Haworths warmly welcomed to the NSW/ACT Division
Captains Kim and Steve Haworth were officially welcomed to the NSW/ACT Division during a special ceremony at Wollongong Corps on Sunday 5 March.
Kim, the new Divisional Commander, and Steve, the new Area Officer for Sydney, took up their roles last month after serving for the past few years in Tasmania, where Kim was the Divisional Commander.
The previous leader of the NSW/ACT Division, Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, was installed as the new Territorial Commander of Australia last month.
Wollongong Corps Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Lyn Edge led the welcome meeting on Sunday, with the band, songsters and worship band taking part before the Haworths were invited to the platform.
Area Officer for the Hunter-Central Coast region, Major Mark Everitt, who has been in the role of acting Divisional Commander, gave the first of several welcome speeches, expressing sentiments on behalf of the NSW/ACT Division.
“For nearly a decade, Commissioner Miriam Gluyas led this division with passion and compassion and courage,” he said. “I would often say to Miriam: ‘Who are we going to find to replace you? You are a force of nature!’ But you know, God has relieved my fear because now we have Kim and Steve, and I am overjoyed to see them join our team here in NSW/ACT. I am certain that Kim will lead with passion and compassion and courage – and Steve brings strength to compliment the couple, and they will lead us well.”
Divisional ‘superheroes’
This was followed by an entertaining Corps Welcome by soldier Joe McIver and his daughter Georgia, who displayed several images on the wall of Kim and Steve’s faces overlaid on DC and Marvel superhero characters, including Superman, Wonder Woman and Ironman.
“Lieut-Colonel Lyn asked dad and me to do the welcome for the new DC. So, I decided to do some research on DCs, and I would like to show you the results,” Georgia said.
When Superman appeared with Kim’s face, Georgia said: “This DC hero represents strength and resilience ... and can fly!” When Kim as Wonder Woman appeared, Georgia said: “This DC hero represents honesty, bravery and is an all-around tough woman. You go girl!”
Joe then displayed a picture of ironman with Steve’s head overlaid but was reprimanded by Georgia for choosing a Marvel hero instead of a DC hero.
Georgia said: “I discovered that all heroes don’t wear capes, and some wear a Salvation Army uniform ... thank you, Kim and Steve, for joining our ‘Justice League’” as an image of DC’s Justice League appeared with the faces of the Haworths and the Wollongong corps officers overlaid.
Joe concluded: “So, on behalf of the Wollongong Corps and the NSW/ACT Division, we welcome you both, and we pray that God will continue to bless you in your ministry as you lead us, and we really look forward to that leadership.”
Special gifts
Major Fran Everitt, Area Officer for the Hunter-Central Coast region, then presented gifts to the Haworths, including a beautiful bunch of flowers and a Rabbitohs footy shirt and hat each, reflecting that the Haworths’ office building at Redfern in Sydney is shared with the South Sydney rugby league club.
“Kim and Steve are both about relationships and building relationships,” said Fran. “I’ve grown to love Kim as a fun, loving, caring, beautiful heart spiritually ... and is all about connecting people to Jesus, and that is what we want in a divisional leader. The legacy that Miriam has left will continue. We are in good hands, and we are blessed.”
Steve was then invited to speak: “Kim and I feel blessed to be here, where God has called us to be. The love and support we have received since arriving has been overwhelming. We were sad to leave Tasmania, but God’s plan has been for us to come to NSW/ACT, to say yes to the call he has placed on both our lives ... and that ‘yes’ is not always easy.
“But Kim and I come with a heart to serve and a heart to grow the Kingdom of God, to be Jesus-centred and spirit-led, and to walk alongside each of you and to work together for his name’s sake.”
God’s people
Lieutenant-Colonel Lyn Edge then prayed before Kim gave the message, based on a phrase the Spirit gave her through Genesis 12: “Be the people of God that you were always intended to be.”
“We need the presence of God in our lives if we are to be the people of God. We can only do the things he has called us to do if we have his presence. It’s not enough that we know about God ... we need to really know him relationally,” Kim continued.
“We need to think and act in unity. I believe the Lord is moving on unity in his Church. The world offers us a counterfeit unity ... which often results in a war of words ... but God’s heart is for us to be unified. The word of the Lord says that unity brings a blessing. Many verses talk about a unity, that we would be one, so that world will know that he lives.”
A time of fellowship in the corps café and foyer was held after the service for the congregation to greet the Haworths and personally welcome them to the division.
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