Salvationist May 2018

High Council Quiz: Test Your “General” Knowledge

Meet Four Generations of Newfoundland Nurses

How to Talk About End-of-Life Care

THE VOICE OF THE ARMY

May 2018

Salvationist.ca

Match Made in Heaven

Bermudian Salvationists find love after loss

CONTENTS

Salvationist May 2018 • Volume 13, Number 5

Departments

14

5 Frontlines 16 Ethically Speaking

Get more online

On Home Ground

by Colonel Eleanor Shepherd

Visit Salvationist.ca to add your comments and read web-exclusive articles

17 Perspectives In With the New

by Lt-Colonel Fred Waters

@salvationistmagazine Follow us on Instagram for the latest and best Army photos. Tag your photos #salvationists

23 Calling the Courageous Bienvenue’s Welcome

by Ken Ramstead

25 Cross Culture

Features

27 People & Places

8 Inside the High Council

30 Salvation Stories

A step-by-step guide to the election of a Salvation Army General.

by Commissioner William W. Francis

Follow the Path

by Shelly Mercredi

Columns 4 Editorial Passing the Torch

by Geoff Moulton

24 Grace Notes When Mother’s Day Hurts

by Lieutenant Erin Metcalf

23

10 Test Your “General” Knowledge How well do you know our Salvation Army leaders?

by Pamela Richardson

12 A Match Made in Heaven

/salvationistmagazine Like us on Facebook for photos and updates.

Interact with our community of 34,000 fans @Salvationist Follow us on Twitter for the Army’s breaking news. Use hashtag #SalvationArmy for your own updates and photos Cover photo: Akil Simmons

After losing their spouses, James and Henrietta Bean never expected to find love again. But God had other plans.

by Kristin Ostensen

Read and share it!

14 Nursing a Career

Faith&Friends

The healing arts have been a family tradition for four generations of Salvationists in St. John’s, N.L.

by Ken Ramstead

18 Dying Wish

A Friend in Need

“CALL LOU ANN” P.13

NFLer’s Aim is True

BRANDIN COOKS P.21

Armoury to Sanctuary

ARMY HELPS OUT P.27

I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G

faithandfriends.ca

MAY 2018

Arms of Love

It’s time to start a conversation about the end of your life.

by Cadet Joel Torrens

20 Across an Ocean and a Continent From 1904 to 1932, The Salvation Army’s immigration department assisted thousands to make their home in Canada.

by R. Gordon Moyles

HOW A SUMMER VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE TURNED INTO A FOREVER FAMILY. P.16

Salvationist May 2018 3

EDITORIAL

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Passing the Torch

his month, The Salvation Army will elect a new international leader. The 111 members of the High Council will converge on London, England, during the week of May 15 to decide who will be the next General.

These senior Army leaders have the momentous task of praying, deliberating and voting for the candidate who can best navigate the Army forward.

For this issue of Salvationist, we asked Commissioner William Francis, a member of two previous High Councils and former territorial commander of Canada and Bermuda, to provide a step-by-step account of how a General is elected (page 8). In addition to consulting General John Larsson’s definitive writing on the subject, Commissioner Francis reached out to Lt-Colonel Rob Garrad, executive secretary to the General, who helped confirm current High Council membership as well as subtle changes in the procedures. After the upcoming council, Lt-Colonel Garrad will have served as a supporting staff member at nine High Councils—an amazing window on Salvation Army history in the making!

Once you’ve got your High Council facts straight, you can turn the page and test your knowledge of former Generals and their contribution to the work of The Salvation Army (page 10). We will also post the quiz on our Facebook page

Salvationist

is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory André Cox General Commissioner Susan McMillan Territorial Commander Lt-Colonel Jim Champ Secretary for Communications Geoff Moulton Editor-in-Chief and Literary Secretary Giselle Randall Features Editor (416-467-3185) Pamela Richardson News Editor, Copy Editor and Production Co-ordinator (416-422-6112) Kristin Ostensen Associate Editor and Staff Writer 4 May 2018 Salvationist

(facebook.com/salvationistmagazine) so you can share it with your friends. Keep an eye on Salvationist.ca in mid-May for updates on the High Council and the announcement of the new General.

The High Council gathering is also an opportunity to say farewell to General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox, World President of Women’s Ministries.

During their tenure, they have impacted The Salvation Army in many positive ways, including the Boundless congress in London, which brought together thousands of Salvationists from around the world; the Accountability Movement, which has stressed the importance of integrity in finance, governance, impact measurement and child protection; and the “Whole World … ” emphases of Bible reading, praying and mobilizing. We wish them God’s blessing as they retire.

Even as we look to the future, we also look back at an important chapter in the Army’s history. Elsewhere in this issue, you can read an excerpt from the new Triumph Publishing book by historian R. Gordon Moyles (available at store.salvationarmy. ca), entitled Across an Ocean and a Continent (page 20). It tells of the influential role The Salvation Army played a century ago in wel-

Timothy Cheng Senior Graphic Designer Brandon Laird Design and Media Specialist Ada Leung Circulation Co-ordinator Ken Ramstead Contributor Agreement No. 40064794, ISSN 1718-5769.

Member, The Canadian Church Press. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) © 2011.

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

coming immigrants to our shores. And our cover story takes us to Bermuda to profile a wonderful Salvationist couple, Henrietta and James Bean, who found love after loss (page 12).

With such a rich heritage, The Salvation Army can only move forward with hope. We pray for wisdom, strength and purpose for the next General. As the torch is passed, may love for God and passion for souls continue to burn in our hearts.

GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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Phone: 416-422-6119; fax: 416-422-6120; email: circulation@can.salvationarmy.org.

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

Mission

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

Salvationist.ca facebook.com/salvationistmagazine twitter.com/salvationist youtube.com/salvationistmagazine instagram.com/salvationistmagazine

FRONTLINES

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Salvation Army Opens First Grocery Store in United States

he Salvation Army made its first foray into the grocery business, opening a grocery store in the United States in March. More than 100 local and national stakeholders attended the grand opening of DMG Foods in Baltimore, Maryland.

Named for the Salvation Army motto “Doing the Most Good,” DMG Foods will provide fresh and affordable produce to 1,200 families annually and create at least 15 jobs within the community. The 7,000-square-foot store has many features, including a butcher shop, a deli, ready-made foods such as rotisserie chickens, a bakery and a dairy section.

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh—who launched an effort last spring to attract new grocery stores to the city—was among those in attendance, along with Commissioner Willis Howell, territorial commander, U.S.A. Southern Territory, and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

The Salvation Army of Central Maryland worked with the Baltimore Development Corp, The Baltimore Food Initiative and The Maryland Food Bank to design the concept.

This store is committed to offering exceptional value to

the public through its weekly ads and Red Shield Club loyalty program. In addition to in-house savings, customers that self-identify as government assistance recipients, via online or kiosk registration, qualify for complimentary food items, once a month.

DMG Foods will also provide a five-week workforce development program for citizens seeking employment. After providing these individuals with training and hands-on food retail experience, a case manager will assist them with job placement in Baltimore. Ultimately, DMG Foods will give these local residents an opportunity to develop new skills and gain work experience, which in turn will improve their financial welfare and instill a sense of pride and self-worth.

“People in poverty want the same things as middle-class individuals—convenience, community and security,” says Major Gene Hogg, area commander, Central Maryland, and driving force behind DMG Foods. By offering a welcoming space with many choices, “we’re trying to create a shopping environment where economics shouldn’t be the sole driver of your experience.”

DMG Foods combines social services with a traditional grocery shopping experience

Cpt Emily Vincent shows off the store’s fresh produce

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Good Deeds Support Smiths Falls Corps

he Salvation Army MississippiRideau Lakes Corps in Smiths Falls, Ont., received a special boost this March from the Smiths Falls Peewee B Bears hockey team.

The team was a top-three finalist in the Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup, which recognizes a peewee-level team that is making a positive difference in their community off the ice through good deeds. The Bears helped the local Salvation Army pack Christmas ham-

pers, stuff envelopes, stand on Christmas kettles and serve at the Army’s community Christmas dinner. The team also held food drives, collecting more than 5,000 pounds for the Army’s food bank.

Though the Bears did not ultimately win the Good Deeds Cup, as a finalist they received $6,000, which they donated to The Salvation Army to send kids to camp. Their goal was to send 33 children to camp, but their prize money would only cover 18 spots. Rather than

stop there, the Bears decided to continue fundraising in order to get enough money for the remaining 15 children—a goal they achieved within just two weeks.

“The Salvation Army would like to thank the team and the community for their generosity,” says Major Gerald Reilly, corps officer. “Because of their donated funds, more kids will be able to attend Salvation Army summer camps where they can enjoy the outdoors, meet new friends and build skills and confidence.”

Salvationist May 2018 5

FRONTLINES

S

Groundbreaking Ceremony at St. John’s Centre of Hope

alvationists, donors, leaders and community members were on hand to help The Salvation Army officially break ground at the new Centre of Hope in St. John’s, N.L., in March.

Along with Commissioner Susan McMillan, territorial commander, there were a number of special guests participating in the milestone, including Seamus O’Regan, member of Parliament, St. John’s South—Mount Pearl, Premier Dwight Ball, Mayor Danny Breen and Barry Perry, president and chief executive officer of Fortis Inc. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Major Rene Loveless, divisional secretary for public relations and development, Newfoundland and Labrador Division, said, “Today our hearts are bursting with gratitude as we reflect on the hard work, dreams and perseverance of our organization, our partners and stakeholders that will now transform the Centre of Hope from a concept into a reality.”

The Centre of Hope will be a muchneeded resource that will help combat the effects of poverty, drug addiction and homelessness in Newfoundland and Labrador. The complex will provide housing for the homeless, a health clinic, a food bank, emergency disaster services, mental health services and drug addictions programs for the most vulnerable in our society.

Salvation Army and community leaders ceremonially “break ground” at the new Centre of Hope

“This is a day of celebration and excitement for The Salvation Army in our province,” says Lt-Colonel Eddie Vincent, divisional commander, Newfoundland and Labrador Division. “The outpouring of support from our community, business and government partners moves us to this stage of realizing our vision for supporting the ongoing needs of our people. We now look forward to the construction phase and eagerly anticipate our move-in date, when hope will indeed find a place to call home.”

“If the strength of a community can be judged on the degree to which it cares for its most vulnerable people, then ours is a very strong community indeed,” says Dean Brinton, capital campaign chair.

“The Centre of Hope would not have been possible without the many private and public sector supporters whose generosity has ensured that the centre will continue providing programs and services on Springdale Street, where The Salvation Army has been for more than 100 years.”

New Van for Winnipeg Booth Centre

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he Salvation Army’s Winnipeg Booth Centre has a new cargo van, thanks to a grant from the Winnipeg Foundation.

This van will serve as an important tool for the Booth Centre, being used primarily to acquire larger donations that require pick up. Such donations include items for the food bank, office furniture, major home furnishings and Christmas support for residents, as well as larger items for the facility such as building materials.

“Having this well-designed vehicle makes a significant impact to our tight budget,” says Major Rodney Bungay, executive director, Winnipeg Booth Centre. “Funds saved by not having to rent vehicles or hire outside drivers enable us to direct those savings back into our front-line programs that support the people we serve.”

6 May 2018 Salvationist

Mjr Rob Kerr, DSPRD, Prairie Div; Megan Tate, director of community grants, Winnipeg Foundation; and Wally Clarke, property manager, Winnipeg Booth Centre, stand with the donated cargo van

FRONTLINES

N.L. Divisional Headquarters Moves to New Home

Commissioner Susan McMillan and Lt-Col Eddie Vincent welcome visitors to the grand opening of the N.L. Div’s headquarters

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he Salvation Army’s Newfoundland and Labrador Division moved its headquarters from 21 Adams Avenue to a new location in the Village Mall in St. John’s, N.L., with a grand opening celebration in March.

“For a number of years, consideration has been given to the relocation of divisional headquarters,” notes Lt-Colonel

A

Eddie Vincent, divisional commander, Newfoundland and Labrador Division. “The previous location has a rich history for The Salvation Army in Newfoundland and Labrador, but with ongoing and increasing maintenance costs and accessibility limitations, plus the unrealistic price tag for renovations and upgrades, it was necessary to find a new, more appropriate space to serve the division.

“Our new location at the Village Mall not only provides more suitable office space, but also places us in a mainstream flow of people that makes us more accessible to the public,” Lt-Colonel Vincent continues. “The Salvation Army will have a presence in this major shopping centre, not just with our Christmas kettle campaign, but on a year-round basis.”

The new 7,000-square-foot office has an “open concept” design, meaning that “staff and visitors now enjoy a fully accessible space,” notes Major Bradley Reid, divisional secretary for business administration, Newfoundland and Labrador Division.

At the grand opening, The Salvation Army was warmly welcomed on behalf of the Village Mall by Karen Kennedy, promotions director. Commissioner Susan McMillan, territorial commander, brought greetings and offered a prayer of dedication before declaring the new divisional headquarters officially open for business.

About 200 people were on hand to help celebrate the special occasion. Following the ribbon-cutting, refreshments were provided and visitors were given a tour of the new headquarters.

B.C. Youth on a Mission to Bahamas

team of 14 young people and leaders from the British Columbia Division travelled to Nassau, Bahamas, in February to serve others with The Salvation Army. The mission trip was part of the youth’s participation in Living Sacrifice, a year-long discipleship program in the division.

Over the course of the trip, participants ministered in many different ways, from practical tasks such as painting, gardening and maintenance at divisional headquarters and Nassau Citadel, to leading youth group, organizing games for the community, and leading worship at Nassau Citadel and Grants Town Corps. Team members were also given opportunities to share their testimonies, feed more than 500 people through Grants Town Corps’ Love Luncheon, and visit The Salvation Army’s Erin Gilmour School for the Blind in Nassau.

“One of the many highlights of the trip for me was our time spent at the school for blind and visually impaired children,” says Avery Dorsay, a team member from Mount Arrowsmith Corps in Parksville, B.C. “Their joy was contagious. They sang songs boldly and prayed faithfully.”

“We saw many lives changed on our team as they gained a greater awareness of the international Salvation Army and were confronted with poverty and a different paradigm,” says Captain Jason Dockeray, divisional youth secretary, British Columbia Division.

“This ministry experience was life-changing and spirit-

changing,” adds Dorsay. “My gratitude to all the employees, volunteers and members of the Nassau Salvation Army is inexpressible. They served our hearts and spirits much more than we ever could have served them.”

Members of the Living Sacrifice mission team and Cpt Jason Dockeray, with Mjr Carol Roberts, CO, serve lunch to hundreds of people at Grants Town Corps in Nassau, Bahamas

Salvationist May 2018 7

Inside the High Council

The High Council of 1963

A step-by-step guide to the election of a Salvation Army General.

n May 17, the High Council will convene in London, England, at the Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel to elect the 21st international leader of The Salvation Army. I invite you to take a sneak peek past the closed door of the High Council chamber.

The 2018 High Council will have a total of 111 members, including 77 commissioners and 34 colonels. The gender balance is similar to the past two High Councils, with 52 men and 59 women. The current qualifying appointments for High Council membership are the Chief of the Staff, all active commissioners (with the exception of the spouse of the General), all territorial commanders and all territorial presidents of women’s ministries.

While leaders of 51 territories will gather for the High Council, it is imperative to note that members of the High Council do not represent their territories. The High Council meets as a body of senior leaders from throughout the Army world.

Prior to the official opening of the High Council, General André Cox, the Army’s current international leader, and Commissioner Silvia Cox, World President of Women’s Ministries, will lead a pre-Council gathering at the Renaissance Hotel on May 15-16. When this meeting has concluded, neither the General nor Commissioner Cox will have communication 8 May 2018 Salvationist

Photos: The Salvation Army International Heritage Centre

O

BY COMMISSIONER WILLIAM W. FRANCIS

General Arnold Brown following his election as the Army’s 11th international leader

with members of the High Council except when he is alerted as voting commences and then privately informed of the General-elect’s identity.

Following confirmation by a legal advisor (not a member of the High Council) that the Council has been lawfully

assembled with only eligible membership present, the Chief of the Staff will oversee the election of a president by means of a voting procedure that will continue for subsequent elections for vice-president, chaplain and seven members of a questions committee. Four tellers will also be identified. After the president has been elected, the Chief of the Staff becomes a peer with the membership, and the president assumes leadership of the High Council.

The president’s responsibilities begin with a thorough review of the regulations governing the High Council. The president then leads the High Council through the process of amending and approving the Orders of Procedure—a process that can last for two days or more.

The central work of the High Council commences when the president announces that nominations for General will begin.

Each step in the nomination and election process steadily proceeds unrushed. Those who are nominated and agree to stand for election become candidates for the office of General.

All other members of the High Council meet to debate and approve a list of questions for the candidates that have been fashioned by the questions committee. The group then adjourns for at least one full day in order to give candidates time to prepare responses to the questions that are then shared in printed form with all members.

Once a candidate submits replies to the questions, the answers cannot be altered before or during the reading by the candidate to the High Council. The spouse of each married candidate is also given a lesser number of questions to answer.

Following each presentation by the candidate and spouse, the floor is opened for clarification and follow-up questions.

When all candidates and spouses have delivered their prepared responses and answered follow-up questions, each candidate is given opportunity to deliver a speech. According to High Council records, the longest speech lasted just shy of one hour, and the shortest was less than four minutes.

The voting now begins. The candidate receiving the least votes after each ballot automatically drops from contention.

All candidates have the option of withdrawing before the next ballot begins. A General is elected when he or she receives a two-thirds majority of the votes in the first through third ballots. If a fourth ballot is required, the General is elected by a simple majority of the members present.

At the close of the 19th High Council in late May or early June, Salvationists around the world will rejoice when the newly elected General is announced by the president of the

General Edward Higgins on motortour in Scotland

High Council. Following the time of jubilation, may we join in united, fervent prayer for the Lord’s anointed to lead and empower The Salvation Army to fulfil its God-ordained mission “to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination.”

For an in-depth understanding of the history and functioning of the High Council, see 1929: A Crisis That Shaped The Salvation Army’s Future and Inside a High Council, both by General John Larsson (Rtd).

Commissioner William W. Francis, territorial commander in the Canada and Bermuda Territory from 2007 to 2011, was a member of two High Councils (2006 and 2011), and served as president of the High Council in 2011 before being nominated as a candidate for General. He leads an active retirement in Florida with his wife, Commissioner Marilyn D. Francis.

The first High Council was convened in 1929

Salvationist May 2018 9

3.

This future General was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the United States Army (military) for support rendered to the American Expeditionary Force on the front lines during the First World War. A. Paul Rader B. Evangeline Booth C. Arnold Brown D. Albert Orsborn

4.

The Salvation Army held a number of significant events around the world under the leadership of this General, including an international leaders’ conference in Berlin, a congress in the Holy Land and an international youth congress in Macomb, Illinois.

A. Jarl Wahlström B. Paul Rader C. Clarence Wiseman D. Bramwell Tillsley

5.

General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox

Test Your “General” Knowledge

How well do you know our Salvation Army leaders?

BY PAMELA RICHARDSON

As The Salvation Army’s 21st international leader is elected this month in London, England, take this quiz to test your knowledge of past High Councils and the men and women who have served as General.

1.

At the age of 13, General William Booth became the apprentice of a ___________when his family descended into poverty and his father could no longer pay his school fees.

10 May 2018 Salvationist

A. Cabinet maker B. Blacksmith C. Pawnbroker D. Plumber

2.

In 1929, the first High Council convened to elect this officer as the Army’s third General.

A. Eric Wickberg B. Edward Higgins C. Clarence Wiseman D. Wilfred Kitching

General Shaw Clifton, 18th international leader of The Salvation Army, was born in: A. London, England B. Helsinki, Finland C. Belfast, Northern Ireland D. Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)

6.

This General was posthumously admitted to the Order of the Founder on July 3, 2015, during the Boundless international congress in London, England.

A. George Carpenter B. Jarl Wahlström C. John Gowans D. Eva Burrows

7.

Upon General William Booth’s promotion to glory in 1912, he named this person as his successor for General.

A. Catherine Booth B. Frederick Booth-Tucker C. Evangeline Booth D. Bramwell Booth

8.

Between 1967 and 1990, future Generals John Gowans and John Larsson co-wrote 10 Salvation Army musicals, including: A. Glory and The Blood of the Lamb B. Chains of Gold and Spirit C. Ruth and Take-Over Bid D. All of the above

9.

Born in Australia, this General was the first non-British international leader of The Salvation Army.

A. Linda Bond B. Eva Burrows C. George Carpenter D. André Cox

10.

Appointed to Germany during the Second World War as the International Headquarters liaison officer, this future General often slept in air-raid bunkers. After the war, he remained in Germany to oversee The Salvation Army’s post-war relief efforts.

A. Clarence Wiseman B. Frederick Coutts C. Albert Orsborn D. Eric Wickberg

11.

Prior to being elected as international leader of The Salvation Army, this General was Chief of the Staff, following in the footsteps of his father who had also served as Chief of the Staff.

A. Bramwell Booth B. Edward Higgins C. André Cox D. Frederick Coutts

12.

Appointed as an officer of the Order of Canada in 1976 “for his lifelong dedication in the service of the Army and his inspiring leadership at home and abroad,” General Clarence Wiseman was born June 19, 1907, in: A. Red Deer, Alta.

B. Kapuskasing, Ont. C. Moreton’s Harbour, N.L. D. Prince Rupert, B.C.

13.

Photos: The Salvation Army International Heritage Centre

Released in 2016 by Triumph Publishing, It Is Written is a collection of the literary works of this Canadian General.

A. Bramwell Tillsley B. Clarence Wiseman C. Linda Bond D. Arnold Brown

14.

In 1980, General Arnold Brown oversaw the inauguration of this world-renowned musical group.

A. International Staff Band B. The Joystrings C. International Staff Songsters D. Canadian Staff Band

15.

This progressive General worked to achieve gender equality within Salvation Army officership by promoting all married women officers to hold their own ranks, thereby qualifying married women commissioners to serve on the High Council.

A. Shaw Clifton B. Paul Rader C. Linda Bond D. Eva Burrows

16.

This officer was born in the coal mining community of Glace Bay, N.S., and served as territorial commander in the U.S.A. Western and Australia Eastern territories before being elected General.

A. Bramwell Tillsley B. Wilfred Kitching C. John Gowans D. Linda Bond

17.

Elected as the seventh international leader of The Salvation Army in 1954, this General retired on November 22, 1963, the same day that U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

General Eva Burrows with Haripur Refugee Camp elders in Pakistan

A. Wilfred Kitching B. Clarence Wiseman C. Albert Orsborn D. Erik Wickberg

18.

This son of the corps officers in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, led the ranks as General during The Salvation Army’s centenary celebrations in 1965, including an international congress held in London, England.

A. John Larsson B. Frederick Coutts C. Wilfred Kitching D. Arnold Brown

19.

Remembered as a prolific hymnwriter, this General penned such well-known favourites as My Life Must Be Christ’s Broken Bread and Except I Am Moved with Compassion.

A. John Gowans B. Evangeline Booth C. Albert Orsborn D. Bramwell Booth

20.

General Albert Orsborn in Calcutta, India

Scheduled to begin May 17, 2018, to elect the 21st General of The Salvation Army, the High Council is comprised of all: A. Active Salvation Army commissioners (except the spouse of the serving General) B. Territorial commanders C. Territorial presidents of women’s ministries D. All of the above Answers on page 28.

Salvationist May 2018 11

A Match Made in

Heaven

After losing their spouses, James and Henrietta Bean never expected to find love again. But God had other plans.

BY KRISTIN OSTENSEN

A

Love Lost James and Henrietta Bean are both longtime members of The Salvation Army in Bermuda.

“When I was 12, my parents started sending me to the Army, and I’ve been going ever since,” James says with a smile.

Though Henrietta attended The Salvation Army in her youth, it was her first husband who brought her back to Somerset Corps, now West End Community Church, in the early 1990s.

Today, this musical couple are members of the Bermuda Divisional Band, while also playing at their respective corps—James as assistant bandmaster at Cedar Hill Citadel and Henrietta at West End. Yet somehow, before that fateful day, James and Henrietta had never met.

When James’ wife, Pamela, passed away on Mother’s Day in 1998, it was completely unexpected. After celebrating 12 May 2018 Salvationist

Photos: Akil Simmons

s corps sergeant-major at the Somerset Corps in Bermuda, Henrietta Fubler had had many opportunities to minister to grieving families after the death of a loved one.

So when her corps members asked her to visit James Bean after his wife passed away, she faithfully went to pray with the family, share Scripture and offer encouragement. A widow herself, Henrietta knew what it was like to lose a spouse.

Connecting with James through that shared grief, Henrietta found a new friend. She never expected she would also find a new love.

Henrietta and James Bean met through The Salvation Army after James’ wife passed away

the occasion with James and their son, Jamal, Pamela went to bed early, while James finished cleaning up.

“After I washed the dishes, I realized I hadn’t given her a card for Mother’s Day yet,” James recalls, “so I went upstairs,

gave her the card and a kiss, and all of a sudden, she started shaking.”

James realized his wife was having a heart attack and Jamal called a doctor, but it was too late—Pamela had passed away. “I thought that we were going to

spend the rest of our lives together, but God had other plans,” says James.

It was an experience that Henrietta could relate to. Her husband passed away in 1993, during the first year of their marriage. “He was diagnosed with leukemia in August and, by December, he had died,” she says.

The loss was devastating for her and her two young stepdaughters, Kim Simmons and Lushay Fubler. “Sometimes we don’t know why things happen,” Henrietta adds, “but at least I was there for his children.”

A Second Chance Before she left James’ house on the day they first met, Henrietta gave him her phone number. “She told me that if I ever needed to talk about the grieving, she was always available,” James remembers.

About five months later, James took her up on that offer. “He’s not a person that talks much, and many times it was silence,” says Henrietta. “But he knew that he had a friend who would be there for him.

“That’s the way we started out, and even after we married, we still have that,” she continues. “He’s more than just a husband; he’s my closest friend.”

A few months after they started talking on the phone, that friendship blossomed into something deeper, and James got up the courage to ask her out.

“I never would have thought that we would be where we are now,” Henrietta says. “In fact, I laugh about it, because I always said I would probably never get married. Then I did, but my husband passed away. So to have a second chance—I thought, It’s impossible! But you never know what God has in store for you. James and I felt that this was what God wanted.”

Beautiful Scene James and Henrietta had been dating for almost five years when he decided to propose. It was late on Christmas Eve and they had just returned to Henrietta’s house after a night of serenading the neighbourhoods of Bermuda with the Salvation Army band.

Still in their uniforms, James pulled out the ring and asked Henrietta to be his wife.

“I was shocked,” Henrietta laughs.

“I said, ‘Are you sure?’ Just because of the circumstances that we had been through.”

But for James, there was no doubt.

James and Henrietta play bass and Eb horn, respectively, in the Bermuda Divisional Band

“She’s a beautiful woman,” he smiles. “I couldn’t go through life without marrying her.”

North Street Citadel was packed to capacity on the day Henrietta and James were married in June 2003, with 450 people attending. Along with their wedding party—which included Jamal as best man—the couple was dressed in their Salvation Army uniforms, complemented by white accents.

“Every corps in Bermuda was represented in our wedding party,” Henrietta says.

“It was a beautiful scene,” James adds.

Partners in Ministry But James and Henrietta almost didn’t get their happy ending. After they married, Henrietta underwent what should have been a simple surgery, but a medical error caused serious complications. Two weeks at the hospital in Bermuda turned into a year-long hospital stay in Boston.

“I went to Boston every month to be with her,” James says, “and there were others who rotated so she didn’t have to be alone.”

“It was touch and go for a long time— James almost lost me,” says Henrietta.

“But we kept the faith—it was just another trial that we had to go through.

We came through it, thank God, and that experience only made us closer.”

Though at the beginning of their relationship romance was the furthest thing from their minds, James and Henrietta are grateful for the love they have found

together and how their shared experience of losing a spouse has brought healing in their lives.

“It helps us understand each other,” says Henrietta. “When you go into a mood or a time when you seem extra quiet, we are able to read one another, and help each other through it.”

More than just partners in life, James and Henrietta are also partners in ministry, especially music and visitation— although, because Henrietta doesn’t have a driver’s license, James sometimes finds himself doing visitations when he least expects it.

“I may put him on the spot occasionally,” Henrietta admits, and James laughs.

“But we enjoy doing visitations together.

It’s part of us.”

James agrees. “I enjoy being with people,” he says. “Regardless of the situation they’re in, I think that if you love people, if you show them that you care when you visit, it’s surprising how it makes them feel.”

As a semi-retired plumber, James has more time for ministry these days, and while Henrietta enjoys her job as floor manager at a furniture store, she also looks forward to retirement.

“I’d like to spend more time with people, doing visitations,” she says.

“That’s what I’ve enjoyed most in my ministry—to sit with a family, pray with them, and let them be assured that the Army will be there for them, no matter what. Whatever I do, I want to represent Christ and The Salvation Army.”

Salvationist May 2018 13

Nursing a Career The healing arts have been a family tradition for four generations of Salvationists in St. John’s, N.L.

Shirley Benson with her son, Derek, and daughter, Lisa

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pend any amount of time around Shirley Benson, her daughter, Lisa, and her son, Derek, and the love they have for what they do shines through.

“I’m proud to be a nurse,” declares Lisa Benson Madden, who has been one for 32 years. “I still enjoy my job.

I don’t dread going to work, I don’t think, Do I have to go in there again?”

“I’ve never looked at my job as a source of a paycheque,” echoes her brother, Derek Benson, nursing now for 27 years.

“I never went in on Monday morning saying, ‘I wish it was Friday,’ ” agrees their mother, Shirley Benson, retired after 57 years as a nurse.

Factoring in Shirley’s mother, Ada, who was a registered nurse for 44 years before her retirement in 1975, and Derek’s daughter Victoria, who is in her third year at Memorial University of Newfoundland with the goal of becoming a nurse, 14 May 2018 Salvationist

and four generations have made nursing a family tradition.

“I Did It” That tradition started almost a century ago, when Salvation Army Lieutenant Ada Oakley started working at St. John’s Grace General Hospital’s maternity program in 1926. Her daughter, Shirley, followed suit.

“At the time, it was either go into nursing or teaching, and with Mom being a nurse, it just seemed the natural thing to do,” says Shirley.

“As with my mother, nursing or teaching were the only careers that I ever thought about, and it came down to nursing,” agrees Lisa.

Derek, however, was a late bloomer, only going into nursing when he was 25.

“I joke that it took a while for me to find myself,” he smiles.

Photo: SteadRock Photography

BY KEN RAMSTEAD

“I’d done some summer placements in a couple of departments in the hospital, so I was used to a hospital setting, and it was probably the natural path for me.

“Besides,” he goes on to say, “seeing how everyone else in the family was a nurse….

“The funny thing is, I didn’t tell the family that I had applied at all until I came home one day and said, ‘Oh, by the way, I got into nursing school, and I start in two weeks’ time.’ ” “Every Mother Is Important” Though nurses all, Shirley and her children have had varied career trajectories.

Shirley’s years in nursing were spent in administration, ranging from working with interns to night-supervisor relief and staffing co-ordinator.

Derek, on the other hand, has spent his entire career in the operating room, and The family posed together with Mrs. Brg Ada Oakley in the early 1990s for this group photo is the head nurse for the plastic surgery department at Eastern Health in Conception Bay South, N.L. Derek and Lisa are also Salvationists who attend St. John’s Much of his patient interaction is spent preparing them for Temple when schedules permit. surgery and administering general anesthesia.

Lisa’s faith is at the core of her work.

“Somebody asked me a long time ago who the most import“I’m bringing babies into the world,” she says, “and someant person is in the OR,” he says. “That’s easy. It’s the patient. times they do not make it. I can’t control that. And I have It’s always the patient. So you do the best that you can, with mothers come in and their babies are stillbirths, but they still your knowledge base, for every single patient, and you treat have to deliver. That’s tough for the families, and it’s tough them like they’re your mother.” on the nurses. I try to comfort them as best I can. I draw Meanwhile, 30 of Lisa’s 32 years have been in the maternity strength in these situations from my faith, knowing that God ward at Eastern Health. is in control.”

“Unlike Derek, my patients are awake,” she jokes. “I can spend 12 hours with one mother or I can have three deliveries in one night. But every mother is important.”

Challenges and Changes Not surprisingly, the biggest changes in their profession have been due to technology.

“I remember I scrubbed for the very first laparoscopic cholecystectomy done at the Grace,” says Derek. “It took us seven hours. The last one I scrubbed for recently took me 20 minutes from the time I passed the surgeon his scalpel to his last stitch. Technology has changed the way surgery is provided to patients by leaps and bounds. It’s just mind-boggling.”

“It’s all technology!” agrees Lisa. For her, the pace of technology has been literally life-saving.

“Obstetric ultrasound may have been around for 50 years but has only come into its own in the last 20. What they can diagnose is simply amazing. A baby’s heart at 19 weeks is the size of a dime, but we can look at that heart and see if the blood vessels are circulating properly, if the two heart valves are opening and closing. We can see the four little chambers of the heart. If something is wrong, we can deal with it now.”

In Control Shirley and her husband, Tom, are soldiers who attend St. John’s Temple regularly and are still involved in the life of their corps. Tom is on the corps council and Shirley is involved with home league and various women’s ministries. The two proud grandparents escort Derek’s two youngest daughters to church every week.

Congratulations

2017 Accredited Ministry Units Erin Mills Women’s Counselling Centre (OCE) With Distinction

New Directions (OGL) Dinsdale Personal Care Home (PRA) Honeychurch Family Life Resource Centre (OCE) Hamilton Community and Family Services (OGL) York Housing and Support Services (OCE) Ridge Meadows Ministries (BC) The Gateway of Hope (BC) With Commendation

Bunton Lodge and W.P. Archibald Centre (OCE) Belkin House (BC) With Commendation The Territorial Social Services Department celebrates these ministry units for meeting and exceeding organizational standards of mission delivery Salvationist May 2018 15

On Home Ground Seeing past differences to welcome refugees.

BY COLONEL ELEANOR SHEPHERD

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esus teaches that we are called to serve those in need with love. How should we serve refugees—people who seem so unlike us? At first glance, it’s hard to see what we have in common.

They may speak a different language, eat strange food and have unfamiliar customs. How can we show love they will understand?

One easy way is to offer practical assistance. When violence, war or disaster forces people to flee their homes and countries, they bring little with them. Some of the refugees I have met at Montreal Citadel came to Canada with nothing more than a suitcase—and some with only the clothes on their backs.

Many of us have more than we need. We can help by sharing from our abundance.

Along with providing material things, we can show genuine interest in refugees as people. Community and family services workers tell me that often what people want most is someone to listen to their story. When they realize we understand they have reasons for not being able 16 May 2018 Salvationist

Often what people want most is someone to listen to their story. to provide adequately for their families at this time, and that asking for practical help doesn’t mean they can’t contribute to the community, dignity returns.

One impediment for newcomers is their inability to communicate.

Government programs provide language learning so newcomers can integrate and find employment. This is also an entry point for the church. We demonstrate welcome and acceptance in offering language conversation programs, along with a place for social interaction. At the same time, participants can get a closer look

at our faith lived out.

So what do we talk about? Having lived in Europe for eight years, we discovered that living in another culture greatly influences your identity. Assumptions about ways of doing things are shattered. This must be even more destabilizing when the change of country has followed a crisis. Many refugees have gone through traumatic experiences, and questions about it may bring up painful memories. What might be comforting is to steer conversations toward good memories of where they were born, of childhood friends and their family of origin.

We, too, benefit from these conversations in learning about life in another part of the world. And if, eventually, they honour us with enough trust to tell their story, we must listen with empathy, patience and respect.

In Canada, even moving to another part of the country presents a great challenge. Can you imagine how frightening it must be when you must ask for access to a country, having left everything behind, and staking your future on the hope you will be admitted? This is the lot of a refugee. They face not only legal and bureaucratic barriers, but social stigma from not knowing the local culture as well.

Here again we can offer genuine friendship. At our corps, we try to create a welcoming place for everyone.

Sometimes it’s difficult to sort out the complications of operating in the three different languages of the largest minorities in the congregation. Other, smaller language groups can feel unappreciated.

Misunderstanding happens so easily.

Grace must permeate our activities.

With acceptance, contributions of new members are integrated. While teaching the nursery class at Montreal Citadel, I learned from a fellow teacher who came from India the value of using YouTube videos to help the children learn songs.

What should our response to refugees be? We need to see them as grace-gifts from God. We can make this a better country together, as we learn to accept and appreciate differences and share the riches of our cultures with each other.

Colonel Eleanor Shepherd is a retired Salvation Army officer and the author of More Questions Than Answers: Sharing Faith by Listening.

Photo: © FatCamera/iStock.com

ETHICALLY SPEAKING

PERSPECTIVES

In With the New Learning to embrace transformation.

BY LT-COLONEL FRED WATERS

“If anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

Photo: © natasaadzic/iStock.com

I

was travelling recently when I received a text message: “Your new phone is on your desk.” I don’t know about you, but I have a love-hate relationship with this magical technology. It’s a critical part of daily work and, to that end, it’s remarkable. At the same time, it seems to have a hold on me even when I don’t have a hold of it, and that can be a problem. There’s nothing like having a quiet meal with my wife, Wendy, and my phone—just the three of us. Too often, I must be reminded that it is time to put it down. Am I alone in this addiction?

The new phone means that change is coming—new settings and software to figure out. It will probably be two weeks or more before I feel comfortable with the new PDA (that’s personal data assistant). I’m told that we are only one or two generations away from no longer needing laptops. Soon, when you come into the office, you will put your phone in a cradle that will connect wirelessly to a screen and keyboard.

Change and more change. Some change I love, some I don’t. When the lyrics were changed to the national anthem (again), my reaction was, Good grief, why is this necessary? I have a bias and it isn’t always about what is best. In fact, most of my resistance to change is about me and my comfort zone, not the change delta. Am I alone in this resistance?

We all admit that change is unstoppable—from the political climate to economic reality, from the physical changes we endure because of aging to the demographic changes in our country. Change happens no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable we are with it.

The Salvation Army continues to change, too. No doubt some of you are already shaking your heads. Even

Most of my resistance to change is about me and my comfort zone.

Salvationist, traditionally a print publication, has a steadily increasing online presence. Is that the future?

Our music, our structure, our profile, our work—all these matters are changing. Yet there are some who feel that our beloved Salvation Army is not changing—or not changing fast enough.

At the same time, others scream, “Too much change!” Unless, of course, you are an early adopter—those people love change.

So what should we do with all this change? What will bring us comfort in the midst of knowing that nothing is easy? Perhaps we can embrace change— not for systems, or technology, or even culture, but for people.

I have always loved General John

Gowans’ words: “I believe in transformation, God can change the hearts of men” (#34 in the new song book— more change). Now that’s the kind of change that is exciting. Have you been near someone lately whose heart has been changed by God? Have you been able to feel the vibrancy, the energy, the joy? Have you thought to yourself, “I would like some of that”?

Our daughter-in-law was not brought up in a household of faith and became a Christian as a teenager. When she came in contact with the gospel, it so changed her that her mom, in a conversation with me, said, “I don’t know if I believe in God or in the Bible, but I cannot deny the change in her.”

General Gowans goes on to say, “In a world of shifting values, there are standards that remain, I believe that holy living by God’s grace we may attain.”

Holiness is not just the goal of the Christian; it must be, through the transforming work of the Spirit, the reality of each of us who claim Christ as Saviour.

May this be the change we embrace.

Lt-Colonel Fred Waters is the secretary for business administration in the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

Salvationist May 2018 17

Photo: © galitskaya/iStock.com

Dying Wish

It’s time to start a conversation about the end of your life.

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n November 2017, a 70-year-old man was taken to a Miami hospital, unconscious and in need of immediate medical attention.

Doctors discovered the words DO NOT RESUSCITATE tattooed across his chest, along with his signature. Unable to speak to the man or his relatives, they ignored the tattoo, unwilling to make an irreversible decision.

They contacted the hospital’s ethics department, wondering if the tattoo could be considered an accurate representation of the patient’s wishes. To complicate matters, there was another case in which a man with a similar tattoo gave contradictory medical directions.

He had lost a bet to friends when younger and didn’t think anyone would take the tattoo seriously.

Ultimately, the Miami hospital was able to find more commonly accepted legal documents supporting the elderly man’s directive. But there’s nothing satisfying about the ending of this story. It leads to more questions than 18 May 2018 Salvationist

BY CADET JOEL TORRENS answers—questions that can often make us uncomfortable. Despite their inherent awkwardness, discussions about endof-life care (EOLC) are increasingly necessary.

In the last few years, a number of EOLC cases have made their way from hospitals to courtrooms and into the news. In June 2016, the federal government passed legislation allowing eligible adults to request medical assistance in dying (MAiD).* The Alzheimer Society of Canada expects diagnoses to increase by 65 per cent within the next 15 years. All of us will, at some point, be faced with end-of-life decisions. Many of us will have to help family members make decisions. Do we know what we want? Do we know what our loved ones want?

As part of my studies at the College for Officer Training, I spent some time researching EOLC issues for The Salvation Army Ethics Centre. I reached out to a few Salvationists with personal and professional experience in this area

to hear their stories and begin a conversation.

A Haunting Experience Dani Shaw works in the legal department at territorial headquarters. She has been involved in EOLC for two of her family members and anticipates soon being involved in care for others. In one situation, her role was to carry out her loved one’s wishes. In another, she found herself having to make medical decisions on her father’s behalf. The tension she felt around these decisions has stuck with her.

“If my father had said, before he was diagnosed with dementia, ‘If I get to a certain state, I want a medically assisted death,’ I don’t know that I could have carried that out,” she says.

“If someone wants to name you as their substitute, my recommendation would be to make sure you have lots of conversations with them beforehand about what their wishes are, what they would like to see happen at the end of

life,” says Shaw. An advanced care directive assumes an obligation for the named representative to carry out the patient’s desires.

Laurie Read was a nurse manager in hospice and palliative care at Winnipeg’s Grace Hospital for a number of years, and currently serves on the board of Winnipeg Golden West Centennial Lodge. She helps people who are encountering EOLC issues by facilitating grief groups at her corps, Heritage Park Temple. Conversations around this topic are critical, she says, especially because “death happens at every stage of life, even at the time of birth.”

Regardless of stage, they are not easy conversations to have. Read recalls providing palliative care for a Christian patient who felt strongly that she should not take pain medication, believing that Christ’s suffering meant she shouldn’t be relieved of suffering. Read observed the strain this belief put on the patient’s husband and young children. During this difficult time, she worked with the family to try to find a solution.

“We tried to include her priest and others to see if there was a different way of looking at her understanding of her belief,” she says. “That was really hard for me. It was a haunting experience.”

Our Lives Have Meaning Clearly, when end-of-life issues intersect with faith, significant tensions can arise.

As a Salvation Army officer and medical doctor, Major (Dr.) Beverley Smith has a unique perspective. She told me about a woman who came into her care having been diagnosed with the motor neuron disease ALS. This woman had just watched her brother pass away after his struggle with the same disease. She was angry and seemed singularly focused on actively hastening her own death.

As both a matter of conscience and in accordance with the laws at the time, Major Smith and her team focused on alleviating the woman’s symptoms. But they also went a step further. They made sure the woman knew “she was valued and that we would love her unconditionally, no matter how she felt about herself, or what hand life dealt her,” Major Smith recalls.

As the team continued to provide her with the best care they could, she began to talk less and less about hastening her death. In fact, during the last weeks of her life, she began to express interest in continuing to live. She didn’t want to be

sustained through artificial means, but she did want to live.

While in the care of Major Smith and her team, this woman underwent a dramatic change, from wanting to end her life to recognizing that her life had value, that she was an important member of the community. This is just one of many stories illustrating that “generally the people who choose MAiD don’t choose it because what they are suffering is unbearable,” says Major Smith. “They choose it because their life has lost meaning.”

Consistently, those I spoke with wanted anyone who had questions about EOLC to know there is hope beyond the grave, that there is a God who “is concerned about their dying as much as their living,” as Major Smith says.

This is the opportunity we have as The

Despite their inherent awkwardness, discussions about end-of-life care are increasingly necessary.

Salvation Army. In our long-term care facilities, in our churches and in our personal relationships, we have a chance to reaffirm that God loves us, that our lives have meaning—even in our pain and suffering.

Caring for Caregivers This message of hope isn’t just for those approaching the end of their lives.

Gloria Woodland, an assistant professor at Booth University College and director of the chaplaincy program for ACTS Seminaries at Trinity Western University, attests that the end of life can also be a difficult time for the medical team, family and friends of those who are dying.

“Many will say it’s not just physically tiring, it’s emotionally and spiritually tiring,” she says. “So how do we come alongside that whole person and support them?”

Woodland is well known for talking about the importance of journeying alongside people. When you journey with someone, whether patient or caregiver, it’s not a matter of solving their problems.

It’s meeting them where they are and standing with them while they encounter these difficult times. Journeying is about recognizing that someone’s identity is not limited to their current circumstance or care-giving relationship. Giving them opportunities to focus on their own needs, or a chance to talk about themselves, can go a long way.

“If they are working in the field, there could be vicarious trauma. You hear sad story after sad story after sad story. Eventually the sad stories become yours,” says Woodland. It’s not just those who are dying who need our support through these times.

Let’s Talk In November 2017, a man was taken to hospital in critical condition with no family or friends to speak for him.

His final moments were dictated by a tattoo and a signature scrawled on a document.

I hope we can do better than that.

I hope we can overcome the awkwardness of this subject so that we can speak with and, if necessary, on behalf of our loved ones. Let’s not wait until a critical diagnosis to have these conversations.

For Further Reflection If you don’t know where to start, begin by asking yourself some questions.

• How have I been affected by the death of loved ones?

• What do I want the end of my life to look like?

• What do I believe about life and death?

Take these questions to someone you trust and work through the answers.

Cadet Joel Torrens is a member of the Messengers of Compassion Session at the College for Officer Training in Winnipeg.

*The Salvation Army is committed to the inherent dignity of every human being throughout the entire continuum of life. We are dedicated to providing compassionate care to those at the end of their lives. Based on these beliefs, The Salvation Army will not perform medical assistance in dying at any of its ministry units.

Salvationist May 2018 19

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Across an Ocean and a Continent

From 1904 to 1932, The Salvation Army’s immigration department assisted thousands to make their home in Canada.

BY R. GORDON MOYLES Brass bands, Christmas kettles, thrift stores—these are what most people associate with The Salvation Army. Few know, however, that between 1904 and 1932, the Army was an official immigration agency, approved and financially sponsored

by Canada’s Department of Immigration. Across an Ocean and a Continent is R. Gordon Moyles’ account of the Army’s immigration work that includes reports of trips across the Atlantic and Canada in chartered ships and trains, its dealings with Canada’s Department of Immigration, and the public’s perception of its efforts. Here is an excerpt from the book.

20 May 2018 Salvationist

hen William Booth established his East London Christian Mission in 1865 and transformed it into The Salvation Army in 1878, he did so because he felt a deep sympathy for the spiritual and physical welfare of the “submerged tenth” of London, England. Within a mile radius of his Whitechapel headquarters, he said, were a million people, most of whom had never been inside a church, and a quarter of whom lived in abject poverty.

Most of those Londoners were, as many historians have pointed out, the casualties of the Industrial Revolution.

The transition from an agrarian to an industrial economy, which began in the middle of the 18th century and culminated a century later, effected great changes in British society, the chief one being a change from manual labour to machine-based manufacturing. Whereas, before the introduction of steam power and mechanized factories, most people lived in small villages, and worked mainly as agriculturalists or craftsmen, after that they gradually crowded the cities, laboured in factories as much as 18 hours a day, and caused a great labour-redundancy in a growing population. By the middle of the 19th century, England’s major cities were vastly overcrowded and living conditions for the poor were little better than they were for animals.

“I not only saw but compassionated the people sunk in sin and wretchedness,” wrote Booth. And, though most of them would only listen to his message in exchange for a bowl of soup, and not many joined his ranks—his Mission’s membership being largely composed of working-class people—he still yearned for their spiritual redemption and liberation from the chains of poverty. His basic injunction, drilled into his officers and soldiers, was “go for the worst,” seek out “the lowest of the low,” and help them by whatever means possible. Thus, by a series of social actions in the 1880s, The Salvation Army began gradually to embrace a dual mission—spiritual salvation and social reclamation.

A Staggering Number In his social manifesto, In Darkest England and the Way Out (1890), Booth outlined his plan to alleviate the suffering caused by unemployment and poverty.

“Darkest England,” he wrote, “may be

said to have a population about equal to that of Scotland. Three million men, women and children, a vast despairing multitude in a condition nominally free, but really enslaved—these it is whom we have to save.” Booth was here referring to those who lived in abject poverty—what he termed “below the cab-horse standard.” If one added to these the million others who were on the borderline, those eking out a hand-to-mouth existence, the number was truly staggering.

The situation was made more dismal around the turn of the century by an economic depression. Unemployment was rampant, the poor houses could not cope with the pleas for shelter and even The Salvation Army could not meet the needs of impoverished Britain. It was, all sensible Britons believed, a deplorable situation; and most were of the opinion that emigration was the best solution to the problem.

Agents of Immigration One of the unusual facts of British emigration history is that even though the British government encouraged the transfer of its people to the colonies, its policy was to have no direct involvement in the emigration process. Emigration, assisted or otherwise, should be left to private initiative—to either capitalist enterprise or, more preferably, to philanthropic agencies.

Thus, throughout the 19th century and well into the 20th, a number of private agencies were created specifically to assist would-be emigrants to make new lives in the colonies.

Some of these were purely economic ventures, but most were philanthropic initiatives. They were sponsored by or went by such names as The Columbia Emigration Society, The British Woman’s Emigration Association, The British Emigration Society, The London Colonization Aid Society and, among them as one of the foremost, The Salvation Army Emigration Department.

The assistance those agencies provided ranged from merely selling steamship tickets (with a commission for themselves) to lending emigrants money to pay for passage. It could also include arranging for situations in the

new country, seeing the emigrants to their final destinations, supervising them at their workplace for a specified period and even chartering steamships to take them across the Atlantic in large groups (all of which The Salvation Army did).

Several of the most trusted were heavily funded by the Canadian government, which was as desperate to get new settlers as Britain was to get rid of them.

The various agencies were therefore paid subsidies for their promotion of emigration (through posters, lectures and so forth) and were then paid so much per head for every emigrant brought into

Canada. This commitment clearly indicated the Canadian government’s desire, throughout the John A. Macdonald and Wilfred Laurier eras, to fill its vacant lands, especially in the great northwest, with desirable emigrants.

A Three-Pronged Solution When Booth set forth his plans for the amelioration of poverty in Great Britain, he envisioned a three-pronged approach to the problem. He claimed he would set up three colonies: a city colony, a farm colony and an oversea colony. The first would attack poverty in its own den by establishing industrial homes, rescue

homes, prison-gate refuges and such like. The second would take some of the men from the city colony (those who had shown an inclination to reform) and train them to be agriculturists at his new social farm at Hadleigh in Essex, England. And the third would see some of those trained agriculturists, along with other deserving families, transported across the ocean to be settled on Salvation Army farm colonies in Britain’s colonies.

On paper, the oversea colony looked something like this: The Salvation Army would obtain gifts of suitable tracts of land in Canada, Australia and South Africa on which it would settle willing and capable farm workers (and families). Homes and sheds would be provided, as well as an initial supply of machinery and tools, on the understanding that the Army would later recoup its initial expenses. “Arrangements would be made for the temporary accommodation of new arrivals, officers being maintained for the purpose of taking them in hand on landing and directing and controlling them generally,” wrote Booth. “We shall export them all—father, mother and children. The individuals will be grouped in families, and the families will, on the farm colony, have been for some months past more or less near neighbours, meeting each other in the field, in the workshops, and in the religious services. It will resemble nothing so much as the unmooring of a little piece of England, and towing it across the sea to find a safe anchorage in a sunnier clime. The ship which takes out emigrants will bring back the produce of the farms, and constant travelling to and fro will lead more than ever to the feeling that we and our ocean-sundered brethren are members of one family.”

As an adjunct (or perhaps a contingency) to the above plan, Booth also proposed a system of “universal emigration” by which the Army would, in addition to placing people in farm colonies, assist them to emigrate. These he proposed helping by setting up an emigration bureau in London which would arrange terms with steamship and railway companies, contact agents for employers and assist with expenses.

Salvationist May 2018 21

Putting the Plan into Action In Darkest England was a bold, if not entirely original, plan to deal with the poverty resulting from the evils of the Industrial Revolution—the overcrowded cities, insufficient jobs and a surplus of unskilled labourers. And, as a plan, it was an immediate and unqualified success: in the first few months the book sold more than 200,000 copies, was reviewed and praised in almost every leading journal in the English-speaking world, and more than £100,000 was pledged to see the plan implemented.

When it came to the practical implementation, however, Booth’s Darkest England social scheme proved less viable as a progressive whole than it seemed on paper. The city colony, being situated at the centre of poverty and being very visible to the public, was the easiest to fund and bring into full operation. Within a few years, the Army had thousands of social institutions in many parts of the world, and it was this part of its social wing which became its trademark and which has made it one of the foremost social services agencies in the world.

The farm colony scheme proved more difficult to implement. Booth had planned to set up several rehabilitative farms in Britain which would, it was expected, be able to reform and teach new skills to thousands from the city colony. As things turned out, he was able to purchase only one large farm, situated at Hadleigh in Essex. This abandoned estate was purchased in 1891 and soon was in full production, both in terms of its clientele and farm produce. While never having as many from the slums to rehabilitate as at first projected, the farm did, for many years, turn many “deserving poor” into accomplished farmers and dairy-hands and provided a reforming influence on many men who had fallen under the influence of alcohol.

As for the oversea colony idea, it ran into opposition almost from the beginning. In Canada, Australia and South Africa, critics—mainly nationalists—began to disparage the plan on the grounds that it would export from Britain the “riff-raff” and undesirables.

When William Booth visited Canada in the late fall and early spring of 189495, his top priority was to sell his farm colony idea as an integral part of his Darkest England package. But the politicians were not receptive. They praised his city colony plan, openly supporting the Army’s rescue homes and prison-gate 22 May 2018 Salvationist

Salvation Army emigrants await their train at Euston Station, London, England

refuges, but they balked at the suggestion that Canada should grant large tracts of land on which Booth could settle those he had rescued from the slums of London.

Even though they may have mouthed platitudes regarding the Army’s social work and about Booth’s abilities as a social reformer, they were reluctant, in the face of public opposition, to be positive in their response to his proposals for farm colonies in Northwest Canada.

Canadians, it seems, though many were British themselves, did not want the “submerged tenth” of England dumped on their fertile acres. And, by the time Booth left Canada, that message seems to have gotten through to him.

Therefore, though William Booth never gave up entirely on the idea of overseas farm colonies, he was wise enough to know that some other means of relieving Britain’s dire unemployment might be more readily received by Canadians.

Thus it was that at the Army’s first International Social Council held in 1897, he presented what he termed “new emigration plans,” proposing that an agency similar to a “labour exchange bureau” be established whereby the Army might place English emigrants (not necessarily from the slums) in situa-

tions in the British colonies. Bramwell Booth labelled it “benevolent emigration,” but the most common term for it was “assisted emigration.” Thus, when William Booth returned to Canada in 1898, it was assisted emigration rather than colonization which became the dominant theme in most of his discussions with politicians, a venture more to their liking.

By the fall of 1903, William Booth had created an emigration department as a distinct branch of the Army’s social wing that gained official recognition as an emigration agency (which meant financial support) from the colonial governments. Between 1904 and 1932, The Salvation Army brought approximately 111,000 British settlers, most of them juvenile male farm helpers and young female domestics, to Canada.

Across an Ocean and a Continent is available at store. salvationarmy. ca and in Kindle through Amazon. ca.

CALLING THE COURAGEOUS

Bienvenue’s Welcome Tanzanian Bienvenue Musogota has found two new homes: in Canada and at The Salvation Army.

BY KEN RAMSTEAD

I

t is altogether appropriate that one of Bienvenue Musogota’s duties at The Salvation Army’s Sherbrooke Community Church in Quebec is as a greeter, since his Christian name means welcome in French.

“Bienvenue left a country at war to come to Canada, to live in security for the first time,” says Captain Claude Dagenais, corps officer. “Adaptation is always a challenge considering language and culture, but the church family he has found at The Salvation Army has made his journey that much easier.”

“When I needed help,” says Musogota, “the Army was there for me.”

Finding His Way Musogota was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and grew up in Tanzania with his sister, two brothers and mother, but the violence in the region made them realize that they needed to find a new home. It took four years for their case to wind its way through the system, but in 2012, the Musogotas were accepted by Canada and the family immigrated in 2012.

“It was the answer to prayer,” says Musogota.

After a short stay in Montreal, the family settled in Sherbrooke, nestled in Quebec’s Eastern Townships southeast of Montreal.

“We didn’t know anything about The Salvation Army before coming to Canada,” says Musogota, “but when we arrived here in Quebec, we were given a list of religious institutions in case we were interested. We asked some of our new friends here if they had any suggestions where we could worship, and they brought us right to the doors of The Salvation Army here in Sherbrooke.

“We’ve been attending ever since.”

A Failure to Communicate The Musogotas embraced their new

taking soldiership courses in 2013. But the plans derailed not long after due to a simple linguistic misunderstanding.

“I thought that by taking these courses, I was actually being conscripted into the Canadian Armed Forces,” he laughs now. “After everything I had fled from, the last thing I wanted was to have someone put a gun in my hand so that I could shoot people!”

So Musogota walked away.

“After getting to know him, I realized he had spent a large part of his formative years in refugee camps,” explains Captain Dagenais. “He’s seen war’s atrocities up close but never lost his faith, which made his reluctance to join any type of armed force understandable.”

By 2014, the misunderstanding had been cleared up and, now that Musogota understood, he had no hesitation about retaking the soldiership course, and he was enrolled.

Bienvenue Musogota attends Sherbrooke CC in Quebec

faith community along with their new citizenship.

“I liked everything about The Salvation Army,” says Musogota. “The congregation was welcoming and helpful.

For example, when we needed to move, so many people offered to help us. And Captain Claude has been a wonderful inspiration. They’ve all nourished and sustained me in my faith.”

Becoming an official member of The Salvation Army seemed to be the next logical step for Musogota, and he started

Bright Future Being a soldier is all-important to Musogota.

“I am proud to be a soldier because it shows that I have been saved, that I am a soldier of Christ and, by being a soldier and wearing my uniform for all to see, I am helping to point people to Jesus,” he says.

“It gives Bienvenue the opportunity to show his identity in Christ,” says Captain Dagenais.

Besides being a greeter, Musogota volunteers to provide information to newcomers to the church and helps with the collection and Sunday school. He’s also a kettle worker during the holidays, averaging 10-15 shifts every year.

Musogota is hoping that officership will be in his future but for now is content with driving a taxi along the streets of Sherbrooke. Captain Dagenais is convinced that his future is bright.

“Christ lives in him,” he concludes.

Salvationist May 2018 23

GRACE NOTES

When Mother’s Day Hurts Let’s honour moms without wounding others.

M

y first experience of giving birth, to my son Luke, was traumatic and scary for more reasons than I can explain here.

In contrast, my second labour, with my son Elliot, was peaceful, calm and smooth, even—dare I say it—perfect.

And Charlotte … well, Charlotte’s birth was all kinds of messy. Charlie, as we affectionately call her, wanted to kick her way into the world, forcing an emergency C-section at the 11th hour.

I have birth stories. Some parents don’t. Not all children are born into a home—some parents choose their children and welcome them into a forever home through the beautiful process of adoption.

Every family is unique. Some children are raised in homes with only a mom or a dad. Some children are born or welcomed into homes with two moms or two dads. Some children are raised by grandparents, or aunts and uncles, or godparents, or guardians. And sometimes, a family unit—a complete home— is a home without children.

Every year, the arrival of spring signals that Mother’s Day and Father’s Day 24 May 2018 Salvationist

are on the horizon. In the church, we do a good job of celebrating “traditional” families. Unfortunately, we don’t do a good job of including unique families— and have even perpetuated hurtful and unkind attitudes that can make people feel incomplete if their family does not resemble the “ideal”—a husband, wife and children.

We have also often failed to remember those who silently writhe in pain during these celebrations of parenthood.

Not everyone receives the label “mom” or “dad.” For many women and men, the topic of birth, children and parenthood causes unimaginable pain—a reality that breaks my heart time and time again as I journey alongside those who grieve infertility or the loss of a child. There are no easy words of comfort. There is no formula for moving through and past the ache.

Sometimes, these celebrations can stir up a host of emotions as we grapple with parent-child relationships and all they entail.

I was in my 20s before I heard the term “Women’s Day” and “Men’s Day” as a replacement for Mother’s Day and

Father’s Day. I was grateful and forever changed by the love and grace behind the idea of recognizing all women and men—not just those who had children of their own.

I say “of their own” intentionally.

Some of the most profound, graceinfused relationships I’ve witnessed are between a parent and a non-biological child, brought together through deep need.

Perhaps the focus on traditional families is no longer an issue where you worship. Perhaps you already celebrate many ways of being a parent. If that’s true of your church, I congratulate you on the openness with which you approach these days. What I do know is that trying to uphold celebrations that honour specific groups of people is messy and hard. Even with the best of intentions, we often get it wrong.

As a denomination, my hope is that The Salvation Army would welcome all at the table—that we would celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day with integrity, grace, openness and kindness, demonstrating our calling to show the world we are Christians (Christ followers) by our love. And that means including and loving every unique family just as they are.

Jesus didn’t have biological children of his own, but he had an earthly mother and father—a mother who was young and unwed when she found out she was pregnant, and a father who tossed aside all cultural expectations to claim Jesus as his own.

Yes, we celebrate all moms and dads.

Parenting is a tough job and not for the faint of heart. Can we celebrate all families with bravery and grace? Are we willing to abide in the pain of those who suffer and can we celebrate diversity?

Let’s remember that we’re all part of God’s family—we all belong.

Lieutenant Erin Metcalf is the corps officer at Niagara Orchard Community Church in Niagara Falls, Ont.

Photo: © Highwaystarz-Photography/iStock.com

BY LIEUTENANT ERIN METCALF

CROSS CULTURE

The Shadow of Death New book offers a candid, moving account of a woman’s journey with incurable cancer.

BY KRISTIN OSTENSEN

O

ne moment, I was a regular person with regular problems.

And the next, I was someone with cancer.” At the time of her diagnosis, Kate Bowler has the life she has always wanted—at 35 years old, she is a professor at Duke Divinity School, married to her high-school sweetheart and mom to newborn Zach. Then everything changes.

Bowler shares her story in a new memoir, Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved, a beautiful account of her journey from diagnosis to almost-death. While the type of colon cancer Bowler has is incurable, thanks to treatment it has not yet progressed beyond stage IV. As a scholar, Bowler specializes in the study of the prosperity gospel—the belief that God rewards faith with material success (i.e. “health and wealth”)—and this background informs her writing of Everything Happens. In the face of tragedy and suffering, Bowler writes, “the prosperity gospel … promises a solution. It guarantees that faith will always make a way.” In the early chapters of the book, she recounts a number of poignant and often funny stories that illustrate the attractiveness of this idea, from her experience of overcoming infertility to winning a game of bingo. When she is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Bowler realizes, to her surprise, how much the prosperity gospel has quietly crept into her thinking.

As Bowler begins treatments, that way of thinking is steadily chipped away as she wrestles with the unflinching reality of her situation. This wrestling process often happens in conversation with a colourful cast of characters, including her husband, Toban, her parents, friends and colleagues, as well as doctors, nurses and fellow patients. These conversations can be vehicles for the profound—the

former Sunday school teacher and fellow cancer patient who tells Bowler, “I have known Christ in so many good times … And now I will know him better in his sufferings.” Or the devastating—the nurse who tells her, “The sooner you get used to the idea of dying the better.”

As time goes on and her treatments continue, Bowler vacillates between acceptance and surrender. “Control is a drug,” she observes, “and we are all hooked.” Throughout Everything Happens, she is candid about her struggle to accept the fact that she is dying, noting toward the end of the book, “I have still, somehow, clung to the idea that I am able to save myself.” And while Bowler is surrounded and supported by people who love her—who don’t bombard her with clichés like “everything happens for a reason”—she faces a heart-wrenching and often lonely road. “I keep having the same unkind thought—I am preparing for death and everyone else is on Instagram,” Bowler quips. “I know that’s not fair—that life is hard for everyone— but sometimes I feel like I’m the only one

in the world who is dying.”

While Everything Happens offers an honest account of Bowler’s difficult circumstances, the book is infused with faith, hope and love. Whether Bowler is writing about growing up in “Mennoniteland” in Manitoba or undergoing chemotherapy in Atlanta, the grace of God is present. The book never offers readers simple or pat answers; instead, it shows how God’s love is made manifest through the love of others. “At a time when I should have felt abandoned by God, I was not reduced to ashes,” Bowler reflects. “I felt like I was floating, floating on the love and prayers of all those who hummed around me like worker bees, bringing notes and flowers and warm socks and quilts embroidered with words of encouragement. They came in like priests and mirrored back to me the face of Jesus.”

Everything Happens is less than 200 pages, but Bowler packs an amazing amount of humour, insight, heartbreak and beauty into that short length. Candid and elegantly written, it is not a theological treatise on why bad things happen to good people, but an invitation to experience life, and almost-death, with a fellow human being. It’s an invitation readers will be glad they accepted.

Kate Bowler, a professor at Duke Divinity School, was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer at 35 years old

Salvationist May 2018 25

CROSS CULTURE

Brighter in the Dark NEON The Canada and Bermuda Territory’s contemporary worship team, Neon, has released its first recording. Brighter in the Dark features five new inspirational tracks—Brighter in the Dark, I’ve Chosen You, More Than, Found a Home and We Won’t Be Shaken—and is available on all major music streaming platforms. All net proceeds from purchases of this recording will be donated to the territory’s Partners in Mission campaign. Chord charts and lead sheets for all five songs are available for download at samagacb.com/neon.

Endless Power NEW YORK STAFF BAND This album features 12 new compositions from nine different composers, delivering the Christian message in fresh and exciting ways. Among the tracks are Streamlined and Endless Power by Marcus Venables, project specialist in the music and gospel arts department, Canada and Bermuda Territory, and Fearless by Andrew Wainwright, winner of the New York Staff Band composition contest. The title of the album refers to the extraordinary power available to believers through the Holy Spirit—the power to make a difference in the world, to reach out and deliver hope, and accomplish far more than we can imagine.

IN REVIEW Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?

Larry Norman and the perils of Christian rock

BY GREGORY ALAN THORNBURY The phrase, “Why should the devil have all the good music?” has been attributed to a number of people over the years, including William Booth, but it was Larry Norman who brought it to the mainstream with a song of that name. Widely considered the “father of Christian rock,” Norman spent the 1960s playing on bills with acts like The Who, Janis Joplin and The Doors, before deciding to sing about the most countercultural subject of all: Jesus. To a young generation of Christians who wanted a way to be different in the American cultural scene, Norman was a godsend. To the religious establishment, however, he was too edgy—Christian stores wouldn’t stock his records. In Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?

Gregory Alan Thornbury draws extensively on Norman’s personal papers and archives to tell the fascinating story of Norman’s complicated life. But more than just a biography, Thornbury’s book offers insight into the overall history of Christian rock, with meaningful implications for today.

26 May 2018 Salvationist

IN THE NEWS Vending Machine Gives Food to Homeless People

A unique vending machine at a shopping centre in Nottingham, England, is providing free food—but only for people who are homeless. Created by a nonprofit called Action Hunger, the machine provides granola, sandwiches, fruit and hygiene items such as toothbrushes—up to three items each day.

Access to the machine is granted by special key cards, which are provided to people through homeless organizations in the city. The machine is available around the clock, so users can access the items at their convenience. But in order to keep using the machine, they have to check in at a partner organization each week.

Action Hunger plans to install machines throughout the United Kingdom. However, the non-profit’s founder, Huzaifah Khaled, told Fast Company that the machines are not meant to be a permanent solution but a complement to other existing services. He hopes the weekly check-in will help facilitate homeless people getting off the streets.

Study Shows Controversial TV Series Has Positive Impact

When 13 Reasons Why debuted on Netflix last year, the show was as controversial as it was popular. Along with many positive reviews, the fictional series about a high school student named Hannah Baker who takes her own life was criticized for its treatment of sensitive subjects, including suicide and sexual assault. (You can read Salvationist’s review of season 1 at salvationist.ca/ articles/listen-to-reason.)

In order to better understand the show’s impact, a team of researchers from Northwestern University surveyed more than 5,000 teens, young adults and parents to assess how audiences perceived, related to and were influenced by the series.

According to the study, the majority of adolescent and youngadult viewers said that watching the series helped them better understand depression, suicide, bullying and sexual assault; nearly 80 per cent reported that watching the show helped them understand their actions can have an impact on others; and more than half of teen viewers reached out to apologize to someone for how they had treated them.

To further address concerns about the show’s impact, season 2 will come with a warning video from the cast, telling viewers that if the show triggers anything traumatic or disturbing, they should talk to a trusted individual or contact a help line.

Photo: Courtesy of Action Hunger

NEW SALVATION ARMY MUSIC

PEOPLE & PLACES

NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C.—Three senior soldiers and three adherents are enrolled at North Vancouver Corps. Front, from left, Valerie Rochlow, Jean Brown and Marjolaine Cote, adherents; Ronald Garvock, Kayla Esdaille and Kim Shackle, senior soldiers. Supporting them are, from left, Lts Cathy and Alfred Esdaille, COs; Mjr Les Marshall, AC, B.C. Div; Lt-Col Anne Venables, then DDWM, B.C. Div; CSM Bill Stanley; and Lt-Col Brian Venables, then DC, B.C. Div.

RENFREW, ONT.—Sandra and Jim Miller are reinstated as senior soldiers at Renfrew CC. Welcoming them is Lt Cathy Shears, CO.

RENFREW, ONT.—Jennifer Cooke receives a plaque of appreciation from Mjrs Gary and Sharon Cooper, ACs, Ont. GL Div, for more than 25 years of faithful volunteer service at the Army thrift store in Renfrew, and she is still going strong! Celebrating with them is Lt Cathy Shears, CO, Renfrew CC. ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—Front, from left, Evaleigh Williams, Jane Blackwood, Marlee Collett, Marissa Keats and Daniel Cooper are enrolled as junior soldiers at St. John’s Temple. Back, from left, Betty Cunningham, corps secretary and preparation class instructor; Mjrs Peter and Janice Rowe, COs; CSM Rick Hynes; and Erika White, youth director.

BRACEBRIDGE, ONT.—Bracebridge CC celebrates as an adherent and a senior soldier are enrolled. From left, CSM Nancy Turley; Jenn Kachmar, adherent; Dezirae Kachmar, senior soldier; and Lts Kam and Ian Robinson, COs.

NEW LISKEARD, ONT.—Ed Wabie and Adriana Wabie are welcomed as adherents at Temiskaming CC. From left, Mjr Lucy Pilgrim, CO; Mjr Vi Barrow, DDWM, Ont. GL Div; Karen Woods, holding the flag; Mjr Everett Barrow, DC, Ont. GL Div; Adriana Wabie; Ed Wabie; and Mjr Warrick Pilgrim, CO.

EDMONTON—When Edmonton Temple Band conducts a service each month under the leadership of Denis and Sherree Robichaud at Jubilee Lodge Nursing Home in Edmonton, resident Aurah Hawks is always in attendance. Born in Swanson, Sask., she moved to Calgary in 1946, where she worshipped at the Army and participated in open-air meetings by playing the tambourine. Hawks continues to show her love for Jesus as she plays her tambourine along with the Edmonton Temple Band, and at the age of 106, she could possibly be the world’s oldest timbrellist! Sharing a moment with her are, from left, Bruce Coley; Denis Robichaud; Jeff Simmons; Collin Williams; Ione Dalmer, Hawks’ daughter; Sherree Robichaud; and Byron Anthony.

Salvationist May 2018 27

PEOPLE & PLACES

GRAND FALLS–WINDSOR, N.L.—These are exciting times at Grand Falls Citadel as three junior soldiers and three senior soldiers are added to the ranks. Front, from left, Shayna-Lynn Barker, Nathan Penney and Taylor Sweeney, junior soldiers. Back from left, Mjrs Maurice and Marilyn Blackler, COs; Kaitlyn Loveless, Bernice Bragg and Natalie Simms, senior soldiers; Frank Keats, colour sergeant; Mjr Jennifer Reid, DSWM and DROS, N.L. Div; and Mjr Bradley Reid, DSBA, N.L. Div.

GANDER, N.L.—Dawson Hodder-Pittman and Jaden Waterman are the newest junior soldiers at Gander Corps. From left, Alecia Barrow, special guest; YPSM Tina Stryde; Dawson Hodder-Pittman; Jaden Waterman; and Cpts Ashley and Sheldon Bungay, COs.

Test Your “General” Knowledge—Quiz Answers 1. C—Pawnbroker 2. B—Edward Higgins 3. B—Evangeline Booth 4. A—Jarl Wahlström 5. C—Belfast, Ireland 6. D—Eva Burrows 7. D—Bramwell Booth

8. A— Glory and The Blood of the Lamb 9. C—George Carpenter 10. D—Eric Wickberg 11. C—André Cox 12. C—Moreton’s Harbour, N.L. 13. A—Bramwell Tillsley

14. C—International Staff Songsters 15. B—Paul Rader 16. D—Linda Bond 17. A—Wilfred Kitching 18. B—Frederick Coutts 19. C—Albert Orsborn 20. D—All of the above

How Did You Score?

0-5—Thanks for trying, but Army history may not be one of your gifts.

6-10—Better than some, so brush up on your Sally Ann facts and try again.

11-15—Well done. You’re on your way to becoming an Army historian.

16-20—Congratulations! Generally speaking (pun intended), you know your Generals.

He belongs in school

saworldmissions.ca 28 May 2018 Salvationist

PEOPLE & PLACES

TRIBUTES BISHOP’S FALLS, N.L.—Susie Murphy (Humby) was born in Summerville, Bonavista Bay, N.L. She moved to Bishop’s Falls in 1943, where she became a longtime resident of the community. Susie met and married Frank Murphy, and raised 10 children. During her lifetime Susie was an active member in the community and in her church. Her joy was attending The Salvation Army, the home league and the Ladies Orange Benevolent Association. In her early years, Susie did many sewing projects for the Canadian Red Cross. Her main enjoyment was her leadership in the Salvation Army Brownie group for more than 16 years. During her senior years, Susie was often approached by young women who said they had been one of her Brownies, and thanked her for the help that she had given them. Susie was a loving and caring person who was always concerned about the needs of others. Promoted to glory in her 100th year, Susie’s family celebrates her long and wonderful life.

BURLINGTON, ONT.—Raul Alvarez was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, where he grew up in The Salvation Army. His work for a local shipping company brought him to Canada in 1966, where he met and married Bonnie Holbeche at New Westminster Corps, B.C. A move to Ontario then followed, where Raul became bandmaster at Orillia and then Mount Hamilton Corps. With a promotion at work, the family moved to Montreal in 1975, where they attended Montreal Citadel. In 1985, a further promotion meant a return to Hamilton, where they attended Hamilton Temple, now Meadowlands Corps, and Raul retired as president of SNA International Ltd. in 1999. Remaining active in retirement, Raul turned his longtime hobby of recording music into a small business with his son, Paul. He also enjoyed spending time with his growing family and playing golf whenever the weather would allow. Promoted to glory in his 77th year, Raul is missed by his loving wife, Bonnie; sons Stephen (Jerri) and Paul (Vangi); daughter, Heather; grandchildren Carregan, Abbigail, Caleigh, McKenzie, Ryan and Lauren; sister, Daisy; and extended family and friends both near and far.

Guidelines for Tributes Salvationist will print tributes (maximum 200 words), at no cost, as space permits. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Tributes should be received within three months of the promotion to glory and include: community where the person resided, corps involvement, Christian ministry, conversion to Christ, survivors. A high-resolution digital photo or high-resolution scan of an original photo (TIFF, EPS or JPG; 300 ppi) should be emailed to salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org; a clear, original photograph mailed to 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto ON M4H 1P4 will be returned.

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GAZETTE INTERNATIONAL Appointments: Jul 1—Lt-Cols Alex/Luz Nesterenko, TC/TPWM, South America East Tty, with rank of col; Mjrs Raúl/Lidia Bernao, CS/TSWM, South America West Tty, with rank of lt-col; Lt-Cols Chatonda/Joyce Theu, CS/TSWM, Uganda Tty; Mjrs Alfred/Pamela Banda, CS/TSWM, Malawi Tty, with rank of lt-col; Mjrs Tommy (Hi-Wai)/ Helina (Siu-King) Chan, GS/CSWM, Hong Kong and Macau Cmd Promoted to commissioner: Col Margaret Siamoya (TC, Zambia Tty); Cols Edwin/Sumita Masih (TC/TPWM, India Western Tty); Cols Keith/Yvonne Conrad (TC/TPWM, Southern Africa Tty) TERRITORIAL Appointments: Lt-Cols Jamie/Ann Braund, DC/DDWM, B.C. Div; Cpt Fabio Correa, chaplain, New Hope Leslieville and Booth Supportive Services, Toronto Homeless and Housing Supports, Ont. CE Div; Mjr Rosena Halvorsen, family tracing officer, Manitoba, Prairie Div (additional responsibility); Cpt Elizabeth Knight, divisional finance officer, Bermuda Div (additional responsibility); Cpt Raelene Russell, associate CO, Edmonton Crossroads CC, Alta. & N.T. Div; May 1—Mjr Brian Armstrong, secretary for personnel, THQ, with rank of lt-col; Jun 29—Mjr Lynn Armstrong, secretary for program, THQ, with rank of lt-col; Lt-Cols David/Marsha-Jean Bowles, Etobicoke Temple, Toronto, Ont. CE Div; Mjr John Murray, secretary for communications (current appointment of TSPRD to be incorporated in secretary for communications responsibility), with rank of lt-col; Jul 1—Mjrs Rodney/Paulette Bungay, administrators, School for the Blind, Kingston, Jamaica, Caribbean Tty Promoted to lt-colonel: May 1—Mjrs Brian/Lynn Armstrong; Jun 29—Mjrs John/Brenda Murray Promoted to major: Cpts Robert/Johannah Sessford Promoted to glory: Mrs. Brg Lucille MacCorquodale, from Toronto, Feb 24; Mjr Kenneth Evenden, from Markham, Ont., Feb 27; Mrs. Mjr Lillian Norman, from St. John’s, N.L., Feb 28

CALENDAR

Commissioner Susan McMillan: May 3-4 NAB, Toronto; May 5-7 80th corps anniversary, Park Street Citadel, Grand Falls–Windsor, N.L.; May 8-9 U.S.A. commissioners’ conference, Alexandria, Va., U.S.A.; May 14-Jun 1 pre-High Council consultations and High Council, Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel, Hounslow, London, England Colonels Lee and Deborah Graves: May 3 NAB dinner, Toronto; May 4 NAB, Toronto*; May 5 S.A.L.T. training day, Yorkminster Citadel, Toronto**; May 6 Rainbow Country Church, Parry Sound, Ont.; May 14-15 CFOT review, Winnipeg; May 18-20 100th anniversary, Trail, B.C. (*Colonel Lee Graves only; **Colonel Deborah Graves only) Canadian Staff Band: May 5-6 Kingston Citadel, Ont. Canadian Staff Songsters: May 5-6 Brantford CC, Ont.

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Contact (416) 422-6119; circulation@can.salvationarmy.org or visit salvationist.ca/subscribe to order Salvationist May 2018 29

Follow the Path When I was afraid to leave a toxic relationship, God sent people to help.

BY SHELLY MERCREDI

I

n June 2017, I watched with pride as my son, Riley, was honoured with an eagle feather and blanket, given to all graduates of surrounding high schools and colleges, at the Peace River Pow Wow and Aboriginal Gathering in Alberta. It was a moment of victory—one that we weren’t sure would ever come.

His last year of high school was a battle as he struggled with anxiety and PTSD. For many years, our lives were chaotic.

In 2007, after a yo-yo process of breaking up and reuniting, I moved back in with my children’s father, hopeful for the future. When I got a job at Walmart, I thought our financial problems were over. I was soon promoted to a department manager, and I also had two janitorial jobs. I was spending more time away from home, not realizing the stress I left my children in.

After volunteering for a community dinner at The Salvation Army’s Peace River Community Church, I started attending services. In 2012, I went to a women’s camp. Danielle Strickland was the speaker that weekend, and her words opened my heart to God. Later that year, I lost my job. It sent me into a deep depression, not knowing what to do with my life. I relied on my husband to be there for me, but felt little support. This time also took a toll on my kids. Captains Kevin and Michelle Elsasser, then lieutenants and corps officers in Peace River, offered us food and connections to social services, showing me a community who cared.

I started counselling with my kids, and this is when I truly hit rock bottom. I had not known all my children endured when their father was intoxicated. I began to lose faith in myself as 30 May 2018 Salvationist

a mother. As a parent, I had chosen to ignore and hide away from the abuse. I knew we needed to leave, but how? My fear always took over. With no references, money or support, I didn’t know where to turn.

Then, during one family meeting, I was informed bluntly: you need to get your children out of there, or we will be forced to remove them from your custody. With the assistance of Captain

Shelly Mercredi and her son, Riley, at the Peace River Pow Wow and Aboriginal Gathering in Alberta

Michelle and my therapist I was able to make a safe plan. That December, with the help of family, friends and members of the church, we moved into a new home and never looked back.

There were many weeks of sorrow and heartache, but I began to pray, ask-

ing God to enlighten that which was dark in me, and heal the hurt and pain in my life. He showed me he is always there, sending people to help me overcome my fears and the urge to hide from the world. As I began to work through my insecurities, I grew stronger, able to hold myself accountable and be a true woman of God. We’ve had a few stumbling blocks along the way, but today, my daughter Katelyn is a wonderful mother to Sawyer.

Brittany is an independent, courageous young woman who toured with Live Different, a youth empowerment program, to reach Indigenous communities with an inspiring message of hope.

In Riley’s last term of high school, we didn’t think he’d graduate. But with the help of the Sagitawa Friendship Centre, we found a tutor and he buckled down, fighting through the exhaustion and depression. And at the end of the year, he got the letter we’d been hoping for.

There, in bright colours, were the words: “You have completed all requirements for graduation.”

At his graduation ceremony, they announced an award for the mostimproved student since Grade 9. As they described the young person, I started to realize it was Riley. When they announced his name, I jumped out of my seat, screaming and cheering. As he crossed the platform, I ran to a close friend and mentor. Tears were streaming down my face as she whispered in my ear, “You did this. We did this.”

I see 2018 as the year of the woman. I am working on myself, as a proud Métis woman of God. In June, I will graduate with a certificate in business administration from Northern Lakes College in Alberta, and will receive my eagle feather and blanket at the Peace River Pow Wow. My next goal is to obtain my addictions counselling diploma, to work with youth struggling with addiction or coming from a family affected by it. This would never have happened if I didn’t follow the path the Lord laid out for me and listen to his signs and whispers of guidance.

Photo: Dorothy Mercredi

SALVATION STORIES

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