“I decided to become a Salvation Army pastor because I felt called to actively live out my faith by directly serving those in need, making a tangible difference in people’s lives,” declares Major Mary Millar of the Wiarton Community Church in Ontario.

“I knew the Army was where I was meant to be. It made sense of my life, and I’ve never lost that vision in 30 years.”

“Just Do Christmas”

In 1994, Major Mary was working as an image consultant, helping clients with makeup, wardrobe planning and photography in Kincardine, Ont. Her husband, Dwight, worked at Hydro One Ontario and the couple had three children: Kris, 14, Greg, 10, and Amanda, six. 

That year, the Millars moved to Owen Sound, Ont., to be closer to Dwight’s work, and it wasn’t long before the family began looking for a church home. Dwight suggested The Salvation Army Owen Sound Church, as he remembered having a positive experience at an Army ministry in Kirkland Lake, Ont., in his youth.

As they began forming connections and getting involved in various activities, they felt comfort and warmth with their new church family, so much so that Major Mary became a soldier, an official member of The Salvation Army, in May 1995, and her children followed in her footsteps.

Meanwhile, just north of Owen Sound, The Salvation Army in Wiarton needed people to serve.

“The Army had a 600-square-foot building on Main Street and limited funds,” Major Mary recalls. “As they neared Christmas, there wasn’t anyone willing to step in to help the community.”

In November 1994, a Salvation Army pastor asked her a question that would change everything: “Mary, will you do Christmas?”

“At that point, I couldn’t have answered three A-B-C questionsabout The Salvation Army ... I knew nothing,” she says. “They had a $23,000 budget and a part-time position available.

“I agreed to ‘just do Christmas.’ ”

All these years later, Major Mary is still answering the call.

Picture Perfect

In her first testimony at The Salvation Army in Owen Sound, Major Mary shared that she felt God called her there because it was the kind of place that would have helped her brother, Charles Edward Maddock.

Charles had been working in Orillia, Ont., at an institution for people with developmental disabilities when he experienced a terrifying incident where a client attacked him, choking him until he passed out. Treatments, therapy and prescription drugs seemed to cause deeper darkness until, finally, Charles ended his own life.

“My family was in such trauma at the time, and I thought, If only The Salvation Army had been there for my brother in his time of need,” she says.

“But on New Year’s Day 1995, I felt like I was in front of a table with all kinds of puzzle pieces that made a picture, and they all fit together.”

Unexpected Blessings

In October 1997, Wiarton Community Church moved to a newlocation. The building sits between Charles and Edward streets—unexpectedly sharing her brother’s first and middle names.

“The other piece of the puzzle slipped into place in 2003, just before Dwight and I became lieutenants,” continues Major Mary. “We were sorting items in this big, 8,000-square-foot facility—and there was my brother’s Bible that he had been given when he was 19 years old in 1971.

“The bottom line is that the journey has not been easy, but God has bestowed so many blessings, above and beyond.”

A Matter of Trust

The surrounding community in the Bruce Peninsula is a thriving tourist destination in the summer, but in the winter, many individuals are unable to find work or support themselves due to rising costs.

Many find hope in services at The Salvation Army in Wiarton, which includes the Bruce Peninsula Community Food Bank, the Nawash Food Bank, community meals (called Table Manna) or other offerings, such as the community garden, mentorship program, family services, free tax clinics, social activities, services for seniors, a children’s literacy program, Pathway of Hope case management, and Trades Start, a work experience program for youth to help  kickstart their careers in skilled trades.

“Our connection with the First Nations community began in 1995 and, initially, there was a lot of distrust of the Christian faith due to history,” says Major Mary.

Some of the first programs The Salvation Army launched in 1995 were the food bank and school lunches, as many in the community were showing signs of depression and didn’t have food to send with their children for lunch. “It is so inspiring to see some of the children who came into the food bank with their parents now with their own kids,” says Major Mary. “Many have a steady job, car and own their own home. They trust us and bring their kids to our programs.

“It is an incredible privilege to bring the light of the gospel of Jesus to those who are struggling with the darkness,” says Major Mary. “Whether that be from financial challenges, health concerns or relational struggles—to witness first-hand the transformative impact of compassion and support on individuals and families facing challenges—and to see them regain hope and stability through the sevices we provide.

Photos: Courtesy of Major Mary Millar

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