Sal-2011-03

More Than a Bag of Groceries

Salvationist The Voice of the Army

Is Soldiership Outdated?

Eugene Peterson: Pastor, Writer, Teacher

Anatomy of a Disaster

Salvationist.ca I March 2011

Inside Vancouver’s War College

LETTERS

Gender Bias?

The World for God

Life of a Cadet

Salvationist

Sesame Street Mission

I loved the article about the High Council (Pray, Vote, Salute, January). I found it interesting to understand the full proWho will cess. However, on the cover, I wish that be the next we had not put a male image in the box General?

Read our guide to the representing who our next General might 2011 High Council be. That image leads to assumptions that it will be a man. Perhaps a question mark would have been more generic to avoid assumptions. Nonetheless, I have prayed for the leaders around the world who gathered to make this prayerful, significant decision. God bless our leaders. God bless The Salvation Army.

Eunice Champlin The Voice of the Army

Dedicated Service Well deserved congratulations to Bob and Shirley McArthur (Order of the Founder O Awarded to McArthurs, February). Besides the mission trips they organized to the Caribbean Territory, they have contributed so much to the Lord’s work in other ways.

Stan Burditt

Salvationist.ca I January 2011

Order of the Founder Awarded to McArthurs

the types of fellowships we have and what they cost, all must be considered in light of being inclusive and realizing that sometimes we can, without realizing it, exclude those who have less and who feel left out of society.

Major Kathie Chiu Two good arguments. The marginalized must always be a central concern for The Salvation Army, but I can’t limit God by ignoring anyone he puts in my way.

I believe that crumbling families in our middle-class suburbs will result in people of all ages dropping down into the poorand-needy bucket. We can’t wait until they are in our target area before we focus on them. Even if society thinks they are doing fine because of the level of their assets and disposable income, we know this isn’t the case, and they need something more.

Lieutenant Paul Lorimer

robert and shirley McArthur recognized for their work in the Caribbean territory

BY JUlIA hosKING, STaFF WriTEr

Words of Hope I am moved by the words of General Shaw Clifton in his recent pastoral letter on hope (Salvationist.ca). The sense of hope that the General talks about inspires me daily as I work with children in Cumbria, U.K., over 160-kilometres away from my own family.

As a teacher, I find God’s love supremely necessary in directing, teaching and guiding the young people under my care.

Nigel Gillson

Photo: Mark Anthony

n Saturday, December 4, Robert (Bob) and Shirley McArthur were presented with the Order of the Founder. They are only the fourth married couple to be given this award. The ceremony took place at the Christmas with The Salvation Army event held at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall and hosted by the Ontario Central-east Division.

Commissioners William W. and Marilyn D. Francis, territorial leaders, were proud to recognize the sacrifices made by the McArthurs, soldiers of North york Temple, over the past 25 years to aid the Caribbean Territory. Their interest in the territory began when they heard Caribbean missionaries explain the worsening conditions of Salvation Army facilities.

“The Caribbean Territory is strong today in a real, positive sense because of Bob and Shirley McArthur,” said Commissioner William Francis after a photo slideshow demonstrating the work of the McArthurs was played for the congregation.

For 25 years, the McArthurs led many mission trips to the Caribbean—restoring, renovating and building Salvation Army facilities. “Thirty-five units throughout the Caribbean are standing testimonies to the quiet, patient love and joy brought to that land by Bob and Shirley McArthur,” continued Commissioner Francis.

As he presented the award, first to Bob, Commissioner Francis said, “It is my pleasure to present this most prestigious award in recognition of two decades of exemplary service to The Salvation Army and in acknowledgement of the selfless and sacrificial investment of personal resources.”

Following a similar presentation to Shirley, Commissioner Marilyn Francis prayed for the couple.

“Tonight we applaud the McArthurs, but they wouldn’t want applause for they gave because of the King of Kings who gave his life for them,” said Commissioner Marilyn Francis. “There are those in the

Commissioner William W. Francis presents robert Mcarthur (pictured) and his wife, Shirley, with the order of the Founder award

world whose lives are better because Bob McArthur and his lovely wife gave.”

Bob and Shirley’s family, members of McArthur Properties, and Joel Turley, manager of the teams that go to the Caribbean for mission work, attended the event.

The McArthurs have travelled to the Caribbean Territory for the purpose of renovating, repairing and rebuilding Salvation Army corps and social service buildings. Over and above the team members’ financial contributions, the McArthur’s have financed all projects from their own resources.

Of notable mention is the McArthurs’ trip to Jamaica in 2007 where, in two weeks, the team built and constructed furnishings for Black Ness Corps. The team also redecorated and refurbished a day school attached to Savannah la Mar Corps and redecorated the officers’ quarters at Lennox Bigwoods Corps.

Prior to departing on a mission trip, Bob visits the country to ensure adequate accommodation for the team of approximately 35 members, and organizes sup-

plies of building materials. If possible, these supplies are locally purchased to assist the country’s economy. Shirley actively supports Bob in this process through administration and trip organization.

For a list of the missions conducted by the McArthurs, visit Salvationist.ca/mcarthurs.

History of the Award

The Order of the Founder was established

by General Bramwell Booth in 1917 and first presented in 1920. In the 90 years since, there have been 241 recipients, an average of two or three awarded per year, with 23 of them—10 percent—Canadian (including the McArthurs).

Before being awarded with the Order of the Founder, cases presented to International Headquarters are carefully researched and the award is only given to those officers and soldiers whose skillful and passionate work would have merited the attention and approval of The Salvation Army’s Founder, General William Booth.

Salvationist I February 2011 I 21

Church of the Poor?

PoINT CoUNtErPoiNt

For Love or Money

Is The Salvation army the church of the poor?

Captain Mark Braye argues that we should focus our attention on the wealthier members of our communities (For Love or Money, December). While I agree with some of what he suggests, I can’t help thinking that there are many Salvation Army congregations today whose style and target outreach group would make many of the clients in our ministry and corps members feel out of place and unaccepted.

A corps whose aim is to cater to the middle- or upper-income segments of our society will always alienate the very people the Army was raised up to serve. There must be a balance.

I fully agree when Captain Braye says, “Instead of sending them to the church up the street, we need them to embrace our mission.” However, you cannot get people to embrace the mission unless we purposefully expose them to the very poor we are called to serve. We also need to make sure our corps are set up to welcome people of all ages and stages of life and income levels. The way we dress, our messages and illustrations we use, The Army was founded on the idea that all are welcome, including the wealthy. Salvation doesn’t work differently for the rich. After 145 years, the Army’s emphasis on “redemption and lift” has helped generations out of poverty.

Instead of sending them to the church up the street, we need them to embrace our mission.

I Go To Your Church

Salvationist welcomes feedback from our readers. Send an e-mail to Salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org or comment online at Salvationist.ca. Please note that letters and comments may be edited dueCommissioning_qtr_pg_march.pdf to space limitations.

2 12/23/2010 3:35:07 PM

by CaPTaIN MarK brayE

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE the mission of The Salvation Army is primarily, or even exclusively, to the poor. I disagree. Our mission is to the “whosoever,” including the rich and middle class.

Throughout our history many slogans have expressed our ministry. William Booth told his son, Bramwell, to “do something.” He spoke of “others,” “our people” and “going for souls and going for the worst.” His famous “I’ll fight” speech is often thought of as a rallying cry to serve the poor. But don’t his words address all social classes? Wealthy women weep. Wealthy men go to prison. There are dark souls without the light of God in gated communities and large suburban houses.

Catherine Booth, who held Bible studies for women among the elite of London, England, said, “Here is the principle— adapt your measures to the necessity of the people to whom you minister. You are to take the gospel to them in such modes and circumstances as will gain for it from them a hearing.”

The wealthy are “our people” as well. They are “others” for whom we must also “do something.” Our “modes and circumstances” will differ among them, but we have as much a mandate to minister to the rich and middle class as we do to the poor.

They need Jesus, too.

Ignoring the wealthy puts us at a significant disadvantage.

Across our territory, the middle class makes up the majority of our congregations. Our places of worship are safe spaces where all people can begin their spiritual journeys, grow in their faith and worship with their sisters and brothers in Christ. Where would we be if the majority of our denomination left tomorrow because their salaries were too high to fit in?

In terms of fundraising, the upper and middle classes are the greatest supporters of Salvation Army ministries. Our goal is not to exploit them for a piece of their income. Rather, it’s a

two-way benefit: they help us fulfil our mission and we give them an opportunity to give back to others.

When we invite people with abundant resources to partner with us, our mission grows and more people are given a chance to escape poverty. Think of the support given to The Salvation Army here in Canada by the W. Garfield Weston Foundation. Or in America, by people such as Jerry Jones, owner and president of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

The rich and middle class comprise a large portion of our volunteers and ministry groups. When these members of our church families get saved, they’re saved to save and saved to serve.

Whether it’s standing by a Christmas kettle, handing out coffee at the Winter Olympics, playing in a brass band or leading a Bible study, they make the mission of The Salvation Army come alive.

The wealthy are also well connected and experienced for ministry. Educated professionals comprise our Salvation Army advisory boards and councils, serving as partners and mentors.

Are we to take their advice at a professional level and ignore their spiritual needs when the meetings are over?

We do our mission a disservice when we ignore these realties and pine away for the glory days of the East London Christian Mission. There have been cultural and societal shifts in the past 145 years that the Booths could not have imagined. The Salvation Army, and the world in which we serve, is far more complex today. The wealthy are vital members of our denomination and integral ministers of our mission. They deserve our focus as much as anyone else.

Captain Mark Braye and his wife, Nancy, are the corps officers/pastors of The Salvation Army Tri-Town Community Church in Temiskaming Shores, Ont. They have two children, Hannah and Micah.

12 I December 2010 I Salvationist

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90th Anniversary June 3-5, 2011 Help us celebrate with Majors Robert and Shirley Ratcliff and the Gospel Brass Band Greetings from former officers and friends can be sent to 777 Ospika Blvd, Prince George BC V2M 3R5; phone: 250-564-4000 2 I March 2011 I Salvationist

Ambassadors of Holiness Commissioning Weekend

June 24-26, 2011 Metro Toronto Convention Centre Toronto, Ontario

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Conducted by Commissioners

MY

William W. Francis

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The Prince George Salvation Army Community Church

S av e T h e D at e

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Territorial Commander

Marilyn D. Francis Territorial President of Women’s Ministries

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than is required.

Inside This Issue Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

March 2011 No. 59 www.salvationist.ca E-mail: salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org

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Features 8 The Dignity Project Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

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Chief secretary announces new public relations initiative

by Colonel Floyd J. Tidd Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

9 Rebuilding Hope and Dignity

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When it launches March 1, The Salvation Army’s Dignity Project will highlight the challenges facing society’s most vulnerable people

by Linda Leigh PRODUCT LABELING GUIDE

FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL

12 Anatomy of a Disaster

When disaster strikes, The Salvation Army’s emergency disaster services responds quickly and efficiently. Salvationist unveils the operation

by Julia Hosking

Departments 2 Letters 4 Editorial

16 Ministry in Action

by Major Jim Champ

by Lt-Colonel Maxwell Ryan

“Don’t Call Me Sir!”

5 Around the Territory 10 Point Counterpoint Marching as to War

by Major Ron Cartmell and Major Danielle Strickland

15 Personal Reflections

What Happens When Salvationists Pray?

by Commissioner William W. Francis

In the Saddle

17 Ministry, One Step at a Time

by Ken Ramstead

With 30 years of experience in the addictions field, Major Thomas Tuppenney is a resource to the Army and outside agencies

20 Army Roots

18 More Than a Bag of Groceries

Signs and Wonders

21 Media Reviews 21 Prayer Guide 26 Celebrate Community

Moncton’s community and family services diversifies to meet changing needs

by Julia Hosking 8

22 Spiritual Boot Camp

The War College is a lifechanging experience—and it’s not an easy one

by Melissa Walter

Enrolments and Recognition, Tributes, Gazette, Calendar

24 Language of the People

30 Clarion Call

The author of over 30 books, Eugene Peterson insists that to communicate effectively, you need to embrace the art of conversation

Brother Andre and Sister Gladys

by Major Fred Ash

31 Rethinking Church

by Kent d Curry

Doing Chicken Right

by Captain Rick Zelinsky

Inside Faith & Friends No Limbs, No Limits Inspirational speaker Nick Vujicic is proof that courage and faith can overcome adversity

Grace Notes Singing lifts spirits for songster brigades at Yorkminster Citadel, St. John’s Citadel and Southlands Community Church

Beachcombers In Bermuda, Salvation Army volunteers go hunting for the hungry

Saying “Yes” What would it take for Janice Keats to let God into her life?

When you finish reading Faith & Friends in the centre of this issue, pull Faith & it out and give it to Helping the someone Hungry in Bermuda who needs to Salvation armY KeepS hear about on trucKin’ Christ’s lifechanging Singing for Your No Limbs, power Health No Limits

frıends

March 2011

www.faithandfriends.ca

Inspiration for Living

Nick Vujicic’s Extraordinary Journey

Salvationist.ca New General The High Council has voted and chosen a new international leader for The Salvation Army. Find out more about the General-Elect at Salvationist.ca/highcouncil2011

Retirement Salute G en er al Shaw Clif ton and Commissioner Helen Clifton, international leaders, will officially retire on April 1. Read the report on their retirement salute at Salvationist. ca/cliftons-retire. As well, view

General Clifton’s pastoral letters at Salvationist.ca/pastoral-letters

Leadership & Critical Thought What does it mean to be a Salvationist in the 21st century?

Contribute to the discussion as officers and soldiers share their thoughts

Follow on Facebook Visit facebook.com/salvation istmagazine, click “Like” and receive regular updates in your news feed Salvationist I March 2011 I 3

Editorial

I

“Don’t Call Me Sir!”

first met Brian McCardle in a River Street pub in Moose Jaw, Sask. He was sitting alone at his usual table. I was in my Army uniform, armed with The War Cry. “Good evening, Sir,” I began. Before I could continue, Brian growled back, “Don’t call me Sir!” This marked the beginning of a two-year relationship with a bittersweet ending.

Brian was an alcoholic. In his early 50s, estranged from his family and unable to hold down a job, Brian drifted from day to day in a boozy haze. More than 12 months passed with most of our encounters simply acknowledging another week had gone by.

But that all changed when Brian invited me to sit down and listen to his story. It was a tale of failed dreams. Left in the wake of Brian’s misadventures were loved ones who could no longer cope with his self-destructive behaviour.

I was surprised to discover that Brian’s elderly mother was a godly woman and a soldier of the Moose Jaw Corps. Mrs. McCardle had never mentioned her longlost son. Just before noon the next day, I returned to River Street searching for the one-room apartment where Brian lived when he wasn’t sitting in the bar. With only a few words of encouragement, Brian knelt at the bedside in his shabby little room and prayed the sinner’s prayer. Soon after, Brian’s life took on a new direction. He

travelled to Regina and entered the Army’s addictions and rehabilitation program.

He reconciled with his mother who shed joyful tears. He started attending Sunday night meetings. At first opportunity, he stood to his feet and told everyone how he had been gloriously saved.

I claim no expertise in the field of addictions, but I am thankful for the Army’s wonderful legacy in battling this social ill.

In this month’s issue of Salvationist, we interview Major Thomas Tuppenney, a leading authority in addiction rehabilitation who was recently elected as the president of the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation (see page 17).

One thing I do know from observation is that many addicts possess a limited sense of self-worth. I also know that the Higher Power that is spoken about in 12-step addictions programs is embodied in Jesus Christ who can set the captive free and restore a person’s dignity.

Also in this issue, Colonel Floyd Tidd, chief secretary, launches The Dignity Project for the territory with a letter to all Salvationists (see page 8). While not a new concept for the Army, the reminder is timely: human dignity is integral to the gospel message.

In many respects, Brian’s story is reflected in the lives of countless others who suffer from addictions to alcohol and other drugs. As Salvationists, we have a great opportunity to point the way from darkness into light.

A few months following Brian’s conversion, a visit to the hospital revealed inoperable lung cancer. Two years had passed since our first meeting on River Street. As a handful of Brian’s family and friends gathered for his funeral, I recounted our initial exchange and the basis for our celebration. “Don’t call me Sir” had been replaced with freedom, hope and dignity in Christ.

Major Jim Champ Editor-in-Chief

Salvationist

is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory Shaw Clifton General Commissioner William W. Francis Territorial Commander Major Jim Champ Editor-in-Chief Geoff Moulton Assistant Editor-in-Chief John McAlister Senior Editor (416-467-3185) Major Max Sturge Associate Editor (416-422-6116) Timothy Cheng Art Director Pamela Richardson Production and Distribution Co-ordinator, Copy Editor Julia Hosking, Ken Ramstead, Captain Debbie Sinclair Contributors Agreement No. 40064794, ISSN 1718-5769.

Member, The Canadian Church Press. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version (TNIV) © 2001, 2005 International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

All rights reserved worldwide. All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory and can be reprinted only with written permission.

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Annual: Canada $30 (includes GST/HST); U.S. $36; foreign $41. Available from: The Salvation Army, 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto ON M4H 1P4.

Phone: 416-422-6112; fax: 416-422-6120; e-mail: circulation@can.salvationarmy.org.

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Inquire by e-mail for rates at circulation@ can.salvationarmy.org.

News, Events and Submissions

Editorial lead time is seven weeks prior to an issue’s publication date. No responsibility is assumed to publish, preserve or return unsolicited material. Write to salvationist@ can.salvationarmy.org or Salvationist, 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto ON M4H 1P4.

Mission

The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world. Salvationist informs readers about the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda.

Salvationist.ca Salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org Facebook.com/salvationistmagazine Twitter.com/salvationist

4 I March 2011 I Salvationist

AROUND THE TERRITORY

Oshawa Songsters Celebrate 100 Years On November 13-14, past and present Oshawa Temple songsters celebrated 100 years of music ministry in the Ontario city. Under the direction of two previous Oshawa Temple songster leaders, Norman Kitney and Robert Young, and current leader, Steven Armstrong, Saturday night’s concert featured three different styles of songs from three different eras: Consecration Hymn, This Little Light of Mine and I Can Go to God in Prayer.

The Bill Booth Theater Norman Kitney leads Reunion songsters at Oshawa Temple’s songster weekend Company from Chicago, U.S.A. Central Territory, were guests for the weekend, their varied all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.” presentations eliciting both serious reflection and laughter. A On Sunday morning, the theatre company led worship, supparticularly touching moment occurred when they performed ported by the songsters. With soloist Angela Hustins, the songsters a sketch based on the Samaritan woman to whom Jesus offered sang Adoni, reaffirming their commitment to continue singing “living water,” and the Oshawa Temple songsters responded with to God’s glory.

Come to the Water, echoing the words from Isaiah 55:1, “Come,

Revitalizing Christian Education at Haven of Hope, Regina

Children at Haven of Hope are excited about their Christian education programs

“When my husband and I arrived at Regina’s Haven of Hope Church over four years ago, we wanted to put a strong emphasis on children’s programming,” says Captain Corinne Cameron, corps officer.

After parents gave their feedback, YPSM Val Wiks, AYPSM Audrey Arndt and Captain Cameron designed an outreach plan based on a baseball diamond. The “stands” are the spectator-oriented outreach events, such as Rally Day carnivals and breakfast with Santa. The “outfield” is where people

begin to know more about Jesus, such as Friday’s Everyone Together Night with its focus on the Bible and music. The “infield” is intentional discipleship through Sunday school.

“It took a few years to launch the program, but we are averaging 30 children a week,” say Captain Cameron. The Trail Blazers series, based on age-appropriate biographies of famous Christians, is a useful resource for junior church on Sunday mornings and the Everyone Together Night

on Fridays. They also created a curriculum for Sunday school using Disney’s Cars theme and the Route 66 game, the latter involving a trip through the 66 books of the Bible.

“A large part of the program’s success has been the energy of our leaders,” acknowledges Captain Cameron. “As the children become excited, the parents buy into the program. Children who had been loosely linked with us belong to our church now, and some stay on for the Sunday morning service. For our children’s Christmas concert, it was standing room only. Financial giving has increased as the young people have learned to tithe and are consequently teaching their parents. New families have joined and the parents are becoming actively involved in the whole church.”

Send us your news and photos highlighting the ways The Salvation Army is living out its mission and values in your community.

In addition to selected items that appear in print, other news stories are posted regularly on our website, Salvationist.ca. Photos are acceptable in JPEG orTIFF format, minimum 300 dpi preferred. E-mail Salvationist@can. salvationarmy.org or write to Salvationist, 2 Overlea Blvd,Toronto ON M4H 1P4.

Salvationist I March 2011 I 5

AROUND THE TERRITORY

Brightening Vancouver’s Harbour Light Salvation Army Harbour Light residents in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside experienced creative and positive changes through added colours and artwork in their facility. The purpose of these design transformations was to increase the residents’ feelings of pride in their “home” at Harbour Light.

Kecia Fossen, community resources manager and volunteer co-ordinator, says that the fresh decor helps “clients feel connected not only to the space but to each other. It’s a warmer, more nurturing atmos-

phere.” The refurbishing has also created a more engaging environment for those frequenting the facility.

“We want Harbour Light clients to understand that we really care about them,” says Reverend Bruce Robertson, the centre’s chaplain. Providing a Residents at the Army’s Vancouver Harbour Light relax in refurbished lounge

The Gift That Keeps On Giving On December 3, the Army’s Beaver Creek Camp, Saskatoon, Prairie Division, received a gift that will keep on giving. SaskEnergy donated products to enable the camp to become more energy efficient. These items included furnace filters and programmable thermostats for all the buildings, water-saving showerheads, toilet tank inserts, weather stripping, compact fluorescent light bulbs, electrical outlet wall-plate insulator kits and other items that will considerably reduce the camp’s monthly energy bills, especially during Saskatchewan’s harsh winters. SaskEnergy’s Home Energy Efficiency Project (HEEP) designed and distributed these products throughout the province in the past three years to support the environment and assist low-income families.

Students participating in the Nikanetan (Let’s Lead) program from Westmount Community School, Saskatoon Public School Division (SPSD), helped install the products in the camp’s cabins. They are regular visitors to the camp as a result of a 10-month rental agreement with the SPSD’s Brightwater Science and Environmental Centre. The Kiwanis Club of Saskatoon, the camp’s other partner, installed items in the other camp buildings. Three campus directors from the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) came out in support, in addition to Doug Kelln, president and CEO of SaskEnergy, and Don Morgan, minister of justice and attorney general.

From left, Doug Kelln; Don Morgan; Cpt Corinne Cameron, area youth secretary, Prairie Div; Mjr Judy Regamey, AC, Prairie Div; Gerry Bonsal, campus director, SIAST Kelsey campus 6 I March 2011 I Salvationist

beautiful home for them is another way to encourage the healing process.

Encounter the Lands of the Bible Greece, Turkey & Israel (including a 5-day cruise to the Greek Islands) With Majors Woody and Sharon Hale

October 15–30, 2011 Visit www.creativeventures.ca, e-mail wshale@sympatico.ca, write 138 Huntington Cres, Courtice ON L1E 3C5 or phone 905-440-4378 “What an awesome trip! I will always remember this wonderful experience.

I will truly never be the same again, since I walked where Jesus walked.”

—A. Lewis-Stephenson, Wingham, Ont., Tour 2010

AROUND THE TERRITORY

Women of Influence in Quebec On October 23, 60 women attended a rally in Montreal. Guest speaker Lois Hurtubise Tessier, a Francophone Bible teacher, encouraged the audience to become “women of influence” by following the example of two of their spiritual predecessors: Anna, the prophetess in the Temple at the time of Jesus’ birth, and her own mother, Marion Hurtubise, who, in spite of significant persecution, planted Baptist churches in Quebec in the 1950s and 60s. Major Lauren Effer, corps officer, Montreal Citadel, and Chantal Dalphond, assistant corps sergeant-major, St-Jerome Corps, Que., also testified to the positive impact of women of influence in their lives.

From left, Miranda Cross, Lois Hurtubise Tessier and Mjr Kathryn Trim, DDWM, Quebec Div

Did you know … … On November 9, Debra Carew of North Toronto Community Church received the Leo N. Steven Excellence in Leadership Award at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre? Carew is the hospital’s operations director of the trauma, emergency and critical care program … Booth University College in Winnipeg hosted radio CJNU FM and was on the air throughout December on 107.9 FM, channel 725 MTS and on the web at cjnu.ca? They broadcasted 24 hours daily from their studio in the university college’s cafeteria. People could drop by or tune in, learn more about Booth and enjoy Salvation Army Christmas music … Of the 88 young people who attended the Army’s all-Ontario junior sports camp at Jackson’s Point in 2010, 35 made first-time commitments to Christ? The theme was Undefeated, based on Romans 8:37, “We are

St. John’s Temple and KFC Make Christmas Special On December 19, St. John’s Temple, N.L., served 500 people at its 10th annual Kentucky Fried Chicken Christmas dinner. The 10-year partnership between The Salvation Army and local KFC outlets has resulted in memorable Christmas nights for thousands of Newfoundlanders.

Guests were driven to the dinner venue by a Salvation Army volunteer, entertained by musicians and visited by Santa before enjoying a chicken dinner with all the trimmings. In the background, the rock band Korban played rollicking renditions of Christmas favourites, including Frosty the Snowman and Silent Night.

“We at KFC value the partnership with The Salvation Army because the Army serves without discrimination,” says David

Hefferman, owner of Chelsea Foods.

A mother of two young boys expressed gratitude for being able to see so many Christmas lights en route to the dinner: “We have no transportation and live in government housing, so we cannot get out to see the sights of Christmas.”

“This event makes Christmas for all of our KFC volunteers and staff,” says Jim Cornelisse, KFC operations manager.

“It makes Christmas special for a lot of other people as well,” adds Major Donette Percy, director of community and family services, St. John’s. Other sponsors include Bill Matthew’s VW Audi, Avalon Ford, Terra Nova Motors, Marie’s Mini Mart, City Honda, Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union and Country Ribbon.

St. John’s KFC staff and volunteers serve Christmas dinner at St. John’s Temple for 500 people

more than conquerors through him who loved us” … The Lower Island Cove Corps, N.L., broadcasts its Sunday morning services every Tuesday night on Eastlink Cable TV, channel 6, covering the north shore of Conception Bay? … An anonymous donor gave over $57,000 to the Cranbrook and District Community Foundation in British Columbia to help build a homeless shelter that will be owned and operated by The Salvation Army? … The Salvation Army in Fort Erie, Ont., was chosen as the recipient of Niagara College’s 2011 Many Hands Project? This community-sponsored initiative is driven by Niagara College students as part of the event management graduate certificate program, assisted by students from the college’s construction program. The venture included expansion of food storage and preparation areas, installation of new cabinetry and

replacement of old materials, such as drywall and flooring … Kunitz Shoes, a family-run store in Edmonton, offers a $20 discount on a pair of brand new shoes with any donation of used, serviceable footwear? The collected shoes are given to The Salvation Army for the needy.

The company expects to deliver 1,500 pairs of donated shoes in 2011 … The recent High Council that chose our new General had seven Canadians: Comr Linda Bond, Comrs Max and Lennie Feener, Comr Christine MacMillan, Col Susan McMillan and Cols Robert and Marguerite Ward? … The Salvation Army in Regina received $200,000 from the province of Saskatchewan to open a residential peer home for five women aged 15-18 who are pregnant or caring for babies?

Salvationist I March 2011 I 7

Dear Friends.

I

magine sleeping on the top of a subway grate to stay warm in sub-zero weather, or eating birdseed to ward off the pains of hunger.

In an affluent society like ours, these seem to be remote concepts, but they do exist. Out of desperation, Canadians experiencing difficulty trade dignity for survival.

Statistics reveal that one in 11 Canadians lives in poverty, which is the root cause that puts dignity out of reach for millions. The Salvation Army believes that all people deserve respect, dignity and a chance for a better life.

On March 1, 2011, The Salvation Army in Canada is launching The Dignity Project, a multi-platform program designed to educate the public about what it means to live without dignity—and what they can do to help.

People’s lives change when they are treated with dignity.

You can be part of that change by joining The Dignity Project at SalvationArmy.ca/dignityproject.

With your help, dignity for all is within reach.

Sincerely, Colonel Floyd J. Tidd Chief Secretary P.S. Join the Dignity Project today!

8 I March 2011 I Salvationist

Rebuilding Hope and Dignity When it launches March 1, The Salvation Army’s Dignity Project will highlight the challenges facing society’s most vulnerable people

BY LINDA LEIGH

The Salvation Army helped Virasak Thongpheng turn his life around

W

hen you are deep into drugs, the lifestyle blinds you,” says Vir. “I had no self-respect and was in a pit of despair. Now, thanks to The Salvation Army, I have a sober mind, a new-found hope and realize there was nothing good about living that way.”

Virasak Thongpheng (known as Vir) was shy, polite and ambitious when he moved to Winnipeg in 2000 to attend the University of Manitoba. Majoring in English, his goal was to teach in Thailand, his country of origin. Life was good. Then, his parents separated.

Confused and sad, Vir abused alcohol. As a result, his grades suffered and he dropped out of university. He became employed in the restaurant industry as a bartender and, soon after, co-workers invited him to experiment with cocaine. “I felt cool, confident and part of the crowd,” says Vir. “But I was naïve to the drug’s deadly effects.”

For seven years Vir was unable to hold a steady job. Homeless, he surfed from one friend’s couch to another. “I was in a dark world,” says Vir. “I craved the drug and could only think about my next hit.”

Desperation drove Vir to purchase cocaine at any cost. His life was a tangled mess of crime and dependency.

In the summer of 2009, as caretaker of an apartment building, Vir used a tenant’s rent to buy cocaine. “I was embarrassed and ashamed,” says Vir. “I never returned to the job or my apartment.” Penniless and with only the clothes on his back, Vir slept curled up on the dingy steps of a stairwell in a back alley.

Weeks later, Vir arrived at his mom’s home, high on cocaine, begging for money.

“I hadn’t slept for seven days and was exhausted,” he recalls. “My pupils were huge and glassy and I looked like a walking skeleton.”

Vir’s siblings, nieces and nephews, visiting from out of town, wept when they saw him. “I put my family through severe emotional stress,” says Vir. “Each one was a victim of my lying, cheating, stealing and manipulation.”

Following the emotional encounter with his family, Vir became serious about recovery. After nine days in detox he entered The Salvation Army Booth Centre Anchorage program in Winnipeg,

a 60-day residential treatment program for men and women with drug and alcohol addictions.

“Anchorage got my attention and was the cornerstone of my recovery,” says Vir. “It taught me how to manage my life again, be responsible, think of others and successfully ease back into society.”

Vir has been clean since July 2009.

Family relationships have been rekindled and he manages a local café. At Anchorage, the daily chapel service motivated him to pick up his guitar again and he now participates in worship services and various Salvation Army events.

“Every opportunity, I give back,” says Vir. “I was once hopeless. Now, I embrace life with courage and dignity.”

For most people, living without dignity is a remote concept. The Salvation Army has developed The Dignity Project to inspire and educate the public about the challenges facing society’s most vulnerable people—and what they can do to help.

People’s lives change when they are treated with dignity. Visit SalvationArmy. ca/dignityproject and join The Dignity Project.

Salvationist I March 2011 I 9

POINT COUNTERPOINT

Marching as to War

Is the concept of soldiership outdated? Should we consider other forms of membership?

YES. Not everyone is ready to sign up for this radical commitment.

By calling everyone to the same standard, we don’t make room for people who want to belong before they believe.

BY MAJOR RON CARTMELL For me, growing up in The Salvation Army meant learning to play an instrument. My earliest childhood memories include sitting in the trombone section beside my father. This is not a testimony to my musical inclinations, but rather a practical child care solution for my mother who had three young children.

By the time I was seven, I was ready for the junior band. That seemed only natural to me. My father played in the band, my grandfather played in the band, my uncles played in the band, so I should play in the band. But first I had to sign my name to the junior soldier pledge. I’m sure there were preparation classes, I just don’t remember them.

In my teens, I was allowed to play in the senior band on Sundays. That was great! It sure made going to church easier, and I could still be with my friends. The only catch was that I had to become a senior soldier and put on the uniform. I didn’t see it as a problem. I wanted to play in the band, and to do that I needed to become a soldier.

Looking back, it’s obvious to me that life in the Army followed a certain pattern: when I affirmed that I believed the right things, and I stated that I would behave the right way, then I was given the privilege to officially belong.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting to belong.

God himself longs for community. In fact, the Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—demonstrates that community is part of God’s very nature. And because we are made in his image (see Genesis 1:26), God has stamped the desire for community deep within our being.

In our modern culture, however, the desire to belong is emerging much earlier than the decision to believe or behave. Allow me to illustrate with an example.

One day I received a phone call from a businessman who said, “Hello, my name is Bill. I belong to your church.” I told him I hadn’t met him yet, to which he responded, “That’s because I haven’t started coming yet!” Not long after, Bill and his family started to attend our church, inspired by one of his family members who attended The Salvation Army in a different community. Bill was unsure of what he believed and his conduct lacked Christlikeness. But he was responding to a God-given desire 10 I March 2011 I Salvationist

to belong. And God was working in his life, even if he didn’t know it yet.

What does it mean to belong? None of us would restrict Bill from attending worship until he sorts out his beliefs and behaviour. But what if he wants to get involved in ministry? What if he wants to “test drive” this journey with Jesus? How far down the road do we let that go? Would we allow him to play in the band, participate in community care ministry or serve on the corps mission board? What about our rules on soldiership?

For many years The Salvation Army has followed the “believe, behave and belong” system. Today, however, many people are asking, “Will you let me belong while I sort out what I believe and how to behave?”

Most of us grew up with a Christian worldview. It was understood that Christians behaved in a certain way. You would hear people say, “I made the decision to become a Christian so I stopped smoking” or “I had to get married because Christian couples don’t live together before marriage.”

Today the Christian worldview is in competition with many other belief systems. This has made people much more skeptical.

When people approach Christianity they don’t want rational arguments. Instead, they want experiential evidence. “Show me the reality of Christ in your life,” they say.

Soldiership is the Army’s metaphor for belonging. But it’s

POINT COUNTERPOINT more than just membership, it is a sacred covenant. The Soldier’s Covenant calls for the highest commitment to discipleship. The problem is, it is increasingly difficult to hold soldiers to their commitments, such as participation in ministry, financial giving and growing in Christlikeness. Perhaps this is because we lack clarity on the meaning and purpose of soldiership. Or perhaps we’ve simply watered down our expectations. In any case, this ambiguity has effectively silenced much of soldiership’s power and witness.

Is the problem more fundamental? Soldiership fits naturally with the old “believe, behave and belong” philosophy. While many are ready to be disciples of Jesus, the language of the Soldier’s Covenant becomes a sticking point. It positions The Salvation Army as the covenant holder rather than the vehicle by which this commitment is expressed. Perhaps that’s why, relatively speaking, the number of adherents is growing while our soldier rolls are shrinking.

Today’s generation is not interested in “signing up.” They don’t want lifelong membership. They say, “Show me who you are by your actions, not by your clothing or a piece of paper.”

If soldiership is to continue to have a place in our Movement, it must first of all be a call to radical discipleship and not merely a symbol of membership. It must point to and be intimately connected with the One for whom we are called to lay down our lives. If we can recapture this essence, then soldiership has a future. If not, it’s no longer of value.

Major Ron Cartmell is the corps officer at Kelowna Community Church and area commander–Interior Region, B.C. Division.

NO. There is still a war to be waged. We need people who are willing to fight for justice.

Soldiership is the essence of the gospel.

BY MAJOR DANIELLE STRICKLAND In July 1861, the first of the major battles of the American Civil War between the union and the confederacy was fought at Bull Run, a stream near the town of Manassas Junction.

The American people assumed the whole idea of the civil war was just a passing phase and many people came out with their lawn chairs and picnic baskets to watch the first battle. I’m not kidding. What everyone discovered—to their horror—was that there was nothing cute or short or fashionable about this conflict.

It would turn out to be the bloodiest war in American history.

The Bible is clear that we are engaged in a war—not a physical war with guns and bullets, but a very real spiritual war. Ephesians 6:10-17 says we fight against principalities, rulers and authorities.

Paul even explains how to soldier up with spiritual equipment.

Jesus never invited spectators. He wanted disciples. He wanted people who would fight (actively engage the enemy) for God’s Kingdom to come. He gave his disciples authority over the enemy and said that he himself had come to destroy the devil’s work (see 1 John 3:8). He was the ultimate freedom fighter. The Salvation

Army was raised up as a clear response to that call from Jesus.

William Booth said, “Salvationism is simply this: the banishment of wickedness from the face of the earth.” What is needed in a war are people who are willing to fight. We call them soldiers.

Is soldiership outdated? An old metaphor? The only way that soldiership is outdated is if the war isn’t real. Even asking the question could put us in danger of being arrogant or ignorant enough to believe that there is some cute, easy and metaphorical war being waged and that we can simply find a pew in a lovely community church down the street from our cul-de-sac and watch the entertainment.

Sometimes I think we are in danger of missing the real gospel.

In The Call, Os Guiness suggests there is only one call of Jesus, “Come follow me.” There isn’t some mystical sacred specialness of an “ordained clergy”—some super spirituality that endows itself upon “certain and chosen” few … there is a clear trumpet call to anyone and everyone who would take the words of Jesus seriously and answer THE call. This is the point of soldiership.

It’s meant to boil the gospel down to its essence. We aren’t spectators. This isn’t a cute, metaphorical war—it’s the real thing.

We are called to help, to enlist, to fight. This is the call of true discipleship and our great heritage of Salvationism.

I know there are many people who find it difficult to believe that we are in a war. And this I find staggering. In these days and times, it almost feels like a willful blindness. Extreme poverty is taking hundreds of thousands of lives every day; children and women are being bought and sold like disposable items at a flea market in a dark and evil sex trade that grows at an unprecedented rate; children are being sold into slavery to make clothes and items in developing countries that we buy on sale and don’t ask why they are so cheap. Even in our nice suburban homes, Western society smells of depression, suicide, divorce and bankruptcy; executives of excessive capitalism keep pushing economic gains over ethical purity at the expense of the poor; life is snuffed out at its most fragile and innocent state for the convenience of the strong hundreds of thousands of times every day. Does that sound like a passing phase? A short battle? Dinner theatre?

I remember reading Lt-General Roméo Dallaire’s autobiography, Shake Hands With the Devil, in which he recalls his role as Canadian Armed Forces commander amid the horror and evil of the Rwandan genocide. His account is fascinating because although he is a soldier he was not authorized to fight. And so, caught in a bureaucracy of niceties and United Nations lunches and coffee breaks where they discussed whether peacekeeping soldiers were really meant to use force, he watched as almost one million people were murdered in one month. Women, children, men—hundreds of thousands of bodies butchered in churches and in schools. In the end, the hardest thing for him wasn’t the massacre—it was that he could have helped. He should have been a soldier, not a spectator.

So should we. Soldiers are not members. The Salvation Army is not a club. Neither are metaphors. This spiritual war is real.

I’d suggest we fold up our lawn chairs and leave our discussions over lunch and get ready to join the fight—war is raging. Think of the people we could save, the misery we could stop, the hope we could offer. Think of the light we could be—changing the world for good, bringing peace, “not the absence of conflict but the presence of justice” (Martin Luther King Jr.). Be a soldier, not a spectator.

Major Danielle Strickland is the corps officer at Edmonton Crossroads Community Church.

Salvationist I March 2011 I 11

Anatomy of a Disaster

When disaster strikes, The Salvation Army’s emergency disaster services responds quickly and efficiently.

Salvationist unveils the operation

BY JULIA HOSKING, STAFF WRITER

A

ndrew, his wife and two small children sat in their car waiting for food. Their car was all they had left; their house had been destroyed in a Category 2 hurricane.

“As the family was waiting to pick up their food, I asked Andrew how he was doing,” says Captain Glynden Cross, corps officer, North Vancouver. After hurricane Ike struck Texas in 2008, Captain Cross had been temporarily sent to Texas to serve as an emotional and spiritual care specialist. “Andrew just broke down and said, ‘I’ve lost all hope. I don’t know what I’m 12 I March 2011 I Salvationist

The Salvation Army’s emergency disaster services responded to the 2009 forest fires in Kelowna, B.C.

going to do; I can’t provide for my family and we’ve lost everything.’

“I responded, ‘You don’t have to lose all hope. Take a second and look in your rearview mirror.’ He looked at the mirror and saw his two kids in the back seat. I said, ‘Doesn’t that give you hope to carry on?’ He broke down and sobbed, and I prayed that God would comfort the family and help them through this challenging time.”

Andrew and his family were not the only ones grappling with the realities of life. The hurricane also affected Cuba,

Haiti and the Bahamas in the Caribbean, and Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in the United States. It resulted in more than 100 deaths and an estimated $24.9 billion worth of damage—the third costliest hurricane for the United States.

Captain Cross spent two weeks in Galveston, Texas, and over that time witnessed Andrew’s hope increase and saw his life get back on track.

“You are able to see the difference that is made in people’s lives by coming to The Salvation Army and getting not just the food and physical support, but also

the emotional support,” Captain Cross explains. “When we pray with people, we must be non-judgmental and sensitive. We have to wait to be invited in, but once we’re invited, God brings so many blessings. I consider myself privileged to be able to bless others and be part of this ministry. In a heartbeat, I’d go back and do it all over. It blesses me beyond measure; I want to do whatever it takes for me to be effective in this ministry.”

History of Action Emergency disaster services ministry has been an important aspect of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda since December 1917 when two ships—Imo and explosive-laden Mont-Blanc—collided in the Halifax Harbour. An immediate fire resulted, drawing emergency crew and spectators. To avoid German attack, the Mont-Blanc flew no warning flag regarding its cargo and so no one was aware that 20 minutes later, the biggest man-made explosion in history would occur. With 2,000 deaths and 9,000 injuries as a result of the collision, two Salvation Army officers were mobilized into action.

“Those two officers didn’t stop to think, they just started helping,” says Major Rick Shirran, territorial emergency disaster services director. “The Salvation Army has a desire to help people; it is just a natural thing. And that’s what we still do today.

We help, we don’t hesitate.”

The 900 emergency disaster services personnel—officers, employees and volunteers—in the Canada and Bermuda Territory are dedicated to providing food, beverages and shelter in times of need.

Across the territory, there are more than 40 mobile canteens known as community response units that can provide anything

from hydration and snacks to hundreds of hot meals.

Meet and Greet “We also offer ‘meet and greet,’ ” explains Major Shirran. “This is a ministry that happens in an emergency shelter when people first enter; one of our personnel is there to meet, greet and direct people to the help that they need. This service is used not only in disasters, but also at government health agencies such as immunization clinics for the H1N1 vaccination in 2009.”

Major Shirran also believes The Salvation Army is in a privileged place to

Responding to a Disaster Every event The Salvation Army responds to follows a unique timeline as each response is tailored to the specific emergency situation. The following is one example of how the Army’s emergency disaster services may respond to a fire in an apartment building. This particular example differs greatly to the response that would be made to a local flooding, hurricane or search-and-rescue operation.

A fire starts in an apartment building at 4 a.m. and the fire department responds immediately. Occupants are evacuated to a reception centre.

• The municipality contacts a Salvation Army 24-hour dispatch facility. The on-call person obtains information regarding the event, its location, what is requested, how many people will be needed and who to contact for more details.

In the aftermath of an F2 tornado on June 6, 2010, in Leamington, Ont., The Salvation Army offered emotional counselling and physical support

offer the “ministry of presence” through emotional and spiritual support. “We sit on the curb with people,” he says. “We cry with them, listen to them and perhaps help them to think through something rationally at a time of their life when there’s so much turmoil. Through this ministry, we are able to be the hands, feet and voice of Christ to people affected by traumatic experiences.”

Beyond the Border Our territory does not respond to disasters in isolation but partners with other organizations, such as the Red Cross or • The on-call person from the dispatch facility phones the appropriate Salvation Army contact to assist.

• The emergency disaster services personnel member co-ordinates their team. In the case of a short-term evacuation to a reception centre, only two team members are required.

Should the evacuation be longer than anticipated, a second team will be called in.

• The team members arrive within one hour of the phone call and immediately serve basic refreshments such as water, hot beverages and snacks.

• Team members also inform evacuees about other Salvation Army facilities, such as the thrift store and family services, should they be needed at a later stage.

After a few hours evacuees are transported to a hotel and The Salvation Army’s emergency response ends.

The Salvation Army played a significant role in the emergency response to Haiti’s January 12, 2010, earthquake Salvationist I March 2011 I 13

St. John’s Ambulance and the four Army territories in the United States. By doing so, the Army is positioned to offer an effective response on all levels in emergencies and disasters. Working with the U.S. in particular involves offering assistance during disasters, such as hurricanes Ike, Katrina and Gustav, collaborating on training curriculum, sharing volunteer databases and

practising responses together.

We are also linked to the international Salvation Army through SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network).

The 140 members in Canada—and 4,000 worldwide—receive health and welfare requests in times of disaster via its website (satern.org), and personnel respond by searching for and connecting people.

SATERN can also provide the Army with radio and data communications during disasters.

Two large emergencies that Major Shirran assisted with were the New York terrorist attacks on Hydro workers seek Salvation Army services from Erica Vincent, volunteer, during a London, Ont., field exercise in October 2010

September 11, 2001, and the Haiti earthquake on January 12, 2010. Responding to these two events had a powerful effect on him, and demonstrated the importance of the emergency disaster services ministry.

“I was Red Zone co-ordinator for The Salvation Army’s response in New York,” says Major Shirran. “I did a 12-hour shift every day for two weeks. Some people had been there for many days, digging through the rubble in the pit at Ground Zero. People were broken and emotionally drained by all that was going on. To see the ministry we could have to those people made a real impression on my life.

“When I came back from Haiti, my outlook on a lot of things changed,” says Major Shirran. “The way I look at food, for example. The Haitians are trying to gather a little bit to get them through the day, yet we have so much food that we throw it out,” he says. “Being there and seeing the Haitians struggling to get the basics of life from moment to moment, and seeing that we have so much here that we take for granted, it amazed me.”

Case Study: Flooding in British Columbia The British Columbia Division is well-equipped with 13 mobile crisis response units (plus three support vehicles) and 600 Salvation Army trained personnel.

“A lot of the personnel have critical incident stress management training,” says Captain Glynden Cross, corps officer, North Vancouver. “Many hikers go missing in the nearby mountains and I’ve been involved in several search-and-rescue responses as part of emergency disaster services. We provide meals and emotional and spiritual care to the search-and-rescue teams who sometimes find a deceased person.”

On other occasions, searches are called off because the missing person cannot be found. “A search for an elderly woman was called off, and one of the search-and-rescue team members was the same age as her son,” says Captain Cross. “He looked at me and cried. I could see the sense of failure and loss in his face. We talked about it and walked through what had been done, and that helps with the healing process. It is a privilege to reassure the search-and-rescue individuals that what they do is important.”

Toward the end of last year, while the Bermuda and Newfoundland and Labrador Divisions were battling hurricane Igor, the British Columbia Division was putting its training into practice due to major rainfall and flooding in Bella Coola, B.C. Roads were washed out, leading to an isolated population, depleted stock and low morale in the community.

The division has a strong relationship with the Provincial Emergency Program, and a few weeks after the rain stopped, the Army was asked to help with recovery. John McEwan, divisional emergency disaster services director, asked Captain 14 I March 2011 I Salvationist

Cross to step in as incident commander.

Captain Cross co-ordinated two response teams over two weeks from Williams Lake and Quesnel. The teams served food from the Prince George mobile unit, distributed meals to homes and offered emotional and spiritual care to the population affected by the flooding.

“The team members shared stories with me of how they helped those in need,” says Captain Cross. “They were hugged and many people cried as they expressed their thanks.”

One of the teams that assisted in Bella Coola. From left, Cpt Jim VanderHeyden, Karl Burgland, Daniel Foster and Owen Wight

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

What Happens When Salvationists Pray?

If we commit to serious, intentional prayer, we can expect mighty results

BY COMMISSIONER WILLIAM W. FRANCIS

we unite in prayer to this end, God will respond beyond our expectations: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine …” (Ephesians 3:20).

Our neighbourhoods and communities will change. I must admit that I am not the best neighbour. I would like to be more of a true neighbour, but responsibilities often take priority. Yet, I must pray for, and reach out to, my community. Here is the challenge for all of us. As Salvationists, will you pray for your community? God promises that if we pray, he will act. The great 16thcentury reformer, Martin Luther, observed that “more work is done by prayer than by work itself.”

Photo: © istockphoto.com

Prayer will set the stage for a marvellous, spectacular time in our territory’s history

I

believe in the power of prayer. Prayer is an integral part of a thriving vocation (what we do) and the secret to a victorious personal life (who we are). As Christ’s disciples, it is the essential centre of our lives.

The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda is on the verge of something quite extraordinary. This is more than a whimsical, romanticized dream. Corps and social centres are experiencing rebirth, and in many cases, exceptional growth.

God has promised that if, as a people, we commit to serious, intentional prayer, we can expect mighty results: “ If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Jesus urged his disciples to pray constantly and never give up (see Luke 18:1).

God has entrusted each of us with a vision for the Army in this territory. The vision is not only for numerical growth, but that we will grow as a holy people—a holy Salvation Army committed to sharing with others the good news of the gospel.

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are called to holy boldness as we infiltrate our homes and communities with the glorious, transforming message of Christ.

If, as a people of God, we commit to pray, both corporately and individually, we can expect the following miracles.

Our corps and social centres will be transformed. The celebrated preacher, Dwight L. Moody, observed: “Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all.” God wants us to pray sincerely and specifically for our ministry units. He wants our ministry units to grow spiritually and numerically. When

We will change. If we commit to fervent prayer, the atmosphere of the territory will improve. Officers, soldiers and adherents will change and clients and parishioners will “catch the spirit”! The historic Westminster Catechism commences with a fundamental question: “What is the chief end of humankind?” The succinct response: “To glorify God and enjoy him forever.” Do we enjoy God? Do we anticipate being in communion with him? Do we take the awesome opportunity to speak to the Creator of Heaven and earth?

When Salvationists pray, we will be a changed people. Over two millennia ago, the Early Church committed to constant prayer. What happened?

“After they prayed … they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31).

What happens when Salvationists pray?

Just wait and see. It will set the stage for a marvellous, spectacular time in our territory’s history. For God is going to do amazing things in and through us all. Are you ready for it?

Let’s pray.

Commissioner William W. Francis is the territorial commander of the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

Salvationist I March 2011 I 15

MINISTRY IN ACTION

In the Saddle

Salvationist Ann Caine’s Sunrise Farm restores both the body and soul of hundreds of clients

Photo: Chris Daponte/Wellington Advertiser

BY KEN RAMSTEAD, EDITOR, FAITH & FRIENDS AND FOI & VIE

L

ila’s parents were frantic. Their developmentally delayed daughter, agitated at the best of times, had started screaming and biting herself.

“What am I going to do?” Lila’s distraught mother implored Lila’s specialneeds teacher.

“Put her in the van and take her out to Sunrise now!” the teacher replied.

“Lila screamed all the way here,” continues Ann Caine, the head of Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre, a registered charity just outside of Guelph, Ont. “But as soon as she got here and saw the horses, she immediately calmed down.

That’s the power of Sunrise.”

Birth of a Farm Ann, her husband, Christopher, and their four children immigrated to Canada in 1973. Christopher had planned to train as a veterinarian while Ann continued with her nursing career, but soon after they settled in the Guelph area, he was diagnosed with cancer and died in 1977.

“I was left in Canada with no family and four children to raise,” says Ann. “Oh, and two horses!”

16 I March 2011 I Salvationist

Ann Caine, with Haley mounted on Caspian

A friend had given the family two ponies that the children adored. In the months following the death of her husband, Ann grew to appreciate the role the ponies played in the lives of her children.

Newly widowed, Ann took stock of what she wanted to do with her life.

“Our community rallied around our family during my husband’s illness and I wanted to give back in some way,” Ann relates. As she looked at her children playing with the ponies, an idea formed.

“The role those animals played in my children’s lives made me think about how amazing animals are, how accepting and non-judgmental,” she says.

Ann’s farming background—her family in England owned sheep, cattle and pigs— had given her experience with animals and her nursing experience in England had shown her how effective therapeuticriding programs were. No such programs existed in the Guelph area so, in 1982, Anne started Sunrise Farm.

Stepping Stone From a barn boasting two ponies, Sunrise has grown into a 41-hectare farm with five

full-time and three part-time staff. Interns from as far away as England, Germany and Switzerland train there for certification.

The farm boasts 25 horses, including four miniature horses. Two alpacas, one standard and two miniature donkeys round out the roster.

During the summer, 50 children are on site every day with up to 100 riders coming out to the farm on a weekly basis.

Children as young as three are referred to Sunrise through pediatricians or family doctors, and are assessed by a consultant physiotherapist and an occupational therapist. “We have children with mentalhealth issues, cerebral palsy and fetal alcohol syndrome,” says Ann. While there are extensive trails around the farm, it isn’t all about riding. The clients help with the grooming and the feeding.

Progressive lesson plans aim at improving balance, hand-eye co-ordination and cognitive skills.

“There are few disabilities that can’t benefit from therapeutic riding,” Ann states. “When you sit on a thousand-pound horse and hold the reins, you’re in control.

For many children, it’s the first time they’ve been in control of anything in their lives, and that’s very empowering.”

Empowering and effective. “Several children with autism said their first words on the back of a horse,” smiles Ann. One six-year-old was nonverbal when he started at Sunrise. Now, the teen is a camp junior leader. “Growing up at Sunrise gave me confidence,” he says. “Riding made me realize that if I put my mind to it, I could accomplish anything.

“Sunrise is my stepping stone into the world.”

One Coin, Two Sides The hard work of rehabilitation at Sunrise is matched by a sound Christian ethic that includes Bible study and Scripture reading.

Many of the children have come to know Jesus through Sunrise.

“What are we as Christians? We’re meant to show God’s love to everybody,” says Ann. “The farm work and the corps work I do are two sides of the same coin.”

A member of The Salvation Army’s Guelph Corps for a quarter of a century, Ann has served as assistant corps sergeant major, recruiting sergeant and prayer coordinator, among other positions.

Ann has thought about giving the reins of the farm to someone younger but loves what she does too much to stop right now. “This is where the Lord wants me to be.”

Ministry

With 30 years of experience in the addictions field, Major Thomas Tuppenney is a resource to the Army and outside agencies

One Step at a Time

What’s your background in the addictions field?

In my first appointment in Yorkton, Sask., a man in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) asked me to help him with the fifth step of the 12-step program, which is to admit to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. At that point I knew very little about AA, but I agreed to listen and minister to him. Soon after I was invited to join the AA group as a spiritual advisor. Since then, every one of my appointments has had some connection to the field of addictions.

My first appointment with a distinct addictions focus was at Winnipeg’s Harbour Light. I was fortunate to learn from Major John Moore, who was the administrator, as well as Major Austin Millar. In my first year, John asked me to take courses at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba. I took every course available about addiction and recovery, becoming a certified drug and alcohol counsellor in 1986.

After nine years in Winnipeg, I was appointed to Toronto’s Harbour Light as the executive director. After serving there for nine years, I went to the Detroit Harbour Light, U.S.A. Central Territory, which was followed by my current appointment in the THQ social services department.

How have you seen this ministry change over the years?

During my time at Toronto’s Harbour Light, we introduced a relapse prevention program, which was probably one of the first places in the territory to do so. This program helps clients devise a warning sign list, so they can be aware of those things that could lead them to use again. Relapse prevention is used in most places across the territory now.

Photo: Timothy Cheng

Major Thomas Tuppenney, consultant, THQ social services department, was recently elected president of the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation (CACCF). Salvationist speaks to him about the Army’s work in the addictions field and his involvement with the CACCF.

There has been a significant shift in counselling techniques. It used to be that counsellors would tell clients what they needed to do and change. Today, counsellors work to facilitate the recovery process.

Clients develop their own recovery plan with their counsellors and groups, so there is more ownership and understanding of what needs to happen.

Another development has been the awareness of concurrent disorders, which involves treating addiction and mental health issues at the same time.

This is now the 30th year I’ve been involved in the addictions field, and it’s been both exciting and frustrating, Godblessed and heartbreaking.

Explain your current role.

I serve as the behavioural health consultant, so I’m a resource on addictions, mental health and developmental disability. This involves discussing program issues with ministry units and also representing the Army on government boards.

I’ve also recently been elected president of the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation (CACCF).

What does this involve?

The CACCF promotes, certifies and monitors the competency of addictions-specific counsellors in Canada using current and effective practices that are internationally recognized. Essentially, we strive continuously to offer the most effective and credible certification to all addictions-specific counselors in Canada. As president, I chair the board and represent the federation publicly.

The Army seeks to hire people who have their International Alcohol and Drug Counsellor Certification, so we work closely with the CACCF. Are we adequately recruiting and equipping people for this ministry?

The Miriam Burnett Trust for Addictions Studies was established by THQ with a generous donation from the W. Garfield Weston Foundation. The purpose of the trust is to provide grants to facilitate our addiction counsellors in obtaining the professional credential of International Certified Alcohol and Drug Counsellor.

This certification is offered through the CACCF. Salvationist I March 2011 I 17

More Than a Bag of Groceries Moncton’s community and family services diversifies to meet changing needs

BY JULIA HOSKING, STAFF WRITER

F

rom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Moncton’s community and family services (CFS), a washing machine and dryer are constantly churning. Meanwhile, board games are in play, karaoke machines are blasting, the Internet is being surfed and dental appointments are being organized.

This is not a typical Salvation Army CFS environment.

Natasha Burkett, director, firmly believes it was the right decision to scale back the food bank in 2006 and start offering a variety of services and programs.

“There were eight other food banks in the city, two soup kitchens and one emergency food program. It just seemed to be a series of duplications,” says Burkett. “The Salvation Army in Moncton will always be a place that hungry people can turn to, but we thought it would best serve the community, and the Army, to downsize the food bank aspect, and give emergency food assistance only, in order to offer other programs that provide more than a bag of groceries.”

The hope is that clients will receive the help needed to improve their situation and eliminate their dependence on Salvation Army services.

In 2005, the food bank was assisting 400 people every month under the guidance of the food bank association.

“The Salvation Army is about helping whosoever,” says Burkett, “but the number of rules and regulations from the food bank association about who we could help and 18 I March 2011 I Salvationist

The women’s self-esteem group, the VIEW, includes a day of pampering at a spa

when made it difficult for us to fulfil our mission.”

Boosting Self-Esteem With the desire to better serve the community, a client survey was conducted that uncovered needs and suggested changes. Due to high demand, two selfesteem groups—one for women and one for girls—were established.

An eight-week program for women, the VIEW, is faith-based and covers topics

such as self-confidence, assertiveness, selfimage and goal setting.

“We offer this program from the viewpoint that we know we’re not perfect, but God has created every single one of us to do something special,” says Burkett, who facilitates the group.

After weeks of fellowship, encouragement and a session involving pampering at a local day spa, the women are transformed.

“You can see the growth in a woman from the first day to the last because she is con-

centrating on herself, thinking through the things that are important to her, working out her priorities and vocalizing her experiences and hopes. The program has proven to be successful time and time again,” says Burkett.

Carolyn O’Connor* participated in the VIEW several years ago and still reports that the program changed her life.

“I had lost contact with what made me feel confident. My self-esteem was low and I was feeling hopeless. The VIEW was a wake up call for me,” says O’Connor. “The sense of camaraderie and communication with other people was an important part of the program. I realized how much I could do and that I could feel like a person again.”

For the Girls is a program geared for those aged eight to 13 and incorporates the DOVE Campaign for Real Beauty, which aims to break down stereotypical views of beauty and boost self-esteem by celebrating girls’ true beauty.

Brooklyn Chapman participated in For the Girls in October last year. While her mom initially pushed her to attend, Chapman enjoyed the course and had fun with the other girls in the program.

“It changed my perspective,” she says.

“Now when I read magazines I realize the models are fake and are made to look tall and skinny.”

Twelve-year-old Chapman has also participated in CFS’ Red Cap anger management program and donates Christmas stockings. Last year, with money collected since summer, she provided two boys and two girls, aged 14 to 16, with personal items, movie vouchers and blankets.

Chapman’s mom is also connected to CFS through the Tiny Tots program—a playgroup for children under five.

Burkett highly values the relationships formed with the girls during the program.

“If a girl has participated in the DOVE program we invite them back regularly to other events we have for that age group so they can reconnect with friends they’ve made and with us,” she says.

Practical Needs Although they’ve minimized the food bank, Moncton’s CFS still provides emergency assistance—particularly when other food banks are closed. When appropriate, staff distribute food, clothing, furniture and personal care kits, and provide assistance reclaiming lost or stolen identification.

Another way the Army is meeting the

Transforming Lives When Kelly Kline’s husband died tragically in July 2000, she was left with five children under the age of 15. Struggling emotionally and financially, she turned to the Army for assistance. There, she met Natasha Burkett who offered her everything necessary and reached out to her with an overwhelming sense of compassion.

Kline re-visited the Army shortly thereafter for Christmas toys. “I went in, and Natasha remembered my name,” says Kline. “I was flabbergasted! To her I was Kelly. I was a somebody. Everywhere else I was just a case number.”

Once Kline was back on her feet, she started regularly volunteering at CFS to repay the kindness she experienced.

“Whenever I was there, it felt like I was coming home. It was safe and warm; I received guidance, understanding and care.”

When a full-time position as a family services worker became available, Kline jumped at the opportunity. “It turned my world around,” she says. “I am able to give to others what I was given.”

Kelly Kline was once a client. Today she is a family services worker helping those in need

Not only has Kline been working at CFS for three and a half years as a fulltime family services worker, she has also accepted Christ, become part of the corps and introduced her youngest daughter to church. “I went to church one week, just to see. It felt familiar to me even though I’d never been before,” she shares. “I needed to be there, and every week God uses the message to speak to my heart.”

“It’s incredible,” says Burkett of Kline’s transformation. “She’s been there, so she understands what our people are going through. Now she gives back in such a meaningful way. But she’s not just giving her time back; she’s giving her talents, resources and heart to Jesus.”

community’s practical needs is through the laundry program, established in August 2010. As many clients struggle to find a place to wash their clothes, CFS installed a free washing machine and clothes dryer.

“Why would someone want to look for a job or try and get out of their circumstance if they can’t even stand the way that they look, feel or smell? It’s so basic but the laundry program has a huge impact,” says Burkett.

Through a partnership with Oulton Community College, the Army is also providing clients with low-cost dental care. The program matches dental students (supervised by qualified dentists) with patients who cannot afford regular care.

“We’re always looking for new ways to meet community needs,” says Burkett.

Consequently, based on client feedback, two financial literacy courses commenced in January. Previously this service was only offered on a one-on-one basis.

One course teaches basic financial planning and budgeting to help people who are cash-strapped or rely on food bank assistance. The other has a prevention aim and is targeted at high school youth in Grades 11 and 12 who in the near future may be living independently, managing a student loan or earning a steady income.

Held online in a computer lab, the course educates teens about budgeting.

Community Ownership “Our CFS is one of the best I’ve ever seen,” says Major Ronald Stuckless, corps officer, Moncton Citadel Community Church.

“The programs are exceptional and it is exciting to see the connection between CFS and our church. We have 50 to 60 kids attend Pioneer Club on Wednesday night, many of whom first came through family services.”

The citadel also celebrates the interconnection with other Army departments, such as correctional and justice services programs offered for the children of inmates.

“We’re constantly getting referrals from schools, the provincial government and various social agencies that we work with,” adds Burkett. “They’re asking for our posters and pamphlets so they can hand them out. That’s a sign that they’re on board with what we’re doing.

“Our donations are higher than they’ve ever been. That’s a good indication of the community’s response to what The Salvation Army is doing right now.” * Name changed to protect identity.

Salvationist I March 2011 I 19

ARMY ROOTS

Signs and Wonders

Do we belong to a charismatic Salvation Army?

BY LT-COLONEL MAXWELL RYAN

A

part from church historians, few people today are aware that the Army, in its early days, was considered to be among the most flamboyant of religious movements. Speaking in tongues, slaying in the Spirit, words of knowledge, prophecy, faith healing and ecstatic behaviour are part of the story of the Church from earliest times. Such signs marked the beginnings of Pentecostalism, as well as Methodism and the Society of Friends. The Salvation Army, as a child of Methodism, followed the growth pattern of its denominational parent, from these charismatic beginnings to a more controlled approach to church life.

Before William and Catherine Booth commenced revival meetings in the East End of London in the 1860s, they spent years as successful itinerant evangelists.

Attendant signs and wonders marked their meetings.

Wrote Commissioner Booth-Tucker, Catherine’s biographer, “There can be little doubt that manifestations are permitted, in connection with powerful revivals as part of the signs and wonders with which God had promised to accompany the outpourings of his Holy Spirit. While it would doubtless be a mistake to seek for such manifestations, or to measure spiritual results by the frequency of their occurrence, nevertheless, when they do occur, they may be regarded as encouraging tokens of the divine presence.”

Booth-Tucker’s comment reflects the increasing caution of the Army’s leadership to signs and wonders. In effect, the Army’s approach was that even though one must not presume to seek such manifestations of the Spirit’s presence, if such blessings did come, they should be accepted, though with due caution.

British Salvationist historian Glenn K. Horridge has written an analytical survey of the Army’s first 35 years. He concluded that the Army was definitely charismatic in its early days. He comments: “Contemporary evidence suggests the Movement to have been charismatic, with shouting, lying prostrate on the ground, and leaping in the air being reported in 1882. Also practised 20 I March 2011 I Salvationist

was ‘reveling on the floor in the glory’ and ‘jumping for Jesus.’ ” In these early days, some years before the Pentecostals would earn the sobriquet “holy rollers,” Salvationists were engaging freely in such activity. Horridge concludes: “The Army’s official position on charismatic meetings remained ambiguous although such activity was probably even more widespread than reported.”

A random sampling of Army publications through the years reveals that a charismatic experience complete with signs and wonders, yet in the Methodist holiness tradition, was a diminishing part of Salvation Army life.

“Have we not seen men raised up from the borders of the grave?” asked William Booth But there is evidence that faith healing has always had a place in Salvation Army ministry and worship. Historian R. G. Moyles writes about early interest in faith healing: “In some instances the articles in The War Cry by both converts and Army officers illustrated the stillundefined nature of Salvation Army beliefs.

A strong proponent of ‘faith healing,’ Mrs. [Catherine] Booth wrote many defenses of the practice in the early War Cry, and the editor entertained occasional testimonies to the salutary effect of faith-healing services. For a while it seemed as if this would become one of the Army’s key beliefs.

Eventually, however, it was abandoned both in practice and publications.”

Despite Moyles’ contention that faith healing was abandoned, a major directive on faith healing was issued in 1902 by General William Booth. Had there been no problems, the Army’s leader would not have found it necessary to issue this

carefully worded document, in which he writes: “By faith healing, or divine healing, is to be understood the recovery of persons afflicted with serious diseases, by the power of God, in answer to faith and prayer, without the use of ordinary means, such as doctors, medicines and the like.

That God should heal the sick after this fashion is in perfect harmony with the views and experience of The Salvation Army from the beginning. Nothing to the contrary has ever been taught by our authority, and numerous instances of faith healing have occurred in the Army throughout its history.

“We have never discouraged officers or soldiers or any other persons from seeking the intervention of God by believing prayer on behalf either of the healing of their bodies, or the removal of any other afflictions which they may have been called upon to suffer. The very opposite has been the case.

“I do not believe there can be a corps of The Salvation Army, at home or abroad, in which some signs and wonders have not been wrought. Have we not seen men and women and little children raised up from the borders of the grave, and restored to health and vigour, in answer to the prayer of faith?”

However, Booth distanced the Army from the belief that healing is in the atonement, and that physical healing is a right for the Christian, further setting the Army on a path that diverged from the direction taken by charismatics.

In recent years, the Army has approached the issue of signs and wonders with caution. While the Army does not rule out the possibility of people being miraculously healed or other physical manifestations of God’s power, most Salvationists are no longer accustomed to charismatic expressions. Regardless of our views on these issues, one thing is certain: God’s Spirit is still at work among us in extraordinary ways.

Lt-Colonel Maxwell Ryan is retired in Burlington, Ont., where he serves as a part-time hospital chaplain and amateur Army historian.

TAG LINE

MEDIA REVIEWS Robert Chapman In A Godly Heritage, Lt-Colonel Robert Chapman relates the impact of the lives of his Salvation Army ancestors who faithfully lived for God. Chapman’s Salvationist heritage goes back to the early days of the Army when William Ward, his great-grandfather, committed his life to Christ in response to Catherine Booth’s sermon at a New Year’s Eve service in 1882 in London, England. Ward subsequently moved to London, Ont., and many of his offspring have served God in Canada and the United States. Chapman’s account of his own officer career in the Canada and Bermuda Territory, along with illustrative photos, will evoke many pleasant memories in those who know him and his wife, Alvina. (Available from r.chapman@sasktel.net)

A Journey to the Heart of Evangelism: Discover How to Share Your Faith From Your Heart

Janice Keats Janice Keats’ corps officer needed her to take his place in interviewing a medical student. After an engaging conversation, the student caught Keats off guard by saying, “I like a good challenge. Tell me why I should follow Jesus.” In sharing her faith, Keats subsequently realized that many Christians need help to witness for Christ. A Journey to the Heart of Evangelism is her practical, 61-page book to equip Christians to embark on the simple journey of reaching people for Christ. You will learn how to prepare your own faith story and put it into practice. This helpful resource includes thought-provoking questions to prepare your heart and a chart to assess your progress in sharing the gospel with others. (Available from www.wipfandstock.com)

Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus

D. A. Carson In Scandalous, D. A. Carson expounds five topics that provide rich insights into the passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ: The Ironies of the Cross (Matthew 27:27-51), The Centre of the Whole Bible (Romans 3:21-26), The Strange Triumph of a Slaughtered Lamb (Revelation 12), A Miracle Full of Surprises (John 11:1-53) and Doubting the Resurrection of Jesus (John 20:24-31). Carson’s expositions are theologically rich, but also devotionally warm and engaging. Pastors can use this excellent resource for Easter sermons, particularly his reflections from Matthew on the ironies of the cross.

A Place of Healing: Wrestling With the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God’s Sovereignty

Joni Eareckson Tada Over 40 years ago, a diving accident left Joni Eareckson Tada a quadriplegic. Since then, she has become an internationally respected writer and speaker to millions. But today, Joni faces a new battle: unrelenting pain. In A Place of Healing, she invites us into a very personal journey to the inescapable questions about healing, suffering and hope. In writing this book, Tada says, “There were days of such physical pain that I had to wrestle to write even one page.” Whether you are enduring physical pain, financial loss or marital collapse, Tada asks you to process your suffering along with her. In that journey, perhaps you will experience hope in your own struggles.

Territorial Prayer Guide Week 1 - March 1-5 The Call to Salvationists • Commit to participate in the Lenten 40 days of prayer (March 9-April 17) through the Seek God for the City 2011 initiative • God to create a desire in the hearts of people in your community to seek him • An openness to learning creative ways to pray with hope, passion and relevance Week 2 - March 6-12 Partners in Mission—Liberia Command • Corps officers in rural and isolated areas will be encouraged • Liberian officers as they lead the Army in a nation recovering from civil war • Army schools will continue to make vital contributions to the country’s education system • The effectiveness of the new training approach for the 11 section officers who are each responsible for three or four corps Week 3 - March 13-19 Overseas Personnel • Mjr Ron Millar, principal, and Mjr Donna Millar, education officer, College for Officer Training, Kingston, Jamaica, Caribbean Tty • Mjrs Stan and Debi Carr, corps officers, Houston, U.S.A. Southern Tty • Mjr Clarence Bradbury, director, and Mjr Linda Bradbury, director of personnel, Evangeline Booth College, Atlanta, U.S.A. Southern Tty WEEK 4 - March 20-26 Ontario Great Lakes Division • Continued spiritual renewal through the ministry of corps and social service units • Ongoing vision of ministry units to be relevant to community needs • Lt-Col Lee Graves, divisional commander, and the divisional team as they give leadership • Availability of resources for mission and ministry WEEK 5 - MARCH 27-31 Events • A successful territorial social services conference, March 26-29 • Safe travel for delegates of the territorial social services conference

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A Godly Heritage

Salvationist I March 2011 I 21

Spiritual Boot Camp

The War College is a life-changing experience—and it’s not an easy one

T

he War College is not a typical school. In 2002, Majors Stephen Court and Danielle Strickland founded it as a project of Vancouver’s 614 Corps. “The college provided the opportunity for the corps to have 10-20 students who would help drive the mission of The Salvation Army in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside,” says Jonathan Evans, ministry director.

Students come from all over the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, India and Nigeria.

Most of the students are college age, but some mature students in their late 50s have attended. During their year at the War College, the students live in a slum hotel in the Downtown Eastside, the poorest neighbourhood in Canada. They take classes and have homework—essays, assignments, presentations—but they also spend time in hands-on mission work in the streets.

“We brief people with classroom knowledge, then apply that knowledge in mission,” explains Evans. “We do our practicum concurrently with our theory, and that gives our training a high level of authenticity and intensity.”

BY MELISSA WALTER

Life Together Courses on holiness, Christian doctrine and Salvation Army worldview share time at the War College with practical classes such as Airforce, which involves walking around the neighbourhood praying; shifts at Re:cre8, a community café in the back of a shelter; and Drill, a physical exercise program. After spending two terms at the War College, students go on to summer placements at corps throughout North America.

The experience of living in a dirty, diseased and drug-filled neighbourhood can be difficult. Dan White, who went to the War College as part of the 2005-2006 Holy Session and now works as a chaplain at the Centre of Hope in London, Ont., describes the shock of arriving at the hotel. “My initial reaction was one of horror,” he says.

“The intensity was hard, but in the midst of that intensity something very good was produced. It shifted my perspective and made my heart come alive.”

That doesn’t mean the classroom hours aren’t also useful. “I gained a lot of knowledge in spiritual disciplines, as well as practical advice, such as how to structure a sermon,” says Donny Melanson,

War College students participate in street combat, witnessing to the people in their community 22 I March 2011 I Salvationist

a student of the 2006-2007 Revolution Session. Since graduating, Melanson works at the Vancouver Harbour Light and leads a Celebrate Recovery program at Cross-Culture. ��������������������� Megan Smith, a graduate of the 2007-2008 Incendiary Session, is currently studying peace and conflict studies at the University of Toronto. She says, “The courses and the ethics lessons at the War College prepared me for what I’m doing now.”

The War College’s other unique aspect is class size. Sessions are kept deliberately small so that a close community can be maintained. “The role of faculty extends beyond teaching classes,” explains Carla Evans, spiritual formation director of the program. “Everyone teaching at the War College has a vested interest in the lives of our students; several live in our community and are part of the 614 Corps. The students become a part of our ministry for the year and are befriended, discipled and encouraged by teachers and other leaders.”

“The biblical model is church people growing together in family,” says Jonathan Evans. “Jesus taught and lived in other people’s homes. We’re trying to replicate that, so people can see Christ in our midst.”

This small community is valuable to students. “It is truly amazing to live in community as a Christian and experience how God works among us to build up the body of Christ,” says Sylvia Overton, a graduate of the 2009-2010 War Cry Session. “On a daily basis we learn to be accountable to each other and to support, pray for, direct and guide each other. When you live this way, your Bible becomes a living reality.”

Training Goals As is evident in its name, the War College has adopted the military metaphors of The Salvation Army. The 24/7 prayer room is called the War Room and its outreach ministry is known as Street Combat. This language deliberately invokes Salvation Army tradition, which is one of the school’s

studies, says, “The War College was the best preparation I could have had for being an officer.” Joshua and Jenn Ivany, former students, are currently enrolled as cadets at the Winnipeg College for Officer Training in the Friends of Christ Session.

Not all students go on to training college—nor are they expected to. “What we try to do is highlight who people are made to be, to help them discover their callings and encourage them to be obedient to God,” says Jonathan Evans. “Some students remain at the college for a second and third year as a way to continue to be discipled, stay true to the mission of the Army and explore where God’s taking them.”

Nicole Brindle, a graduate of the 20042005 Martyrs Session, has remained at the War College as the program’s recruiting sergeant. “For some of us, staying at the War College as part of the 614 community is beneficial, but we recognize that for others, moving back to their home corps, starting outposts or going to training college is right for them—and we encourage that,” she says.

The War College offers an introduction to the Army’s brand of spiritual warfare

purposes. “We want to honour our past and be true to our birthright in The Salvation Army,” explains Jonathan Evans.

At the same time, this language links Christians through a shared goal. “Militant language is a strong motif throughout the Scriptures,” says Evans. “It’s not exclusive to The Salvation Army. We’re fighting against sin and death in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you’re willing to fight, we’re willing to fight alongside you.”

T��������������������������������������� he War College also serves as an introduction to The Salvation Army’s brand of spiritual warfare for students of other denominations. Overton came to the War College from an Anglican background. “I believe the War College can be a form of

interdenominational schooling for any Christian wanting to go deeper with God,” she says. “Our session had a variety of denominations—Catholic, Anglican, charismatic and Salvation Army—and we had fun, growing in respect for one another and learning from each other.”

In many cases, the school serves as pre-training for training college. “Students who graduate and are committed to The Salvation Army long-term are equipped to take positions of service and leadership within our ranks,” says Carla Evans.

“Many graduates have gone on to enter officer training colleges in their home territories.”

Smith, who hopes to become a Salvation Army officer after finishing her university

Strategic Objectives No matter where they end up, students agree that their experience at the War College has guided them. White, who is originally from England and who studied marketing in university, says that “without the experience at the War College, I would have been in another country, at another job—it completely changed everything.”

For Brindle, who entered the War College knowing only that she wanted to serve God, the experience revealed a way to follow that goal. “The War College has taught me how to align my plans with God’s plans,” she says.

The Vancouver campus has plans to expand its training. Shorter programs, such as its weekend-long youth conferences, Ready and Willing (RAW) and Booth-Tucker Institute, allow those with time and money constraints to still learn from the college. Expanded awareness of the program is another goal. “Young people—actually, all people—are dying to live meaningful lives,” Carla Evans says.

“If more opportunities were provided and known, God would certainly draw people there.”

“We want to stay true to what we were called to do, which is to win the world for Jesus starting in the Downtown Eastside,” says Jonathan Evans. “My prayer is that God will use us to humbly bring renewal to our students, our community and even the greater Church.”

Salvationist I March 2011 I 23

Language of the People The author of over 30 books, Eugene Peterson insists that to communicate effectively, you need to embrace the art of conversation

by Kent d Curry

H

e’s a Christian who didn’t like pastors, a seminarian who wasn’t interested in pastoring, a pastor who segued into a writer, a writer who was criticized for creating a paraphrase version of the Bible and a scholar who thinks theology is ruined by theologians.

Eugene Peterson, author of the popular The Message paraphrase of the Bible, has pursued his unusual walk with God as a “haphazard dog following a scent.” In person, he is an unassuming elder—tall, balding and bearded—who can’t stop flashing a wide gentle smile. When you ask him a question, he’ll pause, contemplate his response and then deliver his thoughts in a low, amiable tone.

“We are in the middle of chaos, to tell you the truth,” he says, when asked about the current state of the Church. “But we always have been. We have to be very careful that we don’t embrace the chaos or find fragments of the chaos that we like and specialize in. We really are working in a wasteland. We’re trying to find our way through prayer, awareness and attentive24 I March 2011 I Salvationist

ness to the Word made flesh.”

Then he reveals a personal hero, a man he calls “the patron saint of pastors.”

“That’s why the Revelation of John became a really important work to me early in my pastorate,” he says. “Here is a man living in chaos—recreating the whole scriptural vision as a poem that made sense of it all. He was living in the worst of times, but there isn’t a pessimistic line in the book—it is all about prayer and worship.”

There’s great irony in this observation because Peterson didn’t hold much respect for pastors when he was growing up.

Called to Minister “Pastors always seemed to be marginal to the business of living,” Peterson remembers. “I didn’t take them seriously.

Mostly I liked them, but I rarely respected them.”

Perhaps that was because they only stayed a few years at his home church before moving on. “None seemed particularly interested in God,” he says, “And I was getting interested in God.”

This underlying interest in God led him to attend the New York Theological Seminary. There he immersed himself in studying the Bible before doing graduate work in Semitic studies, getting married and serving as an associate pastor in nearby White Plains. In the meantime, he taught a variety of courses at the seminary, filling in for professors who were on sabbatical.

That’s why he was shocked when he realized he wasn’t called to be a professor, but a pastor. “The classroom was too tidy,” he says. “I was beginning to think it was too easy.” This late calling was reinforced by his wife, Jan, who had prayed to be a pastor’s wife, but had set it aside to marry him.

“I didn’t think I was going to be a pastor until I was 27 years old. I was going to be a lay person. So I was trying to read the Bible not as a preacher, as a scholar, as a professor, but as a Christian,” he admits, while discussing his favourite Bible character—David. “Here is David who gets more space than anybody else in the Bible and he is a lay person and he didn’t do a

very good job of it.”

“You have somebody who is placed right at the centre of the Bible, of whom Jesus is called the son of David, so he was making a strong connection there. You are not given a picture of somebody who’s got it all right; he messed up a lot. He prayed a lot; not because he was good at praying, but because he was in trouble most of the time. He lived in a lot of chaos. I was working with people who were living in a lot of chaos.”

The Hidden Truth The Petersons started a church in the basement of their home outside of Baltimore; a parishioner then nicknamed it Catacombs Presbyterian Church. “It was exhilarating work,” Peterson says, glowing.

Unlike many pastors, he didn’t do a good job of reading his sermons from the pulpit. After a few years of effort, he gave up, realizing, “this isn’t me.” From that point on, he only used notes when preaching. After three years, they constructed their first church building on a hill. When they left, after 29 years of pastoring, Christ Our King Presbyterian Church averaged 500 regulars.

“As pastors, we live in a world far worse than the gang world or the criminal world,” he notes. “Most of the sin that we are working with is either hidden or subtle.

People’s righteousness often has a veneer.

You can get by with anything if you are good enough. You can be hypocritical if you are skilled enough.”

While pastoring, he had no time for the contemporary “church-as-business” model that became so popular for so long, emphasizing flow charts and marketing to reach the lost. “It might be the modern way, but it wasn’t the Jesus way,” he says.

“It struck me as a terrible desecration.

We’re now in charge of the Church. It’s no longer God; it’s us. So there’s this tension.

We want to stay sinners.”

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In spite of our self-centred tendencies, Peterson trusts God’s greater plan. “I really believe this is Christ’s Church, flaws and all. Sins and all. He could have created the perfect Church.” Smiling, he adds, “The Holy Spirit doesn’t seem to mind being embarrassed.”

Communicating the Word When he was retiring from his pastorate, an editor asked him to translate 10 chapters of Matthew as a test run for The Message. Peterson was disappointed with his efforts until he decided to write it as if for his parishioners. “I just tried to translate them into the language of the people I was living with,” he revealed. His completed work eventually won a Gold Medallion Book Award and has remained a bestseller since it was released in 2002.

“I really believe this is Christ’s Church, flaws and all. The Holy Spirit doesn’t seem to mind being embarrassed” Because The Message is a contemporary paraphrase of Scripture, instead of a straight translation, he received heavy criticism from fellow Christians, as if his methods proved he didn’t believe Scripture. But Peterson took great pains to be faithful to the text.

“I believe everything is true,” he says.

“I believe it takes paying attention to, respecting, honouring, giving reverence to the Word. But when you start to read it, you have to read it prayerfully in a listening way.”

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He’s recently published the fifth and final book in his Conversation series—“the primary language of spiritual maturity is conversation; when you’re in conversation you listen a lot”—and has completed a memoir that is slated to be published in the fall.

Although he’s focused on writing, Peterson still takes time to connect with people. “I receive a lot of guests. I write letters to people who write to me. And I am a pastor, so if someone stops me on the street and says, ‘Let me tell you my problem or what’s going on in my life,’ I listen to them. It’s pastor work, although maybe that’s too fancy of a word. I’d call it friendship work.”

In recent years, he’s also become reacquainted with The Salvation Army.

“In the area where I live, the Army has an extensive social ministry and we’ve been a part of that appreciatively,” he says. “The Salvation Army is a disciplined, compassionate ministry. It’s a creative and inventive way to deal with the world around us.”

For Peterson, serving suffering humanity is another way of living our theology in the contemporary world. And it reminds us that everything we have is a gift from God. “We need to change our orientation from demanding something to receiving something,” concludes Peterson. “For the most part, God doesn’t act like we think he ought to.”

Selected Bibliography

• The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language • Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading • The Wisdom of Each Other: A Conversation Between Spiritual Friends • Living the Resurrection: The Risen Christ in Everyday Life

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Celebrate Community

Enrolments and Recognition W I LLIA MS L AK E , B.C.—Michael Wile, Colleen Balitsky and Barbara Anderson are the newest soldiers of the Williams Lake Corps.

BRANTFORD, ONT.—Wyndfield Community Church enrols four junior soldiers. From left, Cpt Neil Sunnuck, DYS, Ont. CE Div; Cpt Guy Simms, CO; Rachel Brown; Daniel Butler; Britni St. Clair; Joseph St. Clair; Cpt Donna Simms, CO; Cpt Melissa Sunnuck, ADYS, Ont. CE Div.

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I.—Charlottetown Community Church enrols seven senior soldiers and two junior soldiers during its 125th anniversary celebrations. Front row, from left, Ayren Scott, Elizabeth Gill, Lesley Evison.

Back row, from left, Elaine Murphy, Nancy Reilly, Rolanda MacClure, Wayne Bryenton, Annemarie Manning, Chelsea Gallant.

MORETON’S HARBOUR, N.L.—During the 11th anniversary celebrations of Clarence Wiseman Central Corps, two local officers received their commissions. From left, Aux-Cpt Diane Kirby, CO; Kevin Jenkins, ACSM; Beverly Jenkins, CS; Gloria Rideout, CT; Aux-Cpt Randy Kirby, CO. PENTICTON, B.C.—As part of the Christmas ministry of CCM members, Barbara Pettifer, CCM secretary, presents handmade bed throws to Jane Tench, administrator of the Haven Hill Retirement Centre in Penticton. Wall calendars were distributed to the residents. Poinsettias were presented to each of the six retirement and nursing homes visited by community care ministries, and the four cottages housing clients with dementia also received gifts.

26 I March 2011 I Salvationist

RICHMOND, B.C.—Richmond Corps rejoices in welcoming its first Chinese adherents. The corps built relationships with the Chinese community by providing fellowship meals, English classes (ESL), computer classes and Bible studies. Front row, from left, Anthony Yeung, Ken Chen, Timmy Chan, Greensa Chan, Lisa Chan. Back row, from left, Mjr Dirk van Duinen, AC, B.C. Div; Mjr Susan van Duinen, DC, B.C. Div; Mjrs Mary and Brad Smith, COs.

BUCHANS, N.L.—Buchans Corps celebrates the enrolment of three soldiers.

From left, Everett Wall, colour sergeant; Mjr Betty Boyd, social services co-ordinator, Grand Falls-Windsor, N.L. Div; Tim Wilkins; Treena Wilkins; Robert Fournier; Candidates Crystal and Norman Porter, corps leaders.

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA.—Mjr Sandra Stokes, AC, Alta. & Northern Ttys Div, enrolled six junior soldiers at The Salvation Army Community Church of Lethbridge. Front row, from left, Taylor Castelli, Wesley Waldern, Brandon Guthmiller, Justin Waldern, Jessica Goslin, Christen Friesen. Back row, from left, Joe Goslin, youth associate; Mjrs Brian and Edith Beveridge, COs; Mjr Sandra Stokes; Tim Klein, colour sergeant.

Celebrate Community PRINCE ALBERT, SASK.—Women at Prince Albert Corps packed over 700 Christmas sunshine bags for a men’s correctional centre, a women’s correctional centre and a federal medium security facility.

GRAND FALLS-WINDSOR, N.L.—Park Street Citadel enrols five junior soldiers. From left, Mark Nichol, Cody Skiffington, Shauna Steele, Arrick Chaulk, Madison Braye. Back row, from left, David Cole, youth director; Mjrs Owen and Sharon Rowsell, COs; Harry Jenkins, colour sergeant.

BUCHANS, N.L.—After 12 years without a brass band, Buchans now has 10 musicians playing to the glory of God. Front row, from left, Blair Rideout; Candidate Crystal Porter, corps leader; BM Ernest Simmons; Treena Wilkins.

Back row, from left, Wayne Butt; Lillian Rideout; Brenda Butt; Candidate Norman Porter, corps leader; Burt Woodland; Woodrow Rideout.

BRANTFORD, ONT.—On November 12-14, Wyndfield Community Church hosted the Samuels in Training (SIT) program, which is based on 1 Samuel 3:1-10. Seven young people participated in this pilot initiative offered by the Ont. GL Div. Front row, from left, Rachel Brown, Joseph St. Clair, Michael Henderson, Daniel Butler. Back row, from left, Rebecca Allen and Janice Brinson, helpers; Britni St. Clair; Liam Butler; Dakota Henderson; Rebecca Puddicombe, course teacher.

STONEY CREEK , ONT.—Caleb Burleigh’s enrolment as a junior soldier at Winterberry Heights Church was a family occasion.

From left, Mjrs Paul and Kelly Rideout, COs; Caleb Burleigh; Mjrs Marie and Archibald Simmonds, Caleb’s grandparents who conducted the enrolment; CSM Len Burleigh, Caleb’s grandfather, holds the flag.

GRAND FALLS-WINDSOR, N.L.—Five soldiers are enrolled at Park Street Citadel. Front row, from left, Mjr Sharon Rowsell, CO; Mike Fournier; Basil Thomas; Fred Froude; Patsy Higgins. Back row, from left, Mjr Owen Rowsell, CO; Clyde Downton, CSM; Walwin Blackmore, instructor; Chelsea Hollett.

OSHAWA, ONT.— During the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Oshawa Temple Songsters, four members were recognized for each giving more than 50 years of service. From left, Murray Whitehead (53 years), Muriel Howcroft (51 years), Ruth Young (56 years) and Robert Young (53 years).

SMITHS FALLS, ONT.—In December, Town and Country Chrysler Ltd. loaned a 2010 Grand Caravan for the kettle campaign and Angel Tree program in Smiths Falls. From left, Shanda Fuller, kettle co-ordinator; Mjr Brian Fuller, CO; Hugh Colton, Town and Country Chrysler representative; Mjr Sue Fuller, CO. Salvationist I March 2011 I 27

Celebrate Community

Victoria Citadel Band Celebrates 120 Years of Music Ministry

Volunteering with the Army for 67 Years

VICTORIA—On October 22-23, past and current members of Victoria Citadel Band celebrated 120 years of ministry with a dinner and music program. Some members received a certificate for 50 years of service. Under the leadership of BM Ted Brown, the band plays in the Sunday morning services, at nursing and retirement homes, at Christmas kettle locations, in malls and hospitals and occasionally at outdoor concerts.

FREDERICTON, N.B.—Raymond Dikinson, a 93-year-old veteran of the Second World War, has volunteered with the Christmas kettle campaign and the Red Shield Appeal for 67 years, 23 of which have been in Fredericton, and the remainder in other areas including overseas. “He is truly a dedicated individual and a great supporter of the work and ministry of The Salvation Army in Fredericton and abroad,” says Cpt Bradley Reid, CO.

Commitments Renewed at Women’s Retreat in St. John’s

ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—Lt-Col Gladys DeMichael and Mjr Cheryl Millier, retired officers and soldiers of the Clearwater Corps in Florida, U.S.A., were guests for The Wonderful World of Women weekend at St. John’s Citadel. During Friday night’s celebration, Lt-Col DeMichael shared from God’s Word and the singing company and timbrels participated. Saturday’s events included worship and interest sessions such as card making, line dancing and interior decorating. The worship services were open to the public on Sunday. “Many commitments were renewed, and one woman made a first-time commitment to the Lord,” says Mjr Valerie Wheeler, CO. From left, Juanita Cuff, Betty Lethbridge, Lt-Col Gladys DeMichael, Mjr Cheryl Millier, Mjr Valerie Wheeler, Patricia Osmond.

Hope in the City Breakfast in Barrie BARRIE, Ont.—Mike “Pinball” Clemons, vice-chair of the Toronto Argonauts, spoke at The Salvation Army’s Hope in the City leadership breakfast event in Barrie on November 17 to kick off the local kettle campaign, which aimed to raise $320,000. “People like you are responsible for me standing here today,” Clemons told the crowd.

“Sometimes all you need is to know that somebody cares.” Clemons made the first donation of the year.

The Kempenfelt Rotary Club also donated $500 in memory of Jack Delcourt, former member and longtime Salvation Army supporter.

Serving Children Overseas

Fellowship of the Silver Star LOWER ISLAND COVE, N.L.— Roy Martin, father of Mjr Margaret Locke, corps officer of The Salvation Army Community Church in Picton, Ont., receives a Silver Star pin from Cpt Weldon Hayward, CO. The Fellowship of the Silver Star recognizes the parents or other significant life mentors of officers.

28 I March 2011 I Salvationist

GREEN’S HARBOUR, N.L.—“With the assistance of other churches, schools and community organizations throughout Trinity Bay South, we brought over 600 shoe boxes to the mercy seat to dedicate them before sending them around the world,” says Cpt Tony Brushett, CO. The boxes, containing helpful items for children in the developing world, will be distributed through Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child program. From left, Shirley Hart, project co-ordinator; Cpt Beverly Brushett, CO.

Celebrate Community

Tributes SUMMERFORD, N.L.—Madeline Elizabeth White (nee Canning) was born in Comfort Cove, N.L. She married Claude White in 1956, and they raised eight children. Madeline enjoyed people visiting her, especially her children and grandchildren. She loved God, her family and church, which she attended faithfully as a soldier. With a gentle and giving spirit, Madeline regularly sent people cards with handwritten words of encouragement. She is missed by husband, Claude; children Brenda, Fronie (Tony), Brian (Brenda), Kim (Monty), David, Pearce, Connie (Kirk) and Michelle (Chris); sisters Mabel, Bernice, Beverly, Gladys and Pearl; 17 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

COLLINGWOOD, ONT.—William John (Jack) Reid was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1932 and accepted Christ as Saviour at age nine. He immigrated to Canada in 1953 with his wife, May, and attended Willowdale Corps in 1958 (now North York Temple). He served as scout leader and participated in pub ministry, Sunday school, seniors’ and community care ministries, Christmas kettles and was the corps’ bus driver for 25 years. Though restricted at home in his last two years, William encouraged people by phone and when they visited him. He is missed by wife, May; daughters May (George) and Ruth; sons Bill and Michael (Dianne); 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; three sisters and their spouses; and nieces, nephews and friends.

MISSISSAUGA, ONT.—Alan Dailey was born in 1931 and spent his early years in the Verdun Corps, Quebec, where he started playing cornet. In the 1940s, he moved to Montreal Citadel, becoming a senior bandsman, deputy bandmaster and bandmaster. He later moved to Manitoba and attended Winnipeg Citadel, becoming songster leader and then bandmaster. He was transferred to Calgary in 1979 and became songster leader and then deputy bandmaster at Glenmore Temple. In 1987, Alan moved to Mississauga where he became deputy songster leader and a bandsman at Mississauga Temple Community Church. Alan loved to encourage young people in the corps.

After retiring as fleet co-ordinator at territorial headquarters in 1997, he continued his music ministry in the Army with Heritage Brass (formerly Ontario Central Reservist Band). Alan will be missed by wife, Lillian, of 56 years; daughters Cathy Patterson, Donna (Brian Mercer) and Lori (Allan Hicks); one granddaughter and three grandsons.

KINGSTON, ONT.—Reverend Beverley A. Bradshaw was born in Kingston, Ont., in 1947. Raised in Kingston, Beverley married Jim in 1970, and they had two children, Jacob and Elizabeth. She became a Christian at an early age and obeyed God’s call, becoming an officer in 1980.

Beverley and her family served congregations in Regina, Bermuda, Quebec City and Sudbury, Ont. In 1997, she and Jim began serving a congregational church in Indiana, U.S.A., until illness brought her home to Kingston in 2009. In September 2010, Beverley and Jim renewed their soldiership at Kingston Citadel.

GUELPH, ONT.—Laurie W. Chaulk was born in Deer Lake, N.L., in 1941. During his youth, he was an active member of the Deer Lake Corps. After graduating from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Laurie married Hazel Hillier and started teaching in Corner Brook, N.L., where he became a songster, band member, Sunday school teacher, YP band leader, corps and young people’s sergeant major, Christian education co-ordinator and corps treasurer. In 2002, he and Hazel moved to Guelph, Ont., where he served until his promotion to Glory. As an elementary school principal, Laurie influenced the lives of children for more than 30 years. He was a member of the Gideons for 38 years, assuming local, national and international leadership roles. Laurie is lovingly remembered by Hazel, wife of 45 years; daughters Heather and Carolyn (Jim) Parsons; mother, Muriel; five brothers; three sisters; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

SUMMERFORD, N.L.—Frazer B. Brown was born in Wesleyville, N.L., in 1945. A teaching career led him to Horse Islands, North Harbour, Cottles Island, Chapel’s Island, Carmanville and Summerford, N.L., and Pangnirtung, Nunavut. In 1967, he married Goldie Rideout in Cottlesville, N.L. Frazer’s pride and joy were his cherished children and grandchildren. As a soldier of New World Island West Corps, he was a member of the corps’ mission board, building committee and men’s fellowship. He is sadly missed by wife, Goldie; children Phyllis (Wade) and Justin (Gloria); and grandchildren Verena and Abigail.

SASKATOON—Major Edith Fern Anthony (nee Decker) was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer in St. John’s, N.L., in 1949. Fern served as school principal and assistant officer in Little Heart’s Ease, Peter’s Arm and Bay Roberts, N.L. She married Lieutenant Alec Anthony in 1953, and together they served in numerous appointments in Newfoundland and Western Canada until retirement from Bay Roberts Corps in 1990. Fern took pride in working with young people and in women’s ministries. The chorus, Where He Leads Me I Will Follow, expressed her commitment to God and to The Salvation Army. Left to celebrate her life are children David, Pamela Lesser, Beverley (Ronald) Garnett, Paul and Byron (Jennifer); 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild; brother, Frank (Selma) Decker; and sister, Malba (Jack) Butt.

MOUNT PEARL, N.L.—Frances Mae Pike (nee Budgell) was born in Bishop’s Falls, N.L., in 1923 and worked as a teacher in rural Newfoundland before becoming an Army officer in 1945. She married Captain Aubrey Pike in 1948, and they served in several Newfoundland communities until 1951, when Aubrey began a career with the provincial government. They remained active Salvationists at Mount Pearl Citadel from the 1970s onward, with Frances involved in home league and women’s ministries. They were also active in Gideons and Gideons Ladies’ Auxiliary respectively for over 40 years. During hospitalizations in recent years, Frances shared her faith and was delighted to see people led to Christ. Frances’ defining mark was her love for her husband, seven children, 22 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

GAZETTE

TERRITORIAL Appointments Cpt Raelene Russell, divisional volunteer services secretary, B.C. Div (additional responsibility); Mjr Michael LeBlanc, supplies and purchasing secretary, THQ business administration; Cpt Christine Johnston, Freeway CC, Hamilton, Ont. (pro tem), and chaplain, Hamilton Lawson Ministries (pro tem), Ont. GL Div Retirements Mjr Roy Bridger, out of Campbellton, N.L. Last appointment: on leave, Alta. and Northern Ttys Div Births Lts Jeff/Graciela Arkell, daughter, Graciela Angelica Marleen, Jan 6; Cpts William/Debra Blackman, son, Nathaniel Edward, Jan 9; Cpts Sheldon/Ashley Bungay, son, Maxwell Ross, Jan 16 Promoted to Glory Lt-Col Baden Marshall, from Oshawa, Ont., Dec 5

CALENDAR

Commissioners William and Marilyn Francis Mar 4-6 visit of New York Staff Band with Canadian Staff Band, Toronto; Mar 12-14 CFOT, Winnipeg; Mar 18-26 World Methodist Council and International Doctrine Council, Lake Junaluska, N.C., U.S.A.* *Commissioner William Francis only Colonels Floyd and Tracey Tidd Mar 18-20 125th anniversary, St. John’s Temple, N.L. Div; Mar 26-29 territorial social services conference, Toronto Canadian Staff Band Mar 5 42nd anniversary festival with the New York Staff Band, Toronto Centre for the Arts Salvationist I March 2011 I 29

CLARION CALL

Brother Andre and Sister Gladys God chooses the weak things of the world to confound the mighty

by Major Fred Ash

F

ive months ago, the Roman Catholic Church acknowledged Alfred Bessette, better known as Brother Andre, as a saint.

This came 74 years after his death and 141 years after he applied to be a candidate in the ministry.

How many other saints are out there unrecognized?

At birth, Brother Andre was so weak that a priest baptized him the very next day for fear that he might die. The sickly boy lived, one of 10 children in a poverty-stricken family. His father died in a lumber accident when Alfred was nine.

His mother died three years later of tuberculosis.

Barely able to write his own name or read, and in poor health, Alfred nevertheless set about to earn his way in the world. During his teens and early 20s, he went from job to job on construction projects, farms and textile mills. He tried apprenticeship as a tinsmith, a blacksmith, a baker and a shoemaker. Then, at the age of 22, he presented himself as a candidate for the ministry.

When the decision-makers looked at this almost illiterate candidate who was sickly and weak, they had doubts about his calling and grave reservations about accepting him into the work. But accept him they did, though they never expected him to ever become or do much. They assigned him the duties of porter at Notre-Dame College, a lowly job that included washing 30 I March 2011 I Salvationist

floors, cleaning lamps and bringing in firewood.

Brother Andre had the one saintly quality that qualifies all candidates for the ministry: he cared about people. It was not long before he began to minister to the sick and the broken-hearted, praying with them and inviting them to pray. For the next 25 years, he spent six to eight hours a day ministering to those who came to him and after that he visited the sick outside the religious grounds.

How many saints are denied the opportunity to minister because they do not meet the religious qualifications of their church?

I wonder if The Salvation Army has not raised the qualifications for entry into the training college so high that many of the saints among us no longer have the privilege of ministry.

Time was when officers in the Army were considered lay ministers. They came out of the taverns and gutters, got gloriously saved, proved themselves to their corps comrades to be blood and fire soldiers and then went into training for several months or a year.

Some of them could barely read and write, but they cared about people and they loved the Lord. They were trained to do the work and they were commissioned to serve. They were not ordained. No one was denied ministry opportunities because they were not Bible scholars. Very few knew Greek or had ever seen the inside of a university. They were called,

they cared and they were committed. In the eyes of the early Army leaders, that qualified them more than anything else to be welcomed into the ranks of officership.

Another “saint” who had great difficulty getting into the ministry was Gladys Aylward.

Born into a working class Anglican family in London, England, in 1902, she earned enough education to qualify as a parlourmaid at the age of 14. At 18, she committed her life to Christ in a revival meet-

Brother Andre

Gladys Aylward

ing and felt God calling her to missionary work in China.

However, the decision-makers at the China Inland Mission judged her inadequate and told her that she was not suitable to be a missionary. But Gladys was determined to answer God’s call, and when Jeannie Lawson, an aging missionary, invited her to come to China to assist her, Gladys saved enough money for a perilous train journey across Russia to northern China. With

only her passport, a Bible and two pounds ninepence in her purse, she made the journey to Yangchen.

Gladys learned the Chinese language and, with Jeannie, opened an inn for travellers where she told them Bible stories to entertain them in the evenings. When Jeannie died, Gladys took over the work and began taking care of unwanted children. When the Second World War broke out, she turned her inn into an orphanage for children and a hospital for wounded soldiers. The Japanese accused her of spying and put a bounty on her head. She was forced to take her 100 orphans and begin a dangerous 160-kilometre trek through forests and mountains to the province of Sian. Although suffering from typhus, pneumonia and malnutrition, she brought her charges safely through.

Her exploits are told in the 1957 movie Inn of the Sixth Happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman.

Not bad for someone who was considered unsuitable for missionary work.

Gladys was never officially declared a saint. Protestant churches don’t have that tradition. However, in China, she was known as Ai-weh-dah, the Virtuous One. As we look upon the dearth of officers in the Canada and Bermuda Territory, we need to ask whether or not the Army has set the bar too high. Or perhaps a better question is: are we using the wrong standards to measure a person’s qualifications for ministry?

Brother Andre and Sister Gladys were both considered unlikely candidates for ministry. Both went on to become shining examples of how God chooses the weak things of this world to confound the mighty.

Let the saints be praised.

Major Fred Ash is the corps officer of Burlington Community Church, Ont.

RETHINKING CHURCH

Doing Chicken Right How do we combat church envy?

BY CAPTAIN RICK ZELINSKY

W

human resources to our struggling worship team. It was a huge day for our congregation when the local Mennonite church blessed a great guitar player on his way over to The Salvation Army. Go ahead and ask. You may be surprised at the result.

Photo: © istockphoto.com

hen I opened up the new menu at my favourite chicken restaurant, I found that they now serve a variety of food items, including perogies. I was confused that I could order the food of my ancestors at an unlikely location, a restaurant whose jingle touts “for the love of chicken.”

What prompted the shift in the menu? Are they seeking greater market share through diversity or have they lost their identity?

Can I still get a quarter-chicken dinner?

These questions, except for the chicken one, are oddly similar to feelings I’ve experienced in relation to ministry. Have we become too diversified to be supported by our human and financial resources? Have we lost our identity? Why can’t we be like other churches?

When I was the officer of a small, rural congregation, I became frustrated with the responsibility and effort required to fund the needs and demands of ministry. The feeling was even more palpable during the holiday season with the massive effort related to our Christmas assistance program and the harried pace of our kettle fundraising. The feeling that emerged may not be obvious, but I think it is one many people can understand.

It was envy. I was envious of the other churches in the city who were having church Christmas dinners, children’s pageants and carol sings, and who were focusing on all the fun things that come with Christmas. All the while we were busy chasing 30,000 loonies to fund our Christmas assistance program.

I was jealous, and it ate me up

inside for a while. Here’s the rub. I don’t think I’m alone in how I was feeling, and I don’t think jealousy is limited to the Christmas season. It’s just more obvious for us. I think many congregations pine for all the programs and cool things happening at the church down the street, or in the case of a large city, among our denominational peers.

I came to realize this type of envy isn’t healthy—personally or corporately—and can halt our progress. The purpose of this discussion is not to stir up anxiety or guilt, but rather to offer insight into how we can combat church envy. If you have found yourself experiencing these feelings, then let me suggest the following: First, you need to repent.

I don’t say this in judgment, but in the sense that to repent means to make a change and do things differently. Recognize that the feelings you’re experiencing are not healthy or helpful, and set your heart and mind to make a change.

Be honest with yourself, the congregation to which you belong and ultimately with God, and resolve to focus on a new direction.

With a new resolve try celebrating the success and advances that others are making in the church. Listen to your colleagues’ stories of blessing and then celebrate with them.

This can shift focus away from your situation and help support your desire for change.

Just don’t be phony. While you may not feel like celebrating, if your response flows from the desire to change, it won’t be perceived as disingenuous and God will honour your efforts.

Now it’s time to ask for help.

Work in conjunction with God and ask for his guidance. Invite people in your church to pray with you to this end. When we needed assistance establishing a worship team in our church, we approached a church with an abundance of musical talent and asked them to tithe some

Change doesn’t happen overnight, so you have to look at the long-term goal, even if people in the congregation aren’t as patient. There is always something you can do to experience renewed vitality.

In the words of another chicken restaurant, “We do chicken right!” Figure out what you do well and get comfortable in your own skin. If you visit North Toronto Community Church, I guarantee that after your first few minutes in the building you will deduce that it is a very friendly church. We do friendly right!

How about your church?

What do people tell you that you do well? What do you like to do as a church? Maybe you have great potluck dinners and you do hospitality right, or perhaps you have a cool Sunday school. Ask the people in your congregation. Ask visitors or new members to your church what they like, why they stayed or even why they left.

You may discover your niche isn’t being like other churches, but rather being really great at what you already do. Just remember to get your chicken right before you add perogies to your menu.

Captain Rick Zelinsky and his wife, Deana, are the corps officers at North Toronto Community Church.

Salvationist I March 2011 I 31

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