Twin bothers Tommy and Jackie Ball, the longest serving soldiers at Bangor, cut the anniversary cake, watched by the Chief of the Staff and Commissioner Sue Swanson

Salvationists and friends in Bangor, Northern Ireland, celebrated 124 years of witness and ministry in the town with a visit from the Chief of the Staff, Commissioner Barry C. Swanson, and Commissioner Sue Swanson (World President of Women’s Ministries).

The celebrations included thanksgiving for past ministry but those gathered were encouraged to look to the future of the corps. The visitors challenged Salvationists and friends to see people as Jesus did—resulting in personal relationships which ultimately direct people to God—and to look for new opportunities to reach out to the local community in practical and meaningful ways.

Celebrations and fellowship commenced on Saturday with a quiz and music evening. Commissioner Sue Swanson played a ukulele, accompanied by members of the band in a joyful rendition of “You Are My Sunshine.” A special “one night only” choir, including past friends and members of Bangor Corps, united to sing an old-time Salvation Army favourite, “We are Soldiers Fighting for the King of Kings.”

Sunday worship was a time of encouragement and challenge. The Chief of the Staff asked the congregation to look around and see others as Jesus did—without judging and with compassion. He emphasized the need for The Salvation Army to remain a mission for the “whosoever” in Northern Ireland and around the world.

Young people from the Brownies and Rainbows, who met weekly at Bangor Corps, sing the action song "I'm going to Jump Up and Down" during Sunday worship

The meetings included personal testimony, singing from the Brownies and Rainbows group, contributions from the songsters and a lively presentation by the junior timbrels. The band also participated—joined on Sunday evening by the Chief of the Staff on bass.

In her Bible message on Sunday evening, Commissioner Sue Swanson spoke of how Joshua had claimed the ground promised by God. She challenged her listeners to demonstrate greater faith and actions in meeting local needs. She also spoke of her Northern Irish roots, linking back to her great-great-grandmother who emigrated to New York from Ballymena.

“We’ve been truly blessed by the commissioners’ ministry,” said corps officer Captain Carole Tucker. “We at Bangor will be developing new and exciting ways in which we can engage with the local community, share our faith and address local need in practical ways. The commissioners have really encouraged us in this vision to be practical disciples of Christ.”

“Helping people at Christmastime and throughout the year only happens because of the generous community support that we have,” says Major Ron Cartmell, Corps Officer at Kelowna Community Church. “So we used the breakfast as an opportunity to educate our volunteers and share the stories of people whose lives are being impacted by the ministry of The Salvation Army.” Major Cartmell and Suzie Docherty, Volunteer Coordinator, were the MCs of the event.

The breakfast gave individuals and representatives of groups and businesses the opportunity to share stories about their volunteer experiences. Speakers included a representative of the local transit company, which operates the Santa Sleigh Bus—a decorated bus that goes to schools in the community and picks up donations for The Salvation Army. Wade Webb of Royal Lepage, who organizes “Fill the Van for the Sally Ann,” also shared. Major Cartmell notes that Fill the Van brings in 70% of the food the Salvation Army’s food bank receives in a year.

About 140 people attended the Celebrate the Story breakfast, which was sponsored by GFS Foods. This breakfast was the first ever held by The Salvation Army in Kelowna, but Major Cartmell says he hopes that it will become an annual event.

A family is assisted at Nadi Corps hall, Fiji

A state of national disaster was declared in the urban areas of Nadi, Lautoka, Ba, Sigatoka and Rakiraki. Flash flood warnings remain in place for low-lying areas, including Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Work has begun to prevent the spread of typhoid after three people were admitted to Nadi Hospital with the disease.

The Fijian president visited an evacuation centre at The Salvation Army’s Nadi Corps, donating much-needed supplies to Salvationists who were providing meals and shelter for 35 people. With the town’s water supply cut off, the recently installed water tank at the corps proved particularly valuable in supplying clean water.

The hall and officers’ quarters in Ba were flooded to the lower levels of the buildings, and an engineering assessment is underway. Despite having their home flooded, the corps officers were able to shelter and support 26 people in the house’s upper level. Many of the people who attend Ba Corps are farmers, and most of their crops were washed away. It is estimated that more than half of the area’s crops and livestock have been damaged.

It is a similar story for those attending Saweni Corps, with many farmers losing crops and livelihood. They now face the hardship that comes with trying to replant crops.

The new school year was due to start in Fiji the week of the flood. As a result of the disaster, schools in the western district have been closed. Families have received assistance from The Salvation Army through the provision of school fees and replacement stationery supplies.

Divisional Commander Major Iliesa Cola says: “We thank God for the [Salvation Army] officers and soldiers … who have been ministering God’s love to those affected by the floods. May God continue to pour out his strength and wisdom upon them.”

Is The Salvation Army a Christian denomination? A charity? A social justice movement? The answer to each of these questions is most certainly, “Yes!” However, these answers also lead to more questions about our identity as we continue to explore who we are and how we can best serve God in the world.

As I begin this series examining The Salvation Army’s Soldier’s Covenant—in particular the “I will” statements it contains—I want to first examine our fundamental understanding of what The Salvation Army actually is. This is no small question, and has for decades been an issue of great debate within Salvation Army circles. I have found the following framework helpful in providing a perspective from which to examine the promises made by those who decide to join The Salvation Army as soldiers.

Throughout history, new life and light have been breathed into the Church (particularly the Roman Catholic expression) through the birth and creation of monastic orders, such as the Franciscans, the Jesuits and the Benedictines.

An order is, by definition, a society of monks, priests, nuns, etc., living according to certain religious and social regulations and discipline, with at least some of these members taking solemn vows.

If we replace monks, priests and nuns with soldiers, adherents and officers, this sounds like an accurate definition for The Salvation Army. After all, The Salvation Army is not just another church. In fact, in my grandmother’s time, to call the Army a church was looked down upon. We weren’t a church, we were a Movement, an Army, a new thing God was doing in the world. We embraced the mission of spreading the good news of Jesus around the world. We committed ourselves to new expressions of worship and evangelism, and we even donned our own unique garb.

Orders were most often founded by a particular individual who felt God’s stirring to deeper commitment and sacrifice than the Church already provided, as well as a desire to prophetically call the Church back to holiness and the poor. In this light, perhaps William and Catherine Booth were Victorian England’s St. Francis of Assissi, calling the Church, through their new Protestant order, back to holiness and mission.

There is a great deal of discussion in Salvation Army circles these days about membership. How can full membership (i.e. soldiership) have more requirements and expectations than the Bible itself lays out for Christian disciples? How can someone who wants to join the Christian Church be required to fulfil promises that Jesus himself did not require? The obvious example is the promise not to drink alcohol. However, when we look at the vow not to drink as an extra-biblical vow taken on by a particular, radical branch of the Church as an example of sacrifice and commitment, this promise resembles the vows of charity and chastity that Franciscans made beginning in the 13th century. Taking it back even further, one could equate The Salvation Army’s Soldier’s Covenant to the Nazarite vow, laid out in the Bible most famously by Samson whose parents vowed that he would not touch anything dead, drink alcohol or cut his hair. These were extra vows and promises representing extra commitment made by people who were called to a deeper and more sacrificial obedience to their Lord.

By viewing the Army’s identity through this framework, we can soberly examine the Soldier’s Covenant and seek to understand the depth and breadth of the vows Salvation Army soldiers make. We, the committed few, in dedication to God and the world, go where others won’t, help those whom others ignore and sacrifice more than others will. We make these solemn promises to God and join him in his mission to redeem the world.

Rob Perry is the ministry co-ordinator at Toronto’s Corps 614.

These children in Liberia and hundreds like them around the world attend Salvation Army schools because of the Partners in Mission program

Salvation Army International Headquarters introduced Partners in Mission in 2002, a program designed to create partnership between territories with the intention of increasing the financial support of the Self-Denial Appeal.

The Canada and Bermuda Territory was placed in a partnership group that included Germany, Spain, Mexico, Liberia, Tanzania, Hong Kong and Macau, and Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar. Since then, Partners in Mission has highlighted each of these territories, provided funding support for projects and encouraged several short-term mission team visits.

Beginning in 2012, we will be partnered with a new group of territories, which includes some territories from our first grouping but adds the opportunity to develop new relationships. The Germany and Lithuania Territory (which includes Poland) will continue as one of our partners as will the Liberia Command (which includes Sierra Leone). Although the issues within each of these territories are significantly different, both are grant-aided territories requiring financial support from the international Salvation Army.

Our group will also include Latin America North, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The two African countries will be familiar to some as we have sent short-term and long-term personnel to assist the Army’s work. The Latin America North Territory includes Cuba, which has been supported by short-term mission teams from the Ontario Central-East Division.

While the Canada and Bermuda Territory responds to needs in more than 30 countries, we are privileged to support these five partner territories in prayer and the sharing of our resources.

Major Gillian Brown is the director of world missions, THQ.

Cornerstone7177 is the Fernandes’ family band: from left, Steele, keyboard, rhythm guitar and vocals; Milly, lead vocals and rhythm guitar; Jamie, electric bass, percussion and vocals; Nathan, acoustic drums and vocals; Robin, lead vocals and lead guitar

When I was a teenager, I was a guitarist in a rock band with my friends called Bronze Axe,” says Robin Fernandes. “We started the group together, but after several years, they wanted to replace me. I held on to those feelings of rejection for a long time.”

Fernandes later married Milly, became a Christian and had three sons, Steele, Jamie and Nathan, who, as they grew, were taught to play different instruments by their father. In 2005, they formed Cornerstone7177, their family band that plays slow rock and blues with a biblical message.

“The name was inspired by 1 Peter 2:7 (NKJV): ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,’ ”
explains Fernandes, now a soldier at Toronto’s York Community Church after emigrating with his family from Kuwait two years ago. The “7177” represents the birthdates of Fernandes’ three boys.

“Being part of a Christian band is having a great impact on my sons’ lives,” says Fernandes. “Not only does it give us a sense of belonging together as a family, but they are maturing as Christians and are not ashamed to testify about Jesus to their friends.”

Reaching Out
Fernandes is York Community Church’s family services outreach co-ordinator, and is also responsible for organizing monthly outreach concerts for the youth and young adults of the surrounding area. These roles allow him the opportunity to pursue his passion of reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ through music.

“I’ll bring out my guitar at the food bank and just start praising the Lord,” he says. “I testify that God has saved me, transformed my life and is capable of doing the same in other people’s lives. Then I’ve told them to check out my family band at the outreach concerts or on Sundays, and little by little, people are starting to come.”

Cornerstone7177’s ministry extends beyond the church. This past summer, the band participated in the ecumenical Voices of the Nations concert along with 40 other Christian artists in two Toronto locations.

“It was one of the best moments in my life,” reflects Fernandes. “I could stand in the heart of Toronto and witness that I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We were not free to do that in the Middle East. Since coming to Canada, life has become more meaningful because I believe I’m on a mission to testify about the transforming power and grace of my Lord and Saviour.”

Written in Prayer
Whether Cornerstone7177 performs at a school, festival or outreach event, many of Fernandes’ original compositions
are heard.

“The Lord has been so faithful and he’s given me a new song for every concert,” Fernandes says. “One month, the theme was ‘Back to Basics’ and I wrote a song with the same name about getting back to the message of the Bible.”

Although Fernandes says he doesn’t have a formula for writing music, his songs are all created during time with God.

“I can’t tell myself, ‘I’ll write a song tomorrow.’ It doesn’t happen that way,” he shares. “Rather, when I am sad, feeling the hurt in people or wanting to thank God for the joy I’m experiencing, I’ll sit down with my guitar and start strumming or fiddling around with chords until a tune comes into my mind. That’s when I express my testimony to the Lord through music. There have been other times when, as I’m reading Scripture, I start singing what I’m reading and soon I’ve written a song.

“It is amazing that God can do such awesome things through a simple person like me,” continues Fernandes. “I give him the glory for every song I write. In the way that pastors are called to preach the Word, I believe the Lord has called me to sing the Word.”

A screenshot of the pilot episode of Salvation Army Today, featuring presenter Roberta Simmons-Smith

In preparation for each broadcast, Salvation Army Today writers scour the web and reach out to Salvationists in the USA and beyond for new and exciting material. The first two episodes included stories of crippling addiction and hard-fought recovery, the fight against family homelessness, cutting-edge education and job training programs, and the poignant reunion of a father with his children. The shows include footage of Salvation Army stories that have featured on local TV news stations.

With each broadcast, Salvation Army Today will bring more uplifting stories of lives changed.

Anyone interested in sharing thoughts about the program or a potential story for broadcast is encouraged to contact Salvation Army Today at SAToday@uss.salvationarmy.org.

Capital punishment has been abolished in most of the Western world. According to Wikipedia, only the United States and Belarus continue to practise capital punishment, and Latvia has reserved the death penalty for war time. By contrast, the death penalty is practised in 14 out of 54 African nations as well as 24 of the 55 Middle Eastern and Asian-Pacific states. And although the United Nations has called for a moratorium on the death penalty, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights does not mandate its complete abolition. Rather, it requires states that have not abolished the death penalty to restrict it to the “most serious crimes.”

In the Middle East and parts of Africa, adultery is often considered a “most serious crime,” punishable by death by stoning. These executions are especially troubling, not only because they are savage and barbaric, but also because the legitimacy of the allegations made against the accused and the fairness of their trials are often called into question.

By contrast, the United States tends to reserve capital punishment for murder. The story of Troy Davis, a Georgia man who was executed on September 21 despite maintaining his innocence, revived public debate about the death penalty. Davis was sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of a 27-year-old off-duty police officer. At the time of sentencing, he was 22. He spent the final 20 years of his life fighting both his conviction and his sentence. His execution date was set and postponed three times along the way. Unlike other death-row inmates who often have lengthy criminal records and a history of violent crime, Davis had only one prior conviction of carrying a concealed weapon. For that, he was fined $250. Despite multiple appeals, a constitutional challenge, widespread public support as well as the support of prominent international leaders such as Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Davis’ conviction and sentence were upheld.

How should Christians respond to these situations? We cannot simply ignore crime in our communities. And not all accused are innocent. Too many people get caught up in a life of crime, committing increasingly dangerous and violent acts. Some of them are a genuine threat to the safety of others, whether to fellow criminals or innocent bystanders. In some cases, it can be very difficult to show compassion.

Salvation Army positional statements on capital punishment reflect the diversity of views and the complexity of our own spiritual heritage on this issue. While each and every territory affirms the belief in the sanctity of human life and the possibility of redemption, they do not universally condemn the death penalty. The Australian territories’ positional statement unequivocally asserts that “Salvationists do not support the death penalty.” By contrast, the Canada and Bermuda Territory and the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland acknowledge that there are Salvationists who firmly believe in the state’s right to execute and the moral acceptability and deterrent effect of capital punishment.

How do we resolve this dilemma? The Salvation Army has resolved it by choosing not to advocate for the continuation or reinstatement of the death penalty and by continuing to minister to families of both victims and offenders.

Outside the Church, George Clooney may have resolved the dilemma best. Playing a presidential candidate in the movie The Ides of March, Clooney’s character gives the following answer when asked about his views on capital punishment and what he would do if someone killed his wife. “If I could get to him, I would find a way to kill him … I would commit a crime for which I would happily go to jail.” When asked, “Then why not let society do that?” Clooney’s character responds, “Because society is supposed to be better than the individual.”

Dani Shaw is a lawyer, a former political advisor to the prime minister and the federal minister of health, and a long-standing member/observer of The Salvation Army’s Social Issues Committee.

The nation’s gyms are operating at capacity. Weight loss, self improvement, philanthropy, fitness: January is the most idealistic month, even if by the third week our will power has waned. So here’s the single easiest thing you can do to keep with your program of a Better You in 2012: This week, donate a bag of clothes to the Salvation Army.

Continue reading in the National Post.

General Linda Bond (left) receives the cheque for £50,000 from Commissioner John Matear as (from left) International Staff Bandmaster Dr Stephen Cobb, Malcolm Quinn and Trevor Caffull look on

General Linda Bond was delighted to accept £50,000 from the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland to support the continuing expansion of Salvation Army ministry in Africa. The money was raised through ISB120, a successful series of meetings held in London in 2011 to mark the 120th anniversary of the International Staff Band of The Salvation Army.

In a letter to the General, Territorial Commander Commissioner John Matear asked that the donation be used specifically to fund mission development in Africa.

Commissioner Matear visited International Headquarters on January 11, accompanied by International Staff Bandmaster Dr. Stephen Cobb and former Staff Bandsmen Malcolm Quinn (Project Director, ISB120) and Trevor Caffull (Managing Director, Salvation Army Trading Company). They presented the cheque for £50,000 to the General, who confirmed that the money will help to fund the next phase of expansion of The Salvation Army’s work in Africa, details of which will be announced later in the year.