On the last weekend of October, more than 90 Salvationists from every division across the Canada and Bermuda Territory gathered for the Explore Your Call weekend in Toronto, hosted by the candidates department and attended by Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd, territorial commander and territorial president of women’s ministries.
Explore Your Call was created to allow delegates to focus on seeking God’s will for their lives. Over the course of the weekend, participants were provided with dedicated time for discernment of God’s call through main sessions.
During the Friday evening main session, Major Deana Zelinsky, principal of the College for Officer Training (CFOT), invited delegates to meet with God in this space and time, with a posture of openness to what God may be saying.
In the session on Saturday morning, delegates were invited by Commissioner Tracey Tidd to allow the love of God to shape their lives, reflecting on Psalm 119:41. Lt-Colonel Roxanne Jennings, secretary for personnel, hosted the Saturday afternoon session on Ephesians 2:7-10, reminding delegates that calling is a gift initiated by God.
On Sunday morning, Commissioner Floyd Tidd encouraged delegates to consider Jesus’ interaction with Simon Peter in John 21:15-23. The dialogue captured in these verses is a reminder that being loved by God and loving God moves followers to action. As such, delegates were asked to take a bold step of faith and to intentionally mark their God experience over the weekend by publicly declaring God’s calling and responding in prayer at the mercy seat. In response, many moved to the mercy seat to confirm God’s calling on their lives.
In addition to the main sessions, there were breakout sessions focused on discerning calling, as well as practical information about the pathways to full-time vocational ministry within The Salvation Army and CFOT in Toronto.
As delegates honestly and vulnerably explored their call to ministry, many left with the sense that God is at work in their lives, calling them to continue following him into the next step of their journey.
Photos: Shawn Washington-Purser
The Lord Jesus may bless all for your restless faith and works around the world which the father of the Salvation Army bro. William Booth commandeth us to continue his legacy to look after the stressed, the widow, and the orphan. By the way, my name is bro. Carlos Anaya and currently, I'm attending the Bloor Central church which is led by pastors Dough and Karen Hammond located at 789 Dovercourt Rd. Also, I want to mention that I started to volunteer at the food bank on 77 River St. Toronto in 2006 as building maintenance then I asked my late sister Iris if I could join the Salvationists at the Regent Park community center, and with no delay, I met the former pastor Jeff, Sandra and brethren. Furthermore, I assisted in 2019 at the citadel in Montreal Quebec led by captain Jeff and Collen Gleadall where I was a Christmas choir member, a bible study participant in Spanish and English languages, and a volunteer to download the food bank food supplies. Finally, my plan for the medium and long term is a post-secondary education to become a family doctor, however, I'm always conscious to comply with the Lord's call even though the university academic load will be very stressful. On the other hand, I already mentioned to pastor Karen and Doug several interests and tasks without a satisfactory answer from them for example the bible study through iPhone on Thursday was canceled, the same way the worship which is essential was canceled as well, and I better mention that I was born again in Jesus in the Pentecostal movement in 1976 so my initiatives are not taken considered a priority like Gospel tracts hand out from door to door, decentralization of the leaders' functions, in my point of view the creation of disciples is not important, etc.