A publication of

The Salvation Army

USA Southern

Territory

Volume 27, No. 5March 31, 2010

PAGE THREE:Creating a

disturbance

Please see FIRST DAY, page 5PAGE FOUR:

Daughter’s prayer brings deliverance

PAGE SEVEN:Bigger, better

in Chattanooga

SPECIAL INSERT:Going green

T

T

Please see GOOD FRIDAY, page 4

he events of the first Easter are recorded forever in our Bibles. The four Gospel writers devote ample space to it all. Matthew’s account (please look it

up in your Bible and read it for yourself) climaxes in his 28th chapter where he describes what took place on the day after the Sabbath. We call that day Sunday. Every Sunday is a celebration of resurrection. The Sunday after Good Friday, Easter Day, is a great day of rejoicing for Christian believers.

It was dawn when the two Marys went to look at the tomb where others had laid Jesus. There they encountered a heavenly messenger who, because the huge stone covering the mouth of the grave had been rolled back and because the Roman military guards were paralyzed with fear, anticipated their shocked reaction. “Do not be afraid,” they were told.

Announcing to the women that the Lord was

The first day of the week

risen, the angel invited them to enter the tomb and see for themselves. They did so and at once returned to the other disciples to report their extraordinary encounter. What a wonderful privilege for these two women! They were the first to see and enter the empty tomb of Jesus and the first to go and tell of it.

More was to come. As they hurried to find and tell the others, suddenly the Risen Lord appeared to them. We note again the privileged role of women

The first day of the weekBy General Shaw Clifton

Good Friday and Easter Sunday ... and tomorrow

he cross didn’t take Jesus off-guard. He knew it was coming. He knew when, and he knew how.

One of Holman Hunt’s famous paintings was “The Shadow of Death.” Here is how James S. Stewart described the artist’s work: “…Jesus (is) in the carpenter’s workshop at Nazareth. It is the close of day, and the last rays of the setting sun are streaming in through the open door. The young carpenter, who has been toiling at the bench, raises himself for a moment from his cramped, stooping position, and stretches out his arms. Just then the dying sun catches his figure and casts his shadow on the wall behind him; and its form is the form of a cross.”

Stewart comments, “(The painting) is the artist’s striking way of reminding us that right from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry death was in the air … Even before then, in the quiet seclusion of the silent years, Jesus may have seen that sinister shadow from afar.”

Good Friday and

By CommissionerMax Feener

March 31, 20102

M A J O R F R A N K D U R A C H E R

Hidden in my heartThere’s an old bit of family

folklore going way back to the beginning of the Civil War. Turns out, the story is true.

Jonathan Dillon, then a watchmaker on Pennsylvania Avenue, had President Abraham Lincoln’s watch in his hands the moment he heard that the Confederates had fired on Fort Sumter, igniting the Civil War. After he cleaned and serviced the watch, Dillon took it upon himself to write a secret inscription before returning the timepiece to the President.

Caught in the emotion of the world-changing news, Dillon left a timeless message engraved on the inner metal plate around tiny screws and gears.

Following his name and the date, April 13, 1861, Dillon etched: “Fort Sumpter (sic) was attacked by the rebels on the above date. Thank God we have a government.” Dillon told his family of his impetuosity, and what some descendants years later thought a myth was passed from generation to generation.

Presumably since the watch was never opened

again until 2009, no one knew of the message inside Lincoln’s everyday pocketwatch – not even the President, who carried it with him during the entire conflict. The watch was one of Lincoln’s only valuable possessions he brought with him to the White House from Springfield, Ill. Although it was a cherished personal item the watch was not buried with him after the assassination. In fact, the Lincoln Family kept the relic until it was donated to the National Museum of American History – where it is displayed today, along with this folklore-turned-fact.

Like the Psalmist, may the heavenly inscription be someday said of you and me: Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee (119:11).

Reclaiming luggageThe luggage trammel began spewing out luggage

from the bowels of the airport. I waited and waited, and still my battered blue suitcase had not come out. I spotted a man about a hundred yards distant walking hurriedly away. I sprinted to catch the thief. When I caught up with him, I grabbed him and yelled, “You got my luggage.” Indeed, he had a blue suitcase as tattered as mine, but it had a USMC decal on its side. I beat a hurried retreat from whence I came and waited and waited. Two days later my luggage was delivered, and I happily reclaimed my stuff.

We in The Salvation Army are at a point where we have to decide whether we are going to chase after the luggage we have accumulated over the years, luggage that doesn’t really belongs to us. Or are we to reclaim the true essentials of adoring worship, love, holiness and the brotherhood and priesthood of all believers?

We declare that we are following the traditions of the early Salvation Army, but in reality, the early Army would be problematic for us today. The first Salvationists were loud and boisterous, simple-minded in their witness, prayers, Bible teachings, singing and belief that personal and social holiness solved all problems. Their watchwords were simple-minded as well: “Blood and Fire,” “the whosoever,” “do something.”

Perhaps we are being called to release some of our urbanity and sophistication and embrace a new simplicity. Perhaps we need to reclaim the luggage of the early church that empowered a few men and women and enabled them to overwhelm a mighty Roman Empire with their faith and love.

The early church met in homes and ate and listened not to professional “officers.” Rather, they exchanged views with a neighbor or co-worker. They were not enamored with great theology. For the first 200 years of the church they had only a single simple creed, “Jesus is Lord.” One of the earliest hymns comes from Philippians 2:

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In reclaiming our stuff, rather than other people’s stuff, we place ourselves in total reliance upon God. We leap forward to grasp the opportunity to grow our numbers, not in preconceived ways, but on trails often blazed by our soldiers and in ways that are exhilarating and a little bit scary as we lose control of everything but the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I once belonged to a fraternal youth organization that had 19,000 members and over 150 local chapters. Today there are 672 members and 24 chapters. Somewhere along the way this group chose to hold onto the wrong luggage. The advisor for the only thriving chapter in the state told me that the best way to grow the organization was to shoot anyone who started talking about the days when the halls were filled. Reclaiming the right luggage is not to be nostalgic about what was but taking pride in our present and having faith in the future.

So what can I do to equip myself to reclaim the right luggage? In January I attended a conference in Atlanta. Its name and purpose was Reclaim, and it was an extraordinary experience. If you are tired of hearing about what was and are excited about what can be for your corps, I urge you to beg, ask, plea that your corps be a part of the Reclaim movement.

Captain Joe AndersonCaptain Joe Anderson was

promoted to Glory March 13, 2010, from Duluth, Ga., following a long illness. He and his wife, Captain Melissa Anderson, were on sick leave and living in Duluth. The Andersons’ most recent appointment was as corps officers in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The funeral service was held at the Lawrenceville, Ga., Corps with Captain Bobbby Westmoreland officiating and bringing the message. Captain Bernard Tolan and Captain Gary Sturdivant spoke respectively about their memories of Captain Anderson from the perspective of a friend and of a fellow officer. The burial was at Atlanta’s Westview Cemetery, with Major Willis Howell presiding.

Captain Anderson had served as a Salvation Army officer for 14 years. He and his wife had served in appointments in Lawton, Chickasha and Tulsa (Citadel), Okla.; and Cartersville and Rome, Ga.; before going to Murfreesboro.

A fourth-generation Salvationist, he was born in Lubbock, Texas, and raised in the Midwest. He attended college at the University of Kansas and Wichita State University. The son of A/Captains John and Georgia Anderson, he entered training in Atlanta with the Ambassadors for Christ session and was commissioned June 4, 1989.

Captain Anderson is survived by his wife of 19 years, Captain Melissa Anderson, and daughters Brie, 14, and Meagan, 13. Also surviving him are his stepmother, Captain Georgia Anderson; his mother-in-law, Major Maxine Riefer; sisters Dora and Nancy; and brothers John, Jimmy, Michael, Chad and Mark.

Major Carolyn HudsonMajor Carolyn Hudson

was promoted to Glory March 6, 2010, from Springdale, Ark., following a heart attack. The funeral service was held at the Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Fayetteville, Ark., with Lieutenant Philip Canning presiding and Lt. Colonel Eugene Slusher speaking.

Interment was at Fairview Memorial Gardens.Vera Carolyn Yaun was born Nov. 25, 1944, in

McIntosh County, Fla., to Henry and Bernice Yaun, the first of their seven children. Early in her childhood the family moved to West Palm Beach, Fla., where Carolyn graduated from high school. While she was attending the Westgate Corps, she felt the leading of God for full-time service as an officer and this commitment led to her entering officer training as a member of the Proclaimers of Faith session. Following her commissioning on June 5, 1965, she served as assistant corps officer in Ashland, Ky., and Memphis, Tenn., (Southside).

She was married June 1, 1966, to Captain Joseph Ray Hudson, and together they rendered faithful service in the Kentucky-Tennessee and Arkansas-Oklahoma divisions. Their final appointment prior to honored retirement on July 1, 2006, was in Hot Springs, Ark. Major Carolyn Hudson had completed over 42 years as an active officer. In retirement she enjoyed scrapbooking, spending time with family and in Christian fellowship.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Major Joseph Ray Hudson; daughters Marcella (Danny) Camarillo and Annette (Luke) Parker; eight grandchildren; and siblings Henri Broomall and Bob, Harry, Jerry and Jimmy Yaun.

promoted to Glory March 13, 2010, from Duluth, Ga., following a long illness. He and his wife, Captain Melissa Anderson, were on sick leave and living in Duluth. The Andersons’ most recent appointment was as corps officers in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The funeral service was held at the Lawrenceville,

Promoted to Glory

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was promoted to Glory March 6, 2010, from Springdale, Ark., following a heart attack. The funeral service was held at the Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Fayetteville, Ark., with Lieutenant Philip Canning presiding and Lt. Colonel Eugene Slusher speaking.

Interment was at Fairview Memorial Gardens.

March 31, 2010 3

Salvationist suspended from Louisville, Ky., middle school after making a ‘disturbing’ public recital of Scripture verse

Public disturbanceAly Aguilar was just carrying out a challenge she

heard last weekend at the Kentucky-Tennessee Youth Councils. The 14-year-old eighth grader at Farnsley Middle School in Louisville, Ky., stood on her chair during the lunch period in the school dining room and began reciting John 14:6.

Aguilar’s action came as a direct result of a sermon she heard at youth councils, delivered by Major Kelly Igleheart, territorial youth secretary.

“Christ’s entire ministry was a disturbance to the world around him,” Igleheart told the delegates. “Using him as our pattern, we should also make a disturbance amid the troubled world around us.”

On Monday Aguilar was back in school and ready to make her faith known. As soon as she mentioned the name of Jesus, the school principal brought her to

Abrazando a ChileI arrived in Santiago, Chile to conduct

a set-up visit for the Salvationist Service Corps, which will minister in the country this June and July. Originally, they were going to the north of the country, to the desert area, but after the earthquake rocked the nation in February, everything changed and it was decided they could do the most good further south, where the quake did the most damage.

We spent our first afternoon there touring various facilities the Army operates. Our last stop was the Central Corps where volunteers have been feeding homeless people. There is a very old section of town, once inhabited by wealthy people, who left it behind to move to newer, bigger homes. Many immigrants – legal and illegal – have moved into these old homes that have been made with adobe mud and are not earthquake-ready. Many of them were destroyed in the quake. The outer walls stayed, but the insides crumbled.

Some of these homes have 20 people living in them. Hundreds of people are now sleeping in the streets in tents or whatever they can find. The Army is feeding approximately 1,000 each morning and 1,000 each evening. How are they doing this? With a canteen that was just delivered from the Southern Territory, still proudly wearing the decals of AOK! When it first started coming through the devastated neighborhoods with its lights flashing, everyone began to clap and cheer and now they call out “Salvation Army.” They know that when they see this canteen, they are seeing hope. When I rounded the corner and saw the canteen, I lost it! Here I was, almost 5,000 miles away from home and our people are making a huge difference in thousands of lives with this simple gift of an old, unwanted canteen. How I wish we had more canteens to share with them – they’re like gold here.

They have given the Army’s response to this

disaster a nickname – “Hugs for Chile,” or “Abrazando a Chile” in the local parlance. After the earthquake hit, Army personnel were in shock and didn’t know how to respond to what had just happened. One officer went up to a victim and put her arms around her. The victim burst into tears and wept uncontrollably ... so did the officer. And at that moment, they knew that if they couldn’t do anything else, they could hug people, and by the thousands they have been doing that, along with the myriad of other services The Salvation Army provides in time of crisis.

We left Santiago early the next morning and began the drive to Concepcion, normally a five-hour trip, but due to the road issues, it took about eight hours. We had to take several detours. We arrived in Concepcion and noticed that parts of the city look normal, but then you hit sections where walls have fallen, buildings have crumbled and the sidewalks and streets are piled with rubble. There is no water in the city, so you can’t flush toilets or take baths. We are using big bottles of water that were donated to the Army.

We saw sight after sight and heard story after story that tugged at our hearts, none more compelling and heartbreaking than we saw in the seaside village of Dichato, about 30 miles from Concepcion. The community was slammed twice – first by the earthquake, then by the tsunami that followed. The village is devastated, but the officers there believe that the tragedy will launch an Army ministry. They hope to plant an outpost there and, one day, a corps.

his office and summarily suspended her for two days.“You made a disturbance in my school,” he told

her. Her response: “I know!”“I understand (the principal’s) position,” Aguilar

later told a local television news reporter, “but my faith in Jesus Christ has to be bigger than any consequences.”

Aguilar is a corps cadet and a senior soldier of the Louisville South Corps. Several of her fellow Salvationists showed up for a protest outside the school during her suspension. The soldiers formed a prayer circle, led by Aguilar, her mother, and her corps officers, Lieutenants Christopher and Christina Coulson.

“We are supporting Aly 100% in her efforts to share her faith, regardless of the consequences,” Lt.

Chrisopher Coulson said. “We are very proud of her!”“Aly is a straight-A student and never causes any

trouble,” remarked Major Donna Igleheart. “She is our territory’s new hero!”

The following appointments were announced by the chief secretary, Colonel Terry Griffin, to be effective June 23, 2010.

Majors Mark and Alice Bell will be the ARC commander and ARC special services director, with promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel. The Bells replace Lt. Colonels Larry and Shirley White, who enter retirement.

Majors Willis and Barbara Howell will be the divisional commander and divisional director of

USA South executive appointments announced

Dichato will be an Army town!Encouraged by the work and ministry of the

Army, but also with incredibly heavy hearts because of the devastation, we left and made our way back to Concepcion, where we debriefed and discussed plans for the future. At the conclusion of the meeting, the house began to shake. We were experiencing an aftershock.

My only involvement here has been to begin work on the ministry of the Salvationist Service Corps coming in June and July. There will be plenty of work, both physical and spiritual, for the team and we are well on the way with those plans. The bigger issue here is IHQ’s response to the disaster and how they will request help from around the world. My fear is that everyone is still mainly talking about Haiti. Now Fiji is on the scene, and hardly anything is being said about Chile. This is a desperate place, and while the government has been wonderful with their response to what’s happened, Chile still needs the help of The Salvation Army.

women’s ministries for the North and South Carolina Division. The Howells replace Majors Dalton and Casey Cunningham, who enter retirement.

Majors Samuel and Nancy Henry will be the divisional commander and divisional director of women’s ministries for the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi Division.

Majors Kelly and Donna Igleheart will be the divisional commander and divisional director of women’s ministries for the National Capital-Virginia

DivisionMajors Alan and Fiona Hofer return to the USA

Southern Territory to be the president/principal and assistant principal for ministry development and campus services for the Evangeline Booth College/School for Officer Training.

Majors Arthur and Ann Penhale will be the territorial youth secretary and associate territorial youth secretary.

Major Frank Duracher

Twenty-five lives were lost in the collapse of the apartment building shown above.

Lt. Colonel Edward Hobgood

Aly Aguilar was suspended from her middle school after making a public demontstration of her faith.

EDWARDLT. COLONEL

disaster a nickname – “Hugs for Chile,” or “Abrazando

EDWARDLT. COLONEL

H O B G O OD

March 31, 20104

Continued from page 1

Jesus was born to die. That’s the reason he came into our world. And he knew it. He also knew what form his death would take. Some days shortly before his arrest in the garden, he said to his disciples, privately and plainly, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified…” (Matthew 20:17-19).

But long before this announcement Jesus knew that a cross awaited him. He knew this because he knew the Scriptures. At just 12 years of age for three days he was lost in Jerusalem. When his anxious parents found him he was … in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers (Luke 2:46, 47).

As a young man, he read the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament) and saw himself there. He read Isaiah and identified with its prophetic images. No one had to tell him who the suffering servant was. He knew that, in order to save a lost and sinful world, he would be oppressed and afflicted … led like a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). He knew that he had come down to be raised up – up on a cross. Good Friday and Easter Sunday are the two most important days in the Christian calendar. Most of us have been commemorating these special days since we were children. It is because we know these stories so well we must be careful each year to receive them afresh; ever real, ever new, with as much or more interest and impact than the year before. By carefully preparing our hearts and minds for Christ’s passion and Easter, the reality and meaning of all he did for us is kept alive in our hearts. Thus our joy is complete, and our hope is certain.

What happened on Friday?We call it Good Friday. The disciples

didn’t. They probably saw it as the worst day of their lives. The one they had followed and trusted for three years was being ruthlessly put to death; their hopes were dashed to pieces. Early that morning, Judas, the disciple turned betrayer, filled with remorse, hanged himself. John, with a few women, was at Calvary, overwhelmed by it all. The remaining 10, having deserted their Master in the garden, were cowering behind bolted doors in Jerusalem, frightened that they might be next to be made to carry a cross.

It was a bad day all around. But Jesus took that bad day and made it good – eternally good. He took the hatred of the religious leaders, the cruelty of the Roman soldiers, the denial of Peter, the betrayal of Judas and the cowardly behavior of his friends, and he counted it all as nothing compared to the victory that his death would accomplish.

He took the crown of thorns, the spitting, the flogging, the cursing, the pain, the cross, the nails, and endured all these things, realizing that compared to the joy of completing his Father’s will they were only to be scorned and dismissed (see John 4:34 and Hebrews 12:2).

Jesus cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30). And that’s what everyone thought. The blind religious leaders were relieved that this man who had been a thorn in their flesh was finally out of the way; the indifferent soldiers gathered up their things and left the hill,

calling it another day; Mary, the mother of Jesus, too full of grief to ponder anymore, silently went with John to his home; and the disciples, confused and disappointed, thought about how they might pick up what they had left off three years before. Thirty years of good work as a carpenter; three years of a promising ministry, teaching and healing; now it was over.

Yes, everyone thought it was finished. But they were wrong! At Calvary something so mighty and miraculous happened that for three hours darkness covered the land; without a man’s hand, from top to bottom, the veil in the temple in Jerusalem was torn in two; an earthquake struck, splitting rocks apart;

and many dead people who had loved and served God, walked out of their tombs (see Matthew 27:45-53).

What happened at Calvary was so great that no human being could ever understand or explain its magnitude. All who witnessed the death of Jesus saw him as a victim of those who hated him. But during his ministry Jesus declared: … “I lay down my life…No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:17, 18).

He did this for us – because we were sinners who needed a Savior. Isaiah, prophesying Christ’s death on the cross, explained it this way: It was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him – our sins. He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed … God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong on him, on him (Isaiah 53:5, 6 – The Message).

Oswald Chambers wrote, “The cross was a superb triumph in which the foundations of hell were shaken. There is nothing more certain in Time or Eternity than what Jesus Christ did on the cross: he switched the whole of the human race back into a right relationship with God. He made Redemption the basis of human life, that is, he made a way for (everyone) to get into communion with God.”

Through the death of Jesus on the cross, God lavished us with his love, making it possible for us to be children of God – forever! (See 1 John 3:1.)

This is what happened on that day. It’s why it’s called Good Friday.

What happened on Sunday?The details of the Sunday are different

in each of the Gospels. However, the four writers each make certain that one fact is consistently clear: Before dawn, Jesus, who was crucified, rose from the dead!

Luke reports that the women who came early to the tomb found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Two heavenly visitors appeared and said to the frightened women, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ Then they remembered his words” (Luke 24:5-8).

Jesus also gave advance word to his disciples regarding his death and resurrection (see Matthew 20:17-19). Still, on the third day they were all shocked by his appearance. However, we shouldn’t be too hard on any of them – not even Thomas. We all know how sometimes it takes a while to process, or perhaps even believe, that which at first seems too good to be true. Possibly, some of us can identify with those faithful friends who interceded for Peter when he was in prison. When Rhoda answered the door and excitedly announced that it was Peter outside, they who had been praying

responded, “You’re out of your mind … It must be his angel” (Acts 12:15).

But once the full force of Christ’s resurrection struck his followers, no opposition, however strong, could turn them away from the truth. Jesus was alive! His love had conquered the cross and the tomb, and then that powerful love, like a mighty river that can never be stopped, filled and overflowed their lives. Paul, who became an apostle after Jesus’ resurrection, expressed words firmly believed by them all: … I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38, 39). Their faith in Christ was unshakable; their hope eternally secure.

The resurrection of Jesus assured them that they would rise too. Receiving glorified bodies, they would forever reign with Christ in his glorious and eternal kingdom. In the great Resurrection chapter Paul wrote, The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15: 42-44).

All who live in Christ possess this certain hope. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, someday we will enter the eternal city described by John in Revelation. Recording the vision given to him by the Lord, he wrote, No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be Continued from page 4

Good Friday and Easter Sunday ... and tomorrow

Please see EASTER, page 5

March 31, 2010

March 31, 2010 5

no more night … for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever (22:3-5).

Glorious eternal gifts were made possible when Jesus rose from the dead. Each and every morning may the joy of these things so fill our hearts that we find ourselves, with Francis Bottome, exclaiming,

Lo, a new creation dawning!Lo, I rise to life divine!

In my soul an Easter morning;I am Christ’s and Christ is mine.

What will happen tomorrow?

If Charles Dickens were alive to write a novel about today, he might begin it as he did “A Tale of Two Cities”: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times ...” As far as technology, communication and knowledge are concerned we are leaps and bounds ahead of those who have lived before us. But moral values, respect for life, global peace and economic security are out of control. To say we live in uncertain times would be a major understatement.

We are told that on Dec. 21, 2012, the sun will be lined up with the center of the galaxy for the first time in 26,000 years. Anyone searching the Web will discover numerous speculations as to what might take place in our world on that day.

Jesus wasn’t one bit interested in the use of scare tactics, but neither was he silent about tomorrow. He said that we are headed towards a day when “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken, At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:25-28).

Whatever tomorrow holds, those who are in Christ Jesus need not fear. He who conquered death and the grave comforts us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me … 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 14:1-3).

Many may fear tomorrow. But we who trust in Jesus are safe in him forever. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

Easter

Continued from page 1

early on that Resurrection Morning. This reminds us to thank God for all women believers and for women who are called to sacred ministry roles in the Body of Christ today. These include thousands of women in The Salvation Army who have been called, commissioned and ordained to spiritual leadership. This Easter they will proclaim again faithfully the Resurrection story and many will be blessed.

The two Marys fell at the feet of the Lord on that first day of the week. Will you? Gladly they heard his Resurrection greeting: “Do not be afraid.” Do you hear it too? Is not your heart reassured? “Go and tell,” he commanded them, and they obeyed. Will you?

I enfold in my prayers all who read this short Easter message. May the crucified agony of Jesus, endured for you and me, move us to the depths of our being, and may the matchless joy of that first Easter day and of our Lord’s Resurrection fill us all through and through!

Christ is risen! Hallelujah!

First day of the week

Daughter’s prayer helps Florida woman leave

witchcraft for cleansing

in ChristBy Major Frank DuracherSOUTHERN SPIRIT STAFF

Iris Toledo has trouble holding back the tears when she shares her testimony. No one knows how dramatic the change in her life was more than her three children. In fact, it was her oldest daughter, Gayshua, who prayed that God would someday release her mother from the throes of witchcraft and into a new life in Jesus Christ.

The single mother realized that her old lifestyle left her “lonely and incomplete.” She also knew that she was not being much of a role model for her three children. Then someone invited her to a Home League meeting at the nearby South Hillsborough, Fla., Corps. She kept going because of the love and acceptance she felt from the women of the Home League.

She also found that “they pray a lot at The Salvation Army!” That revelation, coupled with her daughter’s faithful prayers, opened the door for the Holy Spirit to convict Toledo of her sin and her need for a Savior.

“It was like a voice inside of me, saying to me that I have to make a choice,” Toledo said. “The problem was, though, I wasn’t ready to give up my will for my life and surrender all to

Jesus.”But even her stubborn will

eventually succumbed to the constant prayers of her children and the women at the corps.

“I finally made my choice: I choose Jesus!” Toledo said with a radiant smile.

Now in her third year as a Salvation Army soldier, Toledo is a member of the praise and worship

team, and she works with the Girl Guards of the corps. Her ministry

among the teens at the South Hillsborough Corps garnered for her an outstanding youth leader award at youth councils last year in the Florida Division.

“All the girls here at the corps call me ‘Ti-Ti’ (which is Spanish for ‘Auntie’),” Toledo said. “God is constantly telling me now that I am doing the right thing with my life.”

Things are happy at home now for Gayshua, Destiny and Jean Carlos.

“There’s been a change in my mommy!” Jean Carlos said.

Delivered

Iris Toledo, a single mother of three, was on the brink of destruction due to witchcraft and addictions – until she was delivered through the power of Christ. She is shown here with her children, Destiny, 12, Jean Carlos, 10, and Gayshua, 16.

Major Frank Duracher

FOR WHOM

HE DIEDJesus’ power to renew and

transform is seen in the lives of the redeemed

National Seminar on Evangelism Glen Eyrie Conference Center Colorado Springs, Colorado August 7-14, 2010

Plan to attend for a Christ-centered week of learning and fellowship.

See your corps offi cer today.

March 31, 2010

Continued from page 4

March 31, 20106

After-school program coordinatorSt. Petersburg, Fla.

Plans and provides activities and child care services for school-age children participating in the community center after-school and summer day camp programs; plans, develops and facilitates recreational activities and play time; prepares and maintains program records; maintains cleanliness and orderli-ness of community center property; supervises assistant coordinator. Minimum requirements include a high school diploma or G.E.D., Director’s Credential in accordance with requirements of Coordinated Child Care of Pinellas County and two years’ experience teaching child development programs in a church or pre-school. Please forward resume to Jennifer Spencer via email: jennifer_spencer@uss.salva-tionarmy.org or via mail: 3800 9th Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33713.

Haiti strategy conference outlines plansfor long term

Recommendations coming out of a Salvation Army international strategy conference held in London confirm that The Salvation Army will be heavily and closely involved in rebuilding Haiti well past the conclusion of the current emergency situation caused by massive earthquakes.

The conference was attended by a delegation from The Salvation Army’s Caribbean Territory, representatives from 10 Salvation Army territories involved in the relief and rebuilding process, personnel from USA National Headquarters, Salvation Army World Service Office and International Headquarters.

After a private meeting with Colonel Onal Castor, Caribbean territorial commander, the Army’s world leader, General Shaw Clifton, thanked everyone for their “ready and willing response to the crisis … born out of loving hearts. We cannot begin to measure the impact of your swift responses to the crisis – responses through monetary resources, through the releasing of personnel into the crisis zone and through the supply of food, medical and other essential goods.”

Speaking in response to what he believes has been some unfair press coverage regarding the Haitian people, the General said: “Our Haitian Salvationist comrades are gracious and dignified people. They are prayerful, warm in worship, responsive to the gospel, joyous in praise and attentive to the message.”

He said that throughout the Haitian relief effort “God is ahead of us and will see us through. Best of all, he is with the people of Haiti and will bless them through the selfless devotion of the people throughout the world who gladly and proudly are ready to be called Salvationists.”

Following the General’s address, Army leaders of the Caribbean presented a paper that outlined the territory’s needs. Colonel Castor said that the physical rebuilding that is taking place is accompanied by a spiritual awakening. More than 300 people at the Port-au-Prince Corps have found Jesus since the earthquake, he said.

The Caribbean leaders emphasized that ministering to people with disabilities is one of the key areas that needs attention. Also identified as a vital immediate and long-term need was business development through the generation of employment opportunities for local people.

The emergency phase for The Salvation Army in Haiti is expected to last for another six to nine months as The Salvation Army continues aid to 20,000 displaced people living in cramped camp conditions on a soccer field in Port-au-Prince.

Major Laurie Robertson

McAllen, Texas, relief fund benefits Army’s work in Haiti

The ABC affiliate in McAllen, Texas, headed up a regional response to the massive earthquake in Haiti by organizing and sponsoring an appeal for donations. KRGV-TV established the Haitian Relief Fund, partnering with four local businesses: Burger King, Lacks Furniture, Bert Ogden Motors and Lone Star National Bank. Sponsors committed to match donations up to $10,000.

With no local administrative costs, all funds raised were equally divided between The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross. The grand total of $151, 674.06 was announced live on the air during a check presentation to Major Dan Ford, commanding officer of the McAllen Salvation Army, and

Michael Huckerby, a representative of the American Red Cross.

Students in schools across the Rio Grande Valley region took the initiative to respond to the plight of the people in Haiti, coming up with many creative fund raising events. These included $1 non-uniform days and the donation of late library book fines. In one elementary school, students made piggy banks out of empty school milk cartons and filled them with spare change from

home. At another school, girls were allowed to wear nail polish and boys permitted to untuck their shirts for donations of 50 cents. The TV station was inundated with donations from schools, churches and the public.

“We are very proud to be in a community of such caring businesses and individuals who have come alongside those in distress in Haiti,” Major Ford said.

We are not saved by doctrines

If you are trying to help a person know God, do not tell them they must believe this or that truth, as if faith is nothing more than believing certain things.

God does not hand us a volume of theology and say, “Believe these truths and you will be saved.” He offers us his Son and says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Truths are important, doctrines are valuable. Bad doctrine can send people floundering on the rocks of confusion and doubt. But don’t try to argue a person into the Kingdom as if you must persuade them to agree with your beliefs. It is not an orderly system of truths, but “the truth” that people need. It is not a book of doctrines, but a person, that God offers us. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

The preceding excerpt is from Samuel Logan Brengle: Heart for God by Peter Farthing, published by Carpenter Media and The Salvation Army’s International Center for Spiritual Life Development.

says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will

The Salvation Army observes this year the 150th anniversary of the birth of Commissioner Samuel L. Brengle, who was born June 1, 1860, and became a voice for the importance of sancti-fication in the life of the believer.

In the words of

Brengle

The Rotary Club of North Little Rock, Ark., presented a Paul Harris Fellow to Major Cindy Wise in honor and memory of her late husband, Major Philip Wise at the club’s regular luncheon meeting. Major Philip Wise, a Rotary Club member, died tragically on Christmas Eve in North Little Rock. Philip loved people, his family, music and sports.

Paul Harris Fellow recognition was created in memory of Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary, as a way to recognize the contributions of those dedicated to Rotary’s guiding principles of service to others, promoting high ethical standards and advancing world understanding, goodwill and peace.“Major Wise lived the true meaning of the word Rotarian,

Rotary Club honors Major Philip Wise

Service above Self,” Debbie Robinson, president of the Rotary Club of North Little Rock, said. “Our community and our world are better places because of his presence. We are privileged to recognize and to honor him for his outstanding dedication, sacrifice and service to the City of North Little Rock and especially the community of Baring Cross.”

Meanwhile, North Little Rock Police announced the arrest of Laquan Javaris Fitzpatrick after a lengthy investigation. Fitzpatrick, 19, is charged with capital murder in Wise’s death. Investigators would not give specifics regarding what led them to Fitzpatrick, but they did state that an arrest warrant for a second suspect was imminent.

North Little Rock police arrest suspect in shooting

(L-R) John Kittleman, KRGV station manager; Major Dan Ford, McAllen corps officer; Michael Huckerby, American Red Cross; Letty Garza, KRGV news anchor; Edna DeSaro, Kyle Trammel, John Price, John Wright and Fred Martinez, sponsor representatives.

March 31, 2010 7

The Salvation Army is, and always has been branded by the general public. What does the Army’s brand bring to mind with our public today? For some, it is help and hope in desperate times. For others it is love and compassion when they felt vulner-able. But to the majority we are those folk on street corners that ring bells at Christmas. We cannot deny that the vast majority (some estimate as much as 90%) know us initially as an American tradition: soliciting donations during the Christmas season!

What makes a great or successful brand? Here are five dimensions to a strong and effective brand.•A brand should bring to mind certain attributes, such as the product or the organi-zation’s features, style, integrity and so on.•The brand should strongly suggest one or more key benefits. •The public should be able to visualize a brand’s characteristics, as if the brand were a person. •The brand should suggest something about the organization’s values. Are we innova-tive, responsive, transparent, worthy of our donor’s trust and support?•Finally a strong brand suggests a picture of the brand’s users – those who benefit from our organization.

Brands with devoted fans include Harley-Davidson, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Apple Computers and a few others. Those brands conjure up images, expectations and promises of performance. A person’s attitude toward a brand may range from dislike to indifference to slight preference to strong preference to total devotion. Everyone has preferred brands, but few brands create devoted fans.

In Wake County, N.C., The Salvation Army gets a major boost from volunteers like the Golden Redeemers – a group of seniors from Redeeming Love Missionary Baptist Church – who spend countless hours serving in the soup line ministry.

“We are all one paycheck away from being on the other side of that line,” said the group’s president, Louise Lassiter.

The Golden Redeemers organized a blanket drive in December, collecting more than 100 blankets to give away to recipients in the soup line. Since December was one of the coldest months on record, the blankets were received with great appreciation.

The seniors’ most recent volunteer activity was helping collect donations at the nationwide Give and

Receive event sponsored by Steinmart. The clothing drive, held at four Steinmart locations March 4-6 in Raleigh, Cary and Morrisville, N.C., encouraged shoppers to bring in gently used clothing in exchange for a 20% off coupon at Steinmart. The donated clothes benefit the Wake County Family Store and clothing voucher program.

The Golden Redeemers believe that volunteering is the best way to keep in touch with their community and stay busy doing good deeds. Although many of their members are retired, they are far from the end of their working years. “There is still so much to be done!” exclaimed Lassiter. “We just don’t want to quit. We are the servants that God has put here.”

Haven Sink

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Southern TerritoryKroc Center Development Offi ce

presentsRJKCCC

Kroc Center Development Leadership Conference

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For registration informationcontact Altavese Dilworth

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The Salvation Army’s Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., Family Store recently held a grand reopening in celebration of store expansion. Previously, the store, one of three operated by the Chattanooga Area Command, occupied 3,200 square feet. The footprint has been expanded to 6,000 square feet. The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured Mayor Ronnie Cobb of Fort Oglethorpe, Chamber of Commerce officials, Salvation Army advisory board representatives and Major Jim Lawrence, area commander. Eager shoppers lined up outside the store in anticipation of the event, which featured free beverages, snacks and giveaways. Volunteers assisted staff with customer service, canteen operation and day of preparation. In one day the store sales eclipsed $3,000. The Chattanooga Area Command anticipates continued success in Fort Oglethorpe and hopes to exceed 2009’s net Family Store program profits of $131,427.

Chattanooga likes bigger and better

Golden Redeemer Mary Peay (right) helps another volunteer collect donations for the Give and Receive clothing drive at Steinmart.

Volunteers in Wake County, N.C.,spend their golden years giving back

Tune In To Salvation Army Disaster Radio

Salvation Army Disaster Radio is a bi-weekly podcast covering all things related to Salvation Army disaster services and emergency management. The podcast includes audio and video shows. Hosted by a rotating cast of disaster services professionals, topics range from specific issues in emergency management to items of general interest to the casual listener.

•Updates: Every other Monday •Duration: Approximately 20-30 minutes •To listen: Go to www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and click on the link labeled PODCAST •Newest podcast: Chilean earthquake field

The Salvation Army1424 Northeast ExpresswayAtlanta, GA 30329www.uss.salvationarmy.org

EDITORIALCommissioner Maxwell Feener, Territorial Commander

Colonel Terry Griffin, Chief SecretaryLt. Colonel Edward Hobgood, Publisher

Dan Childs, EditorMajor Frank Duracher, Assistant Editor

Brooke Turbyfill, Publications Editorial CoordinatorKatie Tate, Circulation Manager

Published by The Salvation Army USA Southern Territory1424 Northeast Expressway, Atlanta, GA 30329

Phone: (404) 728-1300 Fax: (404) 728-6734e-mail: Dan_Childs@uss.salvationarmy.org

All materials are copyright of The Salvation Army USA Southern Territory and cannot be reproduced without

permission.

For further information, or to donate, please visit:www.uss.salvationarmy.org

8 March 31, 2010

PRSRT First ClassUS POSTAGE

PAIDPermit 1037ST MTN GA

A publication of

The Salvation Army

USA Southern

Territory

Volume 27, No. 5March 31, 2010

He is not here,for he is risen.

Friday, June 4Evangeline Booth College4:30 pm-6:30 pm - Historical Center Tours4:45 pm - Silver Star Banquet (by invitation only)7 p.m. - Commencement of the Prayer Warriors

Saturday, June 5Cobb Energy Center9 a.m. - Session One - Speaker: Commissioner Hezekial Anzeze, Kenya East11 a.m. - Session Two - Speaker: Commissioner Hope Mungate, Democratic Republic of Congo

NO REGISTRATION FEE!!!Make hotel arrangements with: Embassy Suites 2815 Akers Mill Rd. Atlanta, GA 30339 (770) 955-4183

12:30 p.m. - Long Service Recognition Luncheon2:30 p.m. - The World’s Fair - a Celebration of our Partners in Mission relationships around the world/Sally Ann /Child Sponsorship/Salvationist Service Corps/Missions6:30 p.m. - Session Three - Speaker: Colonel Oscar Sanchez, Latin America North

Sunday, June 6Cobb Energy Center9 a.m. -

Prayer WarriorsCommissioning & Ordination Service

The USA Southern Territory is taking steps at every level to reduce its car-bon footprint. From camp programs and online course studies to the con-struction of buildings, The Salvation Army clearly wants to honor the Lord’s possession. “To the Lord your God be-long the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it” (Deut. 10:14).

South takes stepsto reduce

carbon footprint

Through innovative community-based grant de-livery, The Salvation Army EnviRenew initiative will leverage community partnerships to build aff ordable, environmentally sensitive and sustainable homes in fi ve distinct New Orleans neighborhoods. By teaming up with neighborhood organizations and developers, EnviRenew will distribute 125 grants up to $75,000 to homeowners in an eff ort to build community capac-ity and promote urban development through neigh-borhood renewal. EnviRenew is based around a concept called the Green Renew Zone, a set of programs that establishes the basic building blocks of recovery – homes, schools and neighborhood assets. The Salvation Army will award grants for the newly constructed high-quality, aff ordable homes to teachers, fi refi ghters, police of-fi cers, medical workers and others who are critical to the rebuilding of their community. In addition to new construction, the Green Home Sustainability program will help existing homeowners in each neighborhood. The Salvation Army will pro-vide a total of 125 energy-effi cient retrofi ts combin-ing anything from new insulation to updated heating and cooling devices that will lower a homeowner’s carbon footprint and decrease utility bills over the long-term. All neighborhoods within New Orleans were in-vited to submit a Request for Proposal to be selected

EnviRenew initiative pilotsgreen reconstruction

in NOLA neighborhoodsas an EnviRenew benefi ciary, and 15 neighborhoods responded. Two of the fi ve neighborhoods – Broad-moor and Riverdale – have already been chosen. The others will be decided by June 2010. The Broadmoor Development Corporation – one of the local organizations partnering with The Salva-tion Army – is hosting the U.S. Green Building Council Natural Talent Design Competition for the Broadmoor neighborhood. Design students and professionals are invited to come up with four home site plans that will be used for new construction in the Broadmoor neighborhood. The EnviRenew challenge is for these leaders to create homes that are small, aff ordable and promote sustainability through green building prac-tices. As part of the contest, each design cannot exceed $100,000 construction costs; must be designed at 800 square feet (with up to 10 percent variance) and has a goal to meet requirements for platinum-level LEED for Homes certifi cation, which measures homes’ en-ergy effi ciency and sustainable building practices. Designs also must account for a large percentage of the Broadmoor neighborhood’s residents – the elder-ly and new homeowners – and be resilient to high winds and hurricane conditions.

Four contest fi nalists will be announced in August 2010. In addition to strengthening sustainability through residential new construction and home repair, the EnviRenew initiative calls for the renovation and new construction of schools. As reported by the Times Pic-ayune, “New Orleans public schools are beginning to experience a historic building boom under the fi rst phase of a master plan, covering four to fi ve years. Dozens of campuses will see new construction or ex-tensive renovations, which could make the Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish School Board national leaders in building energy-effi cient schools.” The EnviRenew initiative goes well beyond envi-ronmental practices though. It includes rebuilding and multiplying at the deepest level, as evidenced in its fi ve objectives: to be sustained in aff ordability; to ensure quality of life; to build community capacity; to improve storm resilience; and to create a replicable and sustainable model. “Stewardship demands that we maximize use of donated dollars by considering energy effi ciency when providing the traditional servcies of utility as-sistance,” said Captain Ethan Frizzell, area commander of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area Command. “I commend The Salvation Army for being on the lead-ing edge of social equity in design and rebuilding.”

Brooke Turbyfi ll

One of the benefi ciaries of the EnviRenew Initiative is the Broad-moor neighborhood of New Orleans.

The Environmental Protection Agency has a website full of ideas to encourage a commitment to protecting the earth. There is also a quiz to see how much users know about what it means to take care of the environment. Some of the ideas include:

1. Use less water. Take showers instead of baths, fi x leaks and turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. And buy effi cient fi xtures by looking for the WaterSense label.

2. Commute without polluting. Use public transportation, carpool, walk or bike whenever possible to reduce air pollution and save on fuel costs.

3. Save electricity. Do a home energy audit, get programmable thermostats, buy En-ergy Star products, turn stuff off when you’re done and change your bulbs to compact fl uorescents.

4. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Try to fi nd products with less packaging, take reusable bags on shopping trips, creatively reuse other products and recycle what’s left.

5. Test your home for radon. Radon is a naturally occurring, odorless gas that can seep into your home and cause lung cancer.

6. eCycle. Take your old computer, DVD player or other electronics to a recycling center. This helps keep hazardous substances out of the landfi ll.

For more ideas, go to www.epa.gov.AC

TIO

Nst

eps

The Southern Spirit is printed by The Sauers Group, one of just a few companies in the U.S. holding triple certifi cations (by the FSC, SFI and PEFC) for the ethical use of forestry in paper production. The Forest Stewardship Council, established in 1993 after concerns about global deforestation, has recognized The Sauers Group with its international certifi cation system that gives trademark assurance and accreditation to companies, organiza-tions and communities interested in responsible forestry. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative label is reserved for wood and paper products from a respon-sible source, backed by a third-party certifi cation audit, and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certifi cation is the world’s largest forest certifi cation system. Whenever possible, The Salvation Army strives to partner with vendors – like The Sauers Group – that are at the forefront of green initiatives.

GREENpapers

Cover photo courtesy of www.bigfoto.com

The Environmental Protection Agency has a website full of ideas to encourage a commitment to protecting the earth. There is also a quiz to see how much users know about what it means to take care of the environment. Some of the ideas include:

1. Use less water. Take showers instead of baths, fi x leaks and turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. And buy effi cient fi xtures by looking for the WaterSense label.

2. Commute without polluting. Use public transportation, carpool, walk or bike whenever possible to reduce air pollution and save on fuel costs.

3. Save electricity. Do a home energy audit, get programmable thermostats, buy En-ergy Star products, turn stuff off when you’re done and change your bulbs to compact fl uorescents.

4. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Try to fi nd products with less packaging, take reusable bags on shopping trips, creatively reuse other products and recycle what’s left.

5. Test your home for radon. Radon is a naturally occurring, odorless gas that can seep into your home and cause lung cancer.

6. eCycle. Take your old computer, DVD player or other electronics to a recycling center. This helps keep hazardous substances out of the landfi ll.

For more ideas, go to www.epa.gov.

The Southern Spirit is printed by The Sauers Group, one of just a few companies in the U.S. holding triple certifi cations (by the FSC, SFI and PEFC) for the ethical use of forestry in paper production. The Forest Stewardship Council, established in 1993 after concerns about global deforestation, has recognized The Sauers Group with its international certifi cation system that gives trademark assurance and accreditation to companies, organiza-tions and communities interested in responsible forestry. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative label is reserved for wood and paper products from a respon-sible source, backed by a third-party certifi cation audit, and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certifi cation is the world’s largest forest certifi cation system. Whenever possible, The Salvation Army strives to partner with vendors – like The Sauers Group – that are at the forefront of green initiatives.

GREENpapers

By Brooke Turbyfi llSouthern Spirit staff

The Territorial Youth Department’s Emerge ministry is geared toward developing teen lead-ers – young people who are infl uential because they’re equipped to live a God-centered life-

style. With specifi c Bible studies online, teens are learning about life principles such as worship, service, recognizing God’s voice and caring for the environment. One of the monthly foci is titled “Beyond Going Green,” and its approach was inspired by Joy Mikles, young adult and mission deployment specialist, who writes the curriculum. “It was a deci-sion that I made after returning home from a mission trip to Haiti last January. I saw how my wastefulness worsened their poverty, and I decided to change personally. When it becomes personal, it begins to infi ltrate just about everything you do. When it was time to write another month’s worth of Emerge curriculum, I decided that there were enough young people out there who

wanted to do something more for the environment to make one whole month about going green – not just because it’s cool or trendy but because that is part of the mandate God gave us when he set man over the earth to rule it,” she said. Scriptures from Genesis, Deuteronomy and Psalms all detail the investment God wants his children to make in the world around them. Using creative visualizing cues, the curriculum places students in the Garden of Eden and walks them through God’s command to Adam and Eve to “rule” over every creature. Exploring themes such as stewardship, ownership and praise, each Bible study/discussion gives young people the ability to take stock of their lifestyle in alignment with God’s Word. Beyond simply teaching about caring for the earth, the Youth Department is modeling it by going paperless. “Formerly we would print applications/registrations for events as well as all of our reporting mechanisms. These are now electronic which saves paper as well as cost. We have also elected not to print some of our newer programs such as Emerge, The Salvation Army Youth Leadership Academy and Sports & Recreation Ministry. These are now available online only,” Major Kelly Igleheart, territorial youth secretary, said. One of the department’s next steps in staying at the forefront of environmental stewardship is looking at ways to operate camps in earth-friendly ways. That is one of the primary topics among camp managers participating in the upcoming Territorial Youth Workers Conference in May.

One of the monthly foci is titled “Beyond Going Green,” and its

Youth Department explores how to care for creation

The Emerge curriculum helps teens discover what God says about stewardship of the earth.

By Brooke Turbyfi llSouthern Spirit staff

The Southern Territorial Property Department is leading the eff ort to build all Salvation Army build-ings with great sensitivity to earth-friendly building practices. According to Robert Taylor, territorial property secretary, green building and design principles are used at every phase of development and construc-tion. “It’s the right thing to do from an environmental standpoint, from a fi nancial standpoint with energy conservation, and from a spiritual standpoint,” he said. “Psalm 24 says, ‘The earth is the Lord’s and ev-erything in it.’ It’s not ours. It’s ours to take care of.” Ways the department is taking care of the earth include a mandate that all future Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers be LEED certifi ed at the silver level. The U.S. Green Building Council has a rat-ing system, Leadership in Energy and Environmen-tal Design, for green building practices. Each level awards points for varying degrees of earth-friendly practices used in the design and construction of a building. All Salvation Army buildings in the Southern Terri-tory are built using green techniques that one would use to become LEED certifi ed. Some of those include using recyclable materials; using materials within 500 miles of a construction site and letting a certain amount of natural light into a building through its window design.

Some of the specifi c energy-saving designs in the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Atlanta are the waterless urinals and infrared sensors on water faucets. The next center going under con-struction – in Kerrville, Texas – will be LEED certifi ed. Taylor said the environmentally friendly construc-tion practices make sound fi nancial sense, and even attract certain donors to The Salvation Army. “Anything we can do to reduce carbon is a plus. There are a lot of donors that contribute to our capi-tal campaigns who may not contribute unless our buildings are green or LEED certifi ed.” Taylor’s pursuit of the LEED certifi cation and earth-friendly construction practices resulted from his master’s degree research in 2005. He found that while it might be more expensive up front to build a building using such practices, the long-range sav-ings is multiple times over and above the startup costs. He pointed out that it makes particular sense for The Salvation Army. It’s always easier to raise do-nations for startup costs than for operational costs, and building environmentally-friendly, energy-effi -cient buildings saves money on the operational side for years to come. “Anything we can do to minimize operational costs far outweighs incremental costs in the con-struction of a building,” he added. As environmen-tally-conscious building materials become more prevalent in the construction industry, the startup costs are decreasing, too. Find out more at www.uss.thqproperty.org.

Property Department leads the wayin environmentally-friendly construction

Robert Taylor, territorial property secretary (second from left), basesGod’s directive to take care of the earth on Psalm 24.

One of the energy-saving designs in the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center of Atlanta is the infrared sensor used to regulate water on faucets.

The next Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center scheduled for comple-tion will be LEED certifi ed to ensure some of the highest level of compliance with

environmentally-friendly practices.

A favorite spot at the Beaumont, Texas, Family Store is the library. Customers appreciate the encouragement to “try before they buy,” according to Major Eloisa Estrada. She said the thousands of books they receive each year are in good condition and should benefi t others – and the

earth. “Recycling is our main focus,” she said. “It’s good for the customer and it’s good for the environment.”

Beaumont Family Storeshows heart for recycling