Volume 26 No. 9

Head Start
Gave Opportunity

Former
President's
Join Hands

Re-Dedication
Helps
Homeless

Come Army Our Army

Describing their six-month head start as corps officers appointed to Fayetteville, Ark., as “something like in limbo” between training and officership, Lieutenants Philip and Elaine Canning are both “happy and humbled” to have had such a rare experience.

The couple was serving in their Christmas assignment when the message from the principal’s office came, calling them to report as soon as possible.

“We thought we were in trouble,” Lieutenant Elaine Canning said, “but we were shocked when Major (Willis) Howell broached with us the possibility
of going to Fayetteville in January to be the corps
officers.”

An immediate need for a corps officer existed at Fayetteville at the time, and leadership at the Evangeline Booth College determined that the cadet couple were equal to the challenge of stepping in.

The Cannings agree the only down side to the rare situation is the time they lost from January to June, in the classroom and in the training experience with their Witnesses For Christ sessionmates.

“The upside is that we’ve hit the ground running by having six months already under our belts,” Lieutenant Philip Canning said.

The strangeness of being at their first appointment six months before actually being commissioned was compounded by questions from their session mates asking, “What’s it like?” or “How does it feel to be a corps officer?”

“A situation like this is highly unusual, but the Cannings are highly qualified,” Major Willis Howell said. “It somewhat harkens back to the early days of the Army.”

Howell added that several couples in the session could have been chosen, but that Philip and Elaine “were ready to be plugged in right now.”

On the other end, Major Kenneth Luyk was ecstatic to receive the couple to his Arkansas-Oklahoma Division.

“(The Cannings) came in with a sense of Salvationism and what Army ministry is all about,” he said. “It is a great opportunity for them in a significant appointment.”

Lieutenant Philip Canning addressed his classmates during the session’s farewell banquet, saying that no one is completely ready to go to any appointment (during one’s career) – but that “we are made worthy by the Lord Jesus Christ, who not only has equipped us, but has chosen each one of us!”

Back to top

The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Area Command celebrated the re-opening of Plymouth Colony, a 34-unit apartment facility for homeless families in Broward County.

The dedicatory address was given by Lt. Colonel Vern Jewett, Florida divisional commander, and the Florida Divisional Band performed at the ceremony. Lt.Colonel Jewett spoke of God’s grace and The Salvation Army’s ability to apply that grace in practical ways to help homeless people.

Steve Werthman, director of the Broward County Homeless Initiative Partnership, addressed the crowd of 75 people on behalf of the larger community. Other speakers included Captain Tom Louden, Fort Lauderdale area commander, and Jim Crookston of Scherer Construction. Captain Julie Louden sang the national anthem and Captain Henry Hudson led the crowd in the closing song, “To God be the Glory.”

The dedication was followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours of the facility and a reception.

“The re-opening of Plymouth Colony ends a two-year renovation project that took the aging structure down to the cement block walls and rebuilt it into a beautiful facility for homeless families. The facility puts The Salvation Army at the forefront of service providers for the homeless population in Broward County,” said Captain Tom Louden.

Plymouth Colony contains one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as “swing” apartments that open up larger spaces to accommodate large families. The complex includes a community room, playground, a large, wellequipped laundry room and a prayer garden.

Back to top

With the theme “Come Join Our Army … To Battle We Go,” Commissioning weekend armed delegates with an arsenal of artillery through a variety of seminars.

Major John White, territorial evangelism and adult ministries secretary, said each seminar was crafted specifically to train delegates for the spiritual battle in which all are engaged. For example, Major White’s seminar, titled “As Your Money Burns: Fire That Cartridge,” instructed delegates about debt relief. White said the seminar related to the national Come Join Our Army campaign because its principles bring freedom to the ranks. “People who are so wrapped up in themselves aren’t going to be wrapped up in meeting others. I’ve gotten letters from people who have taken this seminar before, and their outlook has totally changed. Where they were spending their time and money on themselves, they’re now able to focus on other people,” he said.

Jude Gotrich, territorial director of worship development and prayer initiative, spoke to soldiers and officers about working together in the design of worship in “Joining a Worshipping Community.”

Discussing four different components of worship, Gotrich said that everyone wins when soldiers get involved in worship planning. Officers get the help they need, and worship reflects the entire corps. “Worship will be a more authentic expression because it will have the stamp of the people that live there,” she said.

“Equipping our Recruiters to Enlist for the Battle,” taught by Florida divisional sergeant-major Brenda Bundy, showed delegates that recruiting is the responsibility of all members of the church. It focused on how to identify, enlist and enroll new recruits.

Captain Julio Da Silva refreshed soldiers and officers who wanted to avoid stagnancy in their corps. In “How to Detox Your Corps,” Captain Da Silva talked about sidestepping the pitfalls of what he called the “McDonaldization” of the church – where services and outreach are all in a pre-programmed box. Instead, he emphasized a lifestyle of recognizing God’s presence and following his lead.

“Front Line Evangelism in the Marine Corps of the Church,” taught by Majors Dannie and Lynda Delaney – Atlanta ARC administrator and director of special services – was founded on Daniel 11:32b and explained the importance of applying 12 marching orders, such as having a committed prayer team, to the mission of The Salvation Army.

Joe Lynch taught a seminar called “Take Your Mission to the World,” where the primary goal was to inspire delegates to get involved in mission by listening to the stories of past mission trip participants. Lynch invited two such participants – Rob and Jen Dietrich – from a partner church in Atlanta, Peachtree Presbyterian, and said, “‘Come Join Our Army’ can also mean other churches partnering with us.”

The Dietrichs have taken their experience working at The Salvation Army School for the Blind in Kingston, Jamaica, back to their church, where many have gotten involved in subsequent trips and/or fund-raisers to benefit the school. “We didn’t know much about The Salvation Army prior to this experience,” said Jen Dietrich. “You are doing the most good.”

Retired officers Majors David and Pat Waite geared their seminar, “How to Be a Spiritual Leader in Your Corps,” to local officers. They identified characteristics of a spiritual leader and then led a discussion about how to begin the journey of developing such qualities.

“The Making of a Marriage,” taught Lt. Colonels Richard and Sharon Ulyat, was based on the new pre-marital counseling manual written by Lt. Colonel Richard Ulyat. The seminar explained how to apply the manual in pre-marital counseling. The book covers topics such as conflict resolution, setting a budget and joining families.

Back to top