Volume 25 No. 20

The Silver Lining
Devastating hurricanes had revitalizing effect on 
Louisiana corps
 
Continued from above.

Then Katrina and Rita came through just 20 days apart.

Instead of viewing the situation as insurmountable, Captains David and Bobbie Sams attacked the challenge as though it were a God-sent opportunity. They rallied what soldiers were left around them, implored exsoldiers to return, and slowly added to their numbers as the community watched the excellent spiritual and social services being rendered by the Army around Lake Charles during the past three years.

“We had no corps building, so we began having church services in the dining room of our Center of Hope shelter,” Sams said. “Our soldiers soon caught a renewed pride, and they seemed to recapture their vision of what the Army can be here. In addition, the advisory board worked hard to erect a new corps building.”

By the time that building was dedicated in October 2007 by Commissioner Max Feener, the facility had already become a beehive of worship and service. Soldiers were added to the rolls and 27 warranted and commissioned local officers were put to work – all part of a concentrated emphasis on discipleship.

“Our corps has seen a 150% growth across the board,” said Wes Sonnier, himself one of the newest soldiers. Sonnier met the Army through a newspaper ad (see related story) and now works at the corps as the social worker. He takes advantage of every chance to invite the unchurched to come to the corps.

Greg and Rose Joyner are two other relatively new soldiers, both coming to the Army through the shelter program. They are now uniformed soldiers, and Greg is the corps sergeant-major.

“This is where God wants me to be. I knew I had a calling in my life and I didn’t know what it was. The Lord opened the door for us to be here, and we want only to help disciple others!” CSM Joyner said.

“We as a church never lost hope,” said Nathaniel Meaux, who grew up in the Lake Charles Corps but left his soldiership some years ago before he put his uniform back on a little more than a year ago.

“The Army will always be in Lake Charles because the Lord has a great work for us to do still,” Meaux said.

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The hand that has led Salvation Army music in the Southern Territory for the last 30 years will soon relinquish the baton. Dr. Richard Holz, territorial
music and music education secretary and bandmaster for the Southern Territorial Band retires Feb. 2 from
the post he has held since 1979.

Nicholas Simmons-Smith, currently the territorial music and publications marketing specialist in the Music Department, has been named to succeed Holz as territorial music secretary.

Holz was honored Jan. 10 with a special concert celebrating his service at the Atlanta Temple Corps. The concert was held during the annual meeting of the Territorial Music Committee consisting of music leaders from across the territory. Special guests for the concert were Bandmaster William Himes of the USA
Central Territory, Salvationist composer James Curnow and B/M Ronald Holz.

The program featured the Southern Territorial Band under the leadership of Holz, and Himes and Curnow, as well as Simmons-Smith, took their turns conducting the band as well. Also contributing to the program were the Southern Territorial Songsters, under the direction of Songster Leader James Anderson, and the Southern Territorial Creative Arts Ensemble, directed by Roberta Simmons-Smith.

Himes conducted the retirement ceremony for Holz and brought a Scripture meditation taken from Psalm 112, which celebrates the servant with a steadfast heart and a deep commitment to the Lord. Himes observed that the Psalm is an apt description of Holz.

One by One
Making a difference in the life of a child