Meet the Officer – Major Andrew van Gaalen

1. What is your current appointment, and what do you find most satisfying about it? 

My current appointment is Corps Officer at Coffs Harbour Corps, and the thing I find most satisfying about it is the people. We are blessed to have a church that is growing, multicultural, and inclusive of all age ranges, and is full of people who hunger and thirst for God, displaying this in their actions towards each other and the community. It’s a great place to be, both in terms of location and church-wise.

2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind?

It is a busy appointment, but the one thing I do most mornings early is go to the gym. I never enter the gym without first having a prayer time with God. It’s something that I really need to do as a set-up for each day both my prayer time and the gym. I also take the opportunity to listen to a podcast while I work out. For some, that would not seem relaxing, but for me, it is.

I guess the most important part of relaxing and unwinding for me is spending time with family but mostly with Jeanette, my wife. I love to go out and just grab a cuppa, sometimes we will go into the café and other times we will grab a takeaway and head down to the beach and just talk. I love going for walks with Jeanette as well.

3. What’s a favourite Christian song and why do you like it?                                                        

I have many favourite songs, but in this season of life, ‘One More Day’ by Sons of Sunday resonates with me the most. It is a deeply testimonial song that reminds me in the verses all about life and how in every aspect of life, no matter what we go through, it is Jesus who gets us through. But the writers don’t end or focus on the struggle; they draw us to a place of thankfulness.

It is the chorus that really captivates me: ‘Cause You gave me one more day, to say I love You. You have brought me all this way to testify of grace. What more can I say, but hallelujah? Thank You, Jesus, thank You, Jesus, thank You, Jesus, Cause You gave me one more day, one more day.’

I remember when I first heard this, I was struck by that line, ‘You gave me one more day’, and how precious this one more day is – a day to lead someone to Jesus. This is the only day I have to share my testimony in the verses with someone. I’m not promised tomorrow! I have been given ‘one more day.’ For me, there is a passion and an urgency in this. In the movie Schindler’s List, there is a scene that immediately I think about when I heard this song; Oskar Schindler says: “I didn’t do enough.” To which Itzhak Stern says: “You did so much.” Oskar Schindler replies: “This car. Goeth would have bought this car. Why did I keep the car? Ten people right there. Ten people. Ten more people. This pin ... two people. This is gold. Two people. He would have given me two more, at least one. One more person. A person, Stern, for this. [He starts crying] I could have got one more person, and I didn’t! I, I, I didn’t!”

I ask myself, am I giving my all for the cause of Jesus? Can I do more? I must do more! There is an old Salvation Army chorus that says, ‘I want to live right, that God may use me at anytime and anywhere: I want to live right, that God may use me at anytime and anywhere.’

4. If you could have a good talk with a biblical character apart from Jesus, who would it be and what would you talk about? 

There are so many. I would love to chat with Peter. Another one would be Caleb. Just like favourite songs, it is seasonal and in this season of life, it would be Moses. I would like to talk to him about leadership and the way he kept a close relationship with God while leading so many people. How he was able to keep that close relationship when the people rebelled and denied him the opportunity of entering the Promised Land. So, it would be about leading from the position of leaning into God.

5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say? 

Great question. Would I recommend officership? I pause because it’s not for everyone. For some, they know they are called by God into officership, and they value their current way of life more than serving Jesus. Then there are others who think they are called into officership and are really called into local leadership, serving Jesus through their local church and being bold in the workplaces they are already occupying.

To those who are called and know it, I would say to them, “What are you waiting for?” You have been called by King Jesus to be His representative on the earth, to speak on His behalf, to lead His church, of which He is the head. It’s not easy, but it is an adventure. You won’t regret it! What are you waiting for?!

For me, it ties right into my favourite song right now, ‘One more day’. You have this one more day, make the most of it and serve Jesus the way He intended you to do it. My biggest regret is that I waited. Don’t wait! Go for it!