“If the calling had come on my life before I turned 20, or if anyone had insisted I become an officer earlier and started that faith exploration, I don’t think I would have received it well,” says Cadet Elizabeth Borgela. “My personal belief in God wasn’t solidified until I was 21. I don’t think I would have accepted the call as willingly prior to that time.

“It was the combination of understanding God, understanding who he was for me, understanding the Bible and understanding what faith was for me that made me realize The Salvation Army was the place for me.” 

Life-Changing Decision

Cadet Borgela was born into The Salvation Army.

“Both of my parents are now retired, but at the time were active officers,” she says. “And so, from an early age, I became used to what being an officer looks like, from leading a church to family and social services. It was a real learning experience for me.”

Unlike many Salvationists, though, Cadet Borgela decided to become a soldier later in life.

“I realized when I was about 16 that I wasn’t ready for that commitment, which was probably for the best because I wasn’t,” she smiles.

Cadet Borgela only signed the Soldier’s Covenant when she was 21.

She had also explored different denominations and expressions of the Christian faith.

“Ultimately in that time, I fell in love with the Army and the way they do things. And so that’s why I made the decision to become a soldier.” 

Church Hopping

That decision, made during COVID, was not taken lightly.

“I church-hopped,” she smiles, “which was easier during COVID when everything was online. On any given Sunday, I could still attend my home corps, but then pop over to a nondenominational service, or then a Baptist or an Anglican church, seeing how their faith was expressed, discussed and preached. I got a sense of how different people understood Jesus differently.”

Cadet Borgela came out of her search with a heightened appreciation for The Salvation Army.

“I think the Army has a wonderful combination of doctrine and social service,” she believes. “It’s a beautiful balance, I think, and that’s what kept me here. That, and God. God kept me here.” 

Grand Connection

This balance ultimately led to Cadet Borgela’s decision to become an officer.

“I once thought being a soldier was more than enough,” she reflects now. “I would just be a youth pastor and stay at my home corps. And that was it.”

But God made a call on her life at the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s ordination and commissioning service in 2023.

“I had said no initially, but I knew in that moment that I would either be outside the will of God and do whatever I wanted to do, or inside the will of God and choose the way that he’s called me to be,” Cadet Borgela reflects.

“I think all those things connected in that moment.” 

“Bible Business”

When asked why The Salvation Army is the perfect place for her, Cadet Borgela replies, “It goes back to that perfect balance, right? I love the Bible. I love that it’s God’s medium to his people.

"And the Army stands on Bible business, for lack of a better term. We stand on the Word of God and operate under that.

“We are very mission oriented,” she continues. “We try to be the hands and feet of Jesus based on what we’ve learned. I think that’s the biggest reason why The Salvation Army is for me, why it’s such a big part of my life.” 

Photos: Steve Nelson