‘I will make you fishers of men’

An excerpt from the War Cry showing Brigadier Frank Jennings’ column.

BY BARRY GITTINS

The Salvation Army members, as part of the Christian church, are called to be ‘fishers of men’ just like the first disciples of Jesus Christ, several of whom went fishing for a living before Jesus tapped them on the shoulder.

Brigadier Frank Jennings, reminiscing in the 20 August 1975 War Cry, 50 years ago, said he’d invited his divisional commander to go angling before a Saturday evening fellowship tea and soldiers’ meeting, as “Saturday afternoon was just right to go fishing!” (The brigadier was subsequently promoted to glory in 1995).

“Back came the prompt reply,” the writer noted, “Let’s go fishing.” So, we went fishing.“The Manning River [NSW] was the fishing ground, and the bandmaster’s dinghy was always readily available. The divisional commander has not indulged in this simple pleasure for 15 years. Incredible! What a time we had, for the tide was right, the bait was fresh, and the fish were there ...”

Modesty perhaps forbade the brigadier from relating any news about their success, or the size of their catch. But he was keen to share stories of other fishing expeditions ...

“In this same country town a lady who kept a boarding house telephoned in great distress [about a] lodger she had not seen for a week [whose] bedroom door had been kept shut. She asked the Army to investigate,” Brigadier Jennings wrote.

The brigadier and his “gallant sergeant-major” went and rescued “a poor derelict [who’d been] drinking metho from a gallon jar; the only ‘nourishment’ he had had for a week. He was in a dreadful state, weak, filthy and desperate. We fished him out of the room, bathing, dressing him as he repeatedly said, ‘Help me, help me!’”

“The local police sergeant helped us in the ‘drying out’ process by keeping him in the police station for three days and then delivering him to us for his rehabilitation. This was one ‘fish’ that didn’t get away. He failed a few times but eventually made the grade, became soundly converted, and his wife returned to him. They moved to the city and for many years the first Christmas card that arrived in our house was from them.”

“Let’s go fishing,” concluded the writer. “The big ones are not very far away, and if you choose your gear well, select your bait, and exercise your patience and persistence, you, too, will catch fish.”