify, and job descriptions; assists with divisional timekeeping records; acts as liaison between Territorial Headquarters, the field and vendors for the background investigation and E-Verify processes; maintains the confidential nature of the position; serves as a liaison between the Corps and Divisional Headquarters regarding personnel functions and policy.

For additional information regarding the position and to apply please

search job requisition #22714, TSA Southern Territory employees, please click on the Careers icon located on the home page of Ceridian Dayforce. (External candidates, please apply at www.salvationarmycareers.org)

The Salvation Army, an internationally recognized non-profit, faith-based organization, has a job opening for a Planning Analyst for the Alabama, Louisi ana, Divisional Headquarters located in Jackson, MS. This position assists the General Secretary in developing long-term and aspirational goals and strategic direction to streamline business operations. Designs and implements business and marketing strategies to increase funding sources and reduce costs. Provides extensive analysis of goals and determines what factors will contribute to or im pede success. Reviews all goals in place to ensure compliance and fidelity of the design policy. Monitors and documents compliance activities/issues. Advises leadership and management on compliance matters. Researches grant opportu nities and writes grants independently and in conjunction with other Divisional Headquarters staff.

For additional information regarding the position and to apply please search job requisition #22278, TSA Southern Territory employees, please click on the Careers icon located on the home page of Ceridian Dayforce. (External candi dates, please apply at www.salvationarmycareers.org)

The Salvation Army, an internationally recognized non-profit, faith-based or ganization, has a job opening for a Social Services Director for the Shreveport Corps located in Shreveport, LA. This position Plans, directs, coordinates, su pervises, and monitors the administration of all social service programs within the department including but not limited to crisis intervention counseling, Path way of Hope, transitional living accommodations, emergency services as well as financial, food, clothing, and furniture assistance; supervises all department staff and ensure work is in compliance with established policies and procedures; develops, implements, and enhances programs to effectively meet the needs of the community; administers the department budget and secures funding for programs; writes grants proposals and ensures program operations are in com pliance with contract agreements; serves as leader in the community by perform ing public speaking and promoting program services.

For additional information regarding the position and to apply please search job requisition # 22803, TSA Southern Territory employees, please click on the Careers icon located on the home page of Ceridian Dayforce. (External candi dates, please apply at www.salvationarmycareers.org)

The Alabama, Louisiana & Mississippi Division is actively seeking a Donor Relations Specialist for the Alabama, Louisiana & Mississippi Divisional Head quarters located in Jackson, MS. This position plans, designs, and implements a comprehensive mid-level donor cultivation, communication, and solicitation strategy that appropriately and consistently promotes the retention and ad vancement of mid-level donors. Mid-level donors are those who gave between $1,000 and $5,000 cumulatively in at least one of the past two fiscal years. De velops and accomplishes production goals related to targeted portfolio revenue and mid-level donor advancement. Works collaboratively with the Divisional De velopment Department staff and local development teams.

For additional information regarding the position and to apply to job requisi tion #22353, TSA Southern Territory employees, please click on the Careers icon located on the home page of Ceridian Dayforce. (External candidates, please apply at www.salvationarmycareers.org)

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Major Harvey F. Harwell, Sr. Lt. Colonel Jake Tritton

Major Harvey Harwell was Pro moted to Glory on September 26, 2022, from his home in Waco, Texas. Born on March 26, 1934, in Terrell, Texas, Harvey Frank Har well was the seventh child of ten raised by Wylie and Lucy (Campbell) Harwell.

Harvey was a toddler when his dad moved the family to Abilene, Texas in search of work. It was at the Abilene Corps that eight year-old Har vey encountered The Salvation Army. The large family was experiencing difficulty, and one of the soldiers of the corps brought a box of groceries to help out. Harvey was enamored by the uniform worn by the lady who ironically would eventually become his mother-in-law.

He began attending corps activities, where he developed a relationship with Wilma Killam. Years later, they married on September 22, 1951. Harvey dedicated his life to the Lord during an evange listic campaign at the corps, and soon after, while serving as youth leader, he heard the call to Salva tion Army officership. Harvey and Wilma entered the training college in 1963 as members of the Proclaimers Of The Faith Session of cadets. Upon commissioning in 1965, they were appointed to Littlefield, Texas. In 1968, they were transferred to

Laredo, Texas.

While in Laredo he learned to speak Spanish in order to communicate with the people under his care. As a result, he was later asked to accom pany relief teams following a severe hurricane in Honduras and, later on, to Guatemala after a dev astating earthquake.

Subsequent corps appointments followed to Wichita Falls, Galveston, Texarkana, and San An gelo—all in Texas. He also served as area com mander for Galveston County, Texas and then to Fayetteville, Arkansas. His final corps appoint ment was to Enid, Oklahoma. Prior to retirement on March 31, 1999, the Harwells served as Texas divisional evangelists.

In retirement, Major Harwell was chaplain at the Waco William Booth Gardens Apartments, and as corps sergeant-major at the Waco Corps for many years.

Major Harwell is preceded in death by his par ents, his siblings, his daughter Carolyn, and his beloved wife of 67 years, Wilma. He is survived by sons, Major Harvey Frank (Eunice) Harwell II, and Major Philip Mark (Jan) Harwell, as well as a sonin-law, Gary Leandre. He also leaves three grand children and four great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Salvation Army Texas Association of Retired Officers to support its various mission projects and activities. A Celebration of Life occured on Monday, October 3, 2022, at the Waco Corps, with internment at Restland Cemetery in Dallas.

Lt. Colonel Jake Tritton was Promot ed to Glory on Sep tember 29, 2022. He was 82 years-old.

Robert Jacob (“Jake”) Tritton was born on February 23, 1940, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to James and Jean nette Tritton, who later became Salva tion Army officers. He spent much of his child hood in his beloved adopted state of Texas. He graduated in Fort Worth and went on to attend Tyler Junior College on a band scholarship. It was during his time there that he met Patsy Allison. They married on June 17, 1960—most recently celebrating 62 years of marriage.

Florida Division Corps and Area Commands

Jake and Patsy Tritton entered the training college as members of the Servants Of Christ Ses sion. Commissioned in 1963, their first appoint ment was to Houston Temple. After a second corps appointment they left the Texas Division and did not return for nearly 33 years when Colo nel Jake became divisional commander until their retirement in 2005. Hurricane Katrina brought the Trittons into post-retirement service when they were asked to serve as incident commanders for the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississip pi (ALM) Gulf Coast. This marked the last of many hurricane disasters in which he served, but he consid ered the hardest emergency disas ter responses he encountered was the Oklahoma City bombing of the Murrah Federal Building when he was the Arkansas-Oklahoma (AOK) divisional commander.

Other appointments during his 42 years of active service included two corps posts and as divisional youth secretary in the Florida Divi sion. He was later divisional secre tary in ALM and AOK. Then it was out to the USA Western Territory as territorial youth secretary, where under his leadership the Western Youth Institute was begun and a tre mendous increase in the number of candidates of officership; one year even surpassing the number in the Southern Territory.

He returned from the West to his beloved South for a post as ter ritorial youth secretary, and later as community relations secretary. His stints as divisional commander for AOK, North & South Carolina, and finally to Texas.

Colonel Tritton is preceded in death by his parents Majors Jim & Jeannette Tritton; and three broth ers Jim, Albert, and Kenneth Tritton.

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Answers on page 10

He is survived by his wife, Lt. Colonel Patsy Tritton; daughter Cammie (Stuart) Wilkinson; son Rob (Claudia) Tritton; and brother Doug (Joellen) Tritton; seven grandchil dren and four great-grandchildren.)

A Celebration of Life was held at The Salvation Army Lakeland Corps on Saturday, October 8, 2022, with internment at Serenity Gardens cemetery. In lieu of flow ers the family requests that contri butions be made to The Salvation Army Lakeland Corps New Brass Instruments Fund.