Salvationist 11 July 2020

SALVATIONIST For everyone linked to The Salvation Army

No.1764 Price 70p

www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist 11 July 2020

‘Lockdown changed my life’ says charity shop worker PLUS

MESSENGERS OF THE KINGDOM TELL THEIR STORIES

SEE PAGES 12 AND 13

QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA

CHRISTIANS URGED TO PRAY FOR ‘HOPE’ FOR ROUGH SLEEPERS AS LOCKDOWN EASES

BORIS JOHNSON PAYS TRIBUTE TO ‘INSPIRING’ RESPONSE OF CHURCHES DURING COVID-19

LET US SPRAY – SALISBURY CATHEDRAL CHOIR SINGS OUT IN HYMN SAFETY TEST

The YMCA warns that many people experiencing homelessness will be concerned about their ‘next steps’ after being temporarily taken off the streets during lockdown and has called for Christians to pray.

The UK government housed thousands of rough sleepers in hotels, B&Bs and other forms of emergency accommodation... to protect them during the coronavirus pandemic. As lockdown measures ease it has announced a further £85 million... to stop them returning to the streets.

Liam Preston from YMCA England and Wales welcomes this money, saying a lack of access to services and trouble securing rental tenancies are among some of the challenges that face people experiencing homelessness as the country begins to return to normal.

Preston says that simply putting a roof over their heads isn’t enough to ensure lives are turned around for good and explains how the... funding will also work to provide them with support teams and services...

Preston has urged Christians to pray that the hope of a different life that many people have encountered during the pandemic is not ‘dashed’...

‘They’ll have been given some level of hope... Pray for those who have seen that light and are ready to try and make a change in their lives. Pray for them to maintain hope and resilience.’

Boris Johnson has thanked Christians for their response to the coronavirus and prayers for his own health in an address to the National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast 2020.

In a pre-recorded message, the prime minister said he was ‘so pleased’ to see the prayer breakfast going ahead online...

‘Right now... even the simple act of coming together to pray can be another hurdle to overcome,’ he said.

‘While work goes on to reopen places of worship safely, it’s been absolutely inspiring to see churches respond to the lockdown as they have with true Christian values.

‘They’ve reminded us all of their role as pillars of their communities, reaching out to bring hope, peace and practical care to those in need.’

Government scientists are measuring the spittle and spray from singers to judge if hymns can be sung in church...

If the answer is no, they may have to be hummed.

Choristers from Salisbury Cathedral have performed under laboratory conditions as scientists from Public Health England (PHE) capture the flight of their spray...

Although churches [in England]... can reopen for public worship... government guidance says singing should be avoided, and organs only played for practice. The restriction also affects professional choirs and amateur choral societies…

PHE confirmed that its scientists are working... to see if singers might be ‘transmission vectors’, saying: ‘We are looking at droplet transmission and... transmission by mouth.’

Christian Today

The Times

‘TO FIGHT CLIMATE INJUSTICE WE MUST FIGHT RACIAL INJUSTICE’ Fighting climate change is as important as fighting racial injustice, an influential group of Anglican leaders has said.

A total of 8 archbishops and 38 bishops from across the world have signed a letter published by the Anglican Communion’s Environmental Network that says that black lives are predominantly affected by the effects of climate change, as well as police brutality and the spread of Covid-19.

The current and previous Archbishops of Canterbury have signed the letter that says: ‘The world is slow to respond to climate change, hanging on to an increasingly precarious and unjust economic system. It is predominantly black lives that are being impacted by drought, flooding, storms and sea level rise. The delayed global response to climate injustice gives the impression that #blacklivesdontmatter.

Without urgent action black lives will continue to be the most impacted, being dispossessed from their lands and becoming climate refugees.’

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EDITOR Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts – 020 7367 4901 MANAGING EDITOR Ivan Radford – 020 7367 4891 EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Shanelle Manderson – 020 7367 4894 Simon Hope – 020 7367 4892 Melita Day-Lewis – 020 7367 4887 Major Margaret Bovey COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Major Godspower Anozie – 020 7367 4893 ART DIRECTOR Hannah Holden – 020 7367 4883 GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Mark Knight – 020 7367 4895 Louise Phillips – 020 7367 4896 PROOFREADER Chris Horne

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Salvationist 11 July 2020

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CONTENTS

KINGDOM COME TODAY’s Commissioning at William Booth College will be very different from the one that usually takes place each year at Central Hall, Westminster. Nonetheless, it will be a significant occasion for the cadets of the Messengers of the Kingdom Session – and you can witness it online via the livestream (see page 23 for details).

On pages 12 and 13 four of the cadets tell us their stories and look to the future. In contrast, on page 14, Major William Myers looks back over the 70 years since his Commissioning Day. While the cadets face a different world with different challenges from those William faced in 1950, they can be sure of the same grace of God that he says ‘has been, and continues to be, lavished on me’.

There was once a church that had the words ‘The Kingdom of God’ written on the floor just inside the front door. On the outside it said ‘The world’, suggesting that there’s a clear distinction between the two. That’s not the case, however: the Kingdom of God is embedded in the world in order to change it.

The New Testament Greek word for ‘kingdom’ doesn’t mean a territory ruled by a king, but the activity of ruling. So ‘the Kingdom of God’ means the rule or reign of God – its focus is on people rather than places. As Jesus told the Pharisees: ‘The Kingdom of God is within you’ (Luke 17:21 New King James Version). But while submitting to God’s kingship may be a personal experience, it shouldn’t be a private one. Other translations reveal an alternative meaning to Jesus’ words: ‘The Kingdom of God is in your midst’ (New International Version). These are complementary meanings, indicating that when God rules our hearts and minds the signs of that rule can be seen in the things we do and say. Kingdom building happens when we submit our lives to him and allow him to work through us so that his will may be done and his Kingdom come in the world around us.

One expression of the Kingdom is practical compassion shown to people in need.

Page 9 highlights how different territories are doing this for displaced people during the coronavirus crisis.

Another expression of the Kingdom tackles the root causes of need and injustice.

Recent events have put the spotlight on one form of injustice: racism. The territorial leaders’ statement (Salvationist 13 June) made a commitment to confront this injustice and on page 16 Linbert Spencer suggests ways to put that commitment into practice.

On page 17 Captain Vanessa Coleman reviews a book on racism that, she says, ‘shows the steps needed for us to move forward in bringing about God’s Kingdom on Earth’.

The message of the Kingdom is about transformation – personal and social. God can do amazing things through people who submit to his kingship, rely on his grace and hold to the vision that one day his Kingdom will come in all its fullness.

O for the time of Christ’s completed mission!

Throbs of its rapture reach us as we pray; Gleams of its glory bursting on our vision Speed us to labour, urge us on our way.

Jesus shall conquer, lift up the strain!

Evil shall perish and righteousness shall reign.

(SASB 349)

Quotes from the media

2

Message from the Territorial Commander

4

News

5 to 7

Prayer matters

7

News feature 8 Virtual WAG encourages praise in all circumstances

by Melita Day-Lewis

News feature 9 Army offers aid to displaced people Reflection Life-changing lockdown

10 and 11

by Harry McCafferty

Cadet testimonies 12 and 13 Commissioned for the Kingdom Testimony These seventy years

14

by Major William Myers

My coronavirus story Facing the challenge

15

by Captain Stivina Sinana

Viewpoint Learning to do right

16

by Linbert Spencer

Review 17 Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race reviewed by Captain Vanessa Coleman

Poet’s corner In praise of hope

17

by John Coutts

Bible study 18 and 19 Peter learns that Jesus heals

by Major Darren Shaw

Through the week with Salvationist

18 and 19

by Major Philippa Smale

Letters

20

Adverts

21

Announcements

22 and 23

The Salvation Army and me

24

featuring Lieutenant Rob Westwood-Payne

From the Editor Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts

SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS Scripture quotations in Salvationist are from the New International Version (2011), unless otherwise stated

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A MESSAGE FROM THE TERRITORIAL COMMANDER

Moving off the beaches

T

HERE is a glimmer of hope at this time, because all the various governments in the territory are indicating that some of the lockdown is being eased. We’ve been told that it’s going to be possible for public worship to recommence in some places, and we’re all delighted about that, but the guidelines are exceptionally strict and the restrictions on what we can and cannot do are immense, so there’s no expectation or anticipation that meetings will resume immediately.

It’s going to take some considerable time before everything is in place, and we all have a responsibility to ensure that when we do eventually resume, it will be safe and that no one will be put at risk. So, I ask you to be patient in these next weeks and months as we make tentative steps forward as corps, with guidance and permission from DHQ, move eventually to a place where we may be able to have worship again in our halls.

The TV news recently showed tens of thousands of people on Bournemouth beach, and many other beaches were crowded as well. What saddened me beyond any words was the picture after everybody had gone. I could not believe the amount of rubbish that was left; I understand there were 23 tons of waste left in one day on the Bournemouth beaches.

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Salvationist 11 July 2020

The beach is a great place to be, and some of us who live away from the sea can’t wait to enjoy time there. In the Scripture there are many references to beaches. One of them is in the story of Jonah. We read about his prayer from inside the great fish: ‘In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me’ (Jonah 2:2 New International Version 2001). Jonah believed that God would rescue him: ‘When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you… I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord’ (vv7–9). The last verse of the chapter says: ‘And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah out onto dry land’ (v10).

Having been inside the fish for three days, he may have laid there for a while, taking in the fresh air and enjoying the sunshine. But God called him to go to Nineveh and ‘proclaim to it the message I give you’ (3:1). Jonah found himself on the beach, then was called to be obedient.

There’s another beach episode in John 21. After the Resurrection, Peter and some of the disciples decide to go fishing in the Sea of Galilee. They’re not very successful. Someone on the shore calls out to them – it’s Jesus, but they don’t recognise him – and he asks

if they’ve caught anything. They say no, and he tells them to put their nets out on the other side of the boat. Then John realises who it is, and shouts out: ‘It is the Lord!’ (v7). With that, Peter jumps ship, and heads towards the shore. He and the other disciples then join Jesus, who has prepared breakfast for them.

But Jesus doesn’t keep them on the beach for long. Like Jonah, Peter is recommissioned to follow the Lord and take care of his sheep. And that’s what you and I must do.

Years ago I went to Israel and stood on the beach where it is thought that Jesus and Peter had that conversation.

I picked up some stones, which I keep in a jar in my office. They remind me of the calling of God upon my life – to keep coming back to him, to follow him. And when I mess up, like Peter did, they remind me that Jesus recommissions me, calling me back, not to stay on the beach but to go in his name.

On this beach, it is actually OK to leave our rubbish – to come with our faults and failings, and to leave them at Jesus’ feet. In the Gowans and Larsson musical Jesus Folk, Peter sings words that are now in our songbook: ‘Knowing my failings, knowing my fears,/ Seeing my sorrow, drying my tears./ Jesus recall me, me re-ordain;/ You know I love you, use me again.’ The last verse says: ‘For the far future I cannot see,/ Promise your presence, travel with me;/ Sunshine or shadows? I cannot tell;/ You know I love you, all will be well’ (SASB 715).

We can’t see the future, but as we feast with Jesus, as we come to him and follow him, all will be well. Our places of worship are so important, but beyond them is the mission field to which God has called us. May he bless you and use you for his glory and his praise wherever that place may be.

ANTHONY COTTERILL COMMISSIONER TERRITORIAL COMMANDER O This

message is based on a video released by the TC that can be viewed at facebook.com/SalvationistOnline or youtube.com/user/salvationarmyvideo

NEWS

Divisional celebration goes digital

EVENT

SOUTH LONDON HAVING cancelled the divisional celebration because of the coronavirus crisis, the team organising the event felt convicted that it should happen virtually. Not all elements of the weekend were transferable online but God moved, spoke and revealed himself through modern technology.

The event, themed Shine, started with a Friday prayer gathering led

by Divisional Mission Enabler Major Susan Woodgate. Commissioner Margaret Sutherland and Majors Janice and Jason Snell (Penge) and family led segments of prayer.

Divisional Commander Major Val Mylechreest and Divisional Mission Enabler Captain Kevin Stanbury hosted an ‘evening from the DC’s shed’ on Saturday. Major Val and Divisional Officer for Leader Development Major Ian Woodgate led a pre-recorded meeting on Sunday. It featured many contributions from people in the

division and acknowledged members of the Silver Star Fellowship, retired officers, officers’ service and officers changing appointments.

The weekend’s programme of events was uploaded to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, including music groups, sung worship, ‘youth speaks’, toddler story and music time, a devotional podcast and a

farewell to two candidates for officership and a territorial envoy.

All these videos remain available for people to watch online.

There were moments of beautiful reflection, as well as time to be overwhelmed by how God brought the whole event together. The weekend was captured in graphic art (pictured)

by Ann Howlett-Foster. – AR

100

dance moves to support community project SEE PAGE 6

250

hot meals delivered a week SEE PAGE 6

MEETING GUERNSEY AND ALDERNEY Salvationists have resumed worship on the islands. The Bailiwick of Guernsey is Covid-19 free and a return to life without coronavirus restrictions has begun. Both corps reopened their buildings on Father’s Day with great joy and praise, thanking God for his providential care and love. Weekday community work has also resumed. The borders to the UK and Jersey remain closed, but there is freedom of movement between the islands of Alderney, Guernsey, Sark and Herm. – JH

£407

raised in pigtail challenge SEE PAGE 6

94

year-old woman saved from starving SEE PAGE 7

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NEWS

ARMY NEWS

Public must ‘be vigilant’ for signs of modern slavery THQ THE Salvation Army is calling for members of the public to be ‘vigilant’ in spotting the signs of modern slavery.

Government figures released in June show a 14 per cent decrease in the number of suspected modern slavery victims in the UK from January to March 2020, compared with the previous three months.

This drop is considered to be a result of the lockdown measures in place to control the coronavirus pandemic. The data, which covers both child and adult victims, comes from the UK’s National Referral Mechanism, the system through which adult victims of modern slavery are referred to The Salvation Army, which supports them through its network of safe houses and outreach workers.

Territorial Director of AntiTrafficking and Modern Slavery Major Kathy Betteridge said: ‘It is understandable that the lockdown measures and closed international borders would result in a temporary fall in the number of slavery victims being identified. Our pressing concern is that social distancing measures will have led to slave masters discarding people they had been forcing to work in places such as restaurants, hotels and car washes and that these victims may not know there is help available. Where are these people now who urgently need to be identified and provided with our protective care?

‘We would encourage anyone who finds themselves in this position to call The Salvation Army’s confidential referral helpline on 0800 808 3733. At the same time we are calling on the public to be vigilant in spotting the signs of people trapped in slave-like conditions and to report their suspicions to help the police combat this evil crime.’ – AR 6

Salvationist 11 July 2020

Week-long workout gives food banks a lift SOUTHWICK JAMES Hutton, a 23-year-old with athetoid cerebral palsy – a condition that affects all four of his limbs – raised £1,159 during the lockdown through a series of sponsored physical challenges.

The money raised was divided between the Southwick Community Project and the South Shields Key 2 Life food bank.

James was struggling with lethargy and pain during the lockdown due to lack of exercise. His mother decided to set him a seven-day challenge to help loosen his muscles and keep him motivated. Each day James completed one new challenge – 100 step-ups, sit-ups, bounces on the trampoline, push-ups, marching on the spot and bicycle-legs – ending with 100 dance moves, which was his favourite.

Friends and family started to sponsor James, sending him video messages and good luck wishes each day, and the amount raised exceeded all expectations. – DH

FUNDRAISING

COMMUNITY

WINCHESTER Corps folk and volunteers from the community have been delivering between 250 and 290 hot meals to doorsteps each week. The initiative originated with Red Radish, a catering company in Basingstoke, and through community social enterprise FirstBite. The corps put together a list of vulnerable people who would appreciate a free meal once or twice a week, and SATCoL provided a van to help with the venture. On VE Day people celebrating in the streets clapped as the van passed by. Corps officer Major Shelagh Clift is pictured with the team. – SC STAPLE HILL Junior soldier Noah, aged 9, found that his hair was becoming long and irritating during lockdown. With hairdressers still closed, his mum tied it up in pigtails and posted a picture on Facebook. On seeing the photo, one corps member challenged Noah to come to the hall after lockdown with his new hairstyle and matched the challenge with sponsorship. In a short time others also donated and Noah raised £407 towards the Big Collection. – VW

FUNDRAISING

Send your news to salvationist@ salvationarmy.org.uk. Good quality pictures will be included.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Officers rescue starving pensioner GOVAN CORPS officers Majors Mark and Tracy Bearcroft came to the aid of a 94-year-old woman who hadn’t eaten for five days because she was ‘too scared’ to leave her home during the pandemic lockdown and had no one to shop for her.

The corps officers met the pensioner, who lives alone in a tenement block, after travelling to a housing estate in the emergency response van.

Army volunteers and local housing officers knocked on doors to check up on people. The woman was given hot soup and an emergency food parcel.

The corps has seen demand for help rise tenfold in recent weeks, providing 100 hot meals a day and 140 food parcels a week – a potentially unsustainable level of provisions.

Major Tracy said: ‘People don’t really want to come [for charity food] but they don’t have an option because they have got kids and they don’t have enough food to see them out for the week.’ – AR

GOVAN The corps teamed up with the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice and Govan Rotary Club to help families without food. The club alerted the chief executive of the hospice to the families in the city, and soup and food were prepared in the hospice kitchen for corps folk to distribute.

– AR KIDSGROVE Volunteers from the corps and Team Chatterley have launched a Top-up Tuesday initiative to support vulnerable people who aren’t eligible for assistance from the food bank and are struggling to make ends meet. They have distributed bags filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, tinned goods, tea, coffee and pasta to get people through the week. – AR SHOEBURYNESS Working in partnership with Hadleigh Farm Estate and Southend-on-Sea council, the corps has provided food parcels for individuals and families in the community. The corps continues to support people and will carry on doing so. A JustGiving page and other community grants have raised more than £1,500 to support its work. – RD

OUTREACH

SHIPLEY Bandmaster Bevan Spencer (cornet), Jodie Elliott (cornet), Christine Spencer (horn) and Daniel Spencer (Eb bass), who have been living together through the pandemic, formed a band to celebrate a local 92nd birthday. The 92-year-old attended the corps when she was younger but now attends another church. Her daughter invited the band to play in the car park next to where she lives and suggested some of her favourite hymn tunes to play. Neighbours also took the time to listen. – CS

Prayer The Prayer Matters booklet for July to December has not been printed due to the lockdown, so Salvationist will be publishing the prayer themes for the rest of this year

OFFICER AND ENVOY FOCUS

by Major Philippa Smale (Personnel Officer, THQ) MONDAY 13 JULY ‘If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here’ (Exodus 33:15). It’s important for officers and envoys who are changing appointments over the summer to remember that God is with them. As they leave one place, he accompanies them on the journey and is awaiting them in their new appointment. Lord, please give everyone moving an awareness of your presence. Amen.

TUESDAY 14 JULY ‘Sing to the Lord a new song’ (Psalm 96:1). Sometimes it’s hard to sing a new song in an unfamiliar place. But it is God who puts the song into our hearts and teaches us to sing. Lord, if there are officers or envoys on the move who are finding it difficult to rejoice, we pray that you will help them to rediscover the song. Amen.

WEDNESDAY 15 JULY ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart’ (Proverbs 3:5).

Trust is a huge part of the journey to a new place – officers and envoys on the move must trust that they are in God’s will and also that he has been preparing the people at their new appointment. Lord, help those involved to trust fully in you and your leading. Amen.

THURSDAY 16 JULY ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever’ (Hebrews 13:8). Sometimes it’s difficult to embrace change – for those who are leaving, for those who are being left and for those who are waiting for new officers or envoys. We pray, Lord, that all those stepping into an unknown future will hold tight to your hand, knowing you are unchanging. Amen.

FRIDAY 17 JULY ‘The One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end’ (2 Timothy 1:12 The Message). Lord, we pray that everyone involved in the moving process will be assured that you are in control and that you are able to use them to further your Kingdom. Hallelujah!

O A PDF of the Prayer Matters booklet is also available to download from salvationarmy.org. uk/resources

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NEWS FEATURE

Virtual WAG encourages praise in all circumstances UKI ‘WOMEN And God (WAG) went online this summer for a virtual conference, reports Melita Day-Lewis.

With delegates unable to gather because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Family Ministries Unit decided to encourage and equip people through a digital event instead.

The hour-long conference took place on 20 June and included pre-recorded teachings, testimony and worship around the theme Being A People Of Praise. Messages, Bible readings and prayers – interspersed with music interludes and inspiring visuals – encouraged reflection and meditation, with worship led by Nathan Betteridge and a band of young musicians and vocalists.

In his words of welcome, Director of Family Ministries Major David Betteridge encouraged viewers to consider the positive aspects of change brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. He reminded everyone that the way to cope with an ever-changing world is to put their faith in a never-changing God, who will always be loving, merciful, gracious, present, powerful and faithful.

‘Praising God helps us cope with the changes,’ he affirmed. ‘I believe that God is saying to us in these days that he is building a people of power and making a people of praise.’

The event’s chosen Bible passage – Philippians 4:2–9, written by Paul while in prison – was introduced by Territorial Secretary for Leader Development Colonel Debbie Graves. ‘[Paul] doesn’t let [prison] bring him down,’ she encouraged. ‘He is to find worship and joy that is not dictated by circumstances.’

Territorial Leader for Leader Development Commissioner Gill Cotterill testified that she has found things to praise and thank God for during the pandemic, such as the opportunity to minister to neighbours and the wider online ministry that’s reaching people beyond ‘our own Salvation Army flock’.

Referring to Zechariah 4:6 she reminded viewers that it’s not by might that God is going to lead people through these times, nor by power, but by his Spirit. Adding weight to this biblical truth was a powerful rendition of 8

Salvationist 11 July 2020

Llanelli Mother and Daughters Singing Group ‘By My Spirit’ sung by Marjory Watson (Bellshill).

In a tranquil garden setting, Deputy Director of Family Ministries Liz Hall facilitated a time of contemplative prayer, and Rachel Turner (Bible Reading Fellowship)

even thanked God for an infestation of fleas in their barrack. Later they discovered the fleas kept the guards away, allowing Corrie and Betsy to lead daily worship meetings.

Commissioner Eva concluded: ‘In Romans 8… Paul reminds me that I will always, no matter what happens, have every reason to be hopeful and grateful.’

The Mother and Daughters Singing Group from Llanelli followed with ‘You Raise Me Up’, which included filmed vignettes of the singers’ everyday lives.

Rachel Turner spoke about God’s shepherding from Psalm 23 while sitting beside a green field with sheep. This pastoral scene provided a vivid visual aid as Rachel explored the nature of historical shepherding in Israel, where flocks were guided through dry, rocky terrain to nourishing water and grass.

European Zonal Secretary for Women’s Ministry Commissioner Eva Kleman (IHQ) shared an inspiring story from The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, who was sent to a concentration camp with her sister, Betsy, during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

After reading a verse of Scripture one day – ‘Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will’ (1 Thessalonians 5:18) – the sisters

Commissioner Eva Kleman

Before a final anthem of victorious praise, Major David closed the event with words of thanks and prayed God’s blessing and protection on all who had taken part.

O WAG 2020 is available to watch online for 12 months at facebook.com/sarmyfm, twitter.com/ukifamily or salvationarmy. org.uk/families/support-adults

NEWS FEATURE

Army offers aid to displaced people Supporting Haitian migrants in Brazil

IHQ REFUGEES, asylum seekers and forcibly displaced migrants are among the most vulnerable groups affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that there are currently 71 million displaced people around the world, and 134 refugee-hosting countries have reported local transmission of coronavirus. It is in this context that The Salvation Army steps in where possible to provide additional support for individuals who have already suffered enormous hardship.

Venezuelan refugees living in temporary camps and on the streets in Boa Vista, Brazil, have been receiving support from The Salvation Army for two years. After the outbreak of Covid-19, additional meals and hygiene kits were distributed from the Army’s Bridges Project in the city to help those for whom finances are perilously tight.

Refugees who used to eke out a living by selling water, sweets or snacks in public areas or at road junctions are unable to achieve an income because of restrictions on movement.

Additionally, refugees are facing evictions from abandoned public buildings that were being used as shelters. The Salvation Army has been helping to register vulnerable people and continues to provide psychosocial monitoring. Basic items such as mattresses, fans and gas canisters are being offered along with food.

In the south of the country, the Army’s Centro Integrado João de Paula in Joinville is helping refugees from Haiti and Venezuela who are experiencing difficulties with the economic effects of regulations to manage the spread of coronavirus. Many work in informal jobs that have ceased because of the pandemic, again leaving them without a basic income. Food parcels have been distributed to vulnerable families to ensure a reliable source of nutrition. As in Boa Vista, assistance with official paperwork is being offered, along with hygiene and cleaning kits.

The challenges of maintaining good hygiene in a refugee camp are considerable.

Four thousand families being supported by

The Salvation Army in the Kyangwali refugee settlement, Uganda, have minimal finances and are unable to purchase basic supplies. Salvation Army team members, already engaged in a water, sanitation and hygiene initiative in the settlement, have provided each person with a bar of soap to help prevent the spread of the virus; given the cramped conditions on the site, any transmission would be dangerous.

In South Africa, an emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Marabastad, Pretoria, has specifically supported asylum seekers since the start of the lockdown. With winter setting in and snow forecast for Johannesburg, hot meals are an important component of the Army’s response. The shelter was initially planned to accommodate 250 asylum seekers awaiting the legal registration of papers. It is currently accommodating 350 men, women and children, including local people experiencing homelessness.

Refugees and other migrants in Tijuana, Mexico, are among those most affected by coronavirus in the region. Many have travelled for hundreds of kilometres from Central America and beyond to reach the border with the USA, where they remain until their plea for asylum can be heard.

Circumstances are harsh: most are living in crowded shelters or makeshift tents on hard ground. The Army’s Casa Puerta de Esperanza in the city has been distributing care packages and drink cartons.

In the Middle East migrant populations are receiving food parcels and grocery vouchers. Many labourers from throughout

Asia and Africa are brought into the region to work in construction or domestic and cleaning services. During the pandemic many of them have gone unpaid or live on a partial salary, and are often being overlooked.

The Army’s region-wide efforts will serve more than 1,500 migrant labourers.

In Kuwait, the Army is working with national embassies and consulates, as well as Kuwait City’s International Community Centre. Gift card distribution co-ordinated by the Army gives migrant families access to essential food and hygiene supplies for 30 days at a time. Similar voucher schemes in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates also seek to ensure that migrants have a reliable source of food while economic turmoil means their livelihoods are on hold.

Spain has been badly hit by the virus, and the most vulnerable people are migrants who do not hold the same rights as Spanish citizens. Corps across the country have developed food distribution programmes, with a focus on ensuring those without the right paperwork – and often at risk of exclusion – receive the necessary assistance.

In Greece, the Army’s Omonia and Victoria Square Day Centre has reopened with a new layout to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees and asylum seekers while ensuring social distancing. The centre is the hub of the Army’s response to migrants in Athens, with three other agencies providing support under the same roof to provide wrap-around care for people in need. Service users have been sharing their stories of lockdown and are looking forward to the ‘new normal’. – AR Salvationist 11 July 2020

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REFL RE FLEC FL ECTI EC TION TI ON REFLECTION

Life-changing lockdown Furniture Manager Harry McCafferty (Dumbarton Road Charity Shop) counts his blessings during the coronavirus pandemic

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T’S been more than 14 weeks since we went into lockdown. The world has changed dramatically for so many people and, in many ways, my life has changed too.

I have worked for the Salvation Army Trading Company for 26 years and in all that time I never could have imagined our store’s doors remaining closed for so long. It troubled me to think that people who contact the charity shop in Glasgow looking for advice or help would only find a ringing phone in their time of need, so we arranged for calls to be diverted to my mobile phone during the lockdown.

This meant that we could still support the most vulnerable people, albeit in a small way, by directing them towards help. The steady stream of calls has reassured me that it was the right action to take.

Since the coronavirus outbreak there have been more people needing help and we have regularly received calls from those who are desperate and vulnerable: an elderly woman from Blantyre who lost everything in a house fire; a man experiencing homelessness who found accommodation but was seeking a bed; someone distressed who needed to speak to a minister or corps officer; and countless people looking for hot meals or food parcels. We have also passed on phone numbers for divisional headquarters and local community support and women’s aid groups.

If I were in a position to offer more hands-on, practical help to these people I would have done so, but my 11-year-old son Lewis is in the high-risk category for Covid-19. Signposting people to sources of support via the phone was the obvious solution.

Lewis has severe autism, learning difficulties and complex needs. He needs 2:1 support, which means that he needs the support of two adults to go about his daily life while keeping him and others safe. The extent of his presentation wasn’t clear when he was small, but it gradually became apparent how much support he needed to cope with the world around him.

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Salvationist 11 July 2020

I have always worked full-time and, although I’m Lewis’s dad and see him every day, I was in a way ‘part of the furniture’ and never had the kind of connection with him that he had with his mum.

Over the weeks of lockdown, however, I have built a relationship with my son that I wouldn’t have thought possible. The general slowing down of life and lessening of demands on Lewis have meant that his anxiety has reduced significantly, making it possible for us to have fun together and engage in activities that he would have struggled with before. Some parents will take this for granted but it’s been a very real bonus for us.

My mornings used to resemble the inside of a pinball machine – I would arrive at work and be bounced between phone calls, emails, deliveries and customers. I thrive on this type of environment but, allowing for the fact that it’s taken a bit of getting used to, I’m enjoying the slower pace.

‘

Over the weeks of lockdown, I have built a relationship with my son that I wouldn’t have thought possible

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Top left: Harry with his son Lewis

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Being a parent to a child with complex needs has given me a better appreciation of how it feels to really struggle at times Now, every morning Lewis and I put our trainers on and head for a walk along the nearby canal, sometimes feeding the swans or ducks. It’s lovely to see Lewis enjoying it, although I do have to keep a tight hold of his hand or he would be in the canal for a swim.

We have discovered a love of cooking together.

Nothing too fancy – just simple homemade bits and pieces. I didn’t really do home economics at school, which meant those simple recipes you can try with kids passed me by. I feel like I’ve cracked it now and can make a mean empire biscuit! Lewis is delighted with my new set of skills, although I don’t envisage a career as a TV chef any time soon.

Things are much improved in terms of our relationship but the lockdown presents us with very real difficulties as well. We did receive practical support from Sense Scotland, but this has stopped during the pandemic. Schools are closed and, although the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and Lewis’s school phone regularly to help us as best they can, we are essentially flying solo.

Lewis has real difficulties with mood regulation and sometimes exhibits challenging behaviour, often with little warning. Triggers for this behaviour are heightened by anxiety and he has little or no danger awareness, which is why he needs 2:1 support.

Being a parent to a child with complex needs has

given me a better appreciation of how it feels to really struggle at times in life. I count my blessings (there are many) and realise how blessed we are – Sharon, my partner, can care for Lewis full-time while I work, we can pay our bills and, despite the fact that Lewis often struggles with the world, he has a safe and cosy bed to sleep in every night. I’m keenly aware that other families and individuals are not as fortunate.

So what does the future hold? I’m still receiving calls and spending time with Lewis. Every day is a winding road but we’re doing OK. I’m missing my 22-year-old daughter Roisin. She’s working from home so we know she’s safe, but we miss her and FaceTime is just not the same.

We have tickets to see Celine Dion at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro in August so I’m hoping lockdown is lifted enough to allow the show to go ahead, as unlikely as it seems. I’m looking forward to a date night with Sharon where we can get our glad rags on and have a few child-free hours together.

I’m also looking forward to getting back to work and things returning to something resembling normality. I’m concerned about the size of our shop and how we will implement government guidelines and social distancing. With the proper measures in place, however, I am confident we will move forward and rise to any challenges that come our way.

’

Above: Harry with Sharon

Salvationist 11 July 2020

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FEATURE Cadet testimonies

Commissioned for the Kingdom As cadets of the Messengers of the Kingdom Session are commissioned, four of them tell their stories are eager to serve God’ (1 Peter 5:2 New Living Translation). Together with my husband, John, I look forward to being a part of the Hastings community, caring for the flock that God has placed in our care.

DEBBIE-ANNE HOGARTH HOW time has flown by! Six years ago I was enrolled as a soldier at Tiverton and I am now ready to head to Hastings Citadel as the officer.

Previously, I worked for Heathcoat Fabrics in Tiverton for 33 years as part of the finance team. It seems strange to imagine that I ever would have changed jobs, let alone left the market town where I had always lived to move away from family and friends.

I knew God was speaking to me through the words of the song, ‘There Are People Hurting In The World Out There’ (SASB 935). They speak even more to me today: ‘They need you, they need me, they need Christ.’ The world changed after the coronavirus outbreak.

We lived in isolation, we couldn’t meet with family, friends or as a corps family.

Some of us have lost loved ones and employment is uncertain. I know my first appointment is not going to look like the corps profile I opened on Appointments Day, but I am looking forward to working with the people at Hastings Citadel as we move forward into the future.

As a creative person I am hoping to be able to share my creativity within my future ministry. I have shared in my love of the arts at William Booth College (WBC), from preaching while painting to Bible journaling with fellow cadets.

During my time at WBC I was given this verse: ‘Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly – not for what you will get out of it, but because you 12

Salvationist 11 July 2020

GILL McCREDIE IT’S taken nearly 20 years, but I’m finally, almost, a Salvation Army officer.

I was called at the age of 14 on work experience at my corps. I knew then that God wanted me to be an officer but I didn’t think it would take this long to get here.

Between then and now I have run from God, I have done things I’m not proud of and I have battled with mental health issues – but this all helped form the person I am today. A retired officer once said to me: ‘Gill, you’re blessed because you know what you’re saved from.’

Once I finally understood the grace of God for myself – that saving grace that washed away my sin and gave me strength to get through each day – it meant that, while I still messed up, sometimes a lot, I knew that keeping my eyes fixed on God would help me to become who he made me to be.

That journey continues, and it’s taken a further ten years of personal and spiritual growth to get me to this point.

Even when I first arrived at WBC, I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to do this in my own strength – but I can testify to

God’s amazing power at work in my life.

I have spent quality time getting to know my Creator, I have learnt what it means to live like Jesus and I have seen the Spirit at work in wonderful ways.

As I move from WBC to live out my calling, I am reminded of these words of encouragement from Peter: ‘So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives… As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness’ (1 Peter 1:13 and 15 The Message). So, being obedient, I am ready to roll up my sleeves, put my mind in gear and live for God. CHRISTOPHER THOMPSON CALLED by God to follow him, then to serve him as an officer, I remember questioning it at the time. Why me? My calling to officership was clear and unmistakable, but surely there were others God could use, people who would be more obvious choices. Yet he chose me – and I said yes.

As I look back over the past two years of training, I can see my own gradual development, which has prepared me

for the next stage of God’s plan for my life. The teaching has been insightful and at times extraordinary in helping me prepare for the coming days of ministry.

Throughout my time at WBC I have been on several placements, enabling me to explore my preaching, visit corps and develop social skills. I have also been involved in mission projects and the Easter campaign, and experienced summer at two corps in the Highlands.

There have been many moments when I have been able to partner God in his mission, which has affirmed my calling, and I have been blessed through the people I have met.

The coronavirus outbreak reimagined

my final few months at WBC, yet it did not halt my training. Instead, it allowed me to affirm my reason for coming here and draw strength from the God who called me.

In the past few weeks, as I have worked towards my first appointment at Stornoway, together with my wife, Faith, there has been a growing excitement. I thank God for the many opportunities given to me throughout my training and I am often in awe of how God could transform and use someone like me. As I look to my future appointment I cannot wait to see what God is already doing on the island. I am convinced that I still have much to learn, many ways in which to grow and much that the community there can teach me.

What can I say, other than that God calls, equips and sends? My testimony, in Scots Gaelic, is ‘Tha Dia math!’ (God is good!)

KAT WHITMORE I BEGIN with a confession: I am an overthinker. My mind is a busy place, always questioning, balancing both sides of its own arguments and making observations about anything and everything. Three years ago, when my

husband, Jonny, and I realised that God was calling us to become officers, there was a lot of thinking to be done!

I will never forget the moment Jonny and I stood in our kitchen and said: ‘OK, God. We are saying yes.’ In that moment all the background noise that normally fills my head just disappeared.

For the next few hours my mind was completely clear and I carried this overwhelming, supernatural sense of peace. It was incredible. There were no questions, no doubts, no overthinking.

There was just calm and space.

Romans 15:13 says: ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ The key, I think, is the phrase ‘as you trust in him’. In that moment of saying yes, I handed over complete control to God. As I put my trust in him, I was filled with peace.

During my preparation for training, and throughout my time at WBC, there have been moments – usually big, important moments – when God has filled me with his peace in this way.

On Appointments Day there was a roller coaster of emotions, but as I found out about our appointment to Barrow-inFurness that familiar peace returned.

This week I signed my officer’s covenant. It is a deeply significant and meaningful promise, yet it was somehow easy to sign because, in giving all control to God, I experienced the peace, the joy and the hope that only he brings.

As I move with my family to Barrow-inFurness, and keep choosing to trust fully in him, my prayer is that God’s peace, joy and hope will overflow, and that his glorious Kingdom will continue to increase in the town.

O Commissioning 2020 is available to stream live at 2 pm on 11 July at youtube.com/salvationarmyvideo or facebook.com/wbc1929 Salvationist 11 July 2020

13

TESTIMONY

These seventy years Major William Myers looks back over his years of active service and reveals how God continues to use him in retirement

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N May 1950 the people present at a crowded Camberwell Citadel participated in the farewell meeting for 200 cadets of the Standard Bearers Session. This marked the completion of a nine-month crash course. Soon we would be working out what we had taken in. The final song encapsulated our heartfelt petitions: ‘O Master, let me walk with thee/ In lowly paths of service free’ (SASB 667).

During the ensuing years, first alone and then with my wife, Kathleen, we learnt to adapt to frequent changes of corps appointments. We were humbled, blessed and inspired by devoted comrades who revelled in witnessing and serving.

I recall meeting General Albert Orsborn when Self-Denial collecting in Carshalton. He graciously invited me into his home where he was preparing his message for a congress meeting at the Royal Festival Hall. A few years later we met again, when I was making a pastoral call to someone. He stayed and gave his testimony before praying with us.

Commissioner Arch Wiggins was a near neighbour of ours at Christchurch.

He was a great raconteur, humorist and a true encourager.

As time progressed we moved to Lurgan in Northern Ireland, where, despite political troubles, the vibrant corps maintained a positive witness.

After three years we were appointed to Edinburgh Gorgie. This was destined to become the most thrilling and fruitful appointment of our officership. Here we found Spirit-filled and enterprising folk who were totally committed to outreach and Kingdom-building. During the next four years 50 new soldiers were sworn in and a second outpost established on 14

Salvationist 11 July 2020

a large housing estate. While in Edinburgh I had the privilege of preaching during a BBC broadcast, as well as at St Giles’ Cathedral. There was also a week of appearances on STV’s epilogue programme, Late Call.

At Paisley Citadel relationships with Paisley West enabled us to unite for outdoor witness and engage in an old-fashioned pub raid, which involved inviting patrons back to the hall for refreshments, gospel music and a message.

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I have set Barnabas as my example

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A change of appointment meant a move to Plymouth to be regional officers for the Public Relations Department.

Then it became a challenge of learning by doing. The manager of a large firm responded to my visit by telling me of his high regard for a former employee – a Salvationist who was ‘the best worker’ he had ever had – and proceeded to give a most generous donation. I was soon to discover that the finest folk involved with public relations were our lay people, most of whom were not ashamed to own their allegiance when I called at their workplace.

At Crediton I had the privilege of kneeling in prayer with a business man who was very troubled. At Dartmouth, testimony was given by a director to the influence of a Salvation Army family he lodged with during university days. What he saw and heard led him to commit his life to Christ, subsequently becoming treasurer of his local Anglican church.

In 1989 I was appointed to the Public

Relations North East Region, with an office in Newcastle. There my contact with Peter Moth, director of broadcasting at Tyne Tees TV, became most fruitful in raising vital funds for Salvation Army enterprises and providing media coverage for the visit of General Eva Burrows.

On retirement in 1994 I started to teach myself the piano. I am now able to cope with most songbook tunes. In 2018, under the tutelage of Major Francis Frost, I started learning to play the guitar. Within a year we were able to accompany chorus sessions at Plymouth Congress Hall and Tavistock, as well as Bowden Park Road, Plymouth, where I resided at that time.

I have set Barnabas as my example.

His name means ‘son of encouragement’ (Acts 4:36), and I have tried to be an encourager – to my corps officer, comrades and the many folk who live alongside me in the apartment block where I live.

I thank God for supremely good health and for the rich storehouse of inspirational material (principally the Bible) drawn from my bookcase. Presently, I am giving written and prayerful support to a resident, aged 91 and in lockdown, who has recently lost his wife.

I give thanks to God for the gift of his grace – undeserved, unmerited and freely given – which has been, and continues to be, lavished upon me, shaping me into the person I am today.

FEATURE My coronavirus story

Facing the challenge Projects Officer Captain Stivina Sinana (Tanzania Territory) shares how her ministry has been transformed during the pandemic

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INCE 26 March, when our territorial headquarters office was closed, I have been working from home. Constantly seeing things that need doing around the house, with interesting smells coming from the kitchen and my three children around, concentration is not always easy!

I am grateful to have an internet connection that enables me to continue with some aspects of my usual work, such as administrative tasks and preparing project proposals and reports. However, I do miss the ease of having office mates on hand to talk through more difficult things; having to make or plan a specific call is just not the same.

Other parts of my role have stopped for the time being. Movement around the country is allowed for essential purposes only, so visits to field project sites to meet with our project personnel and beneficiary groups, or to hold community conversations and training, are not possible. Many regular activities have stopped temporarily and plans have been delayed. This I have found quite frustrating. I had my plans and targets and now many of these seem to have vanished.

The week after Easter we were at least able to take action in response to Covid-19 in the communities closest to where we live. These are places we already have strong links with through a Technical and Vocational Education and Training project we have offered to more than 300 young people.

We used a public address system and printed banners, posters, flyers and bookmarks to raise awareness and give clear information on Covid-19. Many people had heard of hand sanitisers but

not used them, so we taught people how to use them while we distributed them.

We established hand-washing stations with soap and water at key bus stops and outside the police station. This campaign was well timed since it was just before the number of Covid-19 cases within Tanzania started to rise and people became more reluctant to go out.

Food shopping habits have also changed in recent weeks. It is not so easy to get food. Like many others, I now only go to the local market once per week. Even on these trips, I don’t roam around – I go directly for what I need and then rush back home.

In this respect I am blessed since I have money to buy food. However, many people normally rely on casual labour – lots of whom were already struggling to recover from the heavy rainfall and flooding we experienced last September – and cannot now get work. Others in the private sector have completely lost their businesses and livelihoods. For them there is no safety net.

The more privileged can close themselves away and sit out this crisis, but many people are not able to eat more than once per day, if at all. These people are having to go out to search for work, even where there is none, and face the constant fear of exposure to the virus alongside their anxiety of how to pay their rent and electricity bills. I am sure that there will be many in need of

counselling when we do finally come out of the current crisis.

My husband, who is the assistant principal at the training college, has been able to maintain a slightly adjusted but relatively normal routine, which has helped us as a family to maintain at least a small sense of normality. Since most of the cadets come from far-away communities it was not considered possible for them to travel home. They and the staff live together on the same compound and are relatively few in number. Contact hours with teachers have been reduced but some teaching has still been possible.

This pandemic is the biggest challenge I have faced in my almost 40 years of life. However, after learning from the World Health Organisation more about how the virus actually spreads and the precautions we can take to protect ourselves, my fear has gradually dissipated. I therefore see great hope in what we were able to do within our local communities. We certainly received recognition from the police and local government for what we did to give clear advice and reduce the fear spread by misinformation and rumours.

The future, for now, is uncertain, but there is some hope that our cases might be beginning to decline and that we as a country could consider opening schools and colleges within the coming weeks.

Until then, we continue as we are.

Salvationist 11 July 2020

15

VIEW POINT

Learning to do right Linbert Spencer (Bedford Congress Hall) responds to the territorial leaders’ statement on racism and suggests steps we can take to implement it

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S well as being in lockdown because of Covid-19, we live in times when the very air is seemingly filled with anguished cries about racism, injustice and exclusion, and with accusations of institutional discrimination. Virtually every day during June we saw public statements from reputable bodies, including The Salvation Army’s United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland.

It can feel a little overwhelming. I’m sure that many people find it hard to understand such concepts as institutional discrimination and still others can’t quite believe that ‘racism infects the Church’ and that ‘this is true even in parts of Salvation Army life’ as stated by our territorial leaders (Salvationist 13 June).

So, what is institutional discrimination?

It occurs when the systems, procedures, culture and policies of an organisation discriminate – wittingly or unwittingly – against a group or groups of people by treating them less favourably than it does others.

There was a recent example of this – unwitting, I hope – in the Appointments List (Salvationist 20 June). The editorial policy is to publish officers and envoys alphabetically by their family name. One of the Anglo-Saxon cultural norms regarding marriage is for the woman to assume the family name of the man.

There’s nothing problematic about those two things. However, implementing the policy in the context of the cultural norm resulted in at least two married couples being separated in the listing. They were unwittingly treated less favourably than other couples, which is institutional discrimination. No single individual caused the separation of the couples 16

Salvationist 11 July 2020

and there would certainly not have been a plan to do so, but the result is not what was intended.

As well as understanding what institutional discrimination is and how it can affect us, and therefore being more alert to how it might manifest in our corps or centres, there are two other things to define: diversity and inclusion. These are not the same. You can have one without the other and, in terms of ethnic diversity, that is frequently the case.

Diversity is simply difference, and we’re all different from each other in many ways: ability, accent, appearance, colour, disability, education, ethnicity, family background, gender, interests, language, nationality, parental status, sexual orientation, size, skills, wealth and so on. Inclusion, on the other hand, is something you feel – it’s not simply a case of being physically part of a group or present in the room.

Let me offer a couple of examples. My knowledge of the International Staff Band and International Staff Songsters suggests that they are really good examples of inclusion but poor examples of ethnic diversity. On the other hand, many of our workplaces – including THQ and some corps – are good examples of ethnic diversity, but many minority ethnic staff and worshippers do not always experience a feeling of inclusion. Being clear that diversity and inclusion are different things is vital if we’re to take action that brings about change.

In a recent sermon Major Matt Spencer (New Addington) quoted the prophet Isaiah: ‘Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed’ (1:17).

Major Matt then said: ‘Learn to do right.

Doing the right thing is something we Linbert at the Intercultural Mission Conference in March

have to learn. It doesn’t always come naturally and learning is a lifelong journey. Things that might have seemed right to some in another day and age are viewed differently today. And we might have some catching up to do when it comes to learning what’s right and what’s not.’

With all these things in mind, how can we, as individuals in this Movement, whatever our role or status, begin to respond to our territorial leaders’ aim for the territory to ‘intentionally seek ways to confront and fight racism wherever it is found’? How can we ‘take positive action to ensure that our culture is increasingly one in which our members, employees, service users and officers, of majority and minority ethnic origin, feel included – that is, respected, valued, trusted, safe and have a sense of belonging’?

Here are some suggestions to make your corps, centre or workplace a more inclusive environment: O Spend time listening to the stories of people you do not ordinarily talk to O Check yourself every time you think someone is ‘less than you’ because you notice that they’re different from you O Every time you experience an environment that isn’t inclusive, ask yourself and those in charge: What should we start to do now to change that?

Here are some suggestions to make all parts of your corps, centre or workplace more ethnically diverse.

(Note: If they don’t feel included, they won’t stay.)

O Be proactively available to the minority ethnic communities in your constituency O Invite more minority ethnic members to take on positions of responsibility O Invite an appropriate local organisation to work with you to organise events during Black History month – and thereafter Major Matt went on to say in his sermon: ‘As followers of Christ we’re lifelong learners when it comes to doing right.’ The above suggestions are some steps we can take in that ongoing journey.

REVIEW

An eye-opening Poet’s corner read In praise Captain Vanessa Coleman reviews Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

of hope

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OES this book’s title make you want to read it or ignore it? In 2014 Reni Eddo-Lodge wrote a blog post of the same name out of a sense of frustration, but was surprised at the positive reaction it received, including from white people.

Recent events in the US, including the death of George Floyd, have spotlighted systemic racism in state and private institutions of all kinds across the world, including the Church.

Reni, a young, British-born black woman, is clear that racism isn’t just about people who shout racist abuse in the street.

‘We tell ourselves that racism is about moral values, when instead it is about the survival strategy of systemic power,’ she says, explaining that we need to be aware of the ways that black people continue to be disadvantaged by systems that have made Britain thrive, such as slavery, which financed the industrial revolution.

She also explores the particular challenges of black women at the intersection of racial prejudice and gender discrimination, as well as tensions between race and class.

The result is a road map showing where we have come from and where we need to go. Although not written from a specifically Christian perspective, the book shows the steps needed for us to move forward in bringing about God’s Kingdom on Earth.

I’ve always thought of myself as not

Hope is an unexpected letter: ‘Hey, we love you – please get better.’

‘

We tell ourselves that racism is about moral values, when it is about the survival strategy of systemic power

’

racist, but I was humbled to learn that I have inherited unconscious bias that means, however good my intentions are, I have a lot of work to do. Reni graciously walks the reader through concepts of white privilege and fragility in ways that help them become better allies, better able to confront the biases they find in themselves, as well as confront the systems, structures and overt racism they see in society.

I found this a page-turning and eye-opening read, and am more convinced than ever that our world needs to change. It will be a lifelong journey for me to practise what this book teaches.

Hope is a voice from long ago Ringing up to say ‘hello’.

Hope is a sunlit baby’s room Whose guest is dancing in the womb.

Hope is a young and puzzled brow; A smile that says: ‘I get it now.’

Patient hope – that holy fool – Coaches strugglers after school.

Hope turns up to sweep and scrub When fools have vandalised the club.

Hope takes part in sponsored walks, Hope puts up with boring talks.

Hope is a well that’s truly sunk: Healthy water gladly drunk.

Hope’s an honest face in prison.

Laughing hope says ‘Christ is risen!’

Faith and love are Jack and Jill; Hope will help them up the hill.

Hope is… hope is… what you will.

John Coutts

O Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race is available from most bookshops and from amazon. co.uk as a paperback priced £6.99 or an ebook priced £4.53

O Would you like your work featured in Salvationist? John has written a guide for aspiring poets, available by emailing salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk Salvationist 11 July 2020

17

BIBLE STUDY

Peter learns that Jesus heals Major Darren Shaw considers how Peter started his apprenticeship

MARK 1:29–39

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Y piano teacher had a few tricks up her sleeve for helping students remember things in music theory exams. Thirty years on, I can still remember how confident I felt in the exam, knowing that I had the tools for getting the right results. Some of these ‘hacks’, such as drawing a piano keyboard at the top of the page, I use to teach my son about intervals and transposition.

I’m not suggesting that there is a technique to healing, but I wonder if Simon Peter felt similar confidence from being well taught when he healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate (see Acts 3:7).

QUESTIONS O Read the accounts of healings in Acts 3:1–7 and Mark 1:30. What similarities can you find?

O What might those similarities suggest?

Through the week with Salvationist – a devotional thought for each day

by Major Philippa Smale

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Salvationist 11 July 2020

Peter’s first recorded healing looked a lot like the first one he saw Jesus perform – although Jesus healed in a variety of ways. Peter had already answered Jesus’ call to leave his fishing nets, but that memorable night in Capernaum was where Peter’s apprenticeship started. It began with newsworthy preaching from Jesus and a showdown with a demon, then moved straight from the synagogue to Peter’s house for late-night healings (see Mark 1:27–29). Peter began his education in the ways of the Kingdom of God with the healing of his motherin-law in his own home.

QUESTION O Read Mark 1:30 and 31 again.

Imagine the scene from Peter’s point of view. What do you notice?

raise up’ – is the same one used for Jairus’s daughter (see Mark 5:41) and for the resurrection of Jesus (see Mark 16:6). It also appears in Acts 3 when Peter raised a lame man to his feet. In each of these cases, full strength was immediately restored.

QUESTION O What do you think the Gospel writer might have been trying to tell us by describing events this way?

In verses 32 to 34 of our study passage, Jesus’ healing escalated from private to public in a matter of hours, with the whole of Capernaum turning up at Peter’s door. Astonishing stuff for a former fisherman!

QUESTION hadn’t healed publicly yet, so what do you think brought the townsfolk to Peter’s door?

O Jesus

Some commentators point out that the verb Mark uses for ‘helped her up’ (v31) – meaning ‘to awaken’ or ‘to

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.

Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up.

The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

(Mark 1:29–31)

Healing Christ, you are the answer,/ Lay on us your broken hands./ Fill us with your Spirit’s presence,/ Our lives are healed at your command.

(SASB 999)

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all who were ill and demonpossessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

(Mark 1:32–34)

Mark’s Gospel may well be based on Peter’s recollections. If that’s true, then it may be instructive to note that Peter remembered that Jesus ‘healed many who had various diseases’ and also ‘drove out many demons’ (v34).

Along with the other witnesses, Peter heard and saw Jesus’ authority at the synagogue, but that was merely the start of the evening’s learning curve.

QUESTION O Put yourself in Peter’s position. What do you learn about the true extent of Jesus’ authority as you witness these many healings and exorcisms?

Read verses 35 to 39. Peter was understandably focused on the impromptu festival outside his house and thought that it should be the focus of Jesus’ mission too. Jesus, however, had a different focus and slipped away to pray. Peter’s leadership qualities came to the fore as he put together a

hunting party to track Jesus down – the literal translation of ‘went to look’ (v36) is ‘to hunt down’.

QUESTIONS do you think motivated Peter to go looking for Jesus?

O What was really meant by ‘everyone is looking for you’ (v37) when the search party found him?

O What

Surely, they may have thought, Jesus wanted to carry on demonstrating his supremacy over the evil powers that enslaved people. Then he would be able to graduate from defeating demons and diseases to running the Romans out of Judea. That was the Messiah’s job, after all, and Jesus was looking like a good candidate.

However, Jesus resisted Peter’s agenda and the draw of the crowd; he wanted instead to move on and preach his message in new places. ‘That is why I have come,’ Jesus told Peter (v38),

suggesting that heralding the Kingdom, rather than working miracles, was his primary purpose (see Mark 1:15). Other translations of verse 38 draw out the possibility that Jesus might have said: ‘That is why I came out’ (English Standard Version) – meaning that he had left Peter’s house to move on to pastures new.

There’s no doubt that Peter learnt of Jesus’ power and authority to heal individuals completely. Perhaps, on the evidence of that evening in Capernaum, he also had the imagination to hope that Jesus could heal his nation. Even then, as we know now, his vision was limited.

Jesus had more to do and Peter had much to learn. Who better to learn from than the Master himself?

MAJOR SHAW IS CORPS OFFICER, MALTBY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Once more ’tis eventide, and we,/ Oppressed with various ills, draw near;/ What if thy form we cannot see?/ We know and feel that thou art here.

(SASB 696)

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’

(Mark 1:35–37)

There are people hurting in the world out there./ They need you, they need me, they need Christ./ There are children crying and no one to care./ They need you, they need me, they need Christ./ And they’ll go on hurting in the world out there,/ And they’ll go on dying, drowning in despair,/ And they’ll go on crying, that’s unless we care!/ They need you, they need me, they need Christ.

(SASB 935)

Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so that I can preach there also.

That is why I have come.’

So he travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

(Mark 1:38 and 39)

Prayer Lord, you want people to be healed and whole.

Help us to spread your gospel and tell people of your healing power and offer of forgiveness and salvation.

Salvationist 11 July 2020

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LETTERS

HOLINESS AND SALVATION

A COMPENDIUM FOR THE SONGBOOK

RAISED in a Salvationist family from the late 1940s, for the first decades of my life there was a clear distinction between the holiness meeting on Sunday mornings and the salvation meeting in the evenings.

I understood this to be so that existing believers, the saved, would be taught and nurtured to live an increasingly Christlike life by means of the holiness meeting. ng. The salvation meeting was aimed att non-believers, the unsaved, who would be encouraged couraged to enter our halls, either by personal sonal invitation or as a result of open-air -air ministry.

Today the attitudes and beliefs fs of many people have changed, so oa different approach is needed. Effective ways of communicating the gospel spel with the unchurched are more likely to arise within midweek gatherings such as youth outh clubs, parent-and-toddler groups and lunch clubs.

We Christians are challenged to o speak of our faith as we meet people in everyday ryday life. We hope and pray that some will come ome to know Jesus and we may invite them to attend our meetings, but a lack of this result ult should not be considered a failure.

The Sunday morning congregation gation at our corps is taught and nurtured in the faith to help us in our spiritual development; surely this is a holiness meeting. The Bible message is presented in different ways to make it meaningful to all states of men, women and children. We have more informal evening meetings that may attract seekers after the truth who might be uncomfortable in the standard morning worship setting. These informal meetings also enable members of our existing fellowship to share our faith and experience. The essence of all our worship is to acknowledge and meet with Jesus and then to live for him.

Hazel Thompson Stotfold

THE prior two editions of The Song Book Of The Salvation Army have each had a concordance authored by William Metcalf. I am not sure why it is called a ‘concordance’, rather than what I believe it is: a compendium of material relevant to each song.

There appears to have been no revised issue to support the 2015 songbook. However, there is a revision to William’s scholarly work available This unofficial, freely online to accompany the songbook’s latest edition. Thi updated compendium can be found at with an spiritualsongscan.weebly.com, w users. A printed unrestricted copyright for all use edition would be an attract attraction for many and happen sooner rather this will hopefully hap than later. In the meantime, the material is available in digital form and maybe a ‘search engine’ ‘s feature could be fe incorporated. in Cliff Moggs Sonning Eye

A BLESSING TO OUR EARS I WAS fortunate to know about the launch of Fortress Radio and listened to their very first programme. I have listened every day since.

I also encourage my friends and contacts to listen too! How blessed we are, especially in this time of lockdown, to have access to this beneficial ministry.

Rhoda Atkinson Purley 20

Salvationist 11 July 2020

Editor's note: n Since sending this letter Clif Cliff has offered to provide guidance to anyone wishing to have the compendiu compendium printed and bound in book form. Emai Email salvationist@ salvationarmy.org.ukk for deta details.

IS ONE MEETING ENOUGH? I DO not wish to upset anyone or for this to be taken as criticism of any one corps. Having read and reflected on the article by Peter Woods concerning time for holiness teaching (Salvationist 30 May), and bearing in mind the Fourth Commandment, Peter makes some valid points. In the space of about 30 years most corps have gone from being frantically busy all day on a Sunday to being frantically busy trying to condense elements of three meetings into one morning time of worship. Sometimes it seems as though Sunday worship is merely one more thing to be fitted in along with secular interests. In many corps the afternoon praise meeting was dropped first, followed later by the decision (not always discussed with corps folk) to have only one meeting on a Sunday. Whatever the reasons, the decline in attendance in a lot of corps has continued; it appears the less people do the less they want to do. While we are unable to meet in the usual way due to Covid-19, perhaps it is time to consider what our priorities are so that holiness teaching and quiet contemplation of God’s word take their proper place as vital parts of our worship. If, as the Bible says, we seek first the Kingdom of God, then all the other things that individual corps need to incorporate into their programmes will fall into place.

Name and address supplied

LETTERS Readers’ letters are a popular and well-read section of Salvationist.

Many years ago General Frederick Coutts said letters for publication in the Army’s press should be ‘carefully thought out, logically presented and charitably expressed’. Letters may be edited and should ideally be no more than 300 words.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

ARMY PEOPLE

WHAT’S ON

LOCAL OFFICER APPOINTED O CSM Sonya Pascoe, Belfast Sydenham

LET THERE BE PRAISE Croydon Citadel Band and Songsters on 29 July from 7.30 pm EST (30 July at 12.30 am UK time) on kitchener. faithfm.org O Previous broadcasts are available on citadelpromotions.co.uk

RETIRED OFFICERS Birthday congratulations O Commissioner Winifred Pender (85 on 20 July) O Lieut-Colonel Reidun Ellis (80 on 21 July) PROMOTED TO GLORY O Lieut-Colonel Ernest Coupe from Watford General Hospital on 24 June O Major Marjorie Stokes from Glebe Court care home on 24 June O Margaret McAndrew, Kirkcaldy O Maureen Wildman, Burton-on-Trent O Brian Hooper, Basingstoke O Joan Clee, Wellingborough O Joan Newman, Caterham BEREAVED O Major Adrian Coupe, Shildon, Trevor Coupe and Dawn Coupe of their father Lieut-Colonel Ernest Coupe O HLT Olive Wishart, Kirkcaldy, and Ruth Campbell of their mother Margaret McAndrew O Captain Mark Anderson, Middlesbrough Pallister Park, of his father Mike Anderson O Brenda Hooper, Basingstoke, of her husband Brian, Beverley Hooper and Christopher Hooper, both Basingstoke, of their father O Dave Clee, Wellingborough, of his wife Joan, Tristan Clee, Wellingborough, and Adrian Clee, Cardiff Canton, of their mother O Caroline Pocock, Cannock, and David Pocock, Loughborough, of their mother Major Irene Pocock OFFICIAL GAZETTE UKI Territory LONG SERVICE 45 years O Major David Ryder, Personnel Service, THQ ANTHONY COTTERILL Commissioner Territorial Commander

22

Salvationist 11 July 2020

TRIBUTES BRAMWELL WOODHOUSE, FAKENHAM FROM his early days in the YP band, Bram soldiered faithfully at the corps as a bandsman and songster. The last 15 years were difficult, and various lifethreatening illnesses prevented him regularly attending. Bram was still able to witness when doctors, nurses and carers asked about his ‘unusual’ name.

He proudly explained he was named after Bramwell Booth, leading to a conversation about The Salvation Army.

Bram was known for his singing voice and sang right up to the end of his life with the carers at home, in hospital and in the care home where he lived for the last eight months.

Coronavirus restrictions meant that his funeral could only be attended by close relatives, but as he followed the flag on his final journey, family members, friends, neighbours and Salvationists stood by the roadside to pay their respects. Well done, good and faithful servant! – AA DAVID TUTTIETT, WINTON DAVID was born in Bournemouth and was a lifelong Salvationist, having been first brought to the corps aged two weeks. He later took his place in the junior band and then the senior band.

Moving to London with his parents, David attended Stoke Newington for two years and, aged 18, left to do his national service, mostly in the Middle East. He then moved to Poole where he married Wendy and joined the corps band, becoming the solo horn player.

In 1977 he married Glenda and they later joined his parents at Winton and served in the band and songsters. David

also tutored the YP band and played in the Fellowship Band. He was also an active member of the community care ministries group.

David fought cancer for nearly seven months after his diagnosis and passed away peacefully. He fought a good fight and never complained. He is greatly missed by Glenda and all the family. Well done, good and faithful servant! – GT JOHN HODSON, LEICESTER SOUTH JOHN was born in 1929. As a young child he moved from Camberwell to Nunhead, thus commencing more than 60 years of active participation, during which he was a committed member of the band, songsters and corps orchestra led by his father, Harry. He also served as a local officer in several positions.

Nunhead became the temporary spiritual home of many officers and students. This led to John and his beloved wife, Jean, opening their home for Sunday meals. Over the years, they also provided a temporary home for innumerable young Christians.

Possessor of a fine baritone voice, John blessed many people with his singing. In retirement he and Jean moved to Leicester South and became fully involved in corps activities, John becoming assistant corps treasurer.

Throughout his life, John influenced and encouraged many people through his godly living and faithful service. He is greatly missed by Jean, his family and friends. – WH LIEUT-COLONEL CEDRIC SHARP CEDRIC was born in Ahmednagar, India, his parents being Salvation Army officers in that country. Most of his education was at Breeks Memorial School in the Nilgiri Hills, South India.

As a young person growing up in India and Burma, Cedric was aware of the great need there. In his teenage years he knew God was calling him to Salvation Army officership.

After moving to England he soldiered at Harrow before entering the International Training College in the Witnesses of the Faith Session. In 1967 he was appointed

to Sheffield men’s social centre.

In 1968 Cedric married Barbara, whom he met at Harrow. They were later appointed to Whitechapel, where their daughter, Deborah, was born.

In 1970 Cedric and Barbara were appointed to Evangeline Booth Leprosy Hospital, India, followed by a transfer to India South Eastern THQ, and then to Nagercoil Training College. Cedric loved being out in the villages with cadets.

Their second daughter, Miriam, was born at Catherine Booth Hospital. Five years later their son, Philip, was born.

Sadly, in 1977, Deborah was promoted to Glory.

Further appointments followed in the UK and Sri Lanka, and at Nagercoil Training College and Trivandrum All India Central Training College. In 1992 Cedric and Barbara returned to the UK to take up

appointments in Scotland and London before being appointed to the training college and THQ in Pakistan in 2000.

They were there for seven years, during which time Cedric was involved with relief work following a serious earthquake in the mountain area of Pakistan. The couple retired in Lahore, where Cedric had been enrolled as a junior soldier.

Cedric had a great love for the countries where he served and the people he worked with. The day before his promotion to Glory he witnessed the enrolment of Achsah as a soldier at Sunderland Millfield. Her family are from Nagercoil and had worked with Cedric. It was a final seal on Cedric’s years of service in the land of his birth.

Cedric is sadly missed by his family. He was a true gentleman and a man of God. – BS

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE OPENING FOR WORSHIP The UK government has released guidance for places of worship in England and guidance has been received from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (we are awaiting guidance from Scotland and Wales). The territorial leadership have reviewed the guidance and emphasise the following points: O All officers and centre managers in England are expected to follow all the advice.

O Corps in England can only reopen for worship when a risk assessment has been completed in consultation with local leaders and approved by DHQ. O The number of people who can attend worship will be determined by the risk assessment.

O Divisional leaders are being encouraged to roll out the reopening gradually so we can learn lessons in these unusual times. The virus has not gone away so we must proceed with great care.

O The government guidance is that people over 70 ‘are advised to stay at home as much as possible and, if they do go out, to take particular care to minimise contact with others outside of their household’. The territorial leadership appreciates that many faithful and passionate Salvationists are over 70 and will be keen to get back to worship. However, we strongly support the government’s advice, although we hope it will be revised as soon as possible. Similar restrictions are also placed on people who are clinically extremely vulnerable.

O Singing, as well as playing brass instruments, is not permitted in indoor or outdoor Salvation Army meetings in England, Scotland and Wales until further notice. This applies to individuals, groups and congregations. Government guidance for music in worship in other parts of the territory varies. In these places, the risk assessment should consider these matters and DHQ must sign it off before the activity takes place.

O Public Health England stated in an email sent to The Salvation

www.facebook.com/wbc1929 dŚĞ ^ĂůǀĂƟŽŶ ƌŵLJ ƌĞŐŝƐƚĞƌĞĚ ŚĂƌŝƚLJ EŽ͘Ϯϭϰϳϳϵ ĂŶĚ ŝŶ ^ĐŽƚůĂŶĚ ^ ϬϬϵϯϱϵ͖ ^ŽĐŝĂů dƌƵƐƚ ZĞŐŝƐƚĞƌĞĚ ŚĂƌŝƚLJ EŽ͘ Ϯϭϱϭϳϰ ĂŶĚ ŝŶ ^ĐŽƚůĂŶĚ ^ Ϭϯϳϲϵϭ dŚĞ ^ĂůǀĂƟŽŶ ƌŵLJ dƌƵƐƚĞĞ ŽŵƉĂŶLJ͕ ƌĞŐŝƐƚĞƌĞĚ ŶƵŵďĞƌ ϬϬϮϱϵϯϮϮ ; ŶŐůĂŶĚ ĂŶĚ tĂůĞƐͿ͘ ZĞŐŝƐƚĞƌĞĚ ŽĸĐĞ͗ ϭϬϭ EĞǁŝŶŐƚŽŶ ĂƵƐĞǁĂLJ͕ >ŽŶĚŽŶ ^ ϭ ϲ E 'ĞŶĞƌĂů͗ ƌŝĂŶ WĞĚĚůĞ͘ dĞƌƌŝƚŽƌŝĂů ŽŵŵĂŶĚĞƌ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ hŶŝƚĞĚ <ŝŶŐĚŽŵ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ZĞƉƵďůŝĐ ŽĨ /ƌĞůĂŶĚ͗ ŽŵŵŝƐƐŝŽŶĞƌ ŶƚŚŽŶLJ ŽƩĞƌŝůů

Issued by Secretary for Communications Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant and correct as of 3 pm on 6 July

Army on 3 July that brass and woodwind instruments should not be played in groups of players outdoors. This guidance is different to the advice attributed to Public Health England on some brass band websites. The territorial leaders recognise that a number of corps have been undertaking valuable ministry in small brass groups. However, we need to abide by the new guidance from the experts in the interest of keeping people safe. Research is being undertaken on the transmission of the virus by brass and wind instruments. We will revise our guidance as soon as more information is received from Public Health England.

O Meetings can be held in corps parking areas or in outdoor spaces owned by The Salvation Army. If there is a meeting in the car park or garden around the hall all the measures outlined in the government guidance must still be followed.

Worship in England cannot be held in public areas such as parks or gardens. It can only be held on land owned by a place of worship.

O Shared areas or equipment for children should be closed or put away.

O The guidance includes advice on cleaning and keeping each other safe. Some hall cleaners are on the furlough scheme and, like all employees, cannot return to work without the approval of the Territorial Retention Group.

O Other activities previously held in corps properties cannot restart at this time. Food distribution that has been carried out during the pandemic can continue.

O Guidance for reopening places of worship in Northern Ireland has been shared with corps in Northern Ireland. It is not the same as for England. The Republic of Ireland has moved into Phase 3 of its roadmap, which will see further easing of restrictions across many aspects of everyday life. This includes education and childcare facilities being permitted to reopen, cafés and restaurants reopening, and indoor social gatherings of up to 50 people being permitted to occur when conducted in line with public health guidelines.

Salvationist 11 July 2020

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‘

Whenever I see someone without faith facing one of life’s big struggles I wonder how they get through

All kinds of people attend, join, volunteer with or work for The Salvation Army.

We’ve asked some to tell us about themselves.

This week…

LIEUTENANT ROB WESTWOOD-PAYNE

What is your favourite kind of holiday?

One that involves plenty of walking along the north Norfolk beaches, accompanied by my wife, Gail, and my cocker spaniel, Harley.

Corps officer, Basingstoke

What is the most interesting thing about your role?

The opportunity and privilege to be in personal relationship with people – both Salvationists and non-Salvationists – and to play some part in their life journeys. … and the most frustrating?

The tension between administration and other aspects of my role, such as preaching and pastoral care.

What one thing would you change about the Army?

Me. I cannot change anyone – all I can do is try to model what I preach and pray that others follow.

Is there something you’ve never understood?

How do you get seedless grapes?

What is your favourite Bible verse?

‘Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer’ (Romans 12:12). It was the verse that my session based our commissioning around.

What is your favourite hymn or worship song?

A recent choice would be ‘In Christ Alone’ (SASB 861), which my mum chose for her funeral, but I also love to sing Albert Orsborn’s ‘When Shall I Come Unto The Healing Waters?’

(SASB 742).

How did you first come into contact with the Army?

My parents were Salvationists, as were generations before them, so it was natural that I was taken to our home corps, Norwich Citadel, a few days after I was born.

What made you want to become an officer?

I felt God’s calling to officership when I became a junior soldier at the age of seven. It remained with me until university days, but I didn’t factor it in when making a career choice. After 12 years as a solicitor God called me powerfully to officership again. I said yes and took the first steps to answering the call.

’

If you had to be handcuffed to one person for a day, who would it be?

Sorry General, but General Brian Peddle. I am sure one day in his office would be an eye-opener.

If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose?

William and Catherine Booth. I would love to watch them scan today’s society and help The Salvation Army adapt to win the world for Jesus.

If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would it be?

It would be the lyrics of a song by Gwen and Robert Redhead: ‘One life to live,/ O may I live for thee!’

What do you do in your spare time?

Reading, walking Harley, going to the cinema with Gail or eating out.

If you could bring back any fashion trend what would it be?

High-collar tunics. Picking any old T-shirt to wear underneath was always easier than ensuring your white shirt was ironed.

What was the first record, tape or CD that you ever owned?

My first ever single was Uptown Girl by Billy Joel, on 7-inch vinyl.

Which book (apart from the Bible) would you want on a desert island?

1929: A Crisis That Shaped The Salvation Army’s Future. Leaders trying to deal with an almost impossible situation and the human side of the consequences around the episode continue to fascinate me.

If you had a ‘theme song’ that played whenever you walked into a room, what would it be?

‘Samba De Janeiro’ by Bellini. It’s played at Carrow Road when my beloved Norwich City FC score a goal.

It would be nice to hear it more often!

What is the most valuable thing you possess?

My Christian faith. Whenever I see someone without it facing one of life’s big struggles I wonder how they can get through.

Something interesting people might want to know about you is…

During my holidays as a university student I worked as a research assistant to a member of parliament.