On July 1, the Canada and Bermuda Territory will commission 13 officers in the Reflectors of Holiness Session as part of the INSPIRE Conference and Congress. As these Salvationists prepare for this new chapter of ministry, they reflect on their calling, their training experiences and what it means to live holy lives as ministers in The Salvation Army.
Cadet Jeremy Avery
Entering training, I assumed that the courses I would gravitate toward would be on theology or biblical studies, as those have always been of interest to me. Instead, I found myself drawn to homiletics (preaching), and it was in that class that I truly began to understand that God is equipping me for what he has called me to do. My sessional name is a daily call to holiness and a reminder that God is the source of all holiness. We are to be a light to the world, but only to glorify our Father in heaven. Reflecting God’s holiness requires me to let go of my own desires so that God is visible in all I do.
Cadet Stephanie Avery
My calling to officership has been a lifelong journey. The culmination of it all happened during the pandemic when I was desperately looking for direction for my life. I finally said “yes” to God’s call, things started to fall into place, and the direction for my life felt right again. As I begin the next stage in full-time ministry as a Salvation Army officer, my prayer is that I will always remember that my ministry flows out of my own relationship with Jesus. As I continue to deepen my relationship with him, he will empower me to continue doing his good work.
Appointed corps officers, Robert's Arm—Pilley's Island, N.L.
Cadet Brian DeBoer
Our sessional name is meaningful to me because it encompasses so much of what Jesus cares about. We grow in holiness in our relationship with the Lord, and that is reflected for others to see as we meet their needs both physically and spiritually. It is also very meaningful to be part of a session because it is an affirmation of my place in God’s plan, not just individually, but corporately, which is only appropriate in a movement of God like The Salvation Army. I want to serve God boldly, being a reflection of Jesus in this world so those I encounter may be saved and served in Jesus’ name.
Cadet Natalia DeBoer
My training experience has been wonderful. Gathering in community has been strengthening, for iron sharpens iron. Studying the Bible has taught me so much about who God is, his love for us and his mission. I am filled with boundless joy, for I have grown immensely in my love for Jesus and deeply desire to be like him. To me, holiness means surrendering myself to love God with my whole being and to share this zeal with the world. I am to be set apart so that I can be all that God calls me to be.
Appointed corps officers, St. John's West, N.L.
Cadet Miya Bradburn
My call to officership has been a series of quiet revelations, beginning with a neighbour’s invitation to the discipleship program Awana as a child. In my mid-20s, God nudged me to attend an Alpha course and I asked Jesus into my heart for the first time. I always wanted to help people but never really had a specific calling. Once my husband shared with me that he felt called, people began affirming that I should be an officer. This seemed preposterous to me! But it kept happening, so I prayed, “If this is what you want, God, please open the doors.” I felt I was just a “worker bee.” But the second time I attended an officership information weekend, God emphatically whispered to me, “Be a worker bee for me, Miya!”
Cadet Jeffrey Robertson
Training in the field has allowed me the opportunity to put into practice, every day, what I am learning. Being connected to people and having the opportunity to invest in lives has been a privilege. This pathway has stretched me and caused me to really be connected to the Holy Spirit, to find strength and peace, especially in difficult seasons. I am a Reflector of Holiness! My world needs to see Jesus more and more, and as a Christ-follower, I have a responsibility to reflect the light of Christ through my words and deeds so that God can use me to help build his kingdom.
Appointed corps officers and community ministry officers, Sudbury Community Church, Ont.
Aux-Captain Glenna Cryderman
I was called to full-time ministry at a young age but wasn’t willing and ready to accept the call. Like Moses, I had to spend time in the desert to learn to hear God’s voice and be prepared for his mission. Through a Bible study, God taught me about the difference between human reasoning and God’s perspective. It opened my eyes to being faithful in the little assignments God gave me. He used these smaller assignments to adjust my life and character in little ways, preparing me in ways I could not see or understand. By learning to obey him, I can now see his hand guiding me to be ready to fulfil his purpose in his time.
Continuing appointment as corps officer, Melfort—Circuit with Tisdale, Sask.
Cadet Kerrin Fraser
My training to become a Salvation Army officer has been a joy—spending time at several corps in Winnipeg and experiencing different expressions of worship; learning practical tools of how to connect with God; learning alongside staff officers who were invested in seeing growth in me and my session-mates; and creating relationships with cadets, officers and Salvationists in the city. I am excited to engage in ministry with those I meet in my new appointment, and to learn more about who I am and how I can shepherd God’s people as he leads and guides me.
Cadet Tim Fraser
Since my early teenage years, I have felt a strong calling toward officership. However, it wasn't until after I got married that God began to prepare me for his calling. Every day, I am reminded of his plans and timing, and I have learned to trust in him and his provision. One of the most impactful aspects of my training period has been my winter assignments, during which I have learned what it truly means to share the love of Christ and bring joy into the lives of those who are broken and hurting. Listening to life stories and offering prayers of hope to those seeking light in their darkness has been an incredible privilege and honour.
Appointed corps officers, Haven of Hope Ministries, Regina.
Aux-Captain Nancy Harrison
For me, to be a “reflector of holiness” is the goal of the Christian life—to become more like him and less like me. It’s a call to shine my God-given light in all circumstances, with all people. I pray that God continues to refine me and deepen my relationship with him, to give me wisdom and discernment so that all I do and say flows out from my relationship with Jesus. As I begin this next stage in my ministry in The Salvation Army, I hope that I continue to hear God’s voice and act in humble obedience every day, with the same zeal and spiritual fervour, no matter where he may lead me.
Appointed corps officer, Thunder Bay Community Church, Ont.
Cadet Krishna McFarlane
My call to officership was unexpected, even unwanted, but undoubtedly the best thing that has happened to me. I started working at my ministry unit after being stirred by God to change my life’s direction and follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. I felt confirmation within a couple of months that this was where I was supposed to be and that being an officer was what I was called to do for the rest of my life. My sessional name means that God’s glory is within me. I am set ablaze from within, refined and consumed, so Christ is the only visible thing.
Appointed corps officer, Living Hope Community Church of The Salvation Army, Winnipeg.
Cadet Justin Russell
I first felt the calling to Salvation Army officership when I was 12 years old, attending youth councils in Nova Scotia. I remember listening to the song Consuming Fire and feeling the Holy Spirit moving and speaking to me in such a clear way. Over the past 7½ years, I have been on a journey as I moved out to Winnipeg, where I attended Booth University College. In that time, God has reaffirmed my calling to officership, and everything that I’ve done and experienced has prepared me for where I am today. As I enter this next stage of ministry, I hope that God will lead and direct me in the way he wants me to go.
Cadet Kaitlin Russell
The practical ministry we engaged in and the relationships we formed along the way were my most meaningful training experiences. I especially loved our winter assignments in Moose Jaw, Sask., and Gander, N.L., and our summer assignment in Yellowknife; God revealed how he is at work across Canada! The opportunity to learn from various officers and employees in multiple contexts has deepened my passion for mission. My hope is that God uses me to the fullest extent for his kingdom work in the world.
Appointed corps officers, Bridgetown Community Church, N.S.
Principal's Commendation
On behalf of the staff of the College for Officer Training (CFOT) and training partners across the territory, I would like to present the Reflectors of Holiness Session, who will be ordained and commissioned as officers of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory.
I commend these individuals to you as people who have opened their hearts and minds, letting the Spirit of God shape and fashion them in Christ’s likeness. They have demonstrated a faith put into action, striving to live holy lives wholly committed to loving and serving others as God has called.
The training program, consisting of spiritual life development, theological and biblical studies, and mission and ministry formation, has provided a solid foundation on which these Reflectors of Holiness have been able to work out their calling as Salvation Army officers. The CFOT staff and field training officers are honoured to have journeyed with this kind, caring, helpful, hardworking, generous, curious and dedicated session.
As they contemplate the covenant they are entering, we are confident they will continue to reflect the holiness of Christ no matter where they serve in the Canada and Bermuda Territory, responding daily to the holy calling of God to “be holy, because I am holy” (see 1 Peter 1:15-16), and in so doing, fulfil the mission and vision of The Salvation Army to share hope wherever there is hardship and build just communities that know the love of Jesus.
As CFOT releases these new officers to the territory, we affirm their calling to serve as officers in The Salvation Army, reflecting God’s holiness in sharing their lives with whosoever. Please join us in praying for them and their families as they travel and settle into new ministries and communities across our territory. God bless them, their ministry and the people they serve.
Major Deana Zelinsky
Training Principal
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Yay Justin!