AROUND THE TERRITORY
Army Delegates Attend World Council of Churches Assembly
From left, Lt-Col Jim Champ; Mjr John Read; Col Kim, Pil-Soo; Comr William Cochrane; Comr Vibeke Krommenhoek; Comr Park, Chong-duk; and Mjr Son, Suk-young attend the assembly of the World Council of Churches in South Korea
FOUR SALVATION ARMY officers attended the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Busan, South Korea, from October 30 to November 8, 2013. The Salvation Army delegation was headed by Commissioner William Cochrane (international secretary to the Chief of the Staff, International Headquarters). “As a distinctive part of the wider church, it’s good for The Salvation Army to engage with fellow Christians, to share in fellowship, prayer and celebration of what unites us,” he says. Commissioner Vibeke Krommenhoek (territorial president of women’s ministries, Norway, Iceland and The Færoes Territory), Lt-Colonel Jim Champ (territorial secretary for communications, Canada and Bermuda Territory) and
Maritime Division Brings Youth Together MORE THAN 100 youth delegates and leaders descended upon Scotian Glen Camp in Thorburn, N.S., this fall for Youth Together 2013. The theme of the weekend, Justice League, was designed to inspire youth to take a stance on social injustices in the world today. “It was a weekend of renewal,” says Captain Morgan Hillier, divisional youth secretary, Maritime Division. “The kids were challenged, our guest speaker was phenomenal and everyone had a great time.” Guest speaker Jonathan Evans, former principal of Vancouver’s War College and now corps leader at Cross Culture Corps in Vancouver, led participants through a weekend of prayer, personal reflection and growth. The youth took part in a variety of activities, including small group discussions and excursions to thrift stores in nearby Westville and New Glasgow, N.S. “We wanted the kids to realize that injustices can be happening in our own homes and neighbourhoods, and they were challenged to face the injustices in their lives,” says Captain Hillier. “We so often look at the worldview—the ‘bigger’ issues—and we forget about the issues in our lives.”
Youth Together 2013 brings more than 100 delegates together at Scotian Glen Camp
Major John Read (territorial ecumenical officer, United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland) also travelled to Busan for the event. They joined the Korea Territory’s Commissioner Park, Chong-duk (territorial commander), Colonel Kim, Pil-soo (chief secretary), Major Son, Suk-young (divisional commander, Kyung Nam) and 27 cadets who were present for the opening ceremonies. Approximately 3,000 participants from all over the world, representing 345 member churches of the World Council of Churches, attended the assembly. With the theme “God of life, lead us to justice and peace,” the first meeting of the assembly honoured the diverse traditions of Christian worship. The assembly also included thematic plenaries on Asia, mission, unity, justice and peace.
N.L. Develops Leaders REPRESENTING ALL GENERATIONS, from teenagers to senior citizens, more than 200 leaders from across the Newfoundland and Labrador Division gathered at Twin Ponds Camp in Glenwood, N.L., to participate in a leadership development weekend. Speaking on Friday, guest Dave Overholt of Church on the Rock in Hamilton, Ont., reminded delegates of the importance of maintaining and building their relationship with God while leading others. He also encouraged leaders to keep pressing on in their work, even when facing difficulty. Major Sandra Stokes, area commander, spoke on Saturday and Sunday and challenged leaders to focus on discipleship. On Sunday, participants were given the opportunity to recommit themselves and their work to Christ in a time of prayer and dedication. “Major Stokes’ look at discipleship was a highlight for me,” says David Skeard of Grand Falls-Windsor. “She made me realize that when someone turns their life over to Christ, that is just the beginning. We need to spiritually guide them and help them grow into a mature Christian.” The weekend also included workshops on topics such as conflict resolution, compassion fatigue, behavioural and developmental issues in children, couples in ministry and developing young leaders. Guest Dave Overholt speaks at a leadership development weekend Salvationist • January 2014 • 7