Meet the Cadet – Rachelle Atkinson
In the seventh of a series spotlighting this year’s cadets of the Rescued session, Salvos Online journalist LERISSE SMITH chatted with Rachelle (‘Ree’) Atkinson and discovered her love of reading, especially Christmas novels, and the calling to officership that began when she was just six years old. Ree also shared a powerful lesson from her ministry: people don’t always need you to have the answers. Sometimes, they simply need someone to sit with them, listen – and to be present.
Ree, rewind for us – when did the call to officership hit, and what made you say that big ‘yes’?
The call to officership has been something that God has been speaking into my life for a very long time. I can actually trace the beginning of that back to when I was six years old. Back then, I obviously didn’t understand what that calling would look like. But over the years, God kept bringing that back to me in different ways. There came a point where I realised that I couldn’t keep ignoring it and couldn’t keep controlling what I thought my future should look like. So, I needed to surrender to God and trust Him with it. So, saying that big ‘yes’ was really about choosing to trust God, even when I didn’t have all the answers.
Where are you serving at the moment - and what’s your role?
I’m serving at my placement within the South West Metro hub in WA. So, I’m involved in the life and ministry of all three corps within the hub, which gives me the opportunity to learn what ministry looks like in practice while also studying and being formed for officership. A big part of this season is learning to balance study, ministry, relationships, family, and my own spiritual formation. I’m learning that ministry isn’t just about what you do, but it is also about who I am becoming.
Any standout moments that are really shaping you as a future officer? One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that people don’t always need you to have an answer. Sometimes they just need someone to sit with them, just to listen and to be present – and that has really challenged the way that I think about pastoral ministry. I’ve also had moments where I’ve seen God confirm my calling, particularly through the things I’ve experienced and the way that He has continued to draw me back to Him. And those moments remind me that officership isn’t just something I’m studying for; it’s something God is continuing to form in me.
Where are you feeling stretched right now? I’m being stretched in further learning that I can’t control everything. Sometimes I want to know exactly what the next step is, but God doesn’t always give us that whole picture. And I’m learning to trust Him with the process rather than needing to have everything worked out.
What strengths do you lean on most?
One of my strengths is being able to connect with people and genuinely care about what they’re going through. I also think I’m quite persistent, so when something matters to me, I don’t give up easily. My faith is one of the biggest things that I lean on. I’ve been through enough in life to know that I can’t always rely on my own strength. So, I have to keep coming back to God and trusting Him.
Which focus areas of officership really fire you up – and why?
I am really drawn to pastoral care, children, and youth ministry, but also creating that safe and welcoming space for people. I love seeing people discover that they belong and that they have a place within the church. I am particularly passionate about young people because the church has such an important opportunity to walk alongside them, to listen to them, and to help them discover who God has created them to be.
If you could design your dream appointment today, what would it look like and who would you most hope to impact?
My dream appointment would be somewhere that allows me to be involved in corps life, but also really engage with the wider community. I’d love a place where there are opportunities to grow the children’s and youth ministry, but also to build genuine relationships with people who might not normally walk through the doors of a church. Ultimately, I don’t think I’d measure a dream appointment by how big or successful it looked, but I’d measure it by the people I had the opportunity to walk alongside and whether people encountered the love of Jesus through the way I served.
And just for fun … when you switch off, what do you love doing?
Definitely reading. I absolutely love getting lost in a good book. It’s my favourite way to switch off, to slow down and just have some quiet time away from everything else. My favourite genre would probably be Christmas novels. I have two favourite authors, Melody Carlson and Robin Jones Gunn. Anything of theirs takes over my entire bookshelf!
To read all the other cadet profiles that Salvos Online has published this year, click here.
