Kim Looyenga never thought she would be a Salvation Army soldier. Just a few years ago, all she knew about the Army was that it put out red kettles at Christmas and had community service programs.

Today, she is a proud Salvationist participating in soldiership classes at Bridgetown Community Church, N.S., and she looks forward to being enrolled as a senior soldier soon.

Looyenga is just one congregant in a surge of recent enrolments at the corps—a significant milestone after having no soldiers or adherents enrolled in nearly two decades. Church attendance has more than doubled in the last four years, and for Lt-Colonel Steve Wiseman, who was corps officer until July 2026, the growth can only be attributed to faithful prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit.

A Place to Call Home

In 2023, through a friend who attends the Bridgetown corps, Looyenga learned that The Salvation Army offers emergency disaster services training—something she was very interested in. So, she attended training where she learned more about the Army, its mission and how it mobilizes for emergencies.

Less than two months later, she was deployed as part of the team responding to wildfires in Shelburne, N.S., and she was so impressed by the people she worked with that she returned home to convince her husband they needed to give the Salvation Army church a try.

At the time, they had recently moved to Nova Scotia and were searching for a church home. “We tried everything. We went to churches that we had never considered before, but we couldn’t find a place where we fit,” says Looyenga, who was pleasantly surprised by her first visit to Bridgetown Community Church.

“It wasn’t just uniforms and brass instruments. It was the best praise and worship we had experienced since we came here, and we really liked the small-church atmosphere,” says Looyenga. “It’s a personal, loving church, and it’s about your relationship with Christ.”

What made Looyenga feel most at home at Bridgetown corps compared to other churches was the sincerity. She could tell very quickly that the people at The Salvation Army cared. They asked her questions because they were genuinely interested.

“It’s not a surface-level thing. It’s real and genuine. There’s follow-up and check-ins. We know each other, we know the community, and people just have a heart for service there,” she says. "It’s more about God and less about us.”

Breaking Barriers

Even though she felt right at home at The Salvation Army, Looyenga was still hesitant about what it meant to be a soldier. She knew that being serious about soldiership meant changing her lifestyle. It meant no alcohol, no smoking, adhering to doctrines she wasn’t used to and entering into a covenant with God and the Army.

But she prayed about it every day. She spent two years reading the Psalms and Proverbs daily and she began to see how the Soldier’s Covenant is rooted in biblical truth.

“When I chose to commit my life to Christ, I was serious,” she says. “God really worked on my heart.”

It took some time for Looyenga to learn about soldiership, ask the hard questions and pray for the answers. “I don’t want to be false. I don’t want to be a poor representation of what The Salvation Army expects of soldiers,” she says. “I wanted to be worthy of wearing a uniform.”

Lt-Colonels Leslie and Steve Wiseman, the corps officers from 2024-2026, were honest and open about The Salvation Army’s beliefs. They welcomed every question and helped Looyenga break down any barriers that were standing between her and soldiership.

“I didn’t hide that I had doubts. But every objection, as I prayed about it, read the Bible, studied and asked questions, I dealt with them one at a time,” she says.

With a busy work schedule, Looyenga was not able to complete the first soldiership classes she started, but she resumed classes this summer. “My heart is so much more prepared now,” she says.

“It’s All God”

In recent years, the corps has seen several new members come through its doors, and many of them began as volunteers.

“We started growing,” says Lt-Colonel Steve Wiseman. “We had dedicated prayer time every week on Wednesday morning. We prayed for the church and community, and if people wanted to join us, they could. The Spirit just started working, and it was very cool to see.”

Only one year into their appointment, Lt-Colonels Wiseman began receiving more questions about soldiership. With growing interest, they introduced their own version of soldiership classes, called An Overview of The Salvation Army, that began with education and ended with an opportunity to become a soldier. Fifteen people attended the first round of sessions.

The classes began with the history of The Salvation Army, then focused on the mission, vision and values. Classes discussed the international Salvation Army, as well as the Army in Canada and Bermuda, and the local context in Bridgetown, where a corps was first planted in 1885.

The curriculum then explored the various programs and volunteer opportunities where people could become involved. It spent time discussing the 11 doctrines, then offered two optional sessions for those who felt called to explore formal membership as a soldier or adherent.

In May, the corps enrolled eight people—six as soldiers and two as adherents—and another five became friends of the church.

“People were spiritually hungry, and they still are,” says Lt-Colonel Wiseman.

The corps also takes a communal approach to worship and gatherings. Rather than a traditional sanctuary, Sunday morning services happen at round tables and at the end of worship, congregants stand, form a circle and hold hands as the officer pronounces the benediction. The blessing is the same each time, and the congregation recites it together—“Be brave, because you are a child of God, and be kind, because so is everyone else.”

And according to Lt-Colonel Wiseman, it’s all about drawing closer to God and each other. “It was special to be a part of,” he says. “I think that continuous communal focus, putting God first, lifting God up and knowing that he’s going to bring people to himself—that’s what it’s about. It’s all God.”

A Daily Commitment

“I think it’s the people who reflect God’s grace that help soldiers commit in Bridgetown,” says Looyenga. “We acknowledge each other’s strengths and sincerely care about each other. We grow together, learn together and keep each other accountable. We’re a family.”

And according to Looyenga, there is even a Facebook group of corps members dedicated to sharing immediate prayer concerns and offering support. “We’re all part of God’s family. God is the centre of everything we do and that is the cornerstone of creating a safe place at church.”

As the corps looks toward the future with hopes of stronger bonds and growing soldiership, Lieutenant Alicia McLeod, corps officer, prays that people will continue to grow close to God and the community, and that the church will keep flourishing. “I take soldiership seriously. It’s more than just putting on a uniform or signing a document. It means to live out a life that represents God,” she says. “I hope to see continued growth, not just in soldiership numbers, but in our people’s walks with Christ as well.”

And for anyone considering soldiership, Looyenga encourages them to persevere and to ask the hard questions. “Don’t be afraid,” she says. “Walk out in faith, and if you feel called, then it’s where you’re supposed to be.

“Every word, every action, every day is a commitment to God, the church and community,” she adds. “It’s about saying, ‘This is it. I choose this organization, the belief system and the Saviour.’ "