Sal-2011-09

Territorial Leaders Installed

Is Prayer a Waste of Time?

Little Corps on the Prairie

Salvationist The Voice of the Army

SHOULD CHRISTIANS LISTEN TO LADY GAGA?

Salvationist.ca I September 2011

New Global Sponsorship Program Human Trafficking: Deliver Us From Evil

Guided by

COMPASSION

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CELEBRATION

RELEVANCE

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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.

Rooted in

SALVATION, HOLINESS and INTIMACY WITH GOD

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than is required.

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September 2011 No. 65 www.salvationist.ca E-mail: salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org

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PRODUCT LABELING GUIDE

8 New Beginnings

God’s grace offers us the opportunity to start afresh FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL

by Commissioner Brian Peddle

10 The Great Escape?

Gnosticism’s ongoing threat to Christianity

by James Pedlar

9

12 Ambassadors of Holiness

Departments 4 Editorial

Making the Grade

by Major Jim Champ

5 Around the Territory 9 Social Issues Deliver Us From Evil

by Aimee Patterson

11 Gospel Arts

The Hands Behind the Curtain

by Julia Hosking

22 Battle Cry

Is Prayer a Waste of Time?

by Major Danielle Strickland

Inside Faith & Friends Raising Her Voice

As a sex-abuse survivor, Kelita Haverland found healing in her own life. Now she helps girls in Cambodia do the same

23 Media Reviews 23 Territorial Prayer Guide 24 Pursuing Holiness Renovation of the Soul

by Major Clarence Bradbury

25 Celebrate Community

Enrolments and recognition, tributes, calendar, gazette

30 Cross Culture

The Voice of a New Generation

by Michael Boyce Cover photo: © istockphoto.com/ Debbi Smirnoff

For one Canadian dentist, The Salvation Army was there when he needed them

My Favourite Teacher

Mr. Bienert taught Phil Callaway more than just

14 The End of the World as We Know It

Do failed end-time prophecies discredit our faith?

by Donald Burke

16 Growing God’s Gifts

Stewardship campaign at Trinity Bay South increases ministry potential by Julia Hosking

17 Global Impact

New sponsorship program offers support to more children at risk in the developing world

18 Little Corps on the Prairie

It may be small in size, but Weyburn, Sask., is big in heart

by Julia Hosking

20 Corporation With a Conscience

Interview with Robert McFarlane, chief financial officer of TELUS

English. He taught him how to live a good life

When you finish reading Faith & Friends in the centre of this issue, pull it Faith & out and give it to someone who needs to hear about Kelita Raises Christ’s lifeHer Voice changing Memories of Ground Zero power In Praise of Teachers

frıends

September 2011

Memories of Ground Zero

Newly commissioned officers take up their first appointments

faithandfriends.ca

Inspiration for Living

Singer helps sex-abuse victims find healing

Finding God in a Jail Cell

Salvationist.ca Pass It On

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Photo Gallery

With our new photo gallery, we’re highlighting more photos of the Army at work across the territory. Visit Salvationist.ca/photos to see what’s happening.

Words of Truth

Are you interested in writing?

View our guidelines at Salvationist.ca/writers.

Salvationist I September 2011 I 3

EDITORIAL

M

Making the Grade

y wife sat across the desk of our youngest son’s head teacher, Mrs. Bishop. We had recently started a new appointment in the U.K. and our boys were settling nicely into their respective schools, or so we thought. Steve was in his second year of secondary school while Brian had a year to complete in the primary division. Grades had never been an issue in Canada and both had been model pupils so there was no reason to suspect that British schools would prove problematic for either of them.

But here was a stern-looking principal pushing a recently completed test paper of Brian’s across the desk with a solemn request for Barbara to “Read this!” My wife glanced at the paper, not sure what to expect. As she read down the page, the first thing she noticed was that almost all of the questions had been answered correctly and had checkmarks beside them. Upon closer examination, there were even written notations beside many of the answers: “Good work, Brian.” “Excellent answer!”

And so on.

Somewhat mystified, Barbara asked, “Is there a problem?” The matronly Mrs. Bishop directed Barbara’s attention to the final page of the test paper. And there it was. In bold red ink the teacher had written, “Brian, I will make the comments!” It turned out that the students had marked

their own papers before handing them in to their teacher for recording on their report cards. The added comments were of Brian’s own making. Suppressing a smile, Barbara assured the teacher that she would have a word with the boy about the error of his ways.

One of Salvationist’s key objectives is to have a teaching component. We want to inform and inspire, but also cause our readers to think about their faith and its application in their day-to-day living. This month we feature the first of a two-part article by Dr. Donald Burke, president of Booth University College (BUC), on end times. Also from BUC, Dr. Michael Boyce’s new series helps us look at our faith through the lens of contemporary culture. Major Clarence Bradbury gives us the first in a six-part Bible study on holiness. Doctoral student James Pedlar continues his writings on heretics and the Church. And Major Danielle Strickland begins a regular column under the banner Battle Cry. Your feedback on the magazine and whether we are “making the grade” is always welcome.

No doubt, many of us can look back and recall one or more of our teachers who played a pivotal role in our lives.

Teachers are a special class of people. We trust them with our most precious possession—our children. They deserve our respect and support.

Barbara and I still smile from time to time about that first encounter with our son’s head teacher. And while the conversation was totally unexpected, it was evident that Mrs. Bishop had a heart for the children and wanted nothing less than for them to succeed in life. As for our son, Brian’s enthusiasm and zest for life continues unabated.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

MAJOR JIM CHAMP Editor-in-Chief

Salvationist

is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory Linda Bond General Commissioner Brian Peddle 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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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 September 2011 I Salvationist

AROUND THE TERRITORY

General Installs New Territorial Leaders for Canada and Bermuda ON JULY 6 AT JACKSON’S Point Conference Centre, Ont., Commissioners Brian and Rosalie Peddle were installed by General Linda Bond as the new territorial leaders for the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

“It is with joy and confidence that I commend to you your new territorial leaders,” said General Bond to the hundreds of Salvationists in attendance. “Throughout their years of service, Commissioners Peddle have demonstrated steadfast loyalty to Christ and to their calling as officers. I call upon all Salvationists to receive your new leaders with Christian love and joyful expectation. Please support them in prayer and in dedicated service.”

In her challenge to Commissioners Peddle, the General urged them to model Spirit-filled leadership. “Serve with compassion and integrity,” she said. “Teach the Word and live it out with humility and grace. You are called to be shepherds of the flock, fervent evangelists and visionary leaders. Under your leadership, we pray that the Kingdom of God will advance as you lead the Army in Canada and Bermuda to be faithful to the mission the Lord has given it.”

As Commissioners Peddle knelt at the mercy seat, the General invited the congregation to pray for them. During this solemn moment, Captain Krista Andrews and Stephanie Forystek—the daughters of the territorial leaders—ministered through the song I’m in His Hands.

Following the installation ceremony, representative speakers offered words of welcome. Benjamin White, one of the newest junior soldiers in the territory, spoke on behalf of the children and youth of the territory. Candidate Ricaurte Velasque spoke for the soldiers, and encouraged the territorial leaders to seek greater representation in the Army from the many cultures found in Canada. Lieutenant Carolyn Reid pledged loyalty on behalf of the officers and asked the Peddles to “take time to nourish your souls as you are our spiritual leaders.”

In her response, Commissioner Rosalie Peddle said that it was a great gift to return home to family and friends. With her 89-year-old mother-in-law in attendance, she also thanked their parents for raising

General Linda Bond installs Commissioners Brian and Rosalie Peddle

them in godly homes.

“We are humbled and overwhelmed,” she said. “Yet, we are experiencing a deep peace about our new responsibilities. We have come into these new roles literally on our knees, seeking God’s wisdom, guidance, leading and direction. Our prayer is that God will give us incredible courage, and will daily empower us to be people who will lead with integrity, vision, competence and passion.”

In his message, Commissioner Brian Peddle challenged Salvationists to focus on purpose and passion. “We are redeemed for a reason. And I want you to be committed with me to our cause,” he said. “The sum total of our mission is leading those who do not know Jesus to him.”

Referencing the worldwide work of the Movement and the responsibilities of the General, Commissioner Peddle said that this territory needs to uphold the international Army in prayer and offer our practical support through human resources and financial contributions.

“The world and the communities where we live need Salvationists whose hearts are captured and committed to being ambassadors of Christ and his gospel,” he said.

“We need agents of redemption who will live in a way that people will know that God is in that person. We need channels of peace in this world where there is much strife. We need people who will be the

Junior Soldier Benjamin White welcomes Commissioners Brian and Rosalie Peddle

vehicles of grace all around us all the time.

We need transforming individuals in the secular spaces where we live and have our being. We need to make this invisible God visible to those people who have yet to see him.”

The evening concluded with a sung benediction by the Ontario Central-East Divisional Youth Chorus, led by Cathie Koehnen. The Canadian Staff Band, led

by Bandmaster John Lam, also provided musical selections throughout the installation service.

Read the full report at Salvationist.ca/ peddles-installation.

Salvationist I September 2011 I 5

AROUND THE TERRITORY

Moncton Hosts Dragon Boat Race

Expanded Services in Summerside

FOR THE SECOND YEAR, The Salvation Army Moncton Community and Family Services, N.B., entered a team in the Greater Moncton Dragon Boat Festival on May 28. A portion of the funds raised help send children from low-income families to summer camp. The Army team had 24 enthusiastic rowers, a dozen volunteers, the Sally Ann mascot and the Army’s mobile canteen, which served refreshments. The team raised more than $2,000 to cover the cost of camp registration, transportation and meals for children as well as equipping them with sleeping bags, toiletries and clothing.

THE SALVATION ARMY in Summerside, P.E.I., recently relocated and expanded its thrift store, food bank and soup kitchen. Marj Montgomery, Summerside’s community and family services coordinator, notes the new locations are twice the size and present a bright, open environment. The grand opening attracted a large crowd, which enjoyed food and entertainment by local act Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys. In photo, from left, Mjr Priscilla Drover, CO; Deputy Mayor Bruce MacDougall; Mjrs Larry and Velma Martin, then divisional leaders; Mjr Willis Drover, CO.

The Salvation Army Huntsville Citadel Celebrating 125 Years of God’s Faithfulness

October 22-23, 2011

AN INVITATION Oshawa Temple would like to invite university/college students coming to the Durham Region in September to join us for worship on Sundays at 11 a.m. We will be happy to offer you the opportunity to join one of our church families for lunch.

A Youth Adult Fellowship Club meets for dinner and a show on Thursdays at 6 p.m. (bi-weekly) hosted by our youth pastor.

For more information, e-mail corps@oshawa-temple.org.

Did you know … … Col Ernest Fitch celebrated his 106th birthday on June 20? A resident of North Vancouver, Col Fitch is a member of Southmount Citadel … Salvation Army thrift stores were recognized at the City of Kelowna Mayor’s Environmental Achievement Awards? So far this year, more than 136,000 kilograms of material that could not be sold has been diverted from the landfill into recycling programs … Col Eleanor Shepherd won the Word 6 I September 2011 I Salvationist

Special Guests: Majors John and Gail Norton Special Music: “Marked by Love” from Guelph, Ont. October 22—Praise and Worship, 7 p.m.

October 23—Sunday Worship, 11 a.m.

Greetings from former officers and friends can be sent to 4 Mary St E, Huntsville ON P1H 1W4 or e-mailed to Sharon_Dalrymple@can.salvationarmy.org

Guild Award in the category of Christian leadership for her book More Questions Than Answers: Sharing Faith by Listening?

The book offers practical help on how to learn from people’s questions and respond non-judgmentally without denying one’s own convictions … Jordon Cooper, residential co-ordinator for the Army’s community services, is now also a columnist for The StarPhoenix in Saskatoon? He writes about urban issues, public policy and the impact on the marginalized

… more than 900 people crowded the soccer field at the Ajax Community Centre, Ont., for Soakerfest, a massive water-gun fight organized by Matt Trottier, youth pastor at Hope CC? Soakerfest was one of dozens of events held as part of the 41st annual Ajax Home Week, June 13-19 … in assisting Saskatchewan flood victims, The Salvation Army’s emergency response team fed evacuees 1,500 meals, providing cooks, servers and clean-up personnel?

Guiding Principles

New toolkit renews focus on The Salvation Army’s mission and values

W

hat we believe should be at the heart of everything we do,” says Colonel Floyd Tidd, chief secretary. “And when we roll up our sleeves and put our beliefs to work, it’s our values that guide us through every decision and action.”

In 2003, a mission statement and a set of 10 core values were crafted by the Canada and Bermuda Territory (see page 2). Rooted in the three core values of our faith (salvation, holiness and intimacy with God), the seven core operational values (compassion, respect, excellence, integrity, relevance, co-operation

and celebration) guide all aspects of the organization.

“Our actions make us who we are,” says Colonel Tidd.

“We want these actions to be shaped by positive values. The Salvation Army’s values have earned us trust, respect and an envied public reputation.

But more importantly, they allow each one of us to act with integrity and confidence.”

Although every ministry setting is different—and so, too, are the people who lead— we are all part of one Salvation Army. We are united by our mission and values.

“We do what we do because we believe in that mission and those values,” says Sharon

The Salvation Army

Cascade Community Church (Abbotsford, B.C.)

25th Anniversary October 15-16, 2011

Jones-Ryan, consultant, management and organizational ethics, The Salvation Army Ethics Centre. “And that connects us, from coast to coast, from corps to headquarters to recycling store to emergency shelter.”

Values are important in any organization, but in a faith-based Movement such as The Salvation Army, they’re often the marker by which it is evaluated.

“Every day, we are faced with issues that require decision and action,” says Captain Mark Stanley, executive director, Edmonton’s Addictions and Residential Centre. “Our decision making and action steps should come from the context of our mission and values. Our mission statement answers the question, ‘What is our purpose?’ Our values statements shape our culture and answer the question, ‘What are our priorities?’ ” However, in the busyness of life and ministry, it can be easy to minimize the importance of these guiding principles.

“We need to guard against viewing mission and values as philosophical or theoretical issues,” says Captain Stanley.

“If we really want to benefit from them, we need to put

them into practice and ensure that they are implemented in all areas of our work.”

A Core Values Toolkit has been developed by the Ethics Centre to help officers, soldiers and employees live and support the Army’s mission and values effectively. The resource kit unpacks the various values and provides practical exercises to implement them into Salvation Army ministries.

It also offers suggestions for ongoing evaluation and review.

“The toolkit helps ministry leaders at all levels to move the mission and values statements from being only ‘plaques on walls’ to ‘principles of practice,’ ” says Captain Stanley.

“It’s a great training tool that can be used with ministry unit management teams, corps councils, DHQs and THQ departments. It offers relevant examples of how to integrate these principles into decision making, daily operations (service) and employee relations.”

“The Core Values Toolkit is a vibrant, informative and refreshing look at the essence of who we are,” says Colonel Tidd. “It’s also practical, so I urge people to use it.”

For more information about the Core Values Toolkit, visit SalvationArmyEthics.org.

The Liverpool Salvation Army Community Church 125th Anniversary September 24-25, 2011

Help us celebrate this special event!

Special Guests: Majors Doug and Jean Hefford and the Fairview Citadel Band

Greetings from former officers and friends can be sent to 35190 DeLair Rd, Abbotsford BC V3G 2E2; phone: 604-556-7000; e-mail: cascadechurch@shawcable.com

Greetings from former officers and friends can be sent to PO Box 512, Liverpool NS B0T 1K0; phone: 902-354-3265; e-mail: Kirk_MacLeod@can.salvationarmy.org Salvationist I September 2011 I 7

New Beginnings God’s grace offers us the opportunity to start afresh

BY COMMISSIONER BRIAN PEDDLE

See, I am doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:19).

I

have always been a fan of new beginnings. In a world where “starts” and “stops” are commonplace, the reality of a fresh start may have lost its place. We are now at a point where the economy experiences both upturns and downturns, vocations begin and end, working people engage with change daily and relationships ebb and flow.

How convinced are we of the possibility that by God’s grace we can begin again?

While serving in the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory, I picked up a particular phrase that I’ve applied to my evaluative and thinking process: “You can always 8 I September 2011 I Salvationist

walk away from yesterday.” I can hear the skeptic saying, “Yes, but there are always consequences from today.” I agree, but the age of grace in which we live presents us with possibilities that far outweigh any legacy from the past. I pray for a spirit, an attitude that permits me to view circumstances, situations and people clearly. That helps me see the possibilities, potential and the positive working of the Holy Spirit in everyone.

My initial involvement with the Army as a teenager came as a result of a penitent heart, which led to a new beginning. Our services target the addicted, the broken, the wayward, the offender and the lost—all who need a helping hand. This is based on our conviction about new

beginnings. I have been fascinated by the recently launched Dignity Project. It is very fitting that The Salvation Army be a champion for dignity for all.

It challenges us to believe in each other and reminds us that we are God’s treasured possession. It is my hope that all Salvationists will breathe in a new sense of confidence and hope based on God’s promise: “See, I am doing a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19).

I find myself in a place of new beginnings—a new neighbourhood, home and appointment that involves leading the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

While I gladly stand, with appreciation, on the shoulders of those who have gone before me, I embrace the days ahead with confidence in the fact that God has gone before us. His mission and ministry in this territory now require faithfulness and continued obedience.

Over these next months, travelling the territory will provide an opportunity to listen to officers and Salvationists and catch up with the territorial story. My wife and I value that privilege. Having noted our respect for the past, we see a future that includes: A territory in celebration—While we give thanks for past blessings, we also anticipate “what’s next,” by God’s design.

A territory with confidence—I want us to understand our “raised up” place in the body of Christ. God has begun a good work; may it grow as a result of our obedient faith.

A territory committed to a cause—“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what

was lost” (Luke 19:10). For me this is an anchor that is steadfast. We must never forget the primary focus of God’s mission in the world.

A territory that is creative—I want us to find solutions, challenge the status quo, engage the enemy with new spiritual weaponry, and stand in the gap and fight where injustice reigns. May it never be said that The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda missed the mark.

A territory that is called— A song by Charles Wesley says we are “called to serve the present age.” We are also called to be comfortable in our biblical theology, proven distinctives, strong social care conscience, cutting edge mission initiatives and culture of being “saved to serve.”

September has always meant new beginnings.

Summer sunsets fade, regular routines quickly capture us and corps activities begin again. As our programs recommence and we welcome people back from holidays, may we have a renewed sense that God is poised and ready to do a new thing.

I pray that Salvationists will embrace God’s mission in our corps and centres with an outcome that makes the impossible possible. “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

Commissioner Brian Peddle is the territorial commander of the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

SOCIAL ISSUES

Deliver Us From Evil

Join The Salvation Army’s Weekend of Prayer for Human Trafficking, September 23-25

Photo: © istockphoto.com/Atno Ydur

BY AIMEE PATTERSON

M

alaya arrived in Canada on a temporary resident visa. She left the Philippines because, finding no work there, she was told by a friend that a family in Alberta was looking for a part-time nanny. They’d offer free room and board plus extra money that Malaya could send home to her family. After being picked up at the airport, Malaya discovered she was expected to be nanny, housekeeper and cook for the Canadian family. She now works 12-18 hours a day. She lives in a basement room and is not allowed to leave the house unattended. It’s been six months now and Malaya has yet to receive a paycheque. Her visa has run out and she feels trapped.

Tessa’s new boyfriend, Fynn, was so good to her, always telling her how beautiful she was and how lucky he was to have her. He even asked her to share in what he said would be a special experience for both of them—they tried heroin together for the first time. Now, Tessa’s addicted.

Fynn soon began refusing to share his heroin, complaining about how expensive

it is. Tessa offered to find a job, but Fynn had a better idea. He began bringing his friends around to pay to have sex with Tessa. Soon, he began forcing her to work the streets of Vancouver.

Jaylene hitchhiked off her prairie reserve to the city, attempting to escape the desperation she saw in the eyes of girls just a few years older than her. While staying in a shelter, she met Amanda, who invited Jaylene to come live with her. One morning, Jaylene woke up to find some of her things missing, including her ID. Amanda explained that Jaylene owed her money for room and board. She began pimping Jaylene from her home, keeping most of the profits. Now Jaylene faces a new kind of desperation, the kind experienced by many other Aboriginal women who have simply gone missing.

Each of these episodes* depicts an individual with a different story. But each offers an example of human trafficking, of human beings who, by force or coercion, are exploited for profit. Around the world women, men and children are trafficked

for sexual services, labour, organ removal and any number of other reasons. Most human trafficking is sexual trafficking, and generally involves women and girls.

Human trafficking is also a local problem.

Each year thousands of people are trafficked within, to and from Canada.

Human beings who are trafficked are robbed of their identity. They are treated as less than human, with no rights, abilities or feelings. Many people who are trafficked think they are nothing more than an illegal alien to be hidden away, a habit to be satisfied, or someone who can do no better than to be pimped out.

But people who are trafficked, whether for sexual or other purposes, are human beings with dignity. Like us, they are Christ’s sisters and brothers.

For those who have forgotten their dignity, for those who have never had it affirmed, it is important that we stand as witnesses. Justice often includes advocacy.

But for Christians it begins with prayer.

Since 2006, the Canada and Bermuda Territory has held an annual Weekend of Prayer for Human Trafficking. This year, we hope you will pray for people who have been exploited by or who are vulnerable to human traffickers. Pray also for those who aid people who are or have been trafficked. Finally, pray for perpetrators of human trafficking, that their eyes will be opened to the dignity of each individual.

Most of all, pray for deliverance from this modern form of slavery. * These accounts are fictional but based on typical scenarios faced by those who are trafficked.

Participate in the Weekend of Prayer for Human Trafficking, September 23-25

• Check out prayer, worship and educational resources available in a number of languages at the Weekend of Prayer website: Salvationist.ca/trafficking.

• Take time during your Sunday worship service for prayer and education on human trafficking. Be creative: set up prayer stations or show the audio-visual presentation.

• Organize a prayer vigil on human trafficking or host an educational workshop involving other concerned churches and community groups in your area.

• Don’t leave out young people! Find youth specific resources on the website. And check out the youth-focused partner site Traffic Jam: Sendthefire.ca/ action/trafficjam.

Salvationist I September 2011 I 9

The Great Escape?

Gnosticism’s ongoing threat to Christianity

10 I September 2011 I Salvationist

believing that their physical bodies had no connection to their spiritual lives.

Gnostics who claimed to follow Jesus rejected many of the central claims of Christianity. For example, they denied the Incarnation.

If the physical world is evil, they reasoned, how could Jesus have taken on flesh? Gnostics also denied that Jesus had died on the cross. They certainly would not accept his bodily resurrection.

• Christ had indeed taken on human flesh and blood, and salvation included the human body. As the Church father Ireneaus put it, “If the flesh were not in a position to be saved, the Word of God would in no wise have become flesh.”

Gnostic ideas might seem far-fetched, but shadowy hints of Gnosticism still creep into contemporary Christian thinking. Here are three examples: 1. Many Christians are still prone to escapist thinking—

The heresy of Gnosticism was important in the history of Christian doctrine because it pushed Christians to clarify their views about the goodness of creation, the Incarnation of Christ and the nature of human salvation. Against the Gnostics, Christians affirmed that: • the material world was God’s good work, which he created from nothing—not the evil byproduct of a struggle between forces of good and evil.

that is, they desire to get away from this fallen world so we can be with God in Heaven.

While it is true that we will be with the Lord in Heaven immediately when we die (see 2 Corinthians 5:8), we are also assured that this intermediate state will be followed by a bodily resurrection (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The final vision of Scripture is not that humans will be taken from earth to live in Heaven forever, but that

Photo: © istockphoto.com/jorgenjacobsen

G

nosticism was the first major threat to the orthodox Christian faith in the post-New Testament era.

Gnosticism began sometime around the birth of Christ and, by the middle of the second century, there were so many Gnostics who claimed to be Christians that Early Church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and Tertullian felt compelled to write about its dangers.

Gnostic comes from the Greek word gnosis, meaning knowledge or wisdom.

Gnostics claimed to be part of an elite group with secret wisdom that would lead them to salvation. Some Gnostics claimed that Jesus was God’s bearer of secret knowledge— one who had been sent to help the chosen few escape the imprisonment of their bodies.

Most Gnostics had a dualistic view of the universe in which good and evil were seen as locked in a great struggle with one another. As a result of this struggle, the soul had somehow become trapped in the body. Gnostics believed that the human body was evil, along with the rest of the physical world. Therefore, our only hope for salvation was to escape the physical world and return to a purely spiritual state.

Because Gnostics thought that matter was evil, they tended toward two extremes.

They either regularly denied themselves the necessities of life in an attempt to purify their souls, or lived lives of extravagant indulgence,

Second of a six-part series on heresy BY JAMES PEDLAR Heaven and earth will be joined in a kind of marriage, and God will dwell among his people when all things have been made new (see Revelation 21:1-5). In short, the Christian hope is not for an escape from earth, but for a new Heaven and a new earth!

2. Escapism can also lead Christians to downplay the physical needs of other people.

If going to Heaven is all that matters, why worry about the temporary sufferings of people in today’s world? The Salvation Army stands against this perversion of the gospel! William Booth rejected this kind of thinking long ago. The good news embraces human beings as whole persons, not disembodied souls, and therefore Christians need a holistic, integrated approach to mission.

3. Finally, escapism can also be used to promote the exploitation of creation.

Christians should beware of the Gnostic error of thinking that the natural world does not matter. God commissioned humanity to act as stewards of his creation (see Genesis 1:26), and therefore we are responsible for its flourishing.

As those who hope for the new creation, we should faithfully care for the present creation, in imitation of the One who “has compassion on all he has made” (see Psalm 145:9).

James Pedlar is a doctoral student at Wycliffe College, in the Toronto School of Theology. He works parttime as assistant co-ordinator of faith and witness at the Canadian Council of Churches. Visit his blog at jamespedlar.wordpress.com.

GOSPEL ARTS

The Hands Behind the Curtain Through their puppet ministry, the young people at West End Community Church are creatively sharing the gospel

BY JULIA HOSKING, STAFF WRITER

I

f there is one thing that can capture the attention of a fidgety, distracted child in church, it’s puppetry. That’s just one benefit discovered by the puppet ministry team at West End Community Church, Bermuda.

“As soon as the show begins, all eyes are transfixed on the stage,” says Tamiko Ramabuke, puppet director.

“You can tell that the Holy Spirit is ministering in a unique and personal way to each person watching.”

Inspired by their participation in the 2007 Puppet Festival held at Cedar Hill, Bermuda, the young people of West End wanted to start a puppet team for their corps.

Ramabuke quickly adopted the role of director due to her past experience directing children’s musicals.

“Seeing how much our young people enjoyed puppetry, our corps leadership team embraced this ministry,” says Ramabuke.

Almost four years later, a group of 12 young people aged 10-18, and their leaders, faithfully gather together on Friday evenings for puppet ministry rehearsal supported by Lieutenants Peter and Amanda Robinson, corps officers.

“We wanted to give God the best in this ministry so we purchased professional full-body puppets and CoralLee Browne, young people’s treasurer, built the customdesigned stage,” Ramabuke explains.

The ethnic diversity of the puppets, as well as the specifically chosen songs and skits,

allow the team to engage all nationalities, ages and church denominations in their community.

“I love being a puppeteer because when we perform as a group the adults enjoy it as much as the kids,” says puppeteer Jonique Crockwell, 16.

“It is good to have an event in church that interests everybody.”

In addition to sharing their talents at their home corps and a local Methodist Sunday school, the puppeteers have performed three fulllength Christmas musicals by

Christian playwright Celeste Clydesdale.

“We also held a two-day ministry event and fundraiser in March,” says Ramabuke.

“Proceeds were raised to help support our trip to One Way Street’s International Festival of Christian Puppetry and Ventriloquism in Bourbonnais, Illinois, next July.”

Planted in Their Hearts The scripts for the puppet shows are based on Scripture, such as Romans 10:9 (salvation), Mark 9:23 (all things are possible through Christ)

and Matthew 25:40 (helping others). In addition to performing skits, the puppeteers present popular gospel and worship songs such as O Happy Day and He Knows My Name.

“The performances help people connect with God because they speak his Word to the people,” says puppeteer Kyle Brangman, 14. “They all relate to things that actually happen in life,” adds puppeteer Kaisha Simons, 12.

The focus on the gospel has also impacted the puppeteers in a personal way. “It’s a good way to praise God,” says Crockwell. “It helps me to have a good relationship with him because it makes my faith stronger.”

“I know that the Word of God is being planted in their hearts because the young people are still singing the songs they’ve practised long after rehearsal is over,” Ramabuke concludes. “I also find that our performance becomes most expressive when the young people have memorized the songs and scripts.

They fully embrace the characters and genuinely have fun worshipping the Lord.”

Left: Puppetry helps connect people with God; below: West End Community Church Puppet Ministry Team

Salvationist I September 2011 I 11

Ambassadors of

Holiness

Newly commissioned officers take up their first appointments

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he Ambassadors of Holiness have made incredible sacrifices and shown a deep commitment in response to the call of God on their lives,” said Major Eric Bond, principal, the College for Officer Training, as he presented the 11 cadets at the service of ordination and commissioning held on June 25. “Their theological studies, field training and spiritual formation have helped them to know God, themselves and the mission of The Salvation Army.”

Led by Commissioners William W. and Marilyn D. Francis, then territorial leaders, the commissioning weekend 12 I September 2011 I Salvationist

The Ambassadors of Holiness are commissioned and ordained as Salvation Army officers

Lt Joyce Downer speaks on behalf of her fellow session-mates

Lt Charles Chalrimawia from the India Eastern Tty, pictured with his parents and General Linda Bond

was held at Toronto’s Metro Convention Centre. In addition to the commissioning and ordination service on Saturday evening, a youth event was

held on Friday evening, a public worship service on Sunday morning and then a retirement service for Commissioners Francis on Sunday afternoon.

Commissioners Norman and Marian Howe, former territorial leaders, were the special guests for the weekend.

Also in attendance at the

ordination service was General Linda Bond, international leader of The Salvation Army.

Although not present in an official capacity, General Bond wished to offer her support to her niece, Cadet Jaclyn Wynne.

Of the 11 cadets commissioned, two were from the India Eastern Territory. In his testimony, Cadet Charles Chalrimawia expressed his appreciation for the training he received in this territory and for the friendships he made.

“I thank God for his guidance and for equipping me with the wisdom to accomplish the tasks and responsibilities that were assigned to me,” he said.

“I have a joyful and confident expectation for the future.”

As he commissioned and ordained the cadets as Salvation Army officers with the rank of lieutenant, Commissioner William Francis shared passages of Scripture that had been chosen specifically for each of them. At the conclusion of the ceremony,

“Being Ambassadors of Holiness affords us the opportunity to carry God’s message of grace and love to the world" Lts Peter and Grace Kim and their children receive their first appointments

Commissioner Marilyn Francis offered a prayer of dedication.

Newly commissioned Lieutenant Joyce Downer (then Wilson) spoke on behalf of her session. “Being Ambassadors of Holiness affords us the opportunity to carry God’s message of grace and love to the world,” she said. “As commissioned officers, we can be confident

that as we continue to listen and respond to God’s call on our lives, we will journey along the way of holiness.”

In his challenge to the new officers, Commissioner William Francis encouraged them to remain faithful to God. “As you go to your appointments and meet people in the

name of Christ, remember that greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. You are more than conquerors through him who loves you.”

Reports from the various commissioning weekend events are available at Salvationist.ca/ commissioning2011.

With Special Guests Marjory Watson, Soloist, United Kingdom Colin Fox, Dramatist The Peterborough Singers, Syd Birrell, Director Ian Sadler, Organist and featuring The Festival Chorus with Canadian Staff Band, John Lam, Bandmaster Major Leonard Ballantine, Artistic Director Tickets from $15 to $25 available through TicketMaster.ca 416-870-8000 or RTH Box Office 416-872-4255 Presented by

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 - 7:30p.m.

Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe Street, Toronto CwTSA Salv Half Page 2.indd 1

11:13:21 AM Salvationist I 6/29/2011 September 2011 I 13

The End of the World as We Know It Do failed end-time prophecies discredit our faith?

T

Part one in a two-part series BY DONALD E. BURKE

he American humorist Mark Twain, after hearing that his obituary had been published in a New York newspaper, commented, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” In recent months one might paraphrase Twain’s remark to observe, “The reports of the end of the world are greatly exaggerated.” After the much-publicized prediction by California preacher Harold Camping that the world would end at about 6 p.m. on May 21, 2011, passed quietly, many heaped scorn upon Camping and his followers.

According to Camping, on that date the righteous were to be “raptured” from the world, spared the agonies of the subsequent “tribulation” and delivered into eternal bliss. When the spectacular event did not happen, Camping quickly adjusted his timetable to predict the rapture on October 21, 2011. Reportedly, Camping claimed that he had misunderstood the significance of the May 21 event; it was not the date of the rapture but rather the deadline for repentance and admission to the company of those who would be spared the sufferings of the tribulation.

Apocalypse Now? This latest failed prediction of the return of Jesus and the end of the world as we know it has led to several responses. There are those outside the Church who ridicule Camping and his followers as part of a lunatic fringe, worthy only of scorn and contempt. Media reports often convey this thinly veiled disdain. Comedians derive considerable grist for their joke mill at the expense of those who make and believe such predictions. Frequently, the scope of the derision is broadened to include Christianity and Christians generally. It is concluded that these failed predictions expose Christian faith as the wishful thinking of gullible people who lack the ability to see through the delusions of religious belief.

14 I September 2011 I Salvationist

Within the Church, many distance themselves entirely from the kind of speculation promoted by Camping and others of his ilk. Some reject belief in the return of Jesus and the accompanying judgment altogether, asserting that a God of love would never subject humans to such consequences. Others simply conclude that the kind of precise predictions made by Camping are doomed to failure since it is not possible to know the time or season of Jesus’ return. Finally, there are those who continue to follow Camping faithfully, accepting the explanation that his calculations were mistaken and that a revised computation will produce a more reliable prediction.

These various responses raise serious questions for Christians. How are we to respond to repeated predictions of the return of Jesus that prove untrue? How do we assess their credibility? What do we say when scorn is heaped upon the gospel because of these failed predictions?

Is Christian faith ultimately discredited?

Thy Kingdom Come In response to these questions, it may be helpful, first of all, to put predictions of the return of Jesus into a larger historical perspective. The anticipation of Jesus returning to earth to complete the work of God is a longstanding feature of Christian faith and is rooted in Scripture. In light of the teaching of Jesus, his stunning death and his dramatic Resurrection, his followers were convinced that God would act to establish the Kingdom of God in its fullness. Many in the Early Church were convinced that Jesus’ departure from earth into Heaven after his Resurrection would be short-lived and that his return was imminent. Jesus’ encouragement to his followers to pray, “Your Kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10) in the Lord’s Prayer is consistent with this expectation. So, too, was the Thessalonians’ belief in the impending return of Jesus. In his letters to the

church at Thessalonica, Paul addressed Jesus’ return and indicated that it formed part of his early Christian preaching.

Elsewhere, the prayer with which Paul closed his first letter to the Corinthians, “Maranatha—our Lord, come” (see 1 Corinthians 16:22), expresses this hope.

So, too, does Revelation 22:20 which concludes with the plea, “Come, Lord Jesus!” The fact that Jesus did not return quickly after his Ascension caused some consternation within the Early Church, but it has not caused the Church to abandon this hope.

It is also important to recognize that attempts to predict the precise date of Jesus’ return have been made throughout Christian history. In the second century, a group known as the Montanists eagerly anticipated the return of Jesus and the end of the world. In the Middle Ages, Joachim of Fiore developed an elaborate timetable for the second coming. Closer to our time, especially since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, speculation has run rampant. For example, in the 1970s, Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late, Great Planet Earth, spawned increased speculation about the world’s end. In the mid-1990s, a series of Left Behind books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, subsequent movies and even video games dramatized the rapture and the tribulations of those who were to be left behind. Almost on a daily basis, Christian preachers speculate about the end of the world. There is, therefore, a long tradition of end-of-the-world predictions within Christianity.

But while such predictions are grounded in the important affirmation that God will bring his Kingdom to completion and that the return of Jesus will be key to this, the most prominent characteristic that these doomsday predictions have in common is that they have all been wrong: Jesus has not yet returned, the righteous have not been raptured and the world continues on. Where have these predic-

1. Calculations about the end of the world run counter to Jesus’ own warnings that the coming of the Son of Man will occur unexpectedly (see Matthew 24:36-44 and Mark 13:32-37). Jesus’ assertion that “about that day or hour no one knows … but only the Father” is ignored or explained away on the assumption that the real timetable has been revealed to us in Scripture. All we have to do is to uncover what is hidden in Scripture and make the right connections with events in our time.

Experience has shown, however, that these connections are entirely subjective and open to adjustment when the predicted events do not occur.

2. Scripture can be twisted to say almost anything. For the most part, these apocalyptic readings of the Bible pick and choose texts willy nilly from selected biblical books (such as Daniel, Matthew 24, 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Revelation) and weave

them together to create a highly speculative and subjective timetable of events.

Passages are often lifted out of their literary and historical contexts and forced to fit with current events. There is no constraint upon the interpreter’s imagination. The Bible is treated as little more than a set of tarot cards or a Ouija board.

3. The richness of the gospel is narrowed to a fascination with the end of the world. The central Christian messages of the love of God for the world, of the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus, of the salvation that is provided through Jesus Christ, and of our vocation to serve the purposes of God in the world are pushed to the side in favour of speculation about the timing of Jesus’ return. We are left with a truncated gospel that is re a l l y g o o d news only for a select few.

What do we when say scorn upon t is heaped h becau e gospel s failed e of these predic tions?

4. Speculation leads to the division of the world into the righteous and the damned, with little hope for the latter.

Doomsday predictions tend to convey the message that the world is beyond redemption, that God has given up on the world and that all that remains is its judgment and destruction. Such views can lead Christians to cocoon themselves in enclaves of the redeemed and to abandon any efforts to improve the world by alleviating suffering or seeking justice. If God is about to bring the world to an end, why would we be at all interested in it?

Future Oriented Having said all of this, it is not sufficient simply to dismiss people such as Camping as part of a fanatical and misguided fringe in the spectrum of Christianity. Behind the failed predictions, abuse of Scripture and judgmental attitudes, there is a kernel of truth in what they teach. This is what makes coming to grips with predictions of the end of the world so challenging for Christians.

Our biblical faith is future-oriented in the sense that God’s work in the world is in progress and awaiting its completion. God is not yet finished with us; his Kingdom has not yet come in its fullness.

This affirmation is the consistent testimony of Jesus in the Gospels, it undergirds Paul’s theology and it dominates Revelation. Our Christian hope is based upon it. In a world that is focused on the immediate moment and has little sense of history or of a future, people like Camping remind us of the Christian orientation toward the future.

Nevertheless, we must not narrow Christian hope to a particular scheme of events or a specific timetable. The good news of Jesus Christ gives us hope for the future that is richer than what is found in end-of-the-world predictions.

Next month, we will examine the scope of our shared Christian hope.

Dr. Donald Burke is president and professor of biblical studies at The Salvation Army’s Booth University College in Winnipeg.

Salvationist I September 2011 I 15

Photo: © istockphoto.com/Debbi Smirnoff

tions gone wrong? I offer four suggestions.

Growing God’s Gifts Stewardship campaign at Trinity Bay South increases ministry potential

Photo: © istockphoto.com/Devonyu

W

hile the secular world is bombarded with information about personal finances, stewardship is often viewed as a private matter within the Church. Unfortunately, this leads to a lack of emphasis on the giving of our time and money. One corps, however, is putting its resources where its heart is.

Following last year’s stewardship education with Howard Bridger, territorial stewardship resources consultant, the Trinity Bay South Corps, N.L., saw its financial giving increase by 54 percent.

“The increase in giving is awesome,” explains Captain Chris Pilgrim, corps officer.

“Without the teaching from Bridger, I don’t believe we would be seeing the significant results that have been taking place since October.”

Trinity Bay South Corps participated in both the two-day stewardship assessment and the nineday stewardship campaign that Bridger offers to corps within the territory. The purpose of both programs is to raise awareness of biblical stewardship and to challenge congregations to greater commitment. “ S t e w a rd s h i p is a spiritual issue,” explains Bridger, who is also the corps sergeant major at Triton-Brighton Corps, N.L. “It is faithfully giving to God out of our time, talents and treasures to the extent that God has blessed us. It is not just about money or tithing. Rather, when we step out in faith with regular tithing, it strengthens our belief that everything belongs to God and that in turn leads to good stewardship.

“John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that he gave,” 16 I September 2011 I Salvationist

BY JULIA HOSKING, STAFF WRITER Bridger continues. “God’s nature is to be a giver and so as we conform to his character and become more like Christ, we should grow naturally in our desire to give.”

Time and Talents Although Bridger recognizes the historical generosity of Salvationists in terms of giving time and talents to ministry, he cites recent statistics that indicate the opposite in terms of financial stewardship.

“Fifty-three percent of more than 11,000 active members from 143 corps across our territory give between zero and $10 a week,” he says. “Those statistics show we are not honouring God with our finances and so I believe we’ve short-circuited God’s blessings on us individually and corporately as the body of Christ. It’s in that context that I feel passionate about teaching people the importance of using God-given resources for his purposes.

“Because The Salvation Army is in the business of growing God’s people, not growing church budgets, it’s not enough to just have financial resources. People need to continue—or start— committing their time and talents to ensure that their corps is healthy and able to sustain a vibrant ministry in the community.”

New Opportunities Noting that there is always room for improvement, Trinity Bay South Corps opted for a stewardship campaign to increase the congre-

gation’s current giving and to see new givers emerge.

The corps started with the two-day assessment, which involved developing a financial and ministry profile based on statistics and interviews with lay leaders and congregational members, and then a presentation of those findings.

“Bridger talked to the corps about what we were doing, but more importantly, identified our potential and where we could be,” says Captain Pilgrim. “After he delivered that, our corps mission board met and we decided to continue the stewardship journey with the nine-day campaign.”

Bridger returned to the corps and offered education on the principles of Christian stewardship (see sidebar).

“A central feature of this campaign is a banquet where visions for the corps are shared,” explains Bridger. “People are also provided with the opportunity to formally commit their time, talents and treasures to the ministry of their church.” Leaders have stepped forward for home league and the Pioneer Club, which reaches almost 100 children in the community. All of this enables corps officers and lay leaders to effectively plan for the future.

“Overall, our corps responded positively,” reports Captain Pilgrim. “We have watched the Lord bless and use this ministry opportunity over the past 11 months.

It has been exciting to see God’s people honour him with increased giving.”

“God has blessed us immeasurably,” concludes Bridger, “and it is our responsibility to stir up within people the desire to use their God-given gifts to advance his Kingdom.”

Stewardship Principles

• Be good stewards of your money (1 Corinthians 16:2) • Show your love through giving (2 Corinthians 8:7-8) • Give generously and cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Matthew 5:41-42) • Honour God by serving others with your gifts (1 Peter 4:10) • God is the provider of all that we possess (Matthew 7:11)

Global Impact

New sponsorship program offers support to more children at risk in the developing world

F

or many years, vulnerable children around the world have received support through The Salvation Army’s child sponsorship program. Through the generosity

of Salvationists and friends of the Army, these children have had the opportunity to access an education, medical attention and basic needs such as clothing and clean water.

bridgingtHe difference

Following a comprehensive review of the child sponsorship program, significant changes have been implemented to provide a more egalitarian response. While the Army remains committed to helping orphans and vulnerable children across the world reach their God-given potential, the revised program will provide equal support and opportunity for all children in specific Salvation Army institutions.

“The life of an orphaned and vulnerable child is unstable and unfair,” says Major Loriann Metcalf, director of sponsorships, THQ. “When only certain children in an Army home or facility receive the benefits of sponsorship, feelings of inequality and inadequacy are perpetuated.”

The new sponsorship program, which was implemented on July 1, aims to serve all children, not just a select few. This will ensure equity and reduce unnecessary tension among children. It will also allow staff to make better use of time, energy and resources. All sponsored projects will be connected with the work of The Salvation Army in schools, children’s homes, feeding programs and anti-human trafficking initiatives.

“We are excited about the possibilities of our new sponsorship program and the opportunities it will provide to those in need,” says Major Metcalf. “The continued support of our donors will directly assist orphaned and vulnerable children who need our help most.”

For more information about the sponsorship program, visit Salvationist.ca/sponsorship.

What is sponsorship?

Canada and Bermuda TerriTory

A sponsor is a person who provides financial support to enable children to receive food, clothing, shelter, education, medical needs, spiritual and loving care.

What does it cost?

Basic sponsorship cost is a minimum of $300 annually, or you may pay in monthly installments of $25. The money received at territorial headquarters is forwarded to the designated territory or command.

Sponsorship funding will be used to provide necessary support for the community or program.

How do I become a sponsor?

sHare tHe love of Jesus

by Meeting HuMan needs

416-422-6164 | sponsorship@can.salvationarmy.org | www.salvationarmy.ca

Whether applying by mail or online, potential sponsors select three regions from a larger list. Depending on the current needs, the world missions department will choose one of those regions and notify you of the specific project or institution you will be supporting.

Salvationist I September 2011 I 17

Little Corps on the

Prairie

It may be small in size, but Weyburn, Sask., is big in heart

BY JULIA HOSKING, STAFF WRITER

O

nly one word can adequately describe Weyburn, Sask.,” says Lieutenant Mike Mailman, “and that’s family.

People aren’t afraid of outsiders. They welcome everybody with open arms.”

Lieutenants Mike and Melissa Mailman, corps officers, experienced this in 2009 when they moved to the small prairie city of 10,000 with their daughter, Megan. “Because the previous officer put a picture of us in the paper,” says Lieutenant Melissa, “people immediately recognized us and said hello.”

Although Lieutenant Melissa grew up on the prairies, and Lieutenant Mike also 18 I September 2011 I Salvationist

Lts Mike and Melissa Mailman love the close-knit community in Weyburn

spent 10 years there, the couple quickly realized that Weyburn, located 90 minutes from Regina, was unique.

“The care and concern is amazing,” shares Lieutenant Melissa. “In Weyburn, people know who you are and genuinely take an interest in you. It is a wonderful place to raise children because there is a sense of safety and family here.”

“Weyburn is a friendly community,” agrees Gail Weber, adherent at Weyburn Corps, “and even though it has grown over the years, new people always fit in.”

Best-Kept Secret When Lieutenants Mailman received

their appointment to Weyburn Corps, several people expressed sympathy, in part because the corps membership was so small.

“People said to us, ‘I’m sorry, that’s going to be really hard on you,’ ” shares Lieutenant Mike, “but they were wrong, We think that the Army’s Prairie Division is Canada’s best-kept secret. From the beginning, there was a genuine ‘home’ feeling. On our first Sunday at the corps we were invited to an impromptu barbecue at someone’s house. We had just met them and yet we spent the entire afternoon in their backyard.”

Helen Orsted and her husband, Morley,

the kettles on our own,” says Lieutenant Mike. “We had help, but no one to lean on heavily. We started talking about finding a kettle co-ordinator when Helen Orsted said she’d like to help.”

“A few months later,” adds Lieutenant Melissa, “I found out I was pregnant and due just after Christmas.”

“In a small church and community, it is easy to see the needs and how your Godgiven gifts can contribute,” says Orsted.

Meet the Neighbours In a small city like Weyburn, “We are Mr. and Mrs. Salvation Army,” says Lieutenant Melissa. “Everyone looks to us.”

This has led to positive relationships with leaders in the community, from the police (located next door to the thrift store), to the fire chief (who lives three doors down from the Mailmans), to the mayor (who Lieutenant Melissa frequently greets with a hug). “We know our neighbours and that’s important,” she says.

While living in close community has many positives, there are some challenges. “If you need a break you can’t stay in Weyburn; you will bump into people who need assistance,” says Lieutenant Mike. “I can’t hang up my officer ‘hat’ and become simply a dad and husband.”

“In a small church and community I believe we are held to a high accountability for our actions, speech and way of life,” agrees Orsted. “When you stand in a congregation of 10 people and sing I Surrender All, you better mean it, because from Monday to Saturday, people will watch your behaviour at work, on the golf course and in the community.”

Provision in the Food Bank Aside from the thrift store, one of the main ministries of Weyburn Corps is the food bank. It is the sole food bank in the city and may serve up to 10 clients on the one day it opens each week.

While the small food bank is no different from many others across Canada, the Mailmans noticed the same people collecting food every month. To help them out of their dependency, the Mailmans

A Family Ministry Lieutenants Mailman’s role as parents is often brought into their officership. In a community where helping one another is natural, their four-year-old is a perfect fit.

“Megan enjoys being part of our ministry and its easy for this to happen in a small city like this,” says Lieutenant Mike. “When we have family prayers, we name our blessings or daily highlights.

During the flood recovery, she’d often say, ‘Helping people was my favourite part of the day.’ ” In early January, the couple will welcome a new addition to their ministry team as Lieutenant Melissa gives birth to their second child. Having a new baby so close to Christmas would normally be an enormous stress for officers, but not for the Mailmans.

“Our first two Christmases, we handled

began praying for someone who could offer education and assistance.

“Then a man walked in who said he wanted to help in the food bank and he is a retired pastor, bank manager and addictions counsellor,” says Lieutenant Melissa. “He now offers budgeting advice to our clients.”

Growth in Numbers In the last two years, the Mailmans have seen their corps attendance increase from eight people on their first Sunday, to almost 30. That growth, the Mailmans feel, has nothing to do with them. “We grew by word of mouth and friendship evangelism,” says Lieutenant Mike. “We are showing the love of God to the community and letting people know we’re not just a thrift store or food bank, but a church,” Lieutenant Melissa concludes.

“As a result, we are seeing people come to know the Lord.”

Photos: Jennifer LaCharite

arrived in Weyburn in 1981, and like the Mailmans, they didn’t know anyone.

“At that time, Weyburn’s motto was ‘Hospitality capital of Saskatchewan,’ and that’s what it felt like to us,” says Helen Orsted, who volunteers for The Salvation Army. “You are greeted by name in our city’s businesses and you can easily get to know the parents of your children’s friends.

Weyburn may be a city in numbers but it still has the heart of a small town.”

When Weyburn was affected by devastating floods earlier this year, people rallied together to help their neighbours

Flooded With Water and Volunteers

Weyburn was recently impacted by flooding in the spring with more than 100 millimetres of rain received in two days. Although the Mailmans had long been aware of Weyburn’s community spirit, this situation highlighted it further.

“What kept me busy throughout the response was answering calls from people inquiring how they could help,” says Lieutenant Melissa. “There was one woman who I simply asked to do what I couldn’t do at that moment—bring a sandwich to my husband because he’d been at the church all night fighting back the waters in the basement.”

Early numbers estimated that 60 percent of the community was affected by the flood, whether by water or sewage in their home, or loss of cattle and crops. In a city that depends on agriculture and oil fields, the Mailmans recognize that the coming months will be a challenge both for the community and the Army as they respond to growing needs.

“When you strike at the core of where people’s income and livelihood comes from, then there is definitely going to be an ongoing and long-term effect,” says Lieutenant Mike.

Salvationist I September 2011 I 19

R

Robert McFarlane, chief financial officer of TELUS, says giving back makes for happy employees

obert McFarlane is the chief financial officer and executive vice president of TELUS Communications Inc. and TELUS Corporation. He has a bachelor of commerce degree from Queen’s University and a master of business administration degree from the University of Western Ontario.

He serves as a member of The Salvation Army’s National Advisory Board and the Vancouver Advisory Board. McFarlane speaks with John McAlister, senior editor.

What initially attracted you to The Salvation Army?

A few years ago, I began thinking about ways in which I could contribute back to the community. In addition to my role on corporate boards, I decided to participate on an external charitable board. I wanted to work with an organization that I respected and that was open to input and advice. I had a good impression of The Salvation Army as it is very active in British Columbia and makes a tremendous difference to those in need. After speaking with Army representatives, I joined the Vancouver Advisory Board. Then, two years ago, I was also invited to join the Army’s National Advisory Board.

Having worked alongside us for a number of years, what you do perceive as our strengths?

I think one strength comes from your consistent understanding of your organizational values and ethics. Often in the business world we struggle to figure out what our overall mission or long-term purpose is. I don’t think The Salvation Army has any difficulty in knowing what it’s trying to do, which is to provide dignity and hope to those in need.

Another strength is that you are very effective and efficient. People know that if they turn to the Army for help, you will provide the assistance they need. That’s a tremendous reputation to have.

20 I September 2011 I Salvationist

Do you see any areas of weakness?

Every organization has challenges, so it’s nothing to shy away from. While it has long been immediately recognizable, the Army’s branding, such as the Red Shield and uniforms, has the potential to be irrelevant to younger generations or to those new to Canada. Given the Army’s reliance on public support, it’s important that you market yourselves in a way that connects with new generations or cultures so that you remain just as relevant in the future as you have been in the past.

Another issue is officership. While a source of incredible strength for the organization, it may also prove challenging as the numbers of officers continue to decrease.

Given that the demand for social services continues to grow, the Army will need to explore the role of officers in these ministries. Will they continue to manage and direct this work, or be reassigned to other areas in the organization? As well, if the number of Army representatives in your social centres diminish, will you still continue to be the same organization?

What does the future of technology look like?

Technology is shrinking the distance between people like never before. People now can communicate simultaneously with thousands of others around the world through social media. We can see the impact of this with some of the recent uprisings in the Middle East. People are using tools such as Facebook on a daily basis, so organizations must use these resources in order to remain relevant to society. The adoption of social media is essential for communicating your message.

I believe The Salvation Army is doing that and should be congratulated for its efforts, but there is much more to be done.

Technology is also changing the way people work. At TELUS, we’re working with large organizations, such as the Ottawa General Hospital, to discover ways

Robert McFarlane

to improve their effectiveness. Doctors are now using electronic tablets with health applications to assist them with diagnosing patients, which helps eliminate errors, increase timeliness and decrease health costs.

TELUS was also a proponent in modifying technology so that people could use their phones to text donations. Through this technology, the Army was able to receive donations for Haiti and Japan disaster relief from people who likely wouldn’t have donated through more traditional fundraising means.

Communication is changing rapidly.

How can we help our clients keep up?

The Army doesn’t serve a uniform group of people in need, as you work with different segments of the population, such as the elderly, daycares, health and social services and the homeless. If homeless people do not have a cellphone or Internet connectivity, they probably do not communicate that way, so having a blog, chat line or being accessible on Twitter may be less relevant to them than having a traditional physical presence that they can

interact with. But for other segments of the population, it may be more appropriate for them to connect by e-mail or phone for counselling. The Salvation Army needs to ask itself, “How do the people we serve communicate? And are we positioned to connect with them in the most relevant manner and to serve them when they need our help?”

What role do large companies such as TELUS have in supporting the vulnerable in society?

The only reason that companies like TELUS have funds that they can consider donating or sponsoring with is because they make a profit. So, it all starts with the services we have and the first priority as a company is to effectively generate a profit. However, there is a virtuous feedback loop in our belief in doing good in the communities in which we live, work and serve. Our employees are increasingly looking for opportunities to give back.

When we facilitate those opportunities, we have happier and more fulfilled team members.

Last year, TELUS was named the most philanthropic company in the world, so we believe giving is the right thing to do and linked to employee engagement. We

Save The Date Mark your calendar for the

also recognize that there are people who want to buy products and services from local companies that help the social fabric of their communities.

A more recent trend is cause marketing, in which a donation to a specific charity is explicitly linked to the purchase of a product. For example, in some areas of B.C., if you buy a new subscription to our television service, we will donate $100 to a local hospital. Another example is the pink BlackBerrys we sold in support of the Breast Cancer Foundation. We have been very successful with this and it is a neat opportunity for The Salvation Army to reflect on.

TELUS has been a great supporter of the Army, receiving a Life Giver Award from the B.C. Division.

We received the award in recognition of the considerable donations and contributions we’ve made in particular toward the Vancouver Harbour Light. For a number of years, we’ve funded the provision of an enhanced meal on Tuesdays. Teams of our employees rotate to help serve that meal and it has become known on the streets as “TELUS Tuesdays.” Another interesting initiative that started in B.C. and has now gone national is Socks for SOX. Someone

who works in our financial department asked, “Why don’t we raise money to purchase socks for the homeless?” What started out as a simple idea to ask for donations has taken off nationally. Ten thousand pairs of socks were purchased this year from the funds raised by our finance people.

What can our organizations learn from each other?

An organization like TELUS excels in terms of adopting new innovations and being accountable to high performance as we operate in a very competitive market. I think The Salvation Army can learn to improve its accountability for results in its own activities and develop ways to measure that. What is success, how can it be measured and how can you continually improve on that? These business concepts are very relevant to the Army.

There’s a sense of a higher calling when it comes to the work of the Army. For an organization such as TELUS, it’s important that we also identify a greater purpose for our employees and stakeholders than just making money. I think we do this well, but we can certainly learn more from the commitment and sense of fulfilment found in the Army.

Date: Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 Time: 7:30 am Location: Barrie Country Club 635 St. Vincent Street North, Barrie Keynote Speaker: Catriona Le May Doan

Hope in the City Breakfast in your area

Date: Thursday, November 17th, 2011 Time: 7:30 am Location: Ottawa Convention Centre 55 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa Keynote Speaker: Lt. General Roméo Dallaire

For information visit: hopeinthecityontario.ca HITC Ontario Salv-Ad.indd 1

Date: Thursday, November 24th, 2011 Time: 7:30 am Location: The Fairmont Royal York Hotel 100 Front Street West, Toronto Keynote Speaker: Lt. General Roméo Dallaire 10:58:33 Salvationist I6/29/2011 September 2011AM I 21

BATTLE CRY

Is Prayer a Waste of Time?

Five reasons why neglecting time with God is a big mistake

Photo: © istockphoto.com/fotosipsak

BY MAJOR DANIELLE STRICKLAND

O

n January 1, our small community of believers in Edmonton decided to pray. The Salvation Army had launched a global call to prayer for justice and we responded. This was not just a renewed effort in our personal prayer lives but a corporate decision to make our community a place of prayer. To this end, we transformed an office in our corps building into a “war room” for 24/7 prayer.

Of course, we could have done a host of other, more “practical” things. As an action-oriented person, I’ve been tempted to think that prayer is a waste of time.

I long for the Church to move from its huddled holy prayer clubs and into social justice.

I’ve come to realize, however, that dismissing prayer is a big mistake. Here’s why: 1. God’s plan comes first. I have a thousand ideas on how to grow a corps, get people saved and reform the neighbourhood. But most of the time my ideas don’t work. I lack the resources and ability to make them a reality. But when God opens the door, when he declares the time, things happen that can’t happen any other way.

The door can’t be shut. Favour comes.

Salvation comes. Resources come. I find it hard to keep up with what God is doing when I actively ask for his direction and 22 I September 2011 I Salvationist

Jay Leno joked, “I’d do anything for the perfect body, except diet and exercise.” Many of us think the same way about prayer help. A night of prayer helped Jesus speak these words of surrender: “Yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

2. Prayer challenges Hell and changes us. Prayer isn’t passive; it’s one of the most aggressive parts of our spiritual warfare. A prayer warrior once told me, “Be careful what you pray. By the end of your prayer, you’ll likely be the answer!” It’s true. Prayer doesn’t just challenge Hell, it changes us. It transforms my will to desire God’s will. Many people long to be like Christian heroes of the past, yet often the biggest difference is the amount of time spent with God. You’ve got to pray. Jay Leno joked, “I’d do anything for the perfect body, except diet and exercise.” Many of us think the same way about prayer.

3. Everyone can pray. Some of the best prayer warriors I know are not “gifted” in the eyes of the world. Their talents are not the public kind—music, leadership or administration—but when it comes to prayer, they are faithful and effective.

Prayer is a level playing field. In our prayer room in Edmonton, a woman who hasn’t had an easy life takes the morning shift for three hours, six days a week. If you were to judge her by worldly standards, you’d think her homeless or destitute.

You’d be wrong. She is part of a fired-up team of prayer warriors who together are changing our city and nation—crying out for justice day and night.

4. Prayer sustains us. Our spirits need food. It’s that simple. Jesus said that a blessing was attached to being hungry and thirsty for righteousness and justice. Have you ever wondered how Jesus prayed all night and kept on healing, evangelizing and championing justice the next day?

Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Are you weary? Do you need sustenance? Pray honestly, regularly and aggressively and you’ll find the blessing is yours.

5. Prayer gives rest to the soul. The Sabbath is all the rage these days, a “new” discovery for a generation with over-extended, toxically busy lives. The trouble is that we work the Sabbath into our lives instead of working our lives into the Sabbath. God made the Sabbath for our good. It’s about intentionally taking time to honour God with our attention, devotion and energy. It’s about coming before our Maker as family, community and individuals, just as we are. And that can be incredibly refreshing.

When I’m in the prayer room at my corps, I shut off my phone, listen to music, dance, write, laugh, read or create art. I love to “waste time” with God and remind myself that I’m not in charge and that it doesn’t all depend on me. It’s a chance to take a real rest, breathe deeply of God’s energizing life and return ready to win the world for Jesus.

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

MEDIA REVIEWS

The Action Bible

God’s redemptive story The Action Bible communicates Scripture in brilliantly coloured comic-style pictures. Internationally recognized artist, Sergio Cariello, who has worked for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, created illustrations marked by rich colouring, energetic designs and emotionally charged figures. “God is the original action hero,” says Doug Maus, general editor. “Everyone is impressed when Superman blows a car over with his breath, yet God created the whole universe with his breath. Superman may save the day with his strength, but Jesus saved the world with his death.” The Action Bible takes the reader through the Bible’s exciting stories from Genesis to Revelation. Its purpose is to inspire readers to be God’s next generation of difference-makers, just like Joseph, Moses, Esther, Paul and Jesus.

The 200 fast-paced narratives in chronological order make it easy to follow the Bible’s historical flow and reinforce the buildup to its thrilling climax.

The Reformation: Faith & Flames

Andrew Atherstone The Reformation marked a period of profound upheaval—one of the greatest turning points in the history of Christianity—and sent shock waves throughout the Western world. In The Reformation: Faith & Flames, Andrew Atherstone traces the dramatic and compelling story from the Renaissance to the 16th-century wars of religion.

Focusing on key personalities and events, Atherstone explains the often complex ideas that were at stake—and the political and religious issues involved.

Territorial Prayer Guide WEEK 1 – SEPTEMBER 1-3 Overseas Personnel • Eric and Rachael Olson, Barmstedt Corps, Germany and Lithuania Tty • Cpts Colin and Maureen Bain, Coventry Corps, United Kingdom Tty with the Republic of Ireland • Mjrs Bruce and Mildred Jennings, Traverse City Corps Community Center, Michigan, U.S.A. Central Tty WEEK 2 – SEPTEMBER 4-10 Education • The Holy Spirit to influence the decisions of leaders and instructors in the education systems in Canada and Bermuda • Christian leaders and teachers to offer an exemplary work ethic • Christian educators to be equipped and relevant WEEK 3 – SEPTEMBER 11-17 The Call to War • Salvationists to respond to the call to the holy war against evil • Front-line workers to have resources for effective outreach ministry • To be vigilant against Satan to prevent strife among us

Rumors of God

Experience the kind of faith you’ve only heard about Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson Life is busy. Many people live like slaves to our fast-paced schedules, spending time and energy in triviality and relegating God to the background. He seems distant to us, and we resist the idea that God wants to give, say and show us more; we dismiss it as rumour.

But Jesus calls us to a better way: another dream—an unimagined future. Australian authors Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson invite us to find the rumours of God all around us.

WEEK 4 – SEPTEMBER 18-24 Territorial Business Administration • God to provide Christian leaders in business administration • The Army to meet the challenge of doing business in a complex age • God to provide the money required to sustain our various ministries

Raising a Soul Surfer

One family’s epic tale Cheri Hamilton and Rick Bundschuh When 13-year-old surfer Bethany Hamilton lost her arm in a shark attack, the media spotlight turned her quiet life upside down. Many wondered how this rising star would find the inner strength to press on and realize her pro-surfing ambitions. Would she be able to adapt her surfing style to compete? Raising a Soul Surfer follows the Hamilton family’s unpredictable journey across a continent to find each other and Jesus, and traces the hand of God at work in their lives.

Outlive Your Life

✃

You were made to make a difference Max Lucado In his latest inspirational book, Max Lucado tells a story of hillbillies and simple folk, net-casters and tax collectors. A story of a movement that exploded like a just-opened fire hydrant out of Jerusalem and spilled into the ends of the earth—into the streets of Paris, the districts of Rome and the ports of Athens, Istanbul and Buenos Aires.

A story so mighty, controversial and life-changing that 2,000 years later we wonder whether it might happen again. In Outlive your Life, Max Lucado takes readers on a journey of generosity, justice and caring, and reveals why God deliberately chooses ordinary people to carry out his mandate.

WEEK 5 – SEPTEMBER 25-30 Leadership • Thank God for our new territorial leaders, Commissioners Brian and Rosalie Peddle (see 1 Timothy 2:1-3) and your divisional leadership team (see Hebrews 13:7) • Thank God for front-line officers and lay leaders who faithfully carry out God’s mission (see Hebrews 13:17) To receive a copy of the monthly prayer guides by e-mail, contact Lt-Colonel Winsome Mason, territorial secretary for spiritual life development, at Winsome_ Mason@can.salvationarmy.org.

Salvationist I September 2011 I 23

PURSUING HOLINESS

Renovation of the Soul

READ—First, acknowledge God’s presence, then read 2 Peter 1 without stopping. Now, read it again from a variety of translations (visit Biblegateway.com for online versions). In no other passage will we get a more complete picture of how the Christian life works.

The concept of holiness may trigger many conflicting emotions and ideas. Yet, it’s the Bible’s favourite word for expressing the nature of God and the pursuit to which he calls us. In 1 Peter 1:16 God says, “I am holy; you be holy” (The Message, italics mine). Holiness is a way of being that results in a way of doing.

BY MAJOR CLARENCE BRADBURY

REFLECT—Take a few moments to reflect on where you are in relation to Jesus. Respond to these questions as honestly as possible. Make note of any concerns so that you may return to them in the course of these studies.

1. How would you describe the kind of life God wants you to live? How diligent are you in living the life you describe?

2. If you have children or grandchildren, how important is their holiness to you? How does this concern compare with your interest in their school grades, hockey scores, batting average or income level? How does their sin affect your prayer life?

3. How concerned are you that the people in your church reflect the character of Christ? How does life in the Church impact your own relationship with God? Now, identify the words or phrases from the first three verses that capture your attention.

According to verses 1 and 2, what is the source of our faith (see also Ephesians 2:8)? Faith is shown to be both a gift that we receive and a response that we make to God. God has given us the tools and the knowledge, but we need to learn how to use them for the renovation of the soul.

Re-read verse three several times, from various translations.

Then, reflect on these questions: • What specific resources are outlined in this verse, and when can they be put to use?

• What role does knowledge play in this process (see also Philippians 3:8, 10)?

• What does it mean to share in the glory and goodness of God?

Think holiness is just a boring set of rules? Think again

Bible Study: 2 Peter 1

A

t the Salvation Army bookstore in Toronto a few years ago, I had an inspiring conversation with a Gen Y Christian.

Having renewed his relationship with Jesus, he asked, “Do you know anything about this Brengle guy? This is really cool stuff!” He held a copy of Helps to Holiness by Samuel Logan Brengle, one of the Army’s greatest holiness teachers. Over 100 years ago, Brengle wrote it with young people in mind.

The excitement of this young man over such a “yesterday” book intrigued me, so I asked him to explain. His response was typical of a Gen Y Christian who wants religion to be accessible, practical and relevant. His hunger was a mirror image of my own when I was his age. I remembered my days as one of then-Major Edward Read’s cadets at the St. John’s College for Officer Training.

Under his passionate teaching and mentoring, my fellow cadets and I were introduced to holiness as a way of life, with very distinct possibilities for the here and now.

My own quest for holiness led me to the first chapter of 2 Peter.

I have chosen this single chapter as the focus of this Salvationist series. It is meant to be a practical Bible study for individuals and small groups. The series follows a simple outline from which we read (and re-read), reflect, reshape and receive. I pray that God will use it to lead us to deeper intimacy with Jesus.

24 I September 2011 I Salvationist

RESHAPE—Much of traditional thinking about holiness reduces it to living according to a list of rules that changes with time and context. The Bible exposes falsehoods in much of the teaching of the first (and the 21st) century. In light of your discoveries from Peter’s teaching, identify any of your notions of Christian holiness that need to be revised.

RECEIVE—Out of God’s diversified investment in you, what do you need to receive and use for the enrichment of your life?

Pray to confess a specific need and trust in God’s supply for that felt need.

Resources

• Free e-books by Brengle at swartzentrover.com • New book: Masterful Living by Kevin Mannoia, Wesleyan Holiness Consortium, 2011 Major Clarence Bradbury, D.Min., is leadership trainer and program developer at The Salvation Army Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development, Atlanta.

CELEBRATE COMMUNITY

ENROLMENTS AND RECOGNITION

KAMLOOPS, B.C.—The corps band and choir from Penticton, B.C., visited Kamloops for their second annual concert weekend on May 28-29. “We were blessed by their ministry and delighted to have a full house on Saturday night and Sunday morning,” says Mjr Sharleen McTaggart, CO. “The $850 raised on Saturday night helped take us over the top for our Partners in Mission campaign.”

TORONTO—West Hill Community Church welcomes five new soldiers. From left, CSM Roland Blake; Evelyn Reader; Nita Wiseman; Fraser Howse; Mary Howse; Bernice Skinner; Mjrs Derrick and Judith Barrow, COs. Bond Blake holds the flag.

OSHAWA, ONT.—Andrew Burditt is the newly commissioned bandmaster at Oshawa Temple.

With him are Mjr Robert Reid, CO, and Charlie Ball, colour sergeant.

REGINA—Dawn and Kevin Buchanan are enrolled as senior soldiers at Haven of Hope Church.

Supporting them are Cpts Steven and Corinne Cameron, then COs, and Gord Wilson, colour sergeant.

PARRY SOUND, ONT.—Rainbow Country Church welcomes six new adherents. From left, Cpt Lee-Ann van Duinen, CO; Laura Fraser; Linda Hudson; Lorainne Nason; Ruth Pilgrim; Dan Heslip; Dwayne Norrie; Cpt Peter van Duinen, CO.

TWEED, ONT.—Tweed Community Church celebrates two senior soldiers and two junior soldiers. Front, from left, Edward Foster, Colten Goyak. Back, from left, Nathan Goyak; Cpt Orest Goyak; Cpt Tracy Goyak, CO; Kaitlyn Goyak.

CORNER BROOK, N.L.—Corner Brook Citadel dedicates its first triplets. From left, Ellie Fifield, cradle roll sergeant; Mjr Robert Kean, then CO; Robert Bennett holding son, Max; Mary Brake holding granddaughter, Sophie; Michelle Bennett holding son, Jack; Don Brake; Mjr Cassie Kean, then CO; CSM Mona West.

ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—Matthew Osmond is commissioned as assistant corps sergeant major at St. John’s Citadel. With him are Mjrs Brian and Valerie Wheeler, COs. Salvationist I September 2011 I 25

CELEBRATE COMMUNITY

BAY ROBERTS, N.L.—Cpts Morgan and Lisa Hillier, COs, stand with newly enrolled adherent Laura Saunders. Right: George Bishop retires after 31 years of service as corps treasurer.

HAMILTON, ONT.—Comr William W. Francis, then territorial commander, enrols three senior soldiers at the Hamilton Laotian Corps. From left, Comr Marilyn D. Francis, Somkhit Suttiprapa, Doungphet and Sithonh Saenephommachanh, Comr William Francis. Comr Marilyn Francis prayed for the Lord’s blessing and guidance for the new soldiers.

KINGSTON, ONT.—Kingston Citadel celebrates the enrolment of eight soldiers. From left, Mardi Masewich, Debra Hamilton, Colleen Kirkland, Suzanne Berton-Metcalfe, Veronica Metcalfe, Tracey McMann, Jacob Hawley, Grace Coulter. Standing with them are Mjrs Wil and Catherine BrownRatcliffe, then COs, and Dave and Bev Harvey, preparation class leaders.

LEWISPORTE, N.L.—Two new local officers are commissioned: CMS Bonnie Snow and HLS Sheila Brenton. Below left: Barry Clark receives a certificate for faithfully serving as corps sergeant-major for 10 years. Left: Bessie Downton is recognized for 25 years of service as a community care ministries member.

ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—At St. John’s Temple, newly commissioned Bandmaster Mark Barter receives the baton from retiring Bandmaster David Rowsell.

From left, CSM Larry Purdy; Mjr Elaine Braye, CO; David Rowsell; Mark Barter; Mjr David Braye, CO.

GAMBO, N.L.—Abby Peckford and Alyssa Brennan are enrolled as senior soldiers. With them is CSM Marvin Wells, preparation class instructor.

Right: Kurtis Hunt becomes a junior soldier.

26 I September 2011 I Salvationist

CAMPBELLFORD, ONT.—On April 1, The Salvation Army relocated its ministry units to the centre of the community. An ensemble from Peterborough Temple Band, the mayor, municipal representatives and the divisional commander were present. From left, Valerie Gratton, thrift store supervisor; Janey Leach, community and family services co-ordinator; Hector MacMillan, mayor of the municipality of Trent Hills (Campbellford and area); Cpt Steve Manuel, CO, Trenton CC; Lt-Col Wayne Pritchett, then DC, Ont. CE Div; Cpt Tina Manuel, CO.

CELEBRATE COMMUNITY

WOODSTOCK, ONT.—Woodstock CC celebrates the enrolment of six junior soldiers and three senior soldiers. Front, from left, Spencer Wilcock, Aiden Wilcock, Eve Scotney, Lauren Cox, Joel Vording, Nathan Cox. Back, from left, Mjr Owen Budden, CO; Geoffrey Jolly; RS Edward Colliss; Talitha Budden; Kyle Rose; JSS Vanessa Scotney-Page; Christina Fyn, junior soldier teacher; Mjr Sandra Budden, CO.

WESLEYVILLE, N.L.—During 117th anniversary celebrations led by Lt-Col Sandra Rice, secretary for personnel, New-Wes-Valley Corps celebrated the enrolment of junior and senior soldiers. Front, from left, Blake Welcher, Joshua Keats, Andrew Abbott, Abigail Winter, Jabez Keats. Back, from left, Lts Brent and Melissa Haas, COs; Lt-Col Sandra Rice; ACSM Hardy Chippett; Terry Chippett, youth leader.

Above: Six senior soldiers are enrolled at New-WesValley Corps. From left, Daphne Hopkins, Marcella Bemister, Sheila Colbert, Amanda Welcher, Kendra Welcher, Cyril Tucker. Left: Lts Melissa and Brent Haas honour Eric Hopkins for 53 years of devoted service as a Salvation Army musician.

ORILLIA, ONT.—SONday’SCOOL children kicked off Partners in Mission 2011 with the goal of $100, but raised $618. During a Sunday morning meeting, they presented a cheque to the senior corps. The Orillia Corps had committed to raise $9,000, but with the help of SONday’SCOOL kids, they contributed $14,659.

ST. CATHARINES, ONT.—St. Catharines Corps enrols one adherent and five senior soldiers. From left, Beryl Gibbon, Prince Conteh, Mario Montiel-Angeles, Liam Daniels, Jose Medina, Laura Hepditch. Back, from left, CSM Mjr Harold Rideout, holding the flag; Mjr Kent Hepditch, CO; Lt-Cols Junior and Verna Hynes; Mjr Dena Hepditch, CO; Mjr Lily Rideout, preparation classes instructor. Lt-Cols Hynes, territorial secretary for program services and assistant territorial secretary for women’s ministries, conducted the enrolment.

DARTMOUTH, N.S.—During Dartmouth CC’s 125th anniversary celebrations, Scott Banfield presented a holiness cloth to honour the memory and faithful service of his parents, retired CSM Frank Banfield and his wife, Rose. With him are Cpt Sean and Mjr Marilyn Furey, COs, and Mjrs Jack and Faye Strickland, guest leaders.

ADVANCING THE MISSION

Keep us informed about what’s happening. Send us your news and photos highlighting the various ways The Salvation Army is living out its mission in your community. Photos are acceptable in JPEG or TIFF format, minimum 300 ppi preferred. E-mail us at Salvationist@can. salvationarmy.org.

Salvationist I September 2011 I 27

CELEBRATE COMMUNITY

Officer Retirements

Accepted for Training

Major Susan McCann spent 32 years of officership in the province of Quebec, which included serving as corps officer in English and French congregations. Susan also served as statistician, French training college officer and pastoral care officer for the Quebec Division. While in pastoral care at divisional headquarters, she looked after the volunteer department, French resources and was part of the moms’ and tots’ camp committee. She describes the completion of her three-year chaplaincy/spiritual care certificate as “one of the best experiences of my life.” A brief family services appointment was followed by chaplaincy at Catherine Booth Rehab Hospital and Montclair Seniors’ Residence. Notes Susan, “My prayer for this new chapter in my life is, ‘Show [me] the way in which [I] should walk and the thing [I] should do’” (Jeremiah 42:3, NKJV).

Laurie Sauder, The Salvation Army Community Church, Swift Current, Sask., Prairie Division I am a wife, mother, farm girl and a lover of people who enjoys being creative in leadership. As a passionate and practical Christian, my relationship with God has developed from learning the importance of intimacy with him and getting beyond life’s distractions. This involves relying on him fully, trusting him wholeheartedly and co-operating with him by using my personality and gifts in the service of Christ’s Kingdom. I have heard the Lord say, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me’ ” (see Isaiah 6:8).

Major Sydney Buell, from Charlottetown, P.E.I., met the Army when he went to the home league with his mother to talk about a recovery program for family and friends of alcoholics.

The family decided to attend The Salvation Army where Sydney became a soldier and felt God’s calling to officership. After being commissioned as a Disciple of Jesus in Toronto in 1978 and marrying Lt Beverley Weddell in 1979, they served in Indian Head, Sask., Haliburton, Ont., and Neepawa, Man. They subsequently served in Harbour Light ministry in Kingston, Ont., and Toronto. “God has been so good through these 33 years of ministry,” testifies Sydney. “I praise him for the experiences, daily strength and the joy and blessings I have found in serving him.”

Biker Raises $7,000 for the Army’s Work in Liberia PRINCE ALBERT, SASK.—Early this year Claude Pelletier (in yellow vest) biked from Prince Albert through Nipawin, Tisdale and Melfort, Sask., covering more than 250 kilometres. Pelletier’s personal bike-a-thon raised money for the ministry of The Salvation Army in Liberia. He canvassed nearly every business in Prince Albert and raised $7,000 for the cause. A group of wellwishers, including Mjr Glenn Patey, CO, met him on his return to the city.

Dusty Sauder, The Salvation Army Community Church, Swift Current, Sask., Prairie Division One of the influences in the development of my faith was my wise and encouraging grandmother who taught and modelled practical Christian living as I grew in my relationship with God. The second influence is James 2:14-18, which Grandma used to kick-start my faith as a young adult: “What good is it … if people claim to have faith but have no deeds? Can such faith save them? … Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”

Darryl Burry, Comox Valley Community Church, Courtenay, British Columbia Division Growing up with Salvation Army officer parents, I was surrounded by godly examples, but it was as a counsellor at Camp Newport, Huntsville, Ont., that Jesus Christ dramatically changed my life. My spiritual journey took me to Booth University College where I grew in my understanding of God and in my faith. Since then, God has provided opportunities and challenges, including being an associate pastor in the Army and most recently leading a ministry unit with my wife, Kim. We now feel called to live out our covenant relationship with God through officership.

Kimberley Burry, Comox Valley Community Church, Courtenay, British Columbia Division While in Jamaica with my officer parents, I committed my life to Christ at age 10, but it wasn’t until I attended Booth University College that he really changed my life. God has gradually revealed his will for me and I especially appreciate Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” I like Helen Keller’s comment: “I believe that God is in me as the sun is in the colour and fragrance of a flower—the light in my darkness, the voice in my silence.”

Advisory Council Restructured for Mission Effectiveness SMITHS FALLS, ONT.—Consultant Paul Cormier of RANA International guided the Army in Smith Falls through a three-year year process to develop a business plan for its ministry, which includes a restructured advisory council. “God has good things in store for The Salvation Army in the Mississippi-Rideau area of Ontario, and the advisory council will help guide us into that future,” says Mjr Brian Fuller, then CO. From left, Mjr Sue Fuller; Mjr Doug Smith, then AC; Jeanne Jenner; Paul Cormier; Bill Bradley; Kate Ryan, advisory council chairperson; Jackie Staples; Jeannie Fair; Melba Jarvis; Symond Rombough; David Purden; Mjr Brian Fuller.

28 I September 2011 I Salvationist

CELEBRATE COMMUNITY

TRIBUTES

SIMCOE, ONT.—Arthur Roy Kennard, a third-generation Salvationist, was promoted to Glory in his 90th year.

Originally from Worthing, Sussex, England, Roy was an avid bandsman for more than 60 years. After immigrating to Newfoundland in the early 1950s, Roy helped to plant the Mount Pearl Corps. Moving to Kingston, Ont., in 1967, he served as a bandsman, band secretary and band sergeant. He was the head of the occupational therapy department at the Kingston Psychiatric Hospital until his retirement in the late 1980s and occasionally taught at Queen’s University. He spent his final years attending Simcoe Community Church. Roy is missed by daughter, Elaine (Kerry); daughter-in-law, Jennifer; five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and other relatives and friends.

GREEN’S HARBOUR, N.L.—Douglas Howell was born in 1941 and became a senior soldier at Green’s Harbour Corps in 1984. He served as a devoted bandsman and men’s fellowship member for more than 25 years. He also served as a songster and welcome sergeant. He worked in Labrador for 14 years before returning to the Island of Newfoundland to continue his career as a heavy equipment operator. Doug also worked for Canada Post, was a bus driver and worked as a crane operator until retirement in 2005. He enjoyed camping, fishing and biking with his wife, Frances, and close friends Albert and Paula Snow. Doug loved and was faithful to the Lord. He is missed by wife, Frances; sons Dannie and Graham; daughter, Evelyn; three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, extended family and friends.

GAZETTE

TERRITORIAL Appointments Mjr Doreen Grandy, community ministries director, with the additional responsibility of assistant CO, Kentville, N.S., Maritime Div; Mjr Karen Ingram, family tracing worker, DHQ, Maritime Div*; Cpt Patrick Lublink, seconded to the Canadian Forces as senior Canadian chaplain for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Mons, Belgium. Team ministry with Cpt Valerie Lublink; Mjrs William and Donna Barthau, Indonesia Tty**; Mjr Elaine Bridger, DYS, Alta. and Northern Ttys Div; Mjr Eileen Butler-Caughie, director of family tracing (primary responsibility), divisional retired officers secretary and divisional services to seniors secretary*, Ont. CE Div; Mjr Melinda McNutt, international personnel liaison officer, ������� personnel department, THQ *Additional responsibility **Details to follow Promotions to Major Cpts David/Brenda Allen, Cpt Irene Chalut, Cpts Jeffrey/Christine Johnston, Cpt Bruce Mac Kenzie, Cpt Rosa Moulton, Cpts John/Brenda Murray, Cpt Wendy Boone, Cpts Nelson/Deris Fillier, Cpt Donna Hayward, Cpt Sherri Williams Long service—25 years Colonels Floyd/Tracey Tidd, Mjrs Brian/Edith Beveridge, Mjrs Gary/Krista Brown, Mjrs Stan/ Debi Carr, Mjrs Peter/Karen Eason, Mjr Valerie Hennessy, Mjrs Kevin/Loriann Metcalf, Mjr Daniel Roode, Mjrs Kenneth/Beverley Smith, Mjrs Bradley/Susan Donais, Mjr Barry Anstey, Mjrs Lloyd/Marlene George, Mjrs Lyndon/Lisa Hale, Mjrs Bond/Marina Jennings, Mjrs Robert/ Cassie Kean, Mjr Craig Rowe, Mjrs Eddie/Genevera Vincent, Mjrs David/Donna Kennedy Long service—30 years Mjr Joanne Binner, Mjrs Gerald/Robin Cory, Mjrs

COBDEN, ONT.—Mabel Kimberley was born in Saskatoon in 1923 and married Ken Kimberley in 1942. In 1955, the family moved to Winnipeg and became active at Winnipeg Citadel. Mabel sang in the songsters, taught corps cadets, served as the Y.P. records sergeant, songster sergeant, home league treasurer and was also an active member of the missionary group and community care ministries. She and Ken retired to British Columbia in 1993 and soldiered at Cariboo Hill Temple in Burnaby. Mabel moved to Cobden, Ont., in 2010 to be closer to her eldest daughter. Mabel is survived by sisters Betty and Rosella; daughters Pam (Bill) and Bev (Murray); son, Major Ken (Colleen); many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

LONDON, ONT.—Major David Junior Goulding was born in Gambo, N.L., in 1947. He was commissioned as an officer in 1967 and married Frances Vincent in 1970.

David served for 36 years as an active officer, 16 in various corps throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario and 20 in social services in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Bermuda. In 1996, the London South Rotary Club made him a Paul Harris Fellow. In 2002, after David was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 55, he retired from full-time ministry. David is remembered for his love of carpentry, a kind, generous, gentle nature and a willingness to deliver the message of truth and love. He lived daily to glorify the Lord, whom he loved dearly.

David is greatly missed by his wife, Frances; daughter, Sue-Ann (Greg); two grandsons; mother, Susanna (nee Pickett); four brothers; four sisters; many nieces, nephews and friends.

Paul/Jo-Anne Gilbert, Mjrs David/Karen Oldford, Mjr Roderick Sheasby, Mjr Janice Bishop, Mjr Renee Clarke, Mjr Lorraine Davis, Mjrs Stephen/ Elaine Hibbs, Mjr Reneé Hopkins, Mjr Barbara Pearce, Mjrs Roy/Louise Perry Long service—35 years Commissioner Rosalie Peddle, Mjrs Donald/June Carver, Mjr Margaret Evans, Mjrs Ronald/Linda Mailman, Mjr Derrick Barrow, Mjrs Calvin/Beryl Collins, Mjr William King, Mjr Doreen Lacey, Mjr Roy Randell, Mjr Lorraine Shea Long service—40 years Mjrs Douglas/Jean Hefford; Lt-Cols Junior/Verna Hynes; Mjr Gordon Jarvis; Lt-Col Lynette Rowe; Mjrs Max/Doreen Sturge Long service—50 years Mjr Joan McCarter Marriages Lt Joshua Downer/Lt Joyce Wilson, July 1, Glace Bay, N.S.; Cpt Jennifer Canning/Shane Hillier, July 16, Lewisporte, N.L. Retirements Mjrs Fred/Shirley Ash, last appointment: Burlington CC, Ont. GL Div; Mjr Winifred Blackman, last appointment: DSWM and liaison officer for Vancouver 614 Corps, The War College and Cross Culture Corps, Vancouver, B.C. Div; Mjrs Clarence/Linda Bradbury, last appointments: director and associate director, Jack McDowell School for Leadership Development/Evangeline Booth College, Atlanta, U.S.A. Southern Tty; Mjr Frederick Butler-Caughie, last appointment: chaplain, College Park Court, correctional and justice services, Toronto, Ont. CE Div; Mjrs Wayne/Rosemary Green, last appointment: Conception Bay South, N.L Div; Mjr Donald Law, last appointment: Moose Jaw, Sask., Prairie Div; Lt-Cols Alfred/Ethel Richardson, last appointments: DC and DDWM, N.L. Div; Lt-Col Lynda Watt, last appointment: assistant to the secretary for business administration, THQ

Promoted to Glory Mrs Comr Gladys Pindred, from New Westminster, B.C., June 6; Mjr David Goulding, from London, Ont., June 8; Brg Thomas Smith, from Kitchener, Ont., July 10

CALENDAR

Commissioners Brian and Rosalie Peddle Aug 30-Sept 1 welcome as territorial leaders and installation of Mjrs Larry and Velma Martin, divisional leaders, B.C. Div; Sep 16 Booth University College board dinner, Winnipeg; Sep 17-18 CFOT welcome weekend, Winnipeg; Sep 19 welcome as territorial leaders and installation of Mjrs Ron and Donna Millar, divisional leaders, Alta. and Northern Ttys Div; Sep 29-30 National Advisory Board, Vancouver Colonels Floyd and Tracey Tidd Sep 9-11 men’s camp, N.L. *; Sep 15 Ethics Centre Board of Trustees, Winnipeg; Sep 16-17 Booth University College Board of Trustees, Winnipeg; Sep 17-18 CFOT welcome weekend, Winnipeg; Sep 19 welcome of Commissioners Brian and Rosalie Peddle and installation of Mjrs Ron and Donna Millar, divisional leaders, Alta. and Northern Ttys Div; Sep 24-25 Cornerstone CC 25th anniversary, Mississauga, Ont. CE Div; Sep 29-30 National Advisory Board, Vancouver *Col Floyd Tidd only Canadian Staff Band Sep 30 Halifax Citadel CC; Oct 1-2 Yarmouth, N.S.

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Salvationist I September 2011 I 29

CROSS CULTURE

The Voice of a New Generation Photo: © istockphoto.com/exdez

Should Christians listen to Bob Dylan, U2 and Lady Gaga?

BY MICHAEL BOYCE

W

hen an extract from Michael Gilmour’s The Gospel According to Bob Dylan was reprinted in an online Christian magazine, a few of the readers’ responses shocked and saddened me. Some of the comments were just uninformed. Others were the worst kind of judgmental bile. But the comment that really struck me said that the author should forget trying to interpret Dylan’s music and just listen to the Gaithers.

Bob Dylan wrote songs that gave voice to an entire generation. Why wouldn’t a Christian scholar be interested in exploring Dylan’s use of Christian imagery and themes? Most of the negative responses had at their heart the same complaint: Because we can’t be sure that Bob Dylan is a Christian, should we be listening to his music? Can someone like Dylan have anything worthwhile to say about faith?

These responses could also be summed up as, “Should Christians pay attention to popular culture?” After all, aren’t we told: “Do not love the world or the things of the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world” (1 John 2:15 NRSV)?

The questioning of popular culture by certain groups of Christians has become more frequent since the popularization of “Christian culture,” in which singers, musicians and writers produce explicitly Christian works for an explicitly Christian audience. Essentially the argument is that since we have our own books, comics, music and movies, we shouldn’t need those products from secular culture. However, part of the problem with Christian culture 30 I September 2011 I Salvationist

is how reflective it is of the very secular culture the Christian work is aiming to displace. One of the youth magazines my corps stocked had a regular column that told us, “If you like secular artist X, then you will like Christian artist Y.” What they meant is that artist Y’s music sounds sort of like artist X’s. Imitation art is never taken seriously. The original work is always perceived as better, more authentic and more artistically relevant. The imitation work is always that, just an imitation. Imitations are never quite as good as the real thing.

The early Salvation Army understood how to use culture in this way to reach the unchurched in the streets of the poorest neighbourhoods in London, England, by playing familiar music hall tunes. Much like Paul speaking to the philosophers at Athens using their philosophical rhetoric and their temple to an unknown god (see Acts 17:16-34), the Army knew that popular music would attract people to their open-air meetings. Rather than inventing their own tunes, they simply added new lyrics—something that would never work with today’s copyright restrictions.

Choosing to use popular music in this way demonstrated a willingness to engage with culture in a wise and discerning way.

So, how can we engage with popular culture effectively today?

As a professor of English literature and film studies at Booth University College, I don’t back away from difficult novels or films. A few summers ago I taught a

course on contemporary literature that reinterprets the Bible and biblical stories. The initial hostility to the novels I chose was clearly evident. “Why do we have to read this awful book? Couldn’t we read nice Christian books?” I spent the better part of the first hour of that class explaining why I believe we should not be ignorant of the culture around us. I wasn’t suggesting an uncritical response to culture.

I wasn’t asking people to “love” things that they didn’t agree with. They could hate the books, and my feelings wouldn’t be hurt. I want more Christians to take a discerning critical examination of popular culture because it reflects the thoughts and attitudes of secular society. We live in a post-Christian world. Most people don’t go to church or know Bible stories, yet artists, writers and filmmakers are having fascinating spiritual conversations.

Television shows such as Lost, Breaking Bad and Battlestar Galatica, movies such as 2012 and The Dark Knight, and musicians such as U2, Lady Gaga and, yes, even Bob Dylan are deeply concerned with theological themes and asking interesting questions about God and faith.

Isn’t that a conversation we should be interested in?

Michael Boyce, PhD, is assistant professor and chair of English and film studies at Booth University College in Winnipeg. He is also a founding fellow of the Canadian Institute for the Study of Pop Culture and Religion (cispcr.org).

Salvationist I September 2011 I 31

2011 weekend of prayer for Human Trafficking

Sept 23–25

deliver us from hu˙man traf ˙ fick ˙ ing: (1) the buying and selling of human beings; (2) modernday human slavery

evil

dig˙ni˙ty: (1) nobility or elevation of character; worthiness; (2) a basic human right

human trafficking

Salvationist.ca/trafficking

Pray. Prevent. Protect. Restore.

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