Dear Friends,

Tracey and I greet you today continuing to count it a privilege to be “partners in the gospel” with you (see Philippians 1:3-5) as we work together to share the love of Jesus, meet human needs and transform communities. We are grateful for every effort being made in support of our mission across the Canada and Bermuda Territory. I’m writing in follow up to my email of May 16, 2023, in which we provided a significant update on my health journey. As mentioned, in 2021, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and subsequently with ocular cancer. Under the care of excellent physicians, I sought treatment and was able to continue my duties as territorial commander. In March of this year, further testing revealed a tumor on my liver, and I remain thankful to the medical team for their ongoing expertise and care.

We are grateful to God for his presence and provision, and also want to thank you for your care and concern as expressed through calls, cards, texts and emails. We value your support and that of the broader Salvation Army family as you remember us and our family in prayer. Please know that we continue to rely on God’s strength day by day.

Due to my current health journey and the heavy responsibilities of territorial leadership, Tracey and I have been in contact with International Headquarters and the General has agreed to our request to step aside from our appointments and to appoint new territorial leaders effective September 1, 2023. This will give us the necessary time, energy and focus to manage the current and coming chapters of my cancer journey. Our request was also made with the best interest of the territory in mind, providing strength of leadership for the ongoing ministry and mission of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. 

We will take a medical leave of absence from September 1, 2023, to January 1, 2024, at which time we will assess our full-time ministry future. New territorial leaders will be announced for the Canada and Bermuda Territory on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. We invite you to join us in praying for our new territorial leadership team in these early days of transition.

In closing, we are grateful to General Brian Peddle and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle, Commissioners Lyndon and Bronwyn Buckingham, and Commissioners Edward and Shelley Hill for their personal support and pastoral care in these days. We thank them for their compassion, and we are pleased to have their full support and understanding with respect to our decision.

While personally disappointing as you will appreciate, we know that God is faithful, and he is present in our journey personally and as a territory. Finally, as stated previously, we do not despair as people with no hope; rather, we place our hope firmly in our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave everything so that we may have life abundant.

May God bless you each one.

Commissioner Floyd J. Tidd
Territorial Commander

Click here to download the letter from Commissioner Tidd.