Luau Corps, Moxico Province, Angola

WOMEN’S MINISTRIES TERRITORIAL PROJECT 2012–2013

THIS YEAR women of the Western Territory—through Home League and outreach ministries—aim to raise $40,000 for the “Grace Upon Grace” Women’s Ministries Territorial Project, an annual fundraising endeavor that supports overseas ministries of The Salvation Army.

“We choose projects that specifically enhance the lives of women and girls,” said Colonel Sharron Hudson, Western Territorial secretary for women’s ministries. “These projects help give us a broader perspective than our own area of service, and give us the opportunity to meet some of the need that exists in the world.”

Each of the West’s divisional women’s ministries departments sets its own fundraising goal, and will raise money at rallies, retreats and events through the end of September. An offering at the women’s rally at the recent Alaska Congress brought in $250. For the past three years, an anonymous donor has sent $100 to support the project.

This year, project funds will support women’s programs in Kenya, Angola and Zambia—each under the leadership of a USA Western Territory officer serving overseas.

In Kenya, the Junior Miss program is a younger version of the traditional Home League that focuses on such topics as sexual purity, HIV/AIDS awareness, nutrition, gardening, and soap making with young women who are expected to run a household from an early age. “In Africa they say that if you educate a boy,  you educate one person. If you educate a girl, you educate a nation,” said USA Western Territory officer Commissioner Jolene Hodder, territorial president of Women’s Ministries in the Kenya West Territory with her husband, Territorial Commander Commissioner Ken Hodder. “Research shows educating girls to be one of the most effective and sustainable way of fighting global poverty as well. This is because education, especially for girls, has been shown to raise family income levels, combat rates of HIV and illness, lower fertility rates, and empower girls to build a brighter future for themselves, their families and their communities.”

Support from the USA Western Territory will go toward a Junior Miss Congress for 3,000 girls this December, as well as providing sanitary hygiene and other essential supplies to girls in rural areas who do not have resources for these items.

Hodder said the Kenya West Territory boasts 30 percent of all junior soldiers in the world.

“We are anticipating that thousands of young ladies will attend this potentially life-changing event,” she said.

In Angola, a Home League ministry uses health charts to initiate discussions about health matters relating to women and their families, from basic hygiene to fire and neighborhood safety, to AIDS education, child spacing, pregnancy health and proper nutrition. Support from the USA Western Territory will defray the cost of the health charts and provide training to all women officers and envoys in how to engage a group in a community facilitated discussion.

“These health charts will help us in several ways, but specifically, they are an excellent entry point into the community to help the Army build relationships,” said Major Debbie Horwood, command secretary for women’s ministries in the Angola Command. Horwood is a USA Western Territory officer serving in Angola with her husband, Major Ted Horwood, command secretary. “The health charts are designed as a starting point in facilitating conversations about issues that affect all of our lives, beginning with health related matters, but continuing into areas that of family concerns. And after all, isn’t that who we are as The Salvation Army? The church that is concerned with the things that matter in a community, be it justice, education, security, and health—all of which have the potential to lead to wholeness in a person and their family.”

Horwood said the health charts will provide a platform for the Army in Angola to continue expanding its ministry in health related matters in conjunction with other community programs such as polio eradication, HIV/Aids awareness and malaria prevention.

“This is a ministry that is community based, but corps initiated—a ministry that is grounded in and carried out through the very people that we are trying to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Horwood said. “It is our belief that any effort we can make that will demonstrate the Body of Christ is present, concerned and actively involved in the daily challenges of life, will be transformational to the families we live among.”

In Zambia, the Mitanda Home for the Aged—the second largest Salvation Army facility in the Zambia Territory— provides residential care for up to 32 senior citizens. The home provides food, shelter, clothing, medical care, spiritual and physical activities and supplies for its residents, yet the facility is in poor condition.

USA Western Territory officer Major Beryl Pierce Director of the Mitanda Home reports collapsing roofs, broken pumps and water lines, failing laundry machines, and rats (see related article p. 7). Support from the USA Western Territory will go toward building repairs, and new bedding for the residents.

Colonel Dave Hudson, Western Territory chief secretary, recently visited Mitanda Home.

Mitanda Home for the Aged, Zambia

“If it were not for this facility,” Hudson said, “the people who live there would be virtually homeless—they either have no family, or their family has no means/interest in caring for them.”

The Army recently installed a water tank that will save hundreds of dollars a year on electricity and water costs, yet Pierce said the home is currently unable to pay the remaining $3,000 for prepaid meter installation.

“I believe if we could finish this project, we would no longer experience a monthly shortfall—no longer would our expenditures exceed our income,” she said.

Two fundraising projects are planned to assist with food and medical expenses, and raise staff wages: chicken rearing and a parking lot.

Contact your corps officer to learn more about this project and how you can get involved.

Watch a video introduction to “Grace Upon Grace” at http://bit.ly/158VlQQ.

BY KEILAH TOY, MAJOR • PHOTOS COURTESY CFOT AT CRESTMONT

The Western Territory’s 120 cadets, as part of their field training at the College for Officer Training at Crestmont, gained program experience and sharpened ministry skills at 40 corps and units April 1-8. They led and preached in 18 worship services, conducted corps programs, taught Bible studies, and participated in children’s ministries, community outreach, service projects and nursing homes. Most importantly, the cadets shared the transforming love of Jesus. Here are a few of their stories.

Watch the 2013 Spring Campaign Rewind at youtu.be/xu9q6hUiwH8.

“Life” brigade—In Glendale, Ariz., cadets conducted community prayer walks, a homeless feeding ministry at the park, a children’s carnival, a youth scavenger hunt, and a gleaning from an executive advisory board meeting and retired officers dinner. They spent time with eight potential officership candidates, answering questions and offering encouragement.

“We [cadets] have discussed and debated the relevance of social services and the lack of a Christian influence in many Army social service programs,” Cadet Joshua Hamilton said. “But today, I was able to see the value of having pastors present in the social services lobby, talking and praying with people.”

“Devoted” brigade—In Watsonville, Calif., cadets participated in feeding the homeless, an evangelistic campaign, Home League, united meeting and leading praise and worship in English and Spanish. Their faith was stretched when, after long, hard preparation for the “Superhero Day Camp,” the opening moments saw only four children…then nine…then 12…and by week’s end, a total of  50 contacts, with 10 children accepting Christ.

Cadet Susan Cassin describes a pivotal moment when the brigade conducted a nursing home meeting. “As we passed out socks to the residents, I came upon Marguerite sitting in her wheelchair,” she said. “As I got down to her level to talk to her, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the moment of pure joy in her eyes when I began to talk to her…God reminded me in that moment that it is the people that matter. You can have all the programs in the world, but if you don’t care for people—if you don’t do it out of love—then it is worthless.”

“Awakeners” brigade—In Yuma, Ariz., cadets served in corps programs, a block party, sock hop, Spanish Bible studies, soup kitchen and a mother/daughter tea.

Before the cadets departed for Yuma, they had received specific prayer requests for Yuma corps members. At week’s end, Cadet Regina Verdugo testified, “God showed himself faithful in answering prayer and allowed me to be a part of what he was doing in this family’s life. What a blessing!”

“Unified” brigade—In Boise and Caldwell, Idaho, cadets visited veterans, dressed up in fashion runway attire for a women’s high tea, poured beverages at a mother/daughter tea for teen mothers from the Marian Pritchett School, barbequed for a carnival and made popcorn for family movie night.

Cadets discovered the influence of wearing a Salvation Army uniform. “We have been stopped several times this week by people who recognized the uniform,” Cadet Joe West said. “Most of them were givers. All were very grateful.”

“Theosis” brigade—In Victor Valley, Calif, cadets served and sang in English and Spanish, stacked wood with young people, gave a presentation at the Kiwanis Club, witnessed eight kids accept Christ at the Son-Seeker Saturday Event and two people accept Christ at a nursing home meeting.

While feeding the homeless, the cadets met Jerry, who had been on the streets for years and wanted to be back in a home. A cadet invited him to the adult Bible study, and Jerry showed up. When asked how he came to be there, Jerry said, “I was invited.”

“Sometimes that’s all that has to be done,” Cadet Katie Breazeale said. “We have to just ask. Because of one cadet’s bravery, Jerry was found and brought into the corps where he was accepted, given a hot meal and a chance to hear the Word of God.”

“Jars of Clay” brigade—In Reno and Carson City, Nev., cadets’ ministry included making sandwiches for the breadline, hearing the testimonies of adult rehabilitation program graduates, bowling with the youth fellowship, mixing “marriage ingredients” at the women’s fellowship “Bridal Shower,” visiting the police department with the Day Camp kids, and seeing nine children accept Jesus.

Reflecting on a nursing home visit, Cadet Daisy Gaytan said, “It wasn’t the gifts that we brought that made a difference; it was the presence of someone who cares. Their faces lit up when they saw our faces, when we drew closer, when we gently touched their hands, when we said ‘hello.’ It was a beautiful reminder that the ministry of presence is important. It’s not who we are, but the love of God that shines through us and his rays of love that touch those around us.”

“ILKOP (Seven)” brigade—In Modesto, Calif., cadets observed the Modesto Advisory Board in action, serving as security for the transitional shelter program by manning the metal detector, breathalyzer, and contraband search, then switched roles to serve a hot meal along with the Word of God to the clients.

Cadet Hye-Mi Lee, from Korea, shared her struggle with communicating in English. Tasked with leading the closing song, “Amazing Grace,” at a nursing home, she sang nervously, and then noticed an elderly woman next to her shedding tears. She learned that the woman had wanted to go to church but couldn’t, and was grateful for the worship time. Lee prayed for her in English, then Korean, and both women shed tears, realizing that the love of God transcends language barriers.

“Unity” brigade—In Oahu, Hawaii, cadets ministered at different Army facilities: preparing Camp Homelani for summer by cleaning out the cabins and tarps, “talking story” with the Revolution Hawaii team, leading and preaching at the ARC chapel, serving at adult day care and the Kroc Center preschool,  and conducting a worship service on the beach.

At the Kauluwela Corps’ Upper Room service, Brigade Sergeant Cadet Troy Cook watched a man approach many people wanting to talk. He didn’t connect with anyone and appeared mentally disabled.  Later, Cook approached the man, and discovered he had a speech impediment and just wanted to share his story. After prison, he had entered the ARC, where a tutor taught him to read the Bible, which he carried everywhere. “God used The Salvation Army to help this man learn how to read,” Cook said. “The only book he wanted to read was God’s Word.”

“Heirs to the Throne” brigade—In Seattle, cadets served at the Seattle Temple Corps, Seattle White Center and the Federal Way Corps. They sang songs and played Bingo with seniors, talked to people in the food pantry line, played basketball and volleyball with youth, picked up kids for the after-school program and assisted them with their studies.

The cadets reexamined their thoughts about homelessness after interacting with men at the William Booth Center. “The homeless population is so often looked at with disgust or loathing, but I don’t think they planned on their lives being this way,” said Cadet Brenda Morthland. “I became convicted of not loving all of God’s people. These are the people that Jesus would be hanging out with, walking with, talking with and healing. These are ‘the least of these’ that Jesus refers to. These are the people that we are called to love.”

“iServe” brigade—In Portland, Ore., cadets danced with active seniors, led a cultural dinner, coordinated a youth carnival, gleaned from the wisdom of 600 years of combined retired officer service, and ministered to 13-18-year-olds at the JDH-Youth Correctional Facility.

Cadet Judah Young was apprehensive before giving his testimony at the correctional facility, worried that the residents wouldn’t relate to him. As he shared his story he felt God’s Spirit speaking through him. After the meeting, one young man, facing 18 years of prison time, sought him out. He wanted what Young had, and the cadet led him to make a decision to give his life to God.

“This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life,” Young said, “and I am honored and humbled that God would choose to use me.”

“The Less Than” brigade—In Santa Barbara, Calif., cadets led worship at an Alzheimer’s Care Home and chapel services at the Hospitality House, made vacation Bible school props, served soup and bread to those on the street, and held a day-long carnival for 100-plus visitors.

“While I was sitting with the after-school kids, a couple of them discovered that when they touched my hand a white imprint lasted for a few seconds. …I informed them this was because I was dehydrated; I had not had enough water that day,” Cadet Rebecca Lewis said. “Before I knew it one boy, Christian, had brought me a cup of ice cold water. Sometimes I hear of or even see a need and do not respond to it. This 7-year-old heard about something lacking in my life that day and provided it, blessing me with the best cup of water I had all week. It reminded me that the simplest act—no matter how simple—can make a difference.”

“Last” brigade—In Denver, cadets ministered at 18 corps and facilities, and led four worship services in the Metro Denver area. They handed out sandwiches and visited with homeless people, led vacation Bible school outreach at the Denver Red Shield, and participated in youth and ARC programs.

One assignment found the cadets at a shopping mall with $5, tasked with engaging someone in conversation and inviting him or her to have coffee or a drink. Cadet Caleb Montes stopped at a sunglasses booth and initiated a conversation with the salesman, Jeremy, who began to open up about his life. He had quit his previous job and sold everything to move to the mountains of Colorado, seeking purpose. They continued to talk for an hour and the cadet shared God’s hope, love, purpose and salvation. Montes bought Jeremy a cup of coffee and Jeremy accepted the cadet’s offer to pray for him.

“Protectors” home brigade—In Southern California, cadets had a diverse schedule, traveling to a different corps or unit every day. They visited Seal Beach’s Leisure World senior community, served lunch to Bell Shelter residents, prepared sandwiches for distribution at Los Angeles’ skid row, visited families at Alegria, evangelized at a college campus, and helped at the Compton Corps Community Basketball Tournament.

“I have to admit some pride in being a part of an organization that reaches out without care of who you used to be and helping you help yourself to a better life,” said Cadet Edith Dye-Mabie. “What a testimony to God’s amazing power that his presence alone overcomes the boundaries of what is allowed because of government regulation and shines through those who have found hope with help!”

Media, including History Channel’s “The Bible” mini-series and The Salvation Army’s SAVN.TV, expand the church’s reach online.

Contributed by SAVN.TV

Mega-TV producer (think Survivor, The Voice, and The Apprentice) Mark Burnett and wife Roma Downey’s (who played the angel Monica on Touched by an Angel) new TV mini-series “The Bible” broke viewership records week after week as it aired on the History Channel in March, exploring five sections of Scripture in 10 hours.

Its audience didn’t wane, growing as much as 11 percent a week, according to Grace Hill Media, the marketing firm responsible for promoting the series.

Before the series’ debut, Guy Noland, executive producer at SAVN.TV, interviewed Mark Burnett and Roma Downey at their home in Malibu. SAVN.TV—The Salvation Army’s Vision Network—launched in 2011, but the leadership team considers it a “work in progress” as “Version II” is now on the drawing boards of designers and programmers.

“I was so impressed with [Burnett and Downey’s] passion to share the gospel through prime time television,” Noland said. “They understand the power and influence of media, and we at SAVN share that passion.”

According to Phil Cooke, media consultant at SAVN.TV, many in the mainstream media were surprised at the popularity of “The Bible” series. In a recent blog post at philcooke.com, Cooke wrote that he’d been questioned by secular reporters from major media outlets who were “baffled” at response to the program. Cooke pointed to three key reasons for its popularity:

1)    It’s popular because it’s agenda-free. It’s not the normal, more controversial approach of “Jesus: Did He Secretly Marry Mary Magdalene?” Or “Jesus: Was He Gay?” It’s just the story of the Bible with no slant and no agenda.

2)    It’s popular because it’s unifying. More than 40 scholars, theologians and pastors from the entire spectrum of Christianity advised the production. It was designed to appeal to the wide range of Christians, not divide the audience.

3)    It’s popular because not only does each episode have a compelling story arc, but the entire series tells the meta-narrative of God and how he deals with humanity. This is similar to the Bible itself, where each book has its own theme and story, and yet all fit into a far bigger story of how God has revealed himself to his creation.

Guy Noland of SAVN.TV interviews Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.
Left: Diogo Morgado as Jesus in the miniseries The Bible.

But as media producers and creators, both Burnett and Noland know we live in a culture that doesn’t understand the impact of the Bible on our history. The truth is, the Bible’s influence on literature, art, music, education, and so much more is immeasurable, but every day, we seem to drift farther and farther away from our biblical moorings. We see the results of that loss in our schools, our communities and our leadership.

That’s why SAVN.TV worked to spread the news about the series throughout the digital world and will also share the story of Paramount Pictures’ upcoming motion picture, “Noah,” starring Russell Crowe.

SAVN.TV was birthed out of a commitment to evangelism, as Western Territorial Commander Commissioner James Knaggs explored the future of sharing our faith with a digital culture. For example, Facebook in 2012 passed the 1 billion member mark, which by population makes it the third largest country in the world. From that perspective, the questions become: “Who’s sending missionaries to that country?”  “Who’s planting churches in that country?”

By allowing people to see and share stories of the remarkable work The Salvation Army is doing around the world, SAVN.TV is a digital version of the traditional Salvation Army concept of a “mission station.” In 1876 Founder William Booth put it this way: “It is not a building, or a chapel, or a hall; it is not even a society, but a band of people united together to mission, to attack, to Christianize an entire town or neighborhood…draw a line around the breath of population you can hope to reach, and make that your parish, and aim, with tears and prayers, and the trumpet-blast of the Gospel, to Christianize every soul within it.”

Knaggs is determined to expand Booth’s vision, culturally, geographically and digitally into the 21st century.

“[SAVN.TV] presents a pace-setting opportunity for The Salvation Army to be on the virtual missional and evangelical cutting edge,” Knaggs said.

A unique combination of a video-driven website and social action network, SAVN.TV empowers users to connect to and present causes, share online tools for giving, and support and participate in social services across the world.

“There are nearly 3 billion people online around the world today—that’s an audience that we’ve never had before,” Knaggs said. “With SAVN.TV in The Salvation Army it is my hope that—perhaps in this generation, I really think it’s possible—we will reach the world for Jesus.”

As the world now shifts to mobile access, SAVN.TV plans to launch a mobile app and focus on creating short films that help people share the message of Jesus with friends, coworkers and family.

“If you’ve ever felt awkward sharing your faith with a coworker or friend, then how easy is it to show them a movie?” Noland asked. “That’s why we’re creating a series of films we call ‘God Shots’ that ask the important questions of life: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Does God exist? Is there a purpose to life?”

See more about “The Bible” at history.com/shows/the-bible and the SAVN.TV interview with its producers at savn.tv/campaign/view/554.

Aaron Chang

First-ever Aspiring Entrepreneur Day focuses on innovators

By Christin Davis

It was sometime during the Industrial Revolution—when creations ranged from anesthesia, to the photograph to the steam engine—that entrepreneurship first came to be noticed. Regarded as the main instruments of change, entrepreneurs were enterprising in their exploit of commercial opportunities.

“Entrepreneurs are innovators,” said Larry Cox, professor of entrepreneurship at the Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business Management. “They aren’t thinking about the economy or what industry is hot. Entrepreneurship is a very personal thing; you have a problem and a solution to it that you think others may want.”

It’s personal, and it starts with passion.

“The drive comes from finding a problem you care about enough to solve,” Cox said.

The Salvation Army Western Territory brought together ambitious and successful entrepreneurs March 9 for the first-ever Aspiring Entrepreneurs Day, a joint effort between the Territorial Youth Department and the flagship Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in San Diego.

The event featured a six-person roster, including entrepreneurs across spectrums—from branding, the story of creating identity, ecommerce, publicity, education, to using entrepreneurship as a ministry.

The idea originated with Per Welinder, pro skater and brand entrepreneur, who became interested in The Salvation Army after meeting Jim Sparks, youth development and leadership director in the Western Territory.

Per Welinder

“He talked about how he’d started doing entrepreneurship talks at UCLA, and I asked if he’d want to do something similar with The Salvation Army,” Sparks said.

Legendary surf photographer Aaron Chang then signed on, and Sparks soon had more entrepreneurs willing to participate than would be possible.

“As a whole, it turned out to be a well-rounded group, encompassing the spirit of entrepreneurism, some from a Christian perspective,” Sparks said. “It ended up becoming a neat evangelistic meeting.”

Sparks said the event was a natural fit for the Youth Department.

“Each of these presenters started young with a concept,” he said. “A lot of people have an idea, but are not sure how to get going on it. This opened up a new door for us to broaden our teaching, especially considering entrepreneurship is the foundation of The Salvation Army.”

Christopher Pratt

From a matchbox factory to soup kitchens, The Salvation Army has a long history of finding solutions to problems—all starting with passion, something these entrepreneurs know well.

Chang, long-time photographer for Surfing Magazine and now CEO of the Aaron Chang Gallery in Solano Beach, Calif., said he wanted to do nothing but surf, so he left for Hawaii just three days after graduating from high school.

“When I went to the North Shore for the first time at age 17, it was everything my heart desired,” he said. With no supported industry around surfing in the mid 1970s, Chang took pictures of tourists at luaus for $10 per night and worked at a camera store for $1.75 per hour.

“It takes desire, fortitude, conviction and dedication to have success,” Chang said. “Entrepreneur equals really, really hard to do.”

Chang said your community and character are critical.

“Your brand is you. Once you are known, it’s difficult to rebrand,” he said.

What surfing was to Chang, skateboarding was to Welinder. Two-time World Champion Freestyle Skateboarder, Welinder was sponsored by Swatch Watch and performed stunts in Back to the Future. He started his first business, Birdhouse Skateboards, with Tony Hawk, and today is president of Blitz Distribution.

“A brand is a collection of shared associations,” he said. “It should boost recognition, reputation and rewards.”

Welinder said it’s important to remember that everything you display to the outside world will brand you, including those you associate with.

“Think of it as a draft and pull, like a bicycle,” he said. “Where do you want to go? Who do you want to work with? Set a timeline to implement your goals.”

For some, these goals are dreams. But others, as Gavin Schofield-Smith, a Salvationist and private school owner, said, wake up and work hard to achieve it.

“So many times people say, ‘I could’ve done that,’ but they have some excuse why they didn’t,” Schofield-Smith said. He outlined seven steps for would-be entrepreneurs.

“Find a mentor and draft behind him or her,” Sparks said. “What are they doing right? What are their mistakes, and how can you avoid doing the same?

This kind of observation, Cox said, can be invaluable.

“Entrepreneurs approach problems differently, and sometimes can’t articulate what they know,” Cox said. “It can be like watching a really good basketball player to see what they do. There’s tremendous value in seeing someone do what they do well.”

Yet, Sparks cautioned not to assume a mentor will find you.

“The mistake is to believe someone will seek you out and take you under his or her wing,” he said. “You have to go out and ask questions and make the connections. Talk to your corps officer. Maybe there’s someone on the advisory board you could connect with.”

Sparks said other Kroc Centers and camps have expressed interest in hosting future Aspiring Entrepreneur Days.

“Because you do what you’re passionate about, being an entrepreneur is an opportunity to really change the world in whatever way you want to,” Cox said. “Starting your own company is great way to express your own values, and entrepreneurs are the ones positively effecting change in their communities.”

By Glen Doss, Major

“I feel I am going insane. I have lost my bearings. I can’t live like this anymore. I would rather be dead! Major, can you show me the way to God?” His voice breaking, the man started to sob.

Wrapping an arm around the kneeling man’s shoulders, I prayed with him, then hugged him tight. It was Easter morning at the Kona Salvation Army corps on the Big Island of Hawaii. This was my first corps appointment following several years on the mainland as an Adult Rehabilitation Center administrator. Moving from seeker to seeker following the altar call, I was reminded of the universality of the message of Salvation: Jesus is alive! Christ is our living Lord! He has the power to resurrect us from “death to life” (John 5:24 NIV).

I am repeatedly moved by the transformational power of the Spirit of Christ to work a dramatic change in the hearts of people everywhere across all times. While the world changes around us, the drama of the miracle remains as marvelous as ever: The old has gone, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). Despite the two millennia that have transpired between that first Easter and today, the resurrection power of Christ is as potent as ever. This is so because neither the fundamental nature of humanity nor our Lord himself are any different. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

Any cursory observation of history reveals that the fundamental nature of the human heart has not changed since the beginning of time. Always when left to its own devices, the inclination of the heart is evil (Gen. 8:21). God’s beautiful but tantalizing world is way too big for us, yet its satisfactions too small. Since God originally made us for eternity, the limited pleasures of our world cannot fully satisfy us. And sadly we people have proved particularly effective at creating havoc in our drive to satisfy ourselves.

It was upon such a world stage—one sinking into dissolution through the weight of its own corruption—that the Son of God appeared 2,000 years ago. Through a marvelous act God became one of his own creations. In a miraculous exchange he switched places with us on the cross, accepting the punishment we deserved so that we might be reconciled with him. Through his resurrection we now have the opportunity for a new, eternal “rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT).

“Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he is risen.” These words, spoken by a divine messenger to reassure a terrified woman, spread like wildfire: “He has risen from the dead” (Matt. 28:7 NIV).

Long before electronic media would enhance the way we relate to one another, the primary mode of  communication of the Christian faith was—and remains—the living witness of Christians themselves. “See how these Christians love one another!” exclaimed the early Christian theologian Tertullian. The passion of these original pioneers of the faith was so intense and their conviction so evident that they were soon “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6 NRV).

In 2010 Time Magazine included Christianity as one of the 100 “ideas” that changed the world. “There is no doubt that Jesus Christ is one of the most significant individuals in history,” the article reads. “Today, more than 20 centuries after Christ’s death, Christianity remains one of the most potent forces in the world… .The belief that the crucified Christ rose from the dead is a central tenet of Christianity.”

From the moment that the new faith bounded upon the world stage it made a dramatic impact. Over time the significant extent and nature of that impact has become increasingly evident. Despite allegations from certain quarters that Christianity has done harm, one fact stands out prominently: Whenever Christians remain true to their faith, they do the world good. When they do not rightly practice their religion, the opposite may be true.

As history marches on, it becomes increasingly evident that humanity’s genius for technological progress outstrips any progress in its ethics. Every invention that has helped make life more comfortable for people has been more than matched by new ways to hurt and destroy. Where once a soldier bore a sword, spear, or bow and arrow, today he carries an assault weapon and grenades. When Jesus walked the earth in flesh, no weapons of mass destruction had been dreamed of; today they exist en masse.

The potential of the human race to be destroyed by its own child, technology, is greater than ever. The reason, of course, is because basic human nature remains unchanged. It is still true that we humans deeply need to be saved from ourselves, that “the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jer. 17:9 NIV). Today, as has always been the case, only Christ holds the solution for our madness. “The only sure way to remedy all the evils in the world is by bringing men and women to submit themselves to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Salvation Army Article of War six).

Many scholars believe that Christianity has done more to improve the world than has any other religion. In a world of chaos and moral depravity Christianity has restored a sense of accountability and responsibility to God. People have learned that in the eyes of God humans are beings of infinite dignity and immortal worth. Each individual has significant value.“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matt. 16:26).

The Christian faith promotes the universal brotherhood and equality of mankind and has contributed to increased rights for slaves and women. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all (Col. 3:11). Before Benjamin Franklin’s “improvements,” Thomas Jefferson’s rough draft of The Declaration of Independence read: “We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable.”

The Christian faith teaches that our love of God can set us free of sin and revolutionize our personality. Christ exemplified this by paving the way: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

The greatest love story is Christianity’s account of God’s love for humanity, redeeming us from the consequences of our sins. God loves us so dearly that he seeks fellowship with us in both this life and the one to come.

In fact God created us originally to live in fellowship with him. It has always been his plan that we live with him eternally. Once that fellowship is regained, we follow in his footsteps, and out of love for God we seek to do good to everyone. As Jesus demonstrates God’s love by healing the sick, so also his followers care for the sick, the weak, the poor. Salvation Army Founder William Booth emulated Jesus Christ in this. Today thousands of Salvation Army officers, soldiers and friends around the world, in uncountable ways, offer “a cup of water in [Christ’s] name” (Mark 9:41).

Early on God enjoyed fellowship with his creation whom he made in his own image. Walking in the garden in the cool of the day, God called to Adam, “Where are you?” (Gen. 3:9). The reader gets the impression that the two often walked together; they fellowshipped. And since human nature has not changed since the beginning of time, our need for our Lord’s fellowship is as great as ever. As God went looking for Adam in the garden, so he seeks the companionship of lost souls today.“ True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4:23).

Eternity encroaches upon us from all directions. In our hearts we innately know that we are made for more than this world (Eccl. 3:11). It is a wonderful thing that our Creator longs to fellowship with us not only in this world but in the next. “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).

Our repentant hearts cry out: “Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for that first Easter, for making a way for us to have a personal relationship with you in this world and an eternity in your presence in the next. You are risen from the dead and you are Lord!”

Introduction and excerpt from The Doughnut Sweethearts: The Diary of Alice McAllister during World War I (Frontier Press, 2012)

Soon after President Woodrow Wilson declared war against Germany on April 7, 1917, Evangeline Booth, daughter of Salvation Army founder William Booth, created a National War Board to help meet the needs of American soldiers.

National, territorial and provincial war secretaries set up service centers and hostels adjacent to the U.S. military camps. Evangeline, however, wanted to do more than just serve the military in the U.S. She believed that if the American men were going to France, The Salvation Army must go with them.

Evangeline asked for a meeting with General John Pershing, who was already familiar with the Army. When his wife and children died in a fire, local pastors had largely ignored him as a transient in the community. Pershing never forgot a letter of sympathy he received from the local Salvation Army divisional commander.

Pershing first told Evangeline, “We already have an army over there,” but when reports came in that American soldiers were being demoralized by hardship and danger, a tentative go-ahead was all that Evangeline needed.

She sent Lt. Col. William S. Barker to France to find out how The Salvation Army could best serve American troops. Barker found that soldiers, who had expected to be participating in battles, found themselves drilling in mud from morning to night, causing an epidemic of homesickness to spread.

Barker cabled back to her: “Send over some lassies.” Evangeline was determined to send only the very best. She approached influential friends, who loaned the sum of $25,000 to begin operations, and later borrowed $100,000 from Salvation Army International Headquarters.

Evangeline handpicked the officers who were to go: No men were to go who were eligible to serve in the regular forces. Single women were selected for their devotion to duty, as well as their sterling character. All single women had to be at least 25 years old.

The first group she sent over consisted of 11 officers: a married couple, four single women and five single men. They were given regulation U.S. Army uniforms with skirts for the women, and red epaulets and the red Salvation Army shield on the hats. All were sworn in as U.S. Army privates, regardless of their Salvation Army rank.

Before they left Evangeline said, “You are going overseas to serve Christ. You must forget yourselves, be examples of his love, willing to endure hardship, to lay down your lives, if need be, for his sake. In your hands you hold the honor of The Salvation Army.”

By October 1917, ensigns Helen Purviance and Margaret Sheldon had been appointed to the 1st Division of the American Expeditionary Forces, at Montiers-sur-Saulx. After 36 days of steady rain, with a blanket of depression hanging over the whole area, the Salvationists agreed that the soldiers needed authentic home cooking. Supplies were low, however, and it was difficult to buy products locally. The only items they could purchase were flour, sugar, lard, baking powder, cinnamon and canned milk, so they decided to make doughnuts.

The first doughnuts were patted out by hand over small wood fire coaxed in a low, pot-bellied stove. Since it was difficult to lean over the low fire, Purviance spent most of the time kneeling in front of the stove.

“There was also a prayer in my heart that somehow this home touch would do more for those who ate the doughnuts than satisfy a physical hunger,” she said.

The tempting aroma of frying doughnuts drew a lengthy line of soldiers to the hut, waiting patiently in the mud and rain. Although the girls worked late into the night, they could serve only 150 doughnuts the first day. The next day, that number doubled. When they were fully equipped for the job, 9,000 doughnuts were made per day.

Soldiers asked if the doughnut could have a hole in it, so Purviance had an elderly French blacksmith improvise a doughnut cutter by fastening the top of a condensed milk can and camphor-ice tube to a wooden block.

The soldiers cheered the doughnuts and soon referred to Salvation Army lassies as “doughnut girls,” even when they baked apple pies or other treats.

The simple doughnut became a symbol of all that The Salvation Army was doing to ease the hardships of the frontline fighting soldier—the canteens in primitive dugouts and huts, with free refreshments, religious services, concerts and a clothes-mending service.

Doughnuts were so popular overseas that the war weary soldiers came back to America longing for the doughnuts they had been served during the war. One by one, bakeries responded and again, the doughnut was an instant success—only this time in America.

Today, Salvation Army Red Shields and USO units offer members of the armed forces a variety of services, ranging from attractive recreational facilities to family counseling, but the famous doughnut remains a perennial favorite. During every sort of emergency—fires, floods, earthquake, transit strikes or blackouts—The Salvation Army’s mobile canteens continually provide thousands of civilians with the doughnuts that stand for the Salvationist’s loving concern and readiness to help in times of need.

The McAllister Sisters

Violet Virginia McAllister (1890-1939) and Alice Annette McAllister (1892-1980) joined the 1st Division of the American Expeditionary Forces, sworn into the U.S. Army as privates—the only way for them to volunteer on the front lines of World War I.

They were given nursing training before boarding a steamship to cross the ocean in March 1918, going to war on behalf of the United States and The Salvation Army.

Within two weeks of arrival, Salvationists—132 men and 109 women—raised canteens and began serving American soldiers. They established a courier service, nursed the wounded, hauled water and wrote letters for the injured.

“They were charged by their commander in ‘that much greater art, the art of dealing ably with human life in all its varying conditions and phrases,” wrote Lettie Gavin in American Women in World War I: They Also Served.

With guitars in hand, the McAllister sisters performed for the troops, set broken bones and immunized for tetanus, but they became known for a simple luxury while at war—the doughnut.

“They made do with the simplest of supplies—a grape juice bottle for rolling pin, tin cans to cut the shape, a coffee percolator tube to make the hole. The day a line of 800 from the 26th Division lined up for the first 150 [doughnuts], they knew they had found their calling,” Judy Vaughn wrote in The Bells of San Francisco.

Alice McAllister kept a diary of her experience, presented in The Doughnut Sweethearts: The Diary of Alice McAllister during World War I (Frontier Press, 2012), with clarification from Mildred Mendell (the McAllister’s niece) after a first transcription by Captain Billy Francis. According to The Salvation Army’s officer records, Alice McAllister served on the front lines in France from March 31 to November 1, 1918, and again from February 8 to September 26, 1919.

Upon her return from the war, Alice McAllister served as a corps assistant in Philadelphia before her commissioning in May 1920 and appointment as the Philadelphia No. 11 corps officer. She was transferred to Trenton, N.J., in June 1921, and moved to the Western Territory in August 1923 where she worked in the women’s social office before being named corps officer of the San Francisco No. 1 Corps.

In March 1927, Alice resigned as a Salvation Army officer to marry Frank Baugh. They eventually moved to Placer County, Calif., where later Alice died on August 25, 1980.

An excerpt from the diary of Alice McAllister

The hospital tents were already set up, the field kitchen force were in the act of cooking supper, and we were very hungry! The tent[s] were in a clearing in front of a high hill in which was a huge dugout that had been built by the Germans (the same as some we had been in before as we drove out the Germans and occupied their former quarters). The only unfortunate thing about them was that they had been built for shells coming from the opposite direction. The face of the hill, on our side of the hill, was cut away to make entrances to the tunnel leading back to the dugouts underneath the hill. On one side was a large room built of native stone, which our doctors had turned into a dressing room, and there was an entrance to the dugout from this room, too. The dugout ran the full length of the hill and was lined on each side with double-decker bunks. At the end there was a room with a door in it, and although I am sure it was intended for officers, it was given to us. We very gratefully set up our cots, spread our bedding rolls on them and made ourselves as comfortable as possible.

How can I ever describe the busy days at that field hospital! Our division was now hard at work driving the enemy back farther and farther toward their own country. It was that great drive in the Argonne Forest. The tents were filled with wounded [men] and ambulances were going and coming continually. In the dressing room, my sister was helping give tetanus shots and making a purple “T” on each forehead to signify that tetanus had been given. I was working in the tents at my usual job of washing mud and blood from faces and hands, administering drinks of water or moistening [the] lips of those too badly wounded to drink. Sometimes we worked far into the night, then snatched a few hours of sleep and were up and at it again.

One day, as I worked in a tent, a big shell suddenly landed in the open space in front of the tents. The colonel’s car was standing there and it was almost completely covered with mud and rocks. Immediately, we began carrying the wounded into the dugout. The shells were coming about every 20 minutes, but the tents were finally emptied and a sergeant said to me, “You had better get inside now.” I hastened across the intervening space to the door of the dressing room where my sister and the doctors were working. I had just closed the door when a shell landed right where I had been standing a moment before! Fortunately the ground was very soft from continuous rain and the shell had sunk deep into the earth before it exploded. However, the windows were shattered and rocks, some as big as a man’s hand, came hurdling into the room. Although the wounded were on litters all about the floor, no one was hurt.

Then began the work of getting these men back into the dugout. We all worked furiously, for we knew that another shell would come in at least 20 minutes. It did, and it tore off one comer of the building. Then another came, landing right on top of the entrance to the dugout just as the chaplain, taking my sister and I by the arms, said, “Ladies next.” Just as we were ready to step over the threshold, the shell exploded, bringing down heavy timbers, rocks and dirt. One step and we would have been underneath it all. The officers and hospital corps men stood there looking at us and realizing how near tragedy had been. Major Maynard looked around the room and said, “Men, you have just witnessed a miracle and I believe God has spared us because these two girls are with us.”

Get a copy of The Doughnut Sweethearts here!

Homecoming

By James Knaggs, Commissioner

Imagine the homecoming in heaven on the day General John Gowans arrived. It must have been amazing. Like the crossing of a marathon finish line or the moment when someone receives a diploma, or perhaps the moment when the person you’re praying with at the mercy seat accepts the love of God for the salvation of his or her soul. I see fireworks, dancing, banners, confetti and more as everyone from the Lord to the Founder, William Booth, along with children and senior saints express excitement that John Gowans is in the glory parade.

Who is this man of God with the dynamic, creative edge that captivated persons and crowds of all cultures and backgrounds? He is legendary. Controversial yet compassionate, imaginative and inspirational, extraordinary and extravagant, divinely discerning and humanly holy. He is my friend as he is a leader with distinction.

Shall we be like him? I don’t doubt that he would say, “don’t do it.” And he would be right, as there is the one and only John Gowans. He would bid us be like Jesus. That’s what he was doing, and showing. He demonstrated that it’s absolutely possible “to be like Jesus.” We can even do it in the context of our own lives, just like John.

The homecoming in heaven for General John Gowans has just begun. It will go on forever. Whatever hope that rascal, Satan, had for claiming his soul for evil, was lost long ago on the cross of Calvary. We should plan to join the parade some day, just like John. It will be our joy if we’re just like Jesus.

Thank you Lord, for our General John Gowans.

Tribute to General John Gowans

By Linda Bond, General

What an honor it is to pay tribute to an exceptional leader whom I came to deeply respect!

Several times in my travels I have told the story of Hazel, a Salvationist whose testimony I heard in Australia. Her plans to commit suicide were frustrated at every turn. Falling in tears on her bed, she woke in the morning to find herself on the floor with her head resting on the bed. Reaching out to the bedside cabinet for a tissue her hand touched her Salvation Army song book. She pulled it down, and it opened at Song 238.

“Do you sometimes feel that

no one really knows you,

And that no one understands

or really cares?

Through his people, God

himself is close beside you,

And through them he plans

to answer all your prayers.

Someone cares, someone

cares,

Someone knows your deepest

need, your burden shares;

Someone cares, someone

cares,

God himself will hear the

whisper of your prayers.”

There on her knees she prayed to God for forgiveness and, believing he saved her for a purpose, handed her life totally to him. The Lord used that song [by Gowans] as the turning point. She not only lives but lives abundantly with a ministry that is making a difference to a whole community.

Several books could be written on how John Gowans impacted individuals through his songs, poems, preaching and personal engagement. I want to thank God for the man he used to such a high degree to influence The Salvation Army.

There is nowhere I have traveled that his missional statement—saving souls, growing saints, serving suffering humanity—is not woven into the fabric of the territory. It was not a new mission direction but a brilliant yet simple restatement that captured our essence and purpose. And if ever we thought that they were three missions assigned to specific Army groupings, he dispelled that at the International Congress in Atlanta with his imagery of the three-legged stool. Ours is not only a balanced mission but an integrated one. This was not just the poet at work with clever words, this was the seasoned Salvationist whose grasp of God’s mandate, Army history and experience reminded us of our essential calling.

Like Charles Wesley, John Gowans had a gift for communicating the deep things of God, sound theology, in a language that we could all understand. But even more than this, he called us to a fresh perspective on what we believe. How easy it is for any church to slip into a rules and regulation mode and convince itself that God shouts from a distance with displeasure at our weakness. Yet John saw him differently: “Ours is not a distant God, remote unfeeling.”

Human vulnerability was never denied, nor failure excused. His theology rose from our own statements of faith that call us to a Lord who hears the penitent cry and receives, restores and recommissions.

Who of us has not sung “Knowing my failings, knowing my fears…Jesus, recall me, me re-ordain; You know I love you, use me again” and made it a personal confession and prayer? John Gowans’ understanding of the human condition with its weakness and its high aspirations was expressed with the poignant prayer: “Holy Spirit, promised presence fall on me. Holy Spirit make me all I long to be.” This was no wishful thinking. This was strong faith in an amazing God of grace.

Read the full tribute at salvationarmy.org/thegeneral/tributejohngowans.

Former Generals salute a dynamic leader

I first met John in 1970 when I was vice principal of the International College for Officers in London, having recently come from many years in Zimbabwe. John was a delegate, and I soon discovered his warm, exuberant, fun-loving personality. On the other hand, he was a serious, perceptive officer who challenged many of the lecturers with his unconventional ideas. He loved the Army and was totally sure about God’s call to him to be an officer. He could be critical, though wise, about faults in the Army—its culture, administration and procedures, even its principles. Never was he “politically correct,” nor seeking to protect his reputation. I admired his forthrightness and thought, “That is the kind of gifted young officer the Army needs today.”

So I watched his service in the following years, and saw those same qualities in his increasing leadership positions. We had occasional contact. I heard him preach many times, and what a dynamic preacher! Relevant, challenging, ardent and very human. He never failed to “hit the spot”! His gifts were not only in the spoken word; his writings provided the Army wonderful lyrics in the great musicals written with John Larsson, and those insightful poems. A rich legacy.

He was a charismatic leader, and never more so than in the role of General. He was unafraid to introduce measures for the Army’s benefit, but prepared also to change his mind on occasion. For example, as a young officer, he often proposed short-term officership instead of a life covenant. This shocked many Salvationists. However, when General, he did not change the lifelong covenant, but introduced the idea of short-term warranted lieutenancy. That move was productive later in bringing many young people into full-time officership.

He wanted to give Salvationists, both officers and soldiers, the right to be heard, and encouraged them to speak up (e.g. the Mori Poll for all officers worldwide, both active and retired, to express their views on a number of significant policy questions).

Although never having served in a missionary appointment, he was sensitive to the feelings of our people in the developing territories, and appointed many African and Indian leaders as commissioners.

I have always loved the scene in the musical “Blood of the Lamb”  when William Booth enters heaven and comes face to face with the Savior. Then the story moves to all the people the Founder had brought to the Lord through his powerful life and service. I can imagine the same scene of rejoicing when John Gowans met his Lord and Savior face to face.

—Eva Burrows

SERVED AS GENERAL 1986-93

Impacting society on the true meaning of the holiday season

By Phil Cooke

Has contemporary culture become illiterate about the real purpose of the Christmas holiday?

When my daughters were in public high school, they were constantly amazed at how few students knew what Christmas was actually about, or had any idea about the real meaning of the nativity.

Across the country, much of the Christmas spirit has become routine, and in most communities, Americans have settled for mere “holiday” celebrations, focusing more on the commercial side of the season. They are no longer connecting Christmas with the birth of Jesus Christ, who brought the world the greatest gift imaginable—a gift of grace, redemption and freedom.

What can be done about this?

While some call it a “culture war” or a “war on Christmas,” I think it’s more of a case of cultural amnesia. The population of this country is simply forgetting why we celebrate Christmas in the first place, and it’s up to us to keep that memory alive.

As Christians, do we celebrate only with our family and other believers, or do we share the joy with those outside our immediate circle?

During the Christmas season—more than at any other time—The Salvation Army intersects with the culture around it in a noticeable way. Through the Red Kettle Campaign, local outreaches, caroling, nativity scenes, national media coverage, special youth events and more, Salvationists have a great opportunity to express their faith to neighbors and friends.

That’s why even if the true reason for Christmas has taken a beating, it’s far from gone, and this year, we have the opportunity once again to remind the world what Christmas is all about. Following are some important tips.

As a Salvationist and a private citizen, don’t be afraid to express your faith in the community or public square. Because of court rulings upholding the separation of church and state, too many Christians shy away from anything remotely religious at Christmas time, especially in public.

For instance, over the last few years in Santa Monica, Calif., atheists have protested the long-standing tradition of featuring nativity scenes in a city park. In other communities, crosses, Christian music and other religious expressions have come under assault. But while the news headlines focus on church and state issues, don’t forget that on a personal level, you have every right to express your faith. So when you decorate your yard, go caroling, or send out cards, use those times as an opportunity to show people the real story of the season. If you have questions about staging a major event on public property, a Christian attorney, the American Center for Law and Justice (aclj.org) or territorial leadership are all good sources of information.

Be gracious about your witness. Too many well-intentioned Christians become bullies when it comes to expressing their faith. Don’t argue with people. Instead, begin developing a relationship of compassion and trust.  Growing up in the 1950s and 60s in the South, I didn’t know anyone of another faith. But today I don’t have to go far to meet people with a multitude of different religious beliefs. While some complain about the growing religious diversity of our country, we should actually look at it as an opportunity. After all, the mission field is now coming to us! But if I’m going to be an effective witness in today’s multi-faith community, I have to begin with a gracious relationship and act out of genuine love.

If you’re working in a secular job or at school, be confident but courteous about expressing your faith. The fine legal line about expressions of religious belief at secular workplaces and at public schools is often difficult to navigate, but in many cases, people who crossed the line, did it without asking for advice or counsel. Talk to the school principal or choir director first, and ask about the policy on singing Christmas carols at the school play. Or ask your boss if you can set a nativity scene or other religious object on your desk. I’ve discovered that when we approach people in a spirit of love, God often works in those situations for our good. And even if your request is rejected, how you handle that rejection can sometimes be a greater witness than what you hoped to accomplish in the first place.

By the way, that idea works throughout the year, not just at Christmas. A few years ago when our daughters were still in high school, I noticed that a local sign company had placed a billboard for a sexually provocative TV program on the bus stop across the street from the school. Since hundreds of local school kids used city buses, I was outraged that an advertisement promoting a TV show that made prostitution look glamorous was featured at that location. I called the sign company, but on the phone, I wasn’t upset or mad, I was nice. When I explained how inappropriate the billboard was, the woman quickly apologized and said that the billboard would be switched as soon as possible. Sure enough, within an hour, the advertisement was gone. It was a great reminder that simply being gracious can make a significant difference.

This season, be more creative. Remember that in the very first chapter of Genesis, God describes himself as a creator. But although we’re made in his image, we often don’t value the importance of creativity as much as we should. In today’s cluttered and distracted world, it’s the truly original messages that stand out and get noticed. If you put up the same decorations, conduct the same program, or the follow the same traditions year after year, maybe it’s time to approach Christmas in a new way. The message never changes, but how we share it should be new and innovative. Maybe your community is turning you off because they’re tired of the same old thing. Perhaps thinking differently will capture their attention—and eventually their hearts.

If you’re stumped for a more creative way to impact your community this Christmas, think about this: How about moving the celebration out of your church or outreach center, and into the neighborhood? Remember all the people who (for various reasons) simply won’t visit a local church or other ministry facility. Take the Christmas season to them. Hold a block party, invite neighbors into your home, or celebrate at a local restaurant. Learn to speak the language of the culture, and if they’re uncomfortable about coming to you, reach out to them.

Remember that the season is about sharing. We have the opportunity to share the most important story in the world: about a God who cared so much that he chose to enter our world and become one of us. Don’t miss any chance this year to share that story with family, friends and other loved ones. And if you find sharing the gospel awkward or uncomfortable, the creative thinkers in the Western Territory have created SAVN.TV, a video-driven website focused on short films and videos that tell stories about The Salvation Army’s work around the world. Whenever the moment seems right, share one of the short films with a friend. After all, who doesn’t love a good movie? And then use that story to share the greatest gift of all, the gift that this Army is named after: Salvation. As the SAVN tagline says: “It’s your world—do something!”

Finally, it’s not Santa’s fault. Too many Christians blame Santa for distracting people from the story of the incarnation. Obviously Santa Claus isn’t the reason for the season, but don’t rob your children of the joy of giving and experiencing the wonder and excitement of the big guy in the red suit. Plus, giving gifts is a fantastic common ground to begin a discussion with a non-Christian about God’s ultimate gift. Let’s lighten up and enjoy the North Pole, the reindeer, and the anticipation of the sound of hooves on the roof at midnight. But never forget to teach your children and grandchildren the story of how God gave us the greatest gift of all.

Phil Cooke, Ph.D., is a filmmaker and media consultant to ministries and churches worldwide. He’s the author of “One Big Thing: Discovering What You Were Born to Do.”

Find out more at www.philcooke.com.

By  Randall Palmer

As the 1980 presidential campaign reached its climax, an interested citizen, a preacher, picked up the telephone. Although the race was still fluid, his preferred candidate was trailing in the polls, and yet inserting himself explicitly into the race was dicey. His ability to sway voters, especially religious voters, was undisputed, but that influence derived precisely from his ability to appear above the fray. Over the course of a long and distinguished career, he had perfected the art of the discreet political gesture—a strategic handshake, a brief touch on the shoulder, a whispered aside in front of the cameras—to telegraph his preferences.

But this election was especially risky. One candidate, the incumbent, was known as a family man who shared the preacher’s evangelical theological convictions. The other major candidate, divorced and remarried, had spent much of his career in Hollywood, a province not known to evangelicals as an outpost of piety.

Receiver in hand, the preacher considered his options one last time and punched the numbers. At the other end of the line was Paul Laxalt, United States senator from Nevada and national chairman of the Reagan campaign. A memorandum in the Reagan Library tells the remainder of the story. “Billy Graham called,” the senator wrote. “Wants to help short of public endorsement.” Then, Laxalt added: “His presence, in my view, would be exceedingly helpful in some of our key states.”

Graham was not the only cleric with ties to the presidency. Ford had Zeoli. Lyndon Johnson had Bill Moyers, an ordained minister, although Moyers was a White House aide and not primarily a spiritual guide. Ronald Reagan, a man given to speculations about apocalyptic prophecies, enjoyed a good relationship with Don Moomaw, pastor of Bel Air Presbyterian Church in California, although there is little evidence to suggest a deep spiritual friendship. Bill Clinton, another Southern Baptist, often relied on his pastor back in Little Rock, Ark., Rex M. Horne, Jr. While in the White House, Clinton assembled a group of spiritual advisers, especially after the Monica Lewinsky affair came to light. George W. Bush also claimed Graham as a spiritual guide, crediting the evangelist with one of his conversion experiences during their famous—and disputed —“walk on the beach” in Kennebunkport, Maine, in the summer of 1985. As president, Bush fielded a conference call every Monday morning with a variety of evangelical preachers, including Ted Haggard, head of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Carter, on the other hand, was a loner, not only in his political associations but also in spiritual matters, a tendency that reflected both his personality as well as evangelicalism itself, with its emphasis on individual responsibility before God. The Carpenter’s Apprentice: The Spiritual Biography of Jimmy Carter, written by Carter’s pastor at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains as well as by a member of the congregation, offers genuine and respectful appreciation for Carter’s piety, but there is little to suggest any deep spiritual connection between Carter and his pastor.

Barack Obama’s conversion from secularism to Christianity came under the preaching of Jeremiah Wright at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Wright became a mentor and spiritual adviser, but the disclosure of some of Wright’s more incendiary rhetoric together with Wright’s implosion in the summer of 2008 very nearly derailed Obama’s candidacy for president. Pressed both by supporters and by the downstream media, Obama delivered a speech in Philadelphia that addressed his relationship with his former pastor. Obama’s remarks did not absolve Wright from some of his overheated rhetoric, but it sought to place it in the context of the 1950s and 1960s. Following his break with Wright, Obama has relied on the spiritual counsel of people like T. D. Jakes, Joel Hunter, and (within the White House) Joshua DuBois, a young pentecostal minister who, Obama said at the 2011 National Prayer Breakfast, “starts my morning off with meditations from Scripture.”

The pattern of the past half century or so suggests that presidents have rarely been without some form of spiritual counsel. Several presidents, notably Carter, Reagan, Obama, and George W. Bush, have talked frequently about how the burdens of office regularly drove them to their knees. But what have been the effects of this collaboration between preachers and presidents? Surely we can agree that it’s generally a good thing for presidents to be grounded in faith of some kind; at its best, faith has the effect of pointing an individual beyond himself, of reminding him that he is accountable to a larger entity.

And it’s also clear that a majority of Americans like the idea of their president being a person of faith, although that sentiment clearly intensified after the disastrous Nixon presidency. Indeed, following the Kennedy paradigm of voter indifference to a candidate’s faith, which obtained from 1960 until the mid-1970s, Carter rode to office on the strength of his moral character and his promise never to “knowingly lie to the American people.”

Since 1976, declarations of faith and demonstrations of piety have been all but compulsory for any serious candidate for president, an axiom proven by two exceptions: Michael Dukakis in 1988 and Mitt Romney in 2012. In short, especially after the nation’s moral misadventures with Nixon, we want to know that our presidents are good, moral, and decent characters.

Ascertaining the probity of presidential aspirants can be dicey, however, and the difficulty is compounded by the fact that we Americans go about it in the wrong way. For many, perhaps a majority of Americans, religion serves as a proxy for morality, so we generally frame the question as some variation of, “Are you religious?” That’s a deeply flawed question because it rests on the assumption that someone who does not purport to be religious or who does not claim a religious affiliation cannot be a person of good moral character.

So asking whether or not a candidate is religious doesn’t really get us much closer to a determination about whether the candidate has any real moral compass. What makes matters worse is that we tend to take a candidate’s response at face value. When George W. Bush declared just prior to the 2000 Iowa precinct caucuses that Jesus was his favorite political philosopher, for instance, no one thought to interrogate that claim.

“Governor Bush, your favorite philosopher called on his followers to be peacemakers, to love their enemies, and to turn the other cheek. Will that have any effect on your foreign policy as president, especially in the case, say, of a foreign attack on the United States?” Or: “Governor Bush, your favorite philosopher expressed concern for the tiniest sparrow. Will that sentiment find any resonance in your environmental policies?”

The point here is not to engage in a game of theological “gotcha”; there are good, theologically informed arguments for the use of military force, to take one example. But we, as voters, should have learned by now not to take a candidate’s religious claims at face value.

So what about this desire to see our presidents on good terms with religious advisers? There’s scant evidence that such a mixture of religion and politics has had an adverse effect on the policies of the nation. In fact, despite fears surrounding the election of a Southern Baptist Sunday school teacher in 1976 or worries about Reagan’s apocalyptic musings, historians would be hard-pressed to come up with instances where the policies of the state were unduly influenced by preachers.

My concern, as a person of faith, is quite the opposite. I worry that too close an association between a president and his religious adviser compromises the integrity of the faith. And here I must disclose my observation that the most successful— and by that I include the notion of faithful—religious movements in American history have always positioned themselves on the margins of society and not in the councils of power. My corollary observation is that anytime a religious movement or individual seeks after political influence, that movement or individual compromises the prophetic voice.

There are other examples as well, instances when a cautionary note or a reminder from a cleric may have made a difference. Did no cleric associated with Ronald Reagan offer a dissenting word when the Republican nominee, a master of symbolism, opened his fall 1980 presidential campaign in, of all places, Philadelphia, Miss., site of the most horrific Ku Klux Klan murders of the civil rights movement? What message did it send when Graham accepted George Bush’s invitation to stay at the White House just prior to launching the first Gulf War? What if Bill Clinton’s advisers had been more vigilant about guarding against his known weakness for sexual misbehavior? How different might the nation’s tax code look today if the people around Reagan or George W. Bush had reminded them about Jesus’ injunction to care for the least of these? What if George W. Bush’s spiritual advisers, rather than serving as sycophants, had rehearsed with him the centuries-old just-war arguments before the invasion of Iraq or challenged him on the torture of human beings?

Because of the counterfactual nature of these questions, the answers are unknowable. And it is certainly true that people of good will can arrive at different conclusions or pose different questions.

Politics is a tricky business, of course, and even the best intentioned of politicians cannot always deliver on their promises. But if the proximity to power of so many religious leaders with so many presidents has produced such paltry results, it’s appropriate to question the value of such access.

I return to my earlier maxim: Religion functions best from the margins and not in the councils of power. That was certainly the example set by the Hebrew prophets, and neither Jesus nor his first-century followers ever sought to pitch their tents in the councils of power. The corrosive effects of access and proximity to power are simply too overwhelming.

I’m confident that, on balance, those who have served as religious advisers to various presidents have had a salutary effect. But we must never forget the seductions and the perils of power. Religion always functions best from the margins, and prophets must always be mindful that their allegiances and their obligations are eternal, not temporal.

Randall Balmer, an Episcopal priest, is chair of the religion department at Dartmouth College and author of a dozen books, including God in the White House: How Faith Shaped the Presidency from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush.

Corps members and beneficiaries worship together at the Pasadena Tabernacle Corps. Photo byJohn Docter

Western Territory aims to connect 22 ARCs with corps

By Derek Linsell with Christin Davis 

The Western Territory annually admits 7,500 men and women into its 22 Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARCs), a cost-free and biblically-based program to overcome addiction.

Roughly 2,500 (33 percent) of these beneficiaries graduate, yet the majority are not found worshipping in one of the territory’s 249 corps—the center of Salvation Army worship, growth and social care within a community. Historically, the Army has not effectively transitioned ARC alumni to corps membership, and the Western Territory devised a plan to change this—the ARC-Corps Connection Initiative.

“We have an abiding responsibility to those who are lost in their addictions and those who have found peace through God from their addictions,” said Territorial Commander Commissioner James Knaggs. “Let us rededicate ourselves to the least, the last and the lost. Let us work in the name of Jesus with deep faith in him.”

A creative caucus met in fall 2011 to discuss bridging an individual from the ARC, likened to a hospital stay while he or she is sick, to the corps, which could be considered one’s home. The ARC programs work toward healing, but the standard stay is six months; ongoing care, engagement and connection is needed at the corps.

“There are so many who come to ARCs feeling isolated from God. What are we going to do about the distance that separates people from God?” said Major Man-Hee Chang, ARC Commander in the Western Territory. “The ARC-Corps Connection Initiative is to build a bridge to shorten the distance, inventing a connection to lead men and women of ARCs to make a first step on the road to recovering, restoring and deepening a relationship with God in our corps.”

The initiative has three goals: track graduates, educate people on recovery ministry, and help build relationships, and is being tested in three pilot locations—Honolulu, and Anaheim and Pasadena, Calif.—each with its own recovery ministry director.

“There’s a strong fellowship developed being in the ARC program, like being in the Marine Corps,” said Ryan Lehman, the recovery ministry director at the Anaheim-Praiseworks Corps and an ARC graduate. “They say, ‘once a Marine, always a Marine,’ and it’s the same way with the ARC. There’s a camaraderie there…but to have that disappear would’ve been devastating to my recovery. Had I not plugged into this church, which is a recovery community, I can’t say I would’ve succeeded in my recovery.”

Beneficiaries welcome worshippers at Praiseworks. Photo courtesy of Anaheim Praiseworks Corps

The ARC software underwent an upgrade to more effectively connect with graduates and non-completers of the program, a new alumni website will soon launch and ARCs are better using social networking to connect with individuals.

“The upgrade allows us to more systematically share information with the nearest corps officer about family contacts they can make to support the family while the beneficiary is still in program, and then to follow-up as the beneficiary leaves the program,” said Captain Jim Boyd, ARC Command secretary for program. “The website will be a resource for people in recovery, a place for people who completed our program to stay in touch for fellowship and support, and a place for the ARCs to share information with their former program completers.”

To educate all involved parties—cadets, officers, ministry leaders and congregation members—on the principles of recovery, the territory implemented training ranging from understanding the recovery process to how to have a conversation with a beneficiary.

Prepared by the ARC Command, a trial “ARC 101” class in Southern California last spring taught 50 officers and soldiers how to work with people with addictions. Boyd said other divisions have indicated an interest in using this class in spring officers’ councils.

At the College for Officer Training (CFOT), second-year cadets are halfway through a now required “Introduction to Addiction and Recovery” course.

“The simple goal of this course is to have each cadet understand the addiction mindset; it is not simply regulated to drug and alcohol recovery but explores various other addictions as well,” said Major Tim Foley, CFOT principal. “The cadets are challenged to think ahead to their future ministries to find ways to combat addictions, start ‘Celebrate Recovery’ programs and gain a greater appreciation and understanding of ARC, Harbor Light and other treatment programs operating in the Western Territory.”

For the first time, cadets are also being given the opportunity to complete fieldwork placements at ARCs.

On a Sunday morning at the Anaheim-Praiseworks Corps (salvationarmyanaheim.org), 40 percent of the 325 attendees are from the Anaheim ARC.

To create a solid salvationism foundation, the corps  invites beneficiaries and congregates alike to participate in corps programs including an art show, zumba classes that meet at the ARC and a volunteer fair. At the fair, 63 people—many beneficiaries, alumni, or their families—filled out volunteer opportunity forms.

“We are diligently working at connecting each person with the best opportunity that fits individual ability, time requirements and corps need,” said Envoy Michael Freeman, ministry leader of Anaheim-Praiseworks Corps. “The more connections the better. The ARC is not ministry that our corps reaches out to, but they are part of our corps.”

Freeman said it is the high level of cooperation of staff at the ARC and the corps that will ultimately make the initiative a success.

“This is a true partnership of resources, ideas and a love for the beneficiaries,” Freeman said.

To include ARC beneficiaries in Sunday school classes, the Pasadena Tabernacle Corps increased its available adult classes from two to nine in addition to its five kids’ classes. Class attendance jumped from 40 adults to 120 adults; youth attendance remained roughly 40 kids.

“The ultimate goal is not just about a Sunday school lesson, but developing relationships and support and friendship,” Major Darren Norton, Pasadena Tabernacle corps officer said. “We want people from the ARC and the Tab to mix, learn each others’ names and get to know each other.”

In addition, during the last three months of the program, beneficiaries attend the Tab for Sunday school and worship, followed by a shared lunch with the congregation. In the first three months, beneficiaries attend a chapel service at the ARC.

Norton said the most exciting aspect of this change for him has been meeting new people each week—mostly family members of a beneficiary who come to worship alongside him or her. The Tab’s new recovery ministry directors will seek to connect with these family members during the week.

“When a guy or lady completes the ARC program after six months, I want very much for him or her to think, ‘Where else would I go to church but at the Tab? That’s my family,’” Norton said.

Beneficiaries join Revolution Hawaii to serve the community’s homeless. Photo by Rob Noland

Honolulu is connecting beneficiaries to corps close to his or her home to aid a more seamless integration post-graduation, and is inviting families to take part in corps activities and ministries. Many beneficiaries have joined with youth missions program Revolution Hawaii to connect with the area’s homeless individuals.

Results are evident at the pilot sites as individuals are coming to corps deliberately, and being connected to the corps and saved. The initiative will soon expand to San Diego and Phoenix as it spreads across the territory, connecting ARCs and corps alike.

“God did not allow Cain to evade responsibility when he asked, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ We have an obligation to each other,” Chang said. “When we are in genuine, Christ-directed relationships with others, all holding responsibility to each other, providing for the basic needs of others, we will find love and fulfillment in our mission.”

Then, Chang said, we can all share the same testimony:“Your people will be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).