On Sunday, September 20, a capacity crowd of Salvationists, family and friends gathered at Toronto’s Yorkminster Citadel to welcome the seven cadets of the Rescued Session to the College for Officer Training and Leader Development. (Watch the live stream recording.)

Following a call to worship from Matthew 4:18-20 by Major Steven Cameron, assistant training principal, sessional flag bearer Cadet Ryan Snow led the way as the cadets entered the sanctuary. Each carried a replica fishing net in reference to Jesus’ invitation to his first disciples, fishermen Simon Peter and Andrew, to leave their nets and follow him. The cadets placed their nets on the mercy seat to symbolize their acceptance of God’s call on their lives and then moved to the platform to salute Commissioner Lee Graves, territorial commander.

In her words of welcome, Colonel Margaret McLeod, chief secretary, acknowledged the presence of retired international leaders General Linda Bond, General Brian Peddle and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle. She also recognized the participation of the Canadian Staff Band (Bandmaster Andrew Burditt), Canadian Staff Songsters (Songster Leader Cathie Koehnen) and NEON, the territorial worship team, which has been under the leadership of Simon Gough since its inception in 2016. As Gough transitions from this role, the chief secretary thanked him for leading, teaching and promoting quality worship music across Canada and Bermuda through NEON’s ministry. “On behalf of the territory, I want to extend thanks to you for your offerings, worship and talent over the years you’ve led NEON.”

More Than a Name

The congregation stood to sing Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) as a song of gathering before Major Carson Decker, territorial candidates secretary, introduced the new cadets.

“Rescued is more than a sessional name,” he said. “They are people who have encountered the rescuing grace of God in different places and in different ways. And yet, through a journey of discernment, each has heard the invitation of God to follow him. We celebrate the grace of God that has brought them here, their obedience to the call of God and their willingness to place their lives into his hands for sacred service.”

The cadets then engaged the congregation in a responsive Scripture presentation, with each cadet reading selected verses about the saving grace of God and the congregation responding by singing the familiar words of Fanny Crosby: “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying. Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.”

Prayer of Blessing

The sessional song, written by Stephen Pelley and appropriately named Rescued, was presented by the Canadian Staff Songsters before Major Corinne Cameron, training principal, offered a prayer of blessing for the cadets.

“Lord, we thank you for your rescuing power in our lives,” she prayed. “We thank you, Lord, that you raise people up to participate in your rescuing mission in the world. And we thank you for this Rescued Session. Lord, bless them, their families, the ministries in which they are already engaged and all the appointments in which they will serve.”

Major Cameron invited those gathered to sing the chorus of the sessional song with the Canadian Staff Songsters as a prayer of thanksgiving: “For you have rescued us from darkness; its power o’er us is lost! You’ve brought us to the kingdom of your Son.”

Testifying to God’s Goodness

Following the Canadian Staff Band’s presentation of Gavin Lamplough’s How I Love You, representative cadets gave their personal testimonies.

“When I think about my calling to officership, I don’t think I had a clear or distinct moment but a series of small invitations over many years,” shared Cadet Larissa Russell, a lifelong Salvationist who has always felt a deep conviction to care for others.

“It can be easy to sidestep the people hurting in this world and those who need Christ,” she said, “but I know God has called me to care for them, to be their friend, to show up for them and, most importantly, just let them know how much God desires a relationship with them.”

“God rescued me in 1989 from the path of darkness,” stated Cadet Lekan Ogunlalu as he shared his dramatic conversion from Salafism, an extreme Islamic movement into which he had been born in Nigeria. “I wasn’t just born a Muslim. Being a Salafist, there’s only one core objective and that was jihad.”

By the age of 12, he was leading prayers in the mosque but says he converted the aggression he felt into a passion for Christ. “I know where God brought me from. He saved me. And I said, ‘The only way I can pay you back is to serve you.’ ”

Cadet Ogunlalu immigrated to Canada in 2018, connected with The Salvation Army, became an active member of Toronto’s Etobicoke Temple and sensed God’s call to serve in full-time ministry as an officer.

“Let Down Your Nets”

“We’ve been rescued to rescue,” declared Commissioner Graves in his message as he recounted the interaction between the risen Christ and his disciples beside the Sea of Galilee (see John 21:1-23). The disciples were exhausted because they had fished all night and caught very little. When Jesus told them to put their nets back in the water on the opposite side of their boat, they obeyed, despite how unconventional Christ’s command must have sounded.  

“I hear Jesus saying to The Salvation Army today, ‘I want you to do something unconventional,’ ” the territorial commander said. “ ‘Even when it doesn’t make sense, when you’re worn out, tired, frustrated and not realizing the fruit, I want you to push out into the deep and let down your nets again.’  

“We are bearing fruit today because there are people willing to launch out and engage in the unconventional today,” he continued, “not confined or restricted by what is around us, but listening to the Word of God. And people are coming to know the joy of the Lord.”

Following a time of reflection and prayer, Lt-Colonel Roxanne Jennings, territorial secretary for personnel, led the congregation in the closing song, My Redeemer Lives, and Lt-Colonel Lynn Armstrong, divisional officer for personnel and divisional spiritual life development secretary in the Ontario Division, pronounced the benediction. 

After the service, the cadets, their families, training college staff and divisional and territorial leaders gathered at territorial headquarters for a luncheon and fellowship.

Photos: Steve Nelson