Every day, when Kevin and Pamela Pilgrim unlock the church doors at The Salvation Army community church in Kentville, N.S., they stand in the foyer and think, It still amazes us how God led us back to the same appointment that we left 23 years ago.

“We always felt God’s call on our lives,” says Pamela. “God had a plan for our lives even when we didn’t realize he did.”

“Life Happened”

While Pamela was part of a large family of eight that lived in Labrador, she was almost the only one who attended church.

“My mother used to attend with me when I was a very young girl,” she says, “but as time went on, I went by myself, and I always seemed to be looking for a ride to church or walking along with a neighbour.”

After she graduated from high school, Pamela moved to St. Anthony on the island of Newfoundland. Her family knew friends who were willing to take her in, and they happened to be members of The Salvation Army. 

To be in the same appointment that we left is, to us, beyond amazing.” “ AUX-LIEUTENANT PAMELA PILGRIM

“So where did I go to church?” Pamela says. “The Salvation Army! And I really liked it. I felt like I was home.” 

That’s where she met Kevin, a lifelong Salvationist whose father was the corps sergeant-major and whose mother was the home league (community care ministries) treasurer. 

They eventually married and had three children and were very much involved in the corps in St. Anthony. 

From there, the Pilgrims moved to Carbonear, where they answered the call to officership. They attended a candidates’ seminar and made the final commitment, attending training college and becoming officers at The Salvation Army community church in Kentville, N.S.

“And then life happened,” says Pamela.

“The Right Time”

Kevin fell ill and the couple had to step away from officership.

They attended another church for a year to give the new officers time to settle in but then returned to worship at the Kentville corps.

“We’ve been involved in this corps for 23 years since we stepped away,” says Pamela. “I don’t want to say ‘stepped away from ministry’ because I don’t think we ever did. We stepped away from officership, but I always felt that we had a ministry, whether it was here or in our workplace.”

When they eventually retired as grocery store department managers for Loblaws, life took another turn.

“I don’t think it ever left me that God was still calling me to the Army,” says Pamela.

And the couple had not been out of the thoughts of the Army, either. In conversation with the couple on their next steps, The Salvation Army informed Pamela and Kevin that they could return to the church in a leadership capacity again—as auxiliary-lieutenants.

“This was the right time for us to complete what we started 23 years ago,” says Kevin. “We couldn’t believe that this was really happening.” 

Happy Landing

Pamela was concerned with how they would be received after such a span of time, but she need not have worried. Once the change of leadership was confirmed, the congregation could not have been more receptive.

“This was definitely God’s plan for this time for our church,” says Pamela. “It confirmed for me that this is where we belong.”

“When corps people keep telling you week after week how much they love you, that in itself is so encouraging,” says Kevin.

As important to the Pilgrims as this was, one voice stood in the balance as they decided to take the final step.

“Of course, the ultimate decision to become auxiliary-lieutenants had still not been made public,” says Kevin, “but our granddaughter, who attends our corps, knew that the officers would be leaving. She listened as Pamela explained what corps officers do and then said, ’You know, Nana and Papa, I really think that you guys should be there doing that.’

“That did it for us,” Kevin continues. “It was another confirmation of God’s direction for us in our lives. We weren’t sure what that would look like 23 years down the road, but we always felt that it would be in God’s will, in God’s timing.”

“And we’ve matured so much since then,” adds Pamela.

Kevin agrees. “If God calls you once, he doesn’t take that calling away.”

“And so here we are today,” smiles Pamela.

“To be in the same appointment that we left is, to us, beyond amazing.”