Salvationist 25 April 2020

SALVATIONIST For everyone linked to The Salvation Army

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A MESSAGE FROM THE TERRITORIAL COMMANDER

Reaching out

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Thomas responded: ‘My Lord and my God!’ I think Jesus is a specialist in making himself known in locked down and locked in places. Typically, when he arrives, he says to the disciples as he says to us in our lockdown places, ‘Peace be with you!’

I’ve always loved song 649 in our song book, which says in verse 2: ‘If doors should close then other doors will open,/ The Word of God can never be contained./ His love cannot be finally frustrated,/ By narrow minds or prison bars restrained.’

I think we’re discovering, when we’re confined, that amazing doors of opportunity can open up for us. We are beginning to understand that we have to be followers of Jesus in different ways and to express the gospel in new and exciting ways.

We should go on chancing our arms, endeavouring to find new opportunities, reaching out and discovering that God is with us. We should reach out in terms of being reconciled with God, of course, but some of us may need to be reconciled to one another, to reach out where we have been reluctant previously.

In these days may we know Jesus in the midst of us, bringing us peace, blessing us and blessing our countries in new and exciting ways.

HESE have been tough weeks, during which many have been through painful experiences. Some of you have experienced illness and others, sadly, have been bereaved. Our thoughts and prayers are with those families especially.

I’m also aware that many people are doing incredible work for others. I want again to say thank you to staff in our residential settings: older people’s care homes, Lifehouses and safe houses for people who have been rescued from modern slavery. And I say thank you to everyone who is continuing to do what they can in these days.

Gill and I are surrounded by a tremendous group of people up and down the country who are a great support. I especially want to acknowledge Chief Secretary Colonel Lee Graves. He and his wife, Territorial Secretary for Leader Development Colonel Debbie, are from Canada so in the past few months I’ve had to orientate him to life in the UK. I’ve introduced him to football and explained unfamiliar phrases. Lee now understands what it is to be ‘snookered’, and what ‘it’s time to draw stumps’ means. Recently, he heard me say ‘they’re chancing their arm’ and I was able to explain this unusual saying.

Earlier this year Gill and I were in Dublin seeing some of the Army’s great work there. During some free time we walked through the city and found ourselves at St Patrick’s Cathedral. In the open space of the cathedral stands a door, separate from any wall, called the Door of Reconciliation.

It has a big hole in it, which dates from

1492 when two feuding families, the FitzGeralds and the Butlers, were fighting.

Eventually the Butlers retreated into the cathedral’s Chapter House where they locked the door. The FitzGeralds arrived, wanting to make peace, and asked the Butlers to come out. The Butlers were not too keen to do this, so the leader of the FitzGeralds ordered a hole to be cut in the door, then put his arm through as a gesture of peace. The Butlers, realising that he was chancing his arm, grabbed it and shook it. The door was then unlocked and the families made peace.

The Butlers weren’t the only people to have found themselves behind a locked door. On the day of the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples who were together, ‘with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders’ (John 20:19). Thomas wasn’t there and found it hard to believe what had happened. A week later they were gathered behind locked doors again, this time with Thomas. Jesus greeted them with ‘Peace be with you!’ (v26) and said to Thomas: ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe’ (v27).

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Salvationist 25 April 2020

TERRITORIAL HEADQUARTERS 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN 020 7367 4500 0845 634 0101

Published weekly by The Salvation Army and printed on paper from sustainable sources by Walstead Roche Ltd, St Austell. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland. The Salvation Army is a Christian church and a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399.

ISSN 2516-5909

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

FOUNDER William Booth

TERRITORIAL COMMANDER Commissioner Anthony Cotterill EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHING SECRETARY Major Mal Davies

CONTACT SALVATIONIST 020 7367 4890 salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk Find Salvationist on Facebook SalvationistOnline Find Salvationist on Twitter @SalvationistUK

CONTENTS

ANY ANSWERS? THE question was bound to be asked by somebody at some point. I heard it on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions? a couple of weeks ago. A woman phoned in and asked the panel: ‘Does the coronavirus prove that God does not exist?’

Professor Margaret MacMillan was the first to answer. She said that the coronavirus does not disprove God’s existence, then went on to say that, rather than thinking about that question, our focus needs to be on what we can do to bring the pandemic under control and support our health workers.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, MP, took a different approach. She said that turning to God could help people get through these trying circumstances and acknowledged that God had helped her in her work as a doctor and in times of personal difficulty.

Edward Argar, MP, also said that faith was important for him and could be ‘a huge help’ for others.

The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, had the last word. He pointed out that it was Good Friday, a day when ‘the Church talks about the love of God revealed in the death of Jesus’. Good answer! If circumstances ever tempt us to doubt the love of God, we need to look to the cross where he has already revealed the depth of his love, and trust that nothing ‘will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:39).

Major Richard Mingay focuses on the cross in an article from five years ago on page 19, the second in our ‘From the archive’ series. He says that, whatever is going on in or around us, the cross should be the centre of our identity as Christians: ‘It must be the ultimate place we go to find our spiritual bearings... We go to Calvary in every situation.’

On the cross Jesus identified with us in the depth of our suffering as he reconciled us and all creation to God. This means that our calling as followers of Jesus involves identifying with others in their suffering. On pages 12 and 13 Steve Loveland describes how the Army’s homelessness services in Dublin are responding to the pandemic. He says the situation has meant that people are able to identify with the ‘social isolation and restrictions’ that many of those experiencing homelessness face every day. If that greater understanding leads to a greater effort to support them, then some good will have come from this awful situation.

Major Noel Wright looks at what it means to proclaim the gospel, in the first of a new series on the five marks of mission on page 10. He makes the point that, along with our ‘God-honouring demonstrations of love and compassion’, we should speak about Jesus because he is the good news that people need to hear. Major Gregory Morgan agrees in his reflection on page 14, where he says the good news must be ‘spoken and enacted’.

Where is God in all that’s going on at the moment? It’s not an easy question but the answer lies in the cross, which demonstrates God’s love for us and presence with us, and which motivates us to live for him and speak of him as we share in the challenging experiences of other people’s lives.

A message from the Territorial Commander

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News

4 to 6

Prayer pointers

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Diary of self-isolation Just keep swimming! Week 4

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by Major Karen Sandford

News feature 8 and 9 Army raises coronavirus awareness in Africa and the Middle East Five marks of mission Proclaiming the good news

10

by Major Noel Wright

Resources Reimagining mission

11

by Lieut-Colonel Drew McCombe

Serving in a crisis 12 and 13 Homelessness services in Dublin

by Steve Loveland

Reflection Inviting people to fullness of life

14

by Major Gregory Morgan

Campaign Universal credit reform

15

by Alessandra Sciarra

Bible study Follow me!

16 and 17

by Major Andrew Vertigan

Through the week with Salvationist 16 and 17

by Major Freda Benneyworth

Review Growing Leaders

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reviewed by Major Mal Davies

Faith in past crises 1637: Thirty Years’ War

18

by Major Howard Webber

From the archive A cross-centred character

19

by Major Richard Mingay

A letter from the Chief Secretary 20 and 21 Announcements

22 and 23

The Salvation Army and me

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featuring Eric Norton

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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NEWS

Territorial leaders celebrate Easter via YouTube THQ TERRITORIAL leaders Commissioners Anthony and Gill Cotterill led an online Easter meeting, which has attracted more than 11,000 views.

The meeting opened with a clip of Govan Songsters singing ‘Hallelujah! Jesus Is Alive’. Commissioner Gill welcomed viewers and invited them to join in the song ‘Christ The Lord Is Risen Today’.

People from across the territory took part: Captain Karen Symonds (Cwm) and Major Chris Connolly (Glasgow airport chaplain) brought Bible readings, and junior soldier Lucy Kerr (Lurgan) and Lieutenant Tony Kakande (Gateshead) offered prayers.

The International Staff Band played ‘He Is Lord’ and the International Staff Songsters brought ‘I’ve Just Seen Jesus’, both with words and images displayed on the screen.

In his Bible message the Territorial Commander asked the viewers to imagine what it must have been like for the early disciples to discover the empty tomb and encounter the risen Jesus. ‘The risen Christ still today invites us first to Calvary where our sins may be washed away,’ he said, ‘but he also draws us into resurrection.’ The power of Jesus’ resurrection ‘enables us to be reflectors of his love and his grace as we offer our lives to him’, he concluded.

The meeting closed with an opportunity for viewers to join in singing ‘Thine Be The Glory’. – JR O The 50-minute meeting is available to watch at youtube.com/user/salvationarmyvideo CIRENCESTER: As the Churches Together open-air service on Good Friday could not take place, corps leader Territorial Envoy Kim Whyard produced an online service with the Rev Canon Graham Morris of St John the Baptist parish church and the Rev Matt Frost of Cirencester Baptist church, which was shared on YouTube. Sunday club leader Corinne Walters kept the YP work going via email and the corps Facebook page, using materials from the Youth and Children’s Ministries Unit, and each participant received an Easter egg on their doorstep. On Easter Day corps members and friends joined an online meeting organised by Territorial Envoy Kim. – MG

DUNSTABLE: Corps officers Majors Lindsay and Steve Brevitt continue to publish weekly news and Stay Connected, a home worship resource. These are sent to corps via email or through the post to keep them up to date with news and prayer requests. Senior leaders are also contacting people to identify needs and ensure that they feel healthy and connected in this time of self-isolation. – JB 4

Salvationist 25 April 2020

SALE: The corps continues to distribute food to people in need or in self-isolation. Individuals or family groups are tending to the community garden to avoid anything going to waste; recently, rhubarb was distributed to those within the fellowship and the community. Children from the corps and community have also been emailing their rainbow pictures to corps officer Major

Ann Montgomery to stay connected and share the message of hope with those who pass the hall. – AM

NORWAY: Captain Ester Danielsdottir van Gooswilligen (Egersund) has been encouraging households to place teddy bears in their front windows so families can use their exercise time during quarantine to take part in a teddy bear hunt, looking out for the bears as they walk around the neighbourhood. With schools, play schemes, cafés, restaurants and non-essential shops closed, parents having to balance working from home with full-time childcare can often struggle to find ideas that will occupy them.

‘A teddy hunt in the neighbourhood is easy,’ said Captain Ester.

‘It helps with being active and can be a great motivation to go out and do something together… a safe distance from other people.’

Similar teddy bear hunts have also sprung up in other countries.

– AR MORRISTON: Making use of the strong corps presence online, corps officers Majors Neville and Yvonne Andrews are uploading Sunday worship meetings weekly.

Video conferencing software Zoom has been used for virtual coffee mornings, a quiz night and practices for the songsters, who also receive weekly devotions through email. The young people involved in the Salvation Kid’s Rock project continue to receive music tuition from their leaders through social media while rehearsals are suspended; these have included weekly challenges where video submissions are judged by corps members. The food bank continues to support those in need.

– SR

Universal credit will create ‘coronavirus debt crisis’, warns Army UK THE Army is calling on the UK government to replace universal credit advance payment loans with grants to avoid thousands plunging into debt after losing their livelihoods due to the coronavirus crisis.

Under the present system, people who apply to receive universal credit have to wait five weeks for their first payment, and the only alternative is to take out an advance payment loan. For many, this bridging loan is almost impossible to pay back as universal credit only covers their basic living costs.

Even before the pandemic, the Army noticed an increase in people using food banks to feed their family so they could pay back universal credit accrued debt. Unless immediate changes are made to move advance payments to a grant system, thousands could face the choice between buying food and repaying their loan.

In recent weeks 70,000 people have applied for advance payment loans and the debt spiral is a particular risk for people with mental health issues who struggle to access universal credit even when the system is not under high demand. More than a million new universal credit claims have been made since the middle of March and that number is expected to rise significantly in the coming months.

Director of Employment Services Rebecca Keating said: ‘The government has made some helpful changes to help people access benefits… but requiring a loan to cover a five-week wait for financial support is the point of critical failure that the government must address. Not only will this add stress for people already struggling with the fallout from the pandemic, but also leave a lasting legacy if too many people are shouldering too much avoidable debt.’ – AR SUNDERLAND MILLFIELD: Bandmaster Andrew and Louise Maycock wanted to support the NHS and invited the neighbourhood to donate Easter eggs for local hospital staff. Friends from other parts of northeast England also supported and, when the appeal was wound up on Maundy Thursday, more than 600 chocolate eggs had been accumulated. Andrew and Louise are pictured with their three daughters. – RB SNETTISHAM: Soldier Marianne Fowkes made an Easter garden to remind passers-by of the Easter message of hope. Although the hall is closed, she placed it outside the building during Holy Week and, on Easter Day, rolled back the stone to reveal an empty tomb and folded grave clothes. – AK

Prayer pointers Secretary for Spiritual Life Development Lieut-Colonel Jayne Roberts introduces prayer topics for each day of the week

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URING these challenging days we are all invited to pause at noon each day to unite in prayer. This specific time will not be possible for everyone but whenever you take time to pray the following prayer subjects are offered, which particularly relate to concerns around the coronavirus pandemic. Different topics will be published each week.

Monday Medical staff and scientists who are working to create a vaccine to protect us from coronavirus in future years.

Thank you, Lord, for their skill and dedication.

Tuesday Community volunteers who are shopping for food and delivering medication to people who cannot leave their homes. Lord, protect them and bless their service.

Wednesday People for whom a Salvation Army Lifehouse is home and their support workers. Be near to them and guide them in the daily challenges they face.

Thursday The residents in older people’s care homes and the staff who continue to care for them in these difficult days. Father God, may they have the physical and spiritual resources they need.

Friday Those who have been bereaved of loved ones in recent weeks.

Lord, bring your comfort and strength to those who grieve.

Saturday We give thanks today for the beauty of God’s creation and the new life that continues to flourish in gardens, parks and the countryside around us. We pray for all the babies born during these days and for their families. May they find great joy in the precious gift of a child.

Sunday We pray for corps and centres that are providing opportunities to unite in prayer and worship online and via printed matter. May the joy of Easter continue to be felt and the peace of Christ prevail in our hearts and homes.

O This

week’s link is to a helpful resource called Virtual Funerals from the United Reformed Church. It contains prayers and readings to use on the day of a funeral for anyone unable to attend a service under the current restrictions. Go to urc.org.uk/information-guides Stay home if you can, stay safe and keep praying.

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NEWS

NORTH WALSHAM: Corps officer Major Richard Durrant has organised for a weekly newsletter to be distributed by email and post for those without internet access. A small band of volunteers has also been delivering Salvationist and groceries to corps folk and members of the community who are in need. All corps members have been encouraged to phone at least three people from the corps every day and pray at noon. – JB

A prayer tree outside the hall at Huddersfield allows people to hang requests for prayers from the corps

KIRKBY-IN-ASHFIELD: Corps officer Major Denise McGarvey has been continuing school ministry despite schools being closed to the majority of pupils. Major Denise has created content for the Edmodo app, which allows teachers to give virtual classes and stay in contact with pupils and parents. – AR OLDHAM FITTON HILL: Staff and volunteers received a donation to support families and isolated individuals over the Easter holidays during the coronavirus pandemic. This enabled them to give out essential food, some fun activities and care packs that included an Easter egg. More than 170 gifts and parcels were delivered in partnership with the local housing association and health centre. – EB STRATFORD: The corps and East Ham Project have been continuing work with Bonny Downs Community Association and Skills Enterprise on the NEWday homelessness day centre. The corps continues to support guests remotely and is still helping with universal credit and job applications, housing, food and clothing, as well as offering a pastoral listening ear.

Nine people have been helped into housing from the night shelter. – LR 6

Salvationist 25 April 2020

KILMARNOCK: The corps has received food donations from a nearby Morrisons, which will be used to provide emergency food parcels for people in need. Regulars at the popular weekly Soup and Sandwich café are still receiving snacks thanks to deliveries from corps officers Captains Emma and Les Heal and volunteers. On Easter Day Captains Emma and Les visited corps folk. Maintaining social distancing, they shared words of Scripture and prayer from doorsteps. – EF

Luncheon club comes home CLOWNE THE corps is delivering more than 50 meals each week to some of the most vulnerable residents in the village.

When the weekly luncheon club was suspended to comply with government safety guidance, the parish council asked if meals could continue and be delivered to people who were self-isolating. The council donated a supply of food, which was augmented by donations from local restaurant The Treble Bob and Mecca Bingo.

A small team of Army volunteers cooked the meals and arranged the deliveries. Some volunteers had never been connected to the Army before and others were residents who had once belonged to the Sunday school or brought children to weekly activities.

Over Easter, everyone receiving a meal also received an extra treat thanks to a donation of Easter eggs from the junior school. The corps hopes to continue its luncheon club ministry at least once each week for as long as people need it. – EH

GATESHEAD: Afternoon tea baskets were delivered to members of Birtley’s older people’s Joy group. The members are self-isolating after the planned Easter visit to a tearoom was cancelled, but the baskets lifted spirits and the opportunity for a brief chat was much appreciated. A nearby Aldi also donated more than 400 Easter eggs to the corps, which were distributed to key workers in the town. – AH

FINDOCHTY AND BUCKIE: Corps officers Majors Bruce and Isobel Smith played Easter hymns above Findochty to mark Easter morning. People would normally gather to celebrate the risen Saviour at this spot, and several people listened from their doors. At Buckie, War Cry and Kids Alive! were handed out with food bank deliveries.

Copies of War Cry, Salvationist and Kids Alive! were also delivered with ‘The Strange Times’, a newsletter for people linked to the two corps. Both corps live-streamed Sunday worship on Facebook, and provided a special online request service for the musical tots group and Messy Church. – BS

Ipswich Citadel’s window display encourages passers-by to think about God’s love

FEATURE I Self-isolation

JUST KEEP SWIMMING! DIARY OF SELF-ISOLATION WEEK 4 Major Karen Sandford (Harlow) continues her day-by-day account of life in lockdown DAY 22 Tuesday 7 April

DAY 24 Maundy Thursday

I cried today. The news we had been expecting since before the weekend arrived and the dam definitely burst. She was so lovely. Kind, thoughtful, generous, funny.

Such a loss for her husband, for everyone.

The boys wanted to know what they could do for me. I set them to work in the shed, then the garden, and about an hour later I had a paddling pool to swim in.

When I say swim, it was more of a lie down while waving my arms around, my tow-float attached to the dog lead, which was tethered to the washing line. But the cold water did what it usually does for my body, my mind and my soul.

I thank God that my body does what it does naturally when my mind goes Awol, that I am ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (Psalm 139:14) and that ‘the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort’ (2 Corinthians 1:3) never fails me.

I woke early and decided to walk Daisy.

I wanted to record a video for our corps. As some of them are unable to get out at all, I thought I’d share my walk with them.

We did some deliveries and visits too. It’s not quite the same having to stand outside without the cups of coffee and the hugs.

Tonight is one of my favourite nights of Holy Week. Our songsters usually lead the meeting. We’d been practising, and the young people had been rehearsing a drama. I guess it’s one more thing to add to the list of things we’ll do once this is over.

DAY 23 Wednesday 8 April Yesterday was quite full, and culminated with me completing the worship sheet for Easter weekend. With that done I felt a real sense of relief today.

The morning was a combination of sharing in worship online – thank you to William Booth College – and of resting and recuperating.

At lunchtime I had a swim. After a bit of fine-tuning with the depth and the tether, it was almost a proper swim.

Twenty minutes later I felt more human.

Later I made some calls, read a bit and had a treatment by video call that I have regularly. I felt so much better afterwards.

Everyone was home today, and one of the residents is struggling with not seeing loved ones. It’s been more than three weeks, and the separation is hard for them.

DAY 25 Good Friday Testosterone Towers came to life slowly. I, on the other hand, can’t seem to sleep past 6 am.

It was quite nice being awake alone on Good Friday morning. Time to pause, reflect, worship.

I think Good Friday, of all days, is a good day to practise being present. We know the end of the story but that doesn’t change the reality of it. We can’t rush through to the happy ending. So, we have mainly been going with the flow: eating, reading, exercising, swimming and worshipping via an online link. We had the obligatory hot cross bun and coffee after the online meeting.

Today I was reminded of some words of Jennifer Dukes Lee: ‘The ground is level at the foot of the cross… There is room here for each of us, and grace enough for all of us, and not one of us stands beyond his reach.’

DAY 26 Saturday 11 April Holy Saturday. The day when God is silent, but not absent. I woke early again and recorded a video to send to corps members.

Today feels like a gift to us at the moment.

Permission to sit with what is, not what is to come, a time to sit and accept. We may know

the end of the story. We may be unsure, grieving, scared. We sit. We wait. We watch.

Believing in the darkness what we know to be true in the light.

DAY 27 Easter Day Today felt strange. There was such a mixture of emotions.

We ventured into the world of Zoom with our corps. All this stuff scares me a bit, but I’m going to have to embrace it. It was so lovely to see each other – to pray, to laugh, to sing.

I know today has been hard for lots of people. I also think it’s taken people by surprise: the emotion, the tears, the wistful longing for home, even though that’s where we’ve been all day.

As Easter Day draws to a close, I remind myself that Jesus has risen. It really is finished.

Weeping endures for a night, a week, a month. But joy is on its way. We’ll see it in the morning.

DAY 28 Easter Monday I’ve never been a big fan of bank holiday outings. So in a way, today has been just how I like it.

Chris has rediscovered the ability to sleep.

It’s not a skill I have learnt, but every so often my body seems to know it needs to ‘return to factory settings’. So today I’ve mainly been asleep, apart from swimming, walking with Mum via video link and baking a cake.

I realised this morning how much I pray while I swim. The difference the pool has made to me is huge.

This is the last day of week four of our family lockdown. It may have been the hardest so far. Next week will need some fine-tuning.

O To read Karen’s daily posts in full, go to karensandford.blogspot.com

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NEWS FEATURE

Army raises coronavirus awareness in Africa and the Middle East IHQ AFRICA has recorded among the fewest cases of coronavirus to date, but the risks of transmission in nations that do not have well-developed healthcare systems are high.

The Salvation Army is working to raise public awareness in many parts of the continent, while implementing measures to slow the spread of the virus. In the Middle East, a region with a greater number of infections, the Army continues to care for vulnerable communities affected by the pandemic.

BURKINA FASO The Salvation Army has prepared 10 health information broadcasts for transmission across 26 community radio stations in the Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso areas.

The broadcasts are supported by the distribution of 10,000 flyers and the provision of health kits and hand sanitiser in targeted communities, in liaison with the National Epidemic Management Committee.

GHANA The Army’s 13 healthcare facilities are fulfilling an essential role in supporting government efforts to deal with suspected and confirmed coronavirus outbreaks. The centres are being provided with personal protective equipment for more than 850 professionals and support staff, as well as healthcare volunteers. The centres will also be issued with non-contact thermometers to reduce unnecessary contact between patients and healthcare team members. Health information and educational resources are also being produced and distributed countrywide.

KENYA The Kenya West Territory is working with the national health ministry and other primary stakeholders at national, county and local levels, as well as Kenya Red Cross, the National Council of Churches and the media. The project will disseminate information about the virus to communities in Kakamega, Kolanya and Migori. Up to 7,500 vulnerable individuals will receive antibacterial soap and gloves.

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Salvationist 25 April 2020

LIBERIA Information leaflets, banners and posters are being printed by the William Booth Clinic to communicate key hygiene and social distancing advice. Materials such as buckets, soaps and sanitisers are being provided, benefiting around 2,500 people in the counties of Montserrado and Margibi.

MALI The Army is seeking to improve public awareness of the virus and how the spread can be countered. It is expected that more than 10,000 people will see health messages on five advertising hoardings rented by the Army. Advice and hand-washing materials will also be given to 12,000 families.

NIGERIA A social media campaign on the prevention of the coronavirus, including information on testing and treatment, is about to be launched. The Army aims to reach at least 1 million people through the initiative, as well as through the distribution of 250,000

health information flyers. Large posters and banners in public places across the country will support the campaign. More than 20,000 units of hand sanitiser are being sourced to provide practical help.

SOUTH AFRICA The country, which has the highest number of confirmed cases in the continent, is under a national lockdown.

As shown in the pictures on these pages, the Army’s emergency disaster team is feeding nearly 1,200 people experiencing homelessness who have been assembled into three camps in the Pretoria area. The Salvation Army has been designated as camp managers for these sites, a roundthe-clock undertaking. Meals – consisting of fruit and fresh bread with a filling for breakfast and an evening meal with meat, vegetables and maize or rice – are provided twice a day. Education on coronavirus prevention measures is given before every meal.

Territorial leaders Colonels Daniel and

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In Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, the Army and partner churches have seen a large increase in the number of people requesting food aid

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ZIMBABWE The Army is supporting older people in the Mbare, Mufakose and Highfield regions of the capital, Harare. The Department of Social Welfare has identified 300 vulnerable people who will receive essential food items so that they do not need to venture out into highly populated areas. They will be supplied with rice, cooking oil, soya chunks, sugar and flour, as well as bottled water and soap. In addition, a further 700 people will receive soap and advice on good hygiene.

Posters will augment important healthcare messages at 600 locations across the three communities.

KUWAIT The Army continues to distribute essential food items in collaboration with the International Community Centre. This work will develop further as more funds become available.

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Education on coronavirus prevention measures is given before every meal

Tracey Kasuso visited the camps, helped the serving teams and commended the sacrificial service of every team member.

TANZANIA The Army in Dar es Salaam is co-ordinating its efforts to counter the virus with the country’s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation. An initial 30,000

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individuals at high risk of infection have been identified in the Temeke district and will be given hand-washing materials, including soap, sanitiser and buckets. A public address system will be used to communicate vital healthcare messages, and hand-washing facilities will be made available at important locations, such as bus stops.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Working with other Christian churches, the Army is giving food aid to individuals and families struggling to make ends meet. For several weeks all non-essential businesses have been closed, and some employees have been out of work for more than a month with no income. Rent payments have also left families with no money to buy food. In Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, the Army and partner churches have seen a large increase in the number of people requesting food aid. To help address this, the Army is offering supermarket gift cards to around 230 people. These cards, which will be supplied with hygiene advice, can be exchanged for essential groceries at those businesses permitted to remain open during this period. – AR O The

latest video message from General Brian Peddle can be viewed at vimeo.com/ salvationarmyihq or facebook.com/ GeneralBPeddle Salvationist 25 April 2020

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FIVE MARKS OF MISSION

Proclaiming the good news Major Noel Wright begins a new series in which different writers explore the territory’s five marks of mission THE FIVE MARKS OF MISSION O Proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ O Making, teaching and nurturing believers O Responding to human need by loving action and relationships O Seeking to transform unjust structures of society O Striving to safeguard the integrity of creation

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N his interview titled ‘Engaging in mission’ (Salvationist 29 February) Secretary for Mission Lieut-Colonel Drew McCombe said the definition and development of the territory’s mission is ‘adapted from the Anglican five marks of mission’. He went on to list these five defining marks, and top of the list is the proclamation of the gospel. This is where the gospel should always sit since, according to Scripture, it shapes and drives who we are and everything that we do.

In my role I have been meeting with a number of different groups in various parts of the territory to facilitate ‘a gospel conversation’. Early in these conversations the groups were asked to spend time thinking about what the gospel is. Early reflections on their responses are illuminating. Thankfully, most of the lists compiled by the people I’ve met contained references to the gospel being good news and that the news is about Jesus.

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Salvationist 25 April 2020

Other points that were common include love, hope, forgiveness, peace and reconciliation. But are these the gospel or are they the consequences of the gospel? Is believing in Christ the gospel? Or is it a response to the gospel?

As I listen to people sharing their thoughts about the gospel I sense that we need to rediscover clarity as to what the gospel is. This clarity will become the foundation of what we share about the gospel when the opportunity arises.

Put simply, Jesus is the gospel and the gospel is Jesus. Look at how Mark opened his record of the gospel: ‘The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God’ (1:1). The gospel is not primarily about us and how we should live, it’s about Jesus – who he is and all that God has done, and is still doing, in and through his Son. Given that people today aren’t asking whether the gospel is true but rather wanting to know what’s in it for them, we should start sharing with them at the place where their thinking is rooted, telling them about all that is offered through it. But sooner or later they will need to know that the blessings that God gives only come through an acknowledgement of Jesus and a personal acceptance of him as Saviour.

Within the pages of the New Testament there is an emphasis on the verbal sharing of the good news of Jesus by way of preaching, teaching and witnessing. Jesus is the good news we need to declare. We can demonstrate the good news through all we do and by how we live our lives. We do well to reach out to people in need, we do well to give of our time in connecting with others, in building relationships with them, but we must

not miss taking the opportunities to share why we do what we do. Our lives should serve as a witness to the Jesus we follow, our programmes should be God-honouring demonstrations of love and compassion, but without the verbal declaration of who Jesus is, do we end up pointing people to ourselves rather than to their Saviour?

If in my preaching I make no reference to Christ, am I preaching the good news as revealed in Scripture? If in my witnessing I fail to name him and speak of him, is it the true gospel I am sharing? (See Romans 10:17.)

Some may think that the proclaiming of the good news of Jesus is work for the professionals, those who get paid to do it. But according to 1 Peter 3:15 each of us should ‘always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have’. This is challenging and sometimes costly but we have good news that needs to be shared. All of us live in communities where the vast majority of people know little or nothing about Jesus but many of them know someone who does.

The gospel remains the good news about Jesus, the Jesus who is ‘able to save completely those who come to God through him’ (Hebrews 7:25).

Through Christ there is light for those living in darkness, peace for the chaotic, hope for the hopeless, purpose for the pointless, strength for the weak, love for the unloved.

Jesus is the good news, the gospel worth proclaiming, worth hearing, worth believing, worth living.

MAJOR WRIGHT IS THE TERRITORIAL EVANGELIST

RESOURCES

Reimagining mission Secretary for Mission Lieut-Colonel Drew McCombe highlights resources to help corps develop new forms of ministry

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HERE are great demands on people at the front line as they reimagine their mission and offer pastoral care and support in their communities. The Mission Service is able to offer guidelines and resources to enable them.

MUSIC AND CREATIVE ARTS (MACA) The Maca Unit is continuing to provide resources and helpful worship tools. The Music and Creative Arts Facebook page (facebook.com/musicandcreativearts) provides a weekly programme of tools and resources.

On Mondays there is a new resource CORPS-BASED TELEPHONE CARE called Reflect – a devotional series that Older People’s Services and Community uses video and art to help people engage Services have collaborated to produce guidelines for making telephone care calls in meaningful worship.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays Dancefit to those who are part of a corps or FM Live is led by Assistant Director of community programme. This ministry can Music and Creative Arts (Creative Arts) benefit people in their later years, people Stephanie Lamplough. with disabilities and younger people who On Wednesdays the Facebook page are isolated and lonely. provides a resource called Stillness, Many corps and centres are doing everything they can to keep connected and which encourages reflection on particular themes, such as Hope, Take Time To Be providing pastoral support via the Holy and Be Like Jesus. telephone. Here are some helpful Then there are Fun Fridays with Maca boundaries regarding what we should and – a series of engaging activities for should not do when calling during the people to enjoy. So far there have been coronavirus outbreak: quizzes on various Salvation Army and We can Maca trivia, and a stop-motion Lego O Provide telephone calls on a regular challenge for people to recreate Bible basis stories.

O Offer a listening ear Seven days a week there is a series O Be a contact for someone who has any inspired by Desert Island Discs called unmet needs or concerns about their Self-Isolation Discs. Maca encourages well-being people to think about eight meaningful O Support one another when we have pieces of music, create a playlist and difficult conversations give an explanation as to why the music O Look out for ways to help people in the is meaningful to them. So far, more than corps and within our communities 40 people have sent in their playlists.

O Pray for and with the person we call Maca continues to support frontline We cannot ministry by offering technical support for O Visit people at home until the a number of corps engaged in online coronavirus threat has come to an end worship and resources to enhance their O Offer a professional counselling support worship times, as well as advice in areas service. If someone needs further help they can be signposted to other services such as copyright and music selection.

Other helpful resources are brass band O Take out money from anyone else’s backing tracks for many Scripture-based bank account songs and songbook backing tracks We must (keyboard) downloadable from O Maintain and promote government spstunes.com. guidelines at all times

MOVING MINISTRY ONLINE It has been encouraging to witness corps across the territory rethink how they can continue to gather to pray, worship and support one another using digital tools.

The Mission Service has created a web page to advise, resource and support mission and corps communities as they move their ministry online.

Whether you’re looking to kick-start online ministry at your corps or maximise the impact of what you’re already doing by getting some new ideas, we hope you find these resources helpful.

The website salvationarmy.org.uk/ moving-ministry-online includes the following information: Keeping people safe online As well a reminder that all the usual Safe & Sound practice should be in place online as it would be in a building, there are five key pieces of advice: behave as you would in person, respect everyone’s privacy, be open and transparent, ask others to help facilitate and set these expectations in advance.

Copyright and licensing If corps use music online, copyright and licences must be in place. Questions about this can be emailed to Joanne Duff at joanne.duff@salvationarmy.org.uk.

What tools we need The website gives useful guidance on using the video platforms YouTube and Vimeo. It also suggests that Facebook Live is a good way to engage with a congregation. The use of video conferencing tools Lifesize and Zoom is also explored.

Examples of online ministry and worship The website also has links to examples of the many ways in which corps are using these resources so that others can be inspired to move their ministry online too.

Salvationist 25 April 2020

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FEATURE Serving in a crisis

Brothers in adversity Steve Loveland highlights the way homelessness services in Dublin are responding to the coronavirus crisis

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N 29 February the chief medical officer for the Irish Department of Health announced that the coronavirus pandemic had spread to the Republic of Ireland. In the weeks since there has been a fundamental shift in how we live our lives. Many of us have come to see the reality of Proverbs 17:17: ‘A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.’

The response among homelessness service providers was swift and rose as a single voice. In the first week of March I began to receive calls from others across the sector offering support and asking for a commitment to work together in our response.

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Salvationist 25 April 2020

The priority has been to ensure our vital services remain open for Ireland’s most vulnerable people. One of the first examples of the cohesive response was the Crisis Cover Initiative. This aims to provide a crisis relief panel to homelessness and disability charities impacted by significant staff absences – absences that make it increasingly hard for essential services to stay open and disproportionately affecting some of the most vulnerable members of the population.

This inter-agency initiative has been

supported by leading homelessness and care services, including The Salvation Army. While the primary aim remains to help the sector access crisis support staff when they need it, there is an additional benefit. On the day of the first confirmed case the jobless rate in the Republic was 4.8 per cent. By the end of March that rate had risen to 17 per cent.

The Crisis Cover Initiative provides an immediate opportunity for many of those recently unemployed people to find work again.

Small community groups are forming to fill gaps in service provision and care.

The difficulties in securing personal protective equipment and alcohol-based hand sanitisers have been resolved by a roller blinds manufacturer creating visors for frontline workers and a gin distillery supplying Salvation Army services with bespoke hand sanitisers through our distribution service operating out of the Granby Centre Lifehouse in Dublin.

Services in Dublin are coping admirably with the challenges thanks to committed staff and a supportive management team that is learning to become comfortable with an increasing level of discomfort.

The Salvation Army’s St Bricin’s Night Shelter, which is managed out of York House, was closed to accommodate military personnel but reopened overnight as a 24-hour service in nearby Coleraine Street without a single client needing to be accommodated elsewhere during the transition.

At the Granby Centre we are accommodating 100 clients across a range of services, providing personal care and medication management for 31 clients twice a day and for a number of clients three times a day. In addition to this a free GP service to the wider homeless population operates out of the service for five days a week and is seeing 250 to 300 additional clients every week. All clinics are open-access drop-in and are led by Dr Austin O’Carroll of GMQ Medical, which provides free GP services to people experiencing homelessness in Dublin.

Dr O’Carroll has also been chosen as

Chaplain Major Stuart Dicker with a service user (before social distancing guidance was issued)

‘

Our natural inclination to reach out to people, not only spiritually but also physically, has been removed

’

‘

The priority has been to ensure our vital services remain open for Ireland’s most vulnerable people

’

the clinical lead for people experiencing homelessness in the Dublin area during the coronavirus crisis.

One aspect of the homelessness response has become a nationwide initiative: the idea of ‘cocooning’. This is a measure to protect people aged over 70 and those with serious underlying medical conditions that put them at high risk of severe illness from coronavirus.

Cocooning aims to keep people in these categories safe by minimising interaction with others. They are strongly advised to stay at home at all times and avoid any face-to-face contact for a number of weeks.

Within the homelessness services, cocooning has resulted in the commandeering of more than 400 additional hotel rooms that otherwise would have been let as holiday rentals.

Those most at risk have been cocooned in these hotel rooms and are supported remotely by outreach teams.

The pandemic means we are required to stay away from the very people who give meaning to our lives. The Salvation Army’s motto ‘heart to God – hand to man’ is suddenly contrary to our necessary response. Our natural inclination to reach out to people, not only spiritually but also physically, has been removed. To touch another person, to physically comfort them or hold their hand in their distress is no longer possible.

This has markedly changed how we do our jobs but there is a resilience that must be acknowledged. This resilience is understood best through a traumainformed lens; we are reminded that everyone’s response to this trauma is

unique to them and their experience.

Similarly, the response varies depending upon the degree to which the present traumatic event is triggering past experiences.

There is much we can learn from those we are charged to protect. For many of our clients, social isolation and restrictions are so much a part of their normative experience that the present crisis simply allows others to share in their lived story more connectedly.

I hope we are changed by our experience. Ireland is defined by community. This has been the provenance of many of her prior troubles, but today a community born out of our shared response is standing together as one by standing apart. One cannot help but be reminded of the following passage of Scripture: ‘The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language.

And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them”’ (Genesis 11:6 New American Standard Bible).

STEVE IS CENTRE MANAGER, GRANBY CENTRE LIFEHOUSE, DUBLIN Salvationist 25 April 2020

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REFL RE FLEC FL ECTI EC TION N REFLECTION

Inviting people to fullness of life

Major Gregory Morgan reflects on the five marks of mission, developing thoughts presented in the book Partnering With God

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HE remarkable growth of the Christian faith in its first three centuries is awe-inspiring.

Christians, who began as a subset of the rather insular and ethnically exclusive Judaism, found their way from being a persecuted minority to becoming a transformative influence upon the Roman Empire. The impact was staggering for families, broader society and ultimately the path of human history. The story of Jesus changed the world.

One of the key factors in this transformation is the incredible impact of the attractive lives that early Christians lived. The sick were cared for, deserted babies were taken in and the poor were fed. To put it simply, the quality of holy living overshadowed the corruption of the world around and shone as a beacon of hope in a dark world. People were attracted to this faith and the way it changed lives. The Christian lifestyle was a powerful witness and it was accompanied by a clear capacity to verbalise what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. The good news was proclaimed by word and deed, and the interplay of the two was powerfully transformative.

Our own history as Salvationists displays the same dynamic interplay of proclaiming the good news through word and deed. What could have remained a subset of a subset – simply another Methodist breakaway in 19th-century London – grew to build a global reputation for being the hands and feet of Jesus: families destroyed by alcoholism in the East End of London were redeemed and rebuilt through the impact of the gospel; young people in Africa were given educational opportunities that led to life opportunities; those considered untouchable by tradition in India were given access to healthcare; the good news of the Kingdom, verbally expressed and practically lived in action, changed the world.

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Salvationist 25 April 2020

How do we establish the Kingdom of God on Earth as in Heaven? The old argument of a verbal proclamation of the good news as dominant over a lived expression of the deeds of the Kingdom needs to be challenged. The good news is not an either/or business. Lives are only transformed by word and deed.

God is interested in wholes not fractions. All of life, in all its implications, including spirituality and physical reality, is in need of the good news. Fractional mission – be it word biased or action biased – is a distraction for the people of God who are called into a mission of wholeness. To truly proclaim the good news we seek to fully embrace Jesus’ words when he said, ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’ (John 10:10).

There are many metaphors that we could use to help us understand what it is to proclaim the good news. One that helps us rise above evangelism as an argument to be won, or seeing people converted as evangelistic notches on our uniform belts, is that of hospitality.

We invite others to the journey of faith, a journey we ourselves are on.

Everyone is welcome to fullness of life, to transformation, belonging and joy.

The Kingdom of God has been likened to a banquet to which all are welcome (see Luke 14:15–23 and Revelation 19:6–9). From a hospitality perspective, the verbal sharing of the good news

finds its right expression through meaningful relationship. From a place of hospitality, people whose lives are being destroyed by the practical impact of the world around them are offered the help of a friend to find their feet again.

Ultimately, we have discovered something so life-changing, so transformational to every aspect of our lives that we simply want to share this beautiful Jesus encounter with everyone around us and extend the invitation for them to also find this full life.

We will speak of Jesus. We will tell of the love we have found. We will act like Jesus. We will share and express the love Jesus has granted us.

In that spoken and enacted proclamation we will find ourselves connected again to the story of Jesus that changed the world 2,000 years ago and changed communities through the early Salvation Army. May the good news of Jesus Christ be proclaimed in all its fullness through our lives and words today.

O Partnering

With God: Being A Missional Salvationist by Lynette Edge and Gregory Morgan will be available from SP&S in the near future MAJOR MORGAN IS THE DIVISIONAL COMMANDER, SOUTHERN

CAMPAIGN I Universal credit reform

Ending the five-week wait Alessandra Sciarra provides an update on The Salvation Army’s campaign for universal credit reform

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NIVERSAL credit is a meanstested benefit for people of working age on low incomes to help them meet their living costs. It was first introduced in 2013, merging six existing benefits into one, and is intended to support people both in and out of work.

Universal credit has been a muchdiscussed topic over the past few weeks as a result of unprecedented reforms made to the UK’s welfare system. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic we have seen a steep rise in the number of applications made for universal credit support.

Almost a million people applied in the last two weeks of March. Many of them are facing hardship due to having lost their job or having their hours reduced.

That’s why it is more important than ever to get universal credit right and make sure it is fit for purpose.

The Salvation Army has been campaigning to reform universal credit to ensure it can support the most vulnerable people effectively. One of the key areas for reform that the Army has been working towards is to end the five-week period a person has to wait to receive their first payment.

Following calls for change, and as a result of the coronavirus crisis, the government has introduced a number of changes to the social security system, including: O Increasing universal credit allowance by £1,040 per year from levels previously announced for 2020/2021.

This amounts to around £20 per week. The exact figure will vary depending on individual circumstances.

O Increasing the frontline capacity of

the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) through redeployment of staff to handle new universal credit claims over the phone.

O Suspending all face-to-face assessments.

O Introducing a job retention scheme to help people who would otherwise have lost their jobs as a result of coronavirus. This can apply in certain circumstances to people in employment claiming universal credit.

Although we welcome these changes, we think that more can and should be done. It is for this reason that we continue to have conversations with relevant government departments and raise the issue publicly through the media. We were recently featured in The Guardian, BBC News, the Daily Mail and more. In February we also published a survey that featured in The Guardian highlighting the challenges faced by universal credit claimants with mental health conditions, and we met the work and pensions minister to present our survey findings.

Our work will always be driven by a passion for helping the people most in need and that is why we are calling on the government to make a number of further changes to universal credit.

These include: O Ending the five week waiting period for universal credit payments and replacing the current system of advance payments (or bridging loans) with a system of non-repayable grants.

O Increasing the capacity of the DWP by redeploying more staff able to support claimants over the phone, which will reduce long waiting times.

O Providing a ‘breathing space’ period for people applying for universal credit for the first time who have existing debt, for example from previous rent arrears.

Our voice joins the chorus of voices in the charity sector calling on the government to make these changes promptly and stop more people from

falling into debt and destitution. As our Head of Public Affairs Matthew Sowemimo argued at a recent oral evidence session of the House of Lords committee investigating the economics of universal credit, the five-week wait needs to end because it is a key poverty trap in the social security system.

The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the need for a strong social security system that can meet the needs of everyone, especially in times of crisis.

We need to ensure people can meet their basic needs and avoid crippling debts and anxiety about becoming destitute. By removing the five-week wait barrier through a grant system, the government would be taking a fundamental first step to helping create a social security system that works for everyone.

If your corps or centre is encountering people who are struggling with universal credit please get in touch with the Public Affairs and Social Policy Unit by emailing public.affairs@salvationarmy.org.uk so that you can share your story. The unit is particularly interested in hearing about people’s experiences of the advance payment system.

ALESSANDRA IS POLICY ANALYST, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL POLICY UNIT, THQ Salvationist 25 April 2020

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BIBLE STUDY

Follow me!

Major Andrew Vertigan wonders what our response is to Jesus’ invitation JOHN 21:15–22

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UR study passage is one that has hounded me throughout my ministry. Let me explain. It would be fair to say I wrestled with William Booth College and my training experience. I knew I was called to follow the leading of Christ, but boy did I struggle with the college experience.

When I was challenging what I saw and experienced, someone regularly quoted this passage to me. ‘Don’t worry about them,’ he would say. ‘Follow him!’ How I grappled with what this person repeatedly told me. I thought: ‘How dare he! Can’t he see what those others are doing?’

It is easier to look at others than it is to examine your own heart and motivations, but we are called to follow the example of Christ (see v22).

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

by Major Freda Benneyworth

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Salvationist 25 April 2020

‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus declared to the first disciples (Matthew 4:19).

What an outrageous statement to make! Many were waiting for a messiah – we are told that many had heard people profess they were the messiah, even that they were to be the saviour. So what made Jesus’ statement so compelling to respond to?

Jesus declared in his words not so much a set of rules or principles but a calling to follow a person. He said: ‘Come, follow me.’ His statement was not only provocative but also could be seen, and indeed was seen by some, as revolutionary. Jesus’ words were powerful, even though his actions spoke far louder.

I often quote a saying that some attribute to St Francis of Assisi and that I think Jesus truly embodied: ‘Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary use words.’

QUESTIONS O Who are you following?

O Is anyone following you?

As I write this, I have been made aware once again of the power of words, particularly in relation to social media, where they can affirm or destroy in one fell swoop.

So many people, especially young adults, appear to build their identity and success by the number of social media followers they have. It seems the more outrageous or outspoken you can be, the more likely you are to have people follow you. At the heart of humanity is a deep desire to be part of the crowd, accepted and befriended by others.

Social media is certainly being used in some positive, but also some destructive, ways. I’ve found myself ‘unfollowing’ some people, because I did not like what I read or saw being demonstrated through their words or lives.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Will you come and follow me/ If I but call your name?/ Will you go where you don’t know/ And never be the same?/ Will you let my love be shown,/ Will you let my name be known,/ Will you let my life be grown/ In you and you in me?

(SASB 695)

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.

(Mark 1:16–18)

In simple trust like theirs who heard,/ Beside the Syrian sea,/ The gracious calling of the Lord,/ Let us, like them, without a word/ Rise up and follow thee.

(SASB 456)

Prayer Loving Lord, what courage we see in those first disciples! Grant us the courage to respond to your call and move on to the new and amazing things you have planned for us.

QUESTIONS O What qualities make someone worth following?

O Why have you decided to follow Jesus?

I wonder how we would have responded if we had found ourselves in the place of Peter and those first disciples, when Jesus asked them to leave everything behind and follow him.

So often we get sidetracked into following other ‘gods’, idols and icons or even people. Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians about how early Christians wrestled with whom to follow, when he tackled the danger of following personalities (see 1 Corinthians 3:5 –7).

QUESTION you identify ways in which you have been sidetracked from following Jesus closely?

O Can

In our study passage, we see the beautiful, redemptive and compassionate heart of Jesus when he not only challenges Peter but also affirms their love relationship (vv15 – 19). Peter was fully aware of how his words had denied Jesus at his greatest moment of need. Yet Jesus was allowing Peter’s words not only to be restorative but also transforming. We can hear and feel the raw emotion as Peter pours out his heart: ‘Lord, you know that I love you’ (v16).

All is going well as the disciples commune with Jesus. They are, I imagine, captivated in the conversation and intrigued by all that Jesus is saying. Could we say they are transfixed by his majesty? His personality?

All is well until Peter turns his gaze from Jesus and looks at others. Here is where I so often fail myself. Maybe you do too. Everything is fine when

I’m walking closely with Jesus and my eyes are fixed on him. It’s when my eyes turn from him that the wrestling begins.

QUESTIONS O How did Jesus so captivate his followers?

O What caused Peter and the other disciples to take their eyes off Jesus, so quickly and so regularly?

O In 2020, what does this teach us as disciples of Jesus?

Today, as Jesus invites you to follow him, how are you responding? Is it out of a deep love relationship or because you are told to?

MAJOR VERTIGAN IS FRESH EXPRESSIONS MISSION ENABLER, THQ

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

(Matthew 9:9)

Mine to rise when thou dost call me,/ Lifelong though the journey be;/ Thine to measure all its windings,/ Leading step by step to thee./ I am thine, O Lord and Master,/ Thine to follow to the end./ Thou art mine, O Christ my Saviour,/ Guide and helper, lover, friend!

(SASB 661)

Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’

(Luke 9:23)

Unto thee, O Saviour-King,/ Our allegiance now we bring,/ Body, soul and spirit, all/ In obedience to thy call./ Naught have we thou didst not give,/ By thy life and grace we live,/ Selfish aims do we forsake,/ Service with our Lord to take.

(SASB 686)

Salvationist 25 April 2020

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FEATURE I Faith in past crises

Now thank we all our God Major Howard Webber continues his series recalling how people of faith have acted in past crises

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ARTIN Rinkart was one of three Christian ministers who remained in the town of Eilenberg, Saxony, during the Thirty Years’ War in the early 1600s.

Thousands of refugees poured into the walled town in an effort to escape the fighting and pillaging. With farmers unable to farm their land, famine spread everywhere. This was followed by a terrible outbreak of the plague that then infected the town.

The plague took the lives of the other two ministers. On his own, Rinkart cared for the suffering multitudes who sought refuge in the town as well as the townsfolk. He lived with precious little sleep, visiting the sick and comforting the dying.

He conducted endless funerals, more than 4,500 in all, sometimes burying as many as 40 or 50 people a day, including his own dear wife.

Towards the end of the war the town was overrun once by the Austrian army and twice by the Swedish army. On the second occasion the Swedish general sought to impose hefty taxes on an already impoverished population. Rinkart pleaded with him to change his mind but he wouldn’t. So he turned to his friends saying, ‘Come, my children, we can find no mercy with man – let us take refuge with God.’ On seeing the pastor and his people on their knees, singing and praying, the general relented.

This makes the wonderful words of the hymn he wrote after that terrible war all the more remarkable and poignant.

Now thank we all our God With hearts and hands and voices, Who wondrous things hath done, In whom this world rejoices; Who from our mother’s arms Hath blessed us on our way With countless gifts of love, And still is ours today.

(SASB 45) 18

Salvationist 25 April 2020

REVIEW

A THOUGHTFUL EXPLORATION OF LEADERSHIP Major Mal Davies (Editor-in-Chief) reviews the book Growing Leaders: Reflections On Leadership, Life And Jesus by James Lawrence

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N 1992 US pastor Leighton Ford founded a training and mentoring course for Christian leaders that became referred to as the Arrow Leadership Programme. It is a worldwide and wellrespected course in which leaders of all denominations, including The Salvation Army, have participated.

In the UK it is administered by CPAS (Church Pastoral Aid Society) and its leadership principal is Anglican minister and writer James Lawrence.

This book – a key text in the Arrow course – was first released in 2004 and has now been fully revised and updated.

The book focuses on two simple questions. How do we grow effective leaders for today’s Church? And how do we help Christian leaders safeguard and grow their faith?

Early in the book, Lawrence reflects on the need for yet another book on Christian leadership and ‘how much our leadership thinking is genuinely from a reflection on the Scriptures and how much is simply a baptising of secular theories within the Church’.

While he recognises we can learn much about leadership from the corporate world, he says there is much we can glean directly from Scripture and, even more directly, from observing the life of Jesus.

What unfolds is a book with clear theological aims to explore the call to leadership, the character of a leader, the skills required for leadership and the attitude of a leader – all based on observations from the life of Christ.

One core teaching, for example, is that ‘the first priority of every Christian leader is not to be a leader but to be a follower’, as the author expands on the notion of servant leadership.

While some readers will see elements of the International Doctrine Council book Servants Together and others will see hints of Major Peter McGuigan’s The Leadership Of Jesus, this new edition of Growing Leaders offers a broader theological reflection on the leadership of Jesus, especially in relation to the call and character required to lead in Christian ministry.

This is a thoughtful and well-written book, especially helpful for those who feel God may be calling them to lead.

Leaders is available from brfonline.org.uk priced £10.99 (plus postage and packing)

O Growing

FROM THE

ARCHIVE

A CROSS-CENTRED CHARACTER Major Richard Mingay reflects on the true nature of Christian identity

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NE of the most popular British television sitcoms of all time is the BBC’s wonderful Only Fools And Horses, written by the late, great John Sullivan. In one episode, Del Boy, Rodney and Uncle Albert are on an old fishing boat sailing at night somewhere in the North Sea. They are lost. Then Uncle Albert, the old sea dog, suddenly has a flash of inspiration. ‘The stars, the stars,’ he says, ‘we can find our way by the stars!’ Excitedly, the three men run out onto the deck, look to the heavens and see millions of stars in the sky.

Albert has no idea what to look for, nor in which direction to look for his point of reference. There are just too many twinkling stars to choose from. They are still lost.

Our personal identification must be found in our relationship and connectedness to the heart of the gospel seen in the Easter story. The German theologian Jurgen Moltmann quotes Martin Luther’s Crux Probat Omnia as the place of identification.

(Crux means ‘cross’; Probat means ‘test’, as in the word ‘probation’, and Omnia means ‘everything’.) Luther’s definition says that ‘the cross tests everything that deserves to be Christian’. We might also define it this way: Let the cross be your measure, your constellation.

Because Christ’s action on the cross defined all Christendom, we need to remember how it defines who we are.

At Easter we read in Matthew 27:46: ‘Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).’

Deep down in our being, we discern this as a cry on behalf of all humanity. In that moment Jesus felt totally alone, isolated and abandoned. If nothing else, we can identify with the Saviour’s heart-cry.

His is still a cry on behalf of the mother whose husband has just left the

family home, or the migrant family struggling to escape oppression and threat, or the child in an African hospital dying of Aids, or those citizens ruled by power-crazy and corrupt tyrants, or the person of faith who is imprisoned and frightened, or the tragic victims of human trafficking, or the person who lost their job through unfair processes, or people whose relationships and values have become so messed up and complicated that ‘no one understands’, or those bereaved of a loved one at an unseemly early age, or church leaders and ministers who, despite their best efforts, see a declining congregation and may shout out audibly or inwardly: ‘Where are you God? You’ve left us!’

The American playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder in one of his plays has a character say: ‘To our wounds, only Christ’s wounds can speak.’ This is how the cross identifies with us and so enables a new identity that can be wholly like Christ’s.

And yet, paradoxically, such cries are just one way in which God identifies with us in our very different situations, with our stories, regrets and uncertainties.

So, when considering one’s identity, there is much that might influence our consideration of ourselves especially within our own church setting and culture. For many, The Salvation Army is, in itself, the Pole Star. The organisation becomes the prime

measure of how some people see themselves. It influences our path and our ways of thinking and so determines much of our church journey.

When it comes down to the heart of it, the Christian must look to the cross first and foremost. It must be the ultimate place we go to find our spiritual bearings. It reveals to us a way to think, speak, preach and pray. Look again at what else it stands for – love, grace and hope. We go to Calvary in every situation. The writer Philip Yancey describes the Christian’s true identity as ‘one who will be made perfect and has already been forgiven’.

The cross is agonisingly beautiful. It speaks of pain and glory, hurt and hope.

Scripture proves that Christ has identified with us first. Calvary is the place where we can be bold and ask honest questions. At the foot of the cross we kneel in humble admission of those earthly influences that have forged our identities and, in so doing, we lean on Christ to find our true selves. The cross enables us to become who God wants us to be.

MAJOR MINGAY IS CORPS OFFICER, REGENT HALL O This article was first published in the 19 March 2015 Salvationist

Salvationist 25 April 2020

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A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF SECRETARY Issued on 17 April

The impact of the coronavirus on The Salvation Army in our territory

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REETINGS in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to you at a very difficult time.

Many people are very unwell or are recovering from sickness. Some of us are grieving for family and friends who have died. We all have concerns as we look forward to uncertain months and years ahead.

During these turbulent times we need, more than ever, to have a deep assurance that our risen Saviour is with us and we are not alone. It is with this confidence of knowing God is with us that I write to you as Chief Secretary and chair of the Territorial Operations Board (TOB), which is responsible for the management and day-to-day performance and delivery of operations in the territory, and for ensuring the efficient and prudent use of resources.

The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland is not immune from the storms raging around the world at this time. All the forecasts expect a very difficult few years ahead. There will be many more people turning to The Salvation Army for help at a time when money is scarce. It is the responsibility of the TOB, overseen by the Salvation Army Trustee Company (SATCO) board of trustees, to make decisions that ensure The Salvation Army is able to fulfil its God-given mission in the present age and into the future.

Extensive work has been undertaken in recent weeks to revise the financial budgets for every part of the territory.

The financial outlook is very concerning so I am writing to you to explain the problems and let you know how we are going to address them. This is a long letter but I ask you to take time to read it carefully as it contains important information.

1

The Salvation Army in the UK and Republic of Ireland is a large and diverse organisation. Most people don’t realise the size and complexity of the territory – even some who have been Salvationists all their lives. Here is a brief, high level sketch of the income 20

Salvationist 25 April 2020

sources including all corps, social centres, programmes and headquarters.

We receive income from the general public, corps activities and corps members of more than £100 million per year. In addition we receive £100 million per year from governments in the UK for contracted services. Our network of charity shops contributes just under another £10 million a year. At present, all the charity shops are closed and it is unlikely they will generate any profits this financial year. Government income for our social work should continue but there is uncertainty about donations from the general public. With most corps programmes suspended, and more people to help in our communities with food parcels and other essentials, corps income will fall while requests for help increase.

In summary, the current forecast is for income to reduce by more than £40 million in the current financial year.

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The Salvation Army has some reserves for times like this. The Finance Department has reviewed our reserves and is releasing as much as possible. However, from all we are hearing from governments and scientists, the coronavirus problem is not going to disappear in a few weeks or even months. The effects of this pandemic will be with us for a number of years. Unemployment will rise. Poverty will increase. People will need the gospel of Jesus Christ more, not less.

Therefore, we cannot survive by only depleting the reserves. We must urgently reduce expenditure.

3

The Salvation Army’s greatest assets are its people. This is often said but is definitely true. It is also true that our greatest monthly expenses are salaries and allowances with a payroll expenditure of approximately £10 million per month. There are 3,612 employees and 1,010 active officers. During the lockdown, some of our employees are not able to do their work, through no fault of their own. For example, charity

shop workers cannot work because the shops have been closed by the government. There are many other examples across the territory. The TOB initially hoped people could be deployed to different roles. More than 600 employees offered to be deployed but it has only been possible to find suitable matches for 10 per cent of them.

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The UK government is offering, for a limited time, to fund a coronavirus job retention scheme. The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom is able to participate in this scheme and furlough some of our employees. Given the urgent need to reduce expenditure, The Salvation Army needs to make appropriate use of the scheme so we can retain as many jobs as possible in the future. Therefore, all senior officers and managers across the territory are having to identify employees who can be furloughed. This does not apply in the Republic of Ireland.

We recognise this will cause financial hardship for many fine employees but it is necessary to take this action now to ensure the viability of The Salvation Army for the future. We intend for employees to be furloughed for a minimum of three weeks. Employees will not be furloughed if they are working on mission critical tasks that have to be undertaken in the next few weeks.

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Given the financial position and the furloughing of some employees, no new posts or vacancies can be filled at this time without the approval of the TOB. When an employee resigns, they cannot be automatically replaced. Some positions may have to be filled if the role is assessed by the TOB to be mission critical at this time.

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Other expenditure is being reduced.

For example, the territorial programme of events, conferences and training courses is being severely curtailed. The territorial congress planned for October has been cancelled. Property maintenance budgets have been reduced. The

b) Employees who are furloughed will only be receiving 80 per cent of their salary up to £2,500 per month gross. In solidarity with our furloughed colleagues, a number of officers and employees have expressed a desire to voluntarily reduce their pay during this time. The senior leadership team (the four territorial leaders plus the four service heads) have unanimously agreed to take a reduction in their basic allowance of at least 20 per cent. However, this is entirely voluntary and it is understood some people will want to participate but are unable to do so at this time for very good reasons.

The administration required to reduce salary and allowances is complicated and we are still working through the options. More information will be provided to officers and employees soon.

Please, no one should feel pressurised into participating. c) Please pray for everyone who is affected by this pandemic. Perhaps pray for a specific group of people each day. Your prayers and words of encouragement will be eternally valuable in these difficult times.

officers’ allowance increase of 2 per cent from 1 April has been deferred for reconsideration in September and SATCO has taken the decision to postpone the annual review of employee pay bands until September at the earliest. In addition, all requests for salary increases related to annual performance reviews will be placed on hold until further notice. The territorial budget and latest financial reports will be reviewed every two weeks by the TOB during these extraordinary times.

I appreciate that many of you will want to know what you can do to help. Here are a few ideas: a) We celebrate the blossoming of

online worship across the territory.

More than 11,000 people viewed the Easter worship led by our territorial leaders, Commissioners Anthony and Gill Cotterill. Many corps are reporting increased numbers of people worshipping online.

However, it is difficult to take up an online offering! Please remember to keep giving your tithes (cartridges) and offerings to support your corps.

If you have any questions, please call your corps officer or corps treasurer and they will be able to provide information for you on how to give via a standing order or through a Salvation Army JustGiving web page.

Finally, always remember this is God’s Army! The Salvation Army was not William and Catherine Booth’s idea.

God created The Salvation Army and God will sustain The Salvation Army as long as we are playing our part in God’s mission of love to the world. That does not mean we can sit back and do nothing! We are called to roll up our sleeves and work hard. At times, we have to take difficult, painful decisions but they must always be done in a way that advances God’s mission to a broken and hurting world.

If you have questions or comments, please write to me at chief.secretary@ salvationarmy.org.uk. I will ensure the appropriate person responds to you.

May God bless and guide us in these days.

Yours faithfully LEE GRAVES COLONEL CHIEF SECRETARY Salvationist 25 April 2020

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

ARMY PEOPLE Editors note: The appointment announcements in the 18 April issue neglected to mention some of the UK officers who are being succeeded. Salvationist apologises for the error and includes the full announcements below.

The following appointments and promotions, decided upon by the General, have been announced by the Chief of the Staff Effective 1 July O Colonels Knud and Lisbeth Welander, officers of the Norway, Iceland and the FÌroes Territory, are appointed as Territorial Commander and Territorial President of Women’s Ministries, Norway, Iceland and the FÌroes Territory, with the rank of commissioner. They will succeed Commissioner William Cochrane, who will be taking up new appointment responsibilities at International Headquarters.

Effective 1 August O Lieut-Colonel Ireen Hachamba, an officer of the Zambia Territory, is appointed as Chief Secretary, Zambia Territory. She will succeed LieutColonel Kenneth Hawkins who, along with Lieut-Colonel Ann Hawkins, will be taking up new appointment responsibilities in Africa.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES Blue Sapphire (65th) O Majors Alma and James Brown (7Â May) Emerald (55th) O Lieut-Colonels David and Valerie Jones (8Â May) RETIRED OFFICERS Birthday congratulations O Major Millicent Straker (102 on 7Â May) BEREAVED O Captain Isobel Carson of her husband Jim O Stephen Pickard, Bath Citadel, of his brother Major David Pickard O Shirley Green, Droitwich Spa, of her husband Rtd BM Michael Green, Major Jill Colclough, Derby Central, CSM Jane Carter, Swindon Citadel, Sarah Park and Rachel Woolfenden, both Droitwich Spa, of their father 22

Salvationist 25 April 2020

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David Tovey, Staple Hill, of his sister Kathleen

PROMOTED TO GLORY O Sheila Starling, Ipswich Citadel O Major David Pickard from King’s College Hospital, London, on 7 April O Audrey Bishop, Southsea O Joan Gasser, Southsea O Josephine Wileman, Burton-on-Trent OFFICIAL GAZETTE UKI Territory LONG SERVICE 25 years O Major Nasreen Dawson, Rotherham ANTHONY COTTERILL Commissioner Territorial Commander

TRIBUTES JEAN SUTHERLAND, BIRMINGHAM CITADEL JEAN was enrolled as a soldier in 1950 at Chesterfield, beginning a life of dedicated service. Due to her husband John’s employment, she served at a number of corps, including Colchester Citadel, Dunstable, Birmingham Hockley and Birmingham Citadel. Jean was active in the home league and Cameo club. She found great delight in using her singing voice as an expression of her Christian witness. Her concern was for people and although she was unable to attend in recent years due to her ill health, she kept in contact with a number of corps members, always wanting to know how they were and offering words of encouragement.

Jean was a true disciple and her faith was constantly strong. Her witness continued to shine through in the nursing home where she was a resident.

Jean is missed by the corps folk and her family, whom she loved dearly. – ID

Please note that soldiers’ and adherent members’ tributes submitted for publication should be no longer than 150 words. Good quality pictures will be included with tributes.

GORDON BELL, BARROW-INFURNESS GORDON was born into a Salvation Army family, sadly losing his mum when he was 18 months old. At the age of 18, Gordon was called into wartime service as a Bevin Boy and served his country mining coal in the northeast of England. He never forgot the Christian kindness of the James family from Leadgate Corps, who provided love and stability when away from home.

In 1959 Gordon married Avril and they were blessed to celebrate their diamond anniversary in 2019.

Gordon enjoyed a lifelong appreciation of music, serving as a bandsman for more than 70 years. He was YP bandleader for a period, and two of his former YP band members attended his funeral.

Gordon showed his faith in the way he lived. When confined to a hospital bed, he shared his faith in the ward as prayers were offered, making it easy for those around him to participate in a special way.

Servant of God, well done! – MD

MAVIS O’CONNOR, BIRMINGHAM CITADEL MAVIS Jannels was born to officer parents in Dundee in 1943.

During her childhood years she lived in Scotland, Liverpool, south Wales, London, Kent and Birmingham. At the age of 13, she spent six months in Switzerland, where she learnt German. Mavis met and married Malcolm and they had 54 years together and two children, as well as a successful career in the motor trade.

At Birmingham Sparkhill she was appointed YPSM, with a Sunday school of more than 100 children, and was also singing company leader and corps and songster pianist for many years.

In 2001 she and Malcolm moved to Birmingham Citadel to worship with their family. Mavis lived with multiple sclerosis for more than 25 years, but never let it get in the way of attending church or everyday life. She also witnessed to her carers every Sunday after attending the meeting. – RO

MALCOLM O’CONNOR, BIRMINGHAM CITADEL MALCOLM was born in 1939 and worshipped at Birmingham Temple, then Sparkhill, with his parents and four brothers. He married Mavis in 1965.

They had 54 happy years together with two children and two grandchildren.

They worshipped at Sparkhill until 2001, and Malcolm played one of the famous Sparkhill sousaphones, taking over from his father. He was the band secretary for many years, combining this role with a job involving shift work, but always attending whenever work permitted.

He was immensely proud of his children

and grandchildren and was a devoted husband. When Mavis was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis he took early retirement and looked after her for 25 years. Despite battling cancer in his latter years, he never complained.

He was an inspiration to many people for his devotion to his wife and family and his encouragement of others in the corps. – RO

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE This update, issued by Secretary for Communications Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant, is correct as of 3 pm on 17 April

Thank you for your contribution to continue the ministry and outreach of The Salvation Army.

These are difficult days, with many of us grieving for family and friends who have died or are far from well. Some of our employees are taking part in the government’s job retention scheme by being furloughed. Others are doing unfamiliar work, and almost everyone’s normal routine has been disrupted. Please continue to look out for each other. You can offer help in a safe way to family, friends and people within your community, including picking up the phone, sending an email, taking part in a video chat or through prayer.

As we clap for NHS staff and carers on Thursday evenings, let’s also pray for all those in our Salvation Army family and beyond who have concerns at this time. We ask God for peace, protection and strength in all they are doing.

DIVISIONAL FOOD HUBS Final plans are being put into place to open 22 divisional food distribution hubs. Financial or in-kind donations permitting, bulk supplies of food will be delivered on a regular basis to divisional hubs and then distributed to corps as required to enable them to top up their supplies.

While corps should continue to make the most of donations from partnerships, wholesalers, supermarkets and FareShare, it is anticipated the ability to source food locally will be affected as demand on these sources continues to rise.

It is hoped that the new divisional food distribution network will offer corps an additional food supply source while also enabling donations made to The Salvation Army to go much farther.

Details of how to request food from the divisional hubs will be shared by DHQs over the coming weeks.

FOOD DONATIONS It’s important that we continue to reinforce government guidance about social distancing, therefore donations of food from the public should not be encouraged at this time.

Instead, corps can use JustGiving to ask their communities for financial support.

FUNDRAISING APPEALS We have seen an extraordinary demand for the Army’s services over recent weeks but it is now clear that our communities will continue to need our support long after the crisis peaks and social distancing ends.

To support our short, medium and long-term coronavirus response, a specific public fundraising appeal has been launched to raise vital funds to keep our frontline services running and support corps work.

Details will be shared in the coming days about how money raised through the Coronavirus Impact Fund will be distributed to corps and services in need of support.

CLOTHING BANK AND SHOP DONATIONS The Salvation Army, along with SATCoL (Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd), has asked well-meaning members of the public to stop leaving bags of donations next to our clothing banks and outside our charity shops during the lockdown. As we are unable to collect items at this time they will have to be sent to landfill sites instead. Losing these donations will cost us thousands in lost stock as well as being an environmental disaster.

Dropping off bags at clothing banks or charity shops is not listed as one of the journeys that can be made under lockdown. Please remind those wishing to donate to stay at home and to kindly keep their clothing and shop donations until the restrictions are lifted and our shops reopen.

CALLS AND MESSAGES FROM THE PUBLIC Across the territory we are experiencing a high volume of calls and messages as people reach out to The Salvation Army for support and to find out how they can help.

These enquiries come through to the territorial social media channels, info@salvationarmy.org.uk and THQ phone lines, but many are best dealt with by the nearest corps or centre.

Please be reassured that the public is being advised that our corps and centres may not be able to respond immediately.

EVENT CANCELLATIONS The youth and children’s summer camp programme across the territory has been cancelled. The territorial congress, 24 and 25 October, has also been cancelled.

Key information is available on the territorial website: salvationarmy.org.uk/coronavirus-and-internalinformation

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‘ 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…

ERIC NORTON Dudley How did you first come into contact with the Army?

I am a fourth-generation Salvationist. My great-grandfather was converted at Bridgwater in the 1880s. My grandfather was bandmaster at Bridgwater from 1913 to the mid-1960s and my father held local officer positions at St Albans.

What made you want to become a Salvationist?

I grew up in the Army, through the YP and senior sections, and became aware of God’s presence in my life and the way I could help others.

What did you do before retirement?

I used to work in banking.

What is your favourite kind of holiday?

A relaxing one, but with visits to historical sites.

If you could be in a film, which would it be and what character would you play?

The Lord Of The Rings. I would play Legolas, a Sindarin Elf who was part of the Fellowship of the Ring.

What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics?

Cycling. I did a bit of cycling around the country when I was younger.

If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing, what would it be?

Patience.

If you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be?

Intolerance.

His love has no limits, his grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of his infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again

(SASB 30)

’

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

Velvet collars, drainpipe trousers and suede shoes. (I was a Teddy Boy in my younger days.)

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

Coming from St Albans, I would like to meet Saint Alban to find out about his Christian conversion and martyrdom.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Mark 10:27: ‘All things are possible with God.’

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

Moderation in all things.

Which Bible figure would you like to meet and what would you ask them?

Abraham. I’d like to ask how he was able to respond to God’s call to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

Did you have a nickname growing up?

Pudding. If you take the first letter from my Christian name and put it at the end it spells rice!

What is your favourite hymn or worship song?

‘He Giveth More Grace’ (SASB 30), especially verse 3: His love has no limits, his grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of his infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

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

Elvis Presley’s Hound Dog, released in 1956.

What is your favourite food?

Roast beef with Yorkshire puddings.

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

Griff Rhys Jones – Not The Nine O’Clock News is one of my favourite programmes. His travel programmes are also so interesting.

Which book would you want on a desert island?

The Lord Of The Rings.

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

‘Get It Right Next Time’ by Gerry Rafferty.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The Lord doesn’t begin by asking about our ability, just our availability.

What is the most valuable thing you possess?

The love of my family and my love for them – my wife, children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren.

Something interesting people might want to know about you is...

I attended the initial band music camps at Hadleigh Colony and Tylney Hall from 1953 to 1957.