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James Barker in the late 1800s at the height of his influence as a Salvation Army officer. The ARW on James’ shoulder signifies ‘Australian Rescue Work’. BY MAJOR DAVID WOODBURY Within his short life, James Barker pioneered many of the social services that epitomise The Salvation Army today. Sent by the Army’s co-founder, William Booth, to take over the newly established work in Australasia, James and Alice Barker were to write their names into the annals of Salvation Army history in Australia. James Barker was born on 17 January 1852 in Ipswich, about 100km north-east of London. Coming from an Anglican background, he was apprenticed to a printer and trained as a compositor, a trade that would serve him well in later years. Desiring to be his own master, he ran away from home, intending to join the military. However, when faced with the discipline of military life, he changed his mind and returned to the print trade in London. Drawn to a ragtag crowd of Christian Missioners, Barker found himself at one of their meetings. The speaker seemed to be directing his message at Barker, who soon became convinced of his sinfulness and found himself at the mercy seat, accepting Jesus as his Saviour. The Christian Mission’s philosophy of putting new converts to work saw him given a job in the organisation’s printing office. He came under the notice of Booth, who saw potential in the young man. By 1878, he had become an officer in what was now The Salvation Army. James and Alice Barker with their young daughter during their appointment in the ‘Southern Seas’. Following his only corps appointment in the Manchester 1 Corps, Booth felt Barker was the man to take over command of the newly established work in Australasia. Barker was engaged to Alice Sutton, a soldier of Bethnal Green Corps, so Booth conducted their wedding in 1882, promoting them to the rank of major and commissioning them to take command “in all the colonies of the Southern Seas”. The very next day, Major and Mrs Barker sailed on the SS Cotopaxi, bound for Adelaide. Rapid rise Due to a labour dispute on the Adelaide waterfront, the Cotopaxi was diverted to Melbourne. The Barkers disembarked not knowing anyone in the city and with only a few shillings in their pockets. However, their arrival had been noted by William Whitchurch and Captain Isaac Unsworth, an English officer temporarily in Melbourne, who met them on the dock. Accommodation was found, and it wasn’t long before Barker was introduced to Dr John Singleton, a meeting that proved highly significant both to Barker and The Salvation Army. Dr Singleton was an ageing, passionate social reformer who not only made his mission hall available to Barker but also arranged for him to hold religious services inside the gaols and also visit prisoners, an event that was to launch the Army’s worldwide court and prison ministry. Barker’s forceful and charismatic personality proved an invaluable asset in attracting and holding an audience. Although not tall, his military bearing and dark glowing eyes, together with his quick mind and decisive action, proved to be the catalyst The Salvation Army needed to commence its ministry in Melbourne. By the end of 1882, he had established a corps in the suburb of Hotham and in January 1883, a second corps was opened at Collingwood. Under Barker’s command, the Army in Melbourne expanded rapidly. By the end of 1883, it had 33 officers, a two-room office used for the headquarters and was able to publish The War Cry with a circulation of 60,000 copies. Fifteen months after their arrival, meetings to mark the first anniversary of The Salvation Army in Victoria were held in the Exhibition Building and attended by 10,000 people. Concerned that the men he met in prison would slip back into their old ways after their release, Barker invited them to come to him for help. He acquired a large dwelling in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton, which was opened on 8 December 1883 as what he termed a ‘Prison-Gate Home’. The Barkers’ social conscience didn’t stop with those in prison. In the back streets of Melbourne, they sought out women addicted to drugs and coerced into prostitution and established a residence where they could escape their circumstances. Before long, Prison-Gate Homes and Rescue Homes for Fallen Women were established throughout Australia and New Zealand. Lesser role The training of officers for his fledgling Army also exercised the mind of James Barker. Following his own training experiences, the first three cadets were set to work building the Prahran Hall by day and studying at night. Progress in Victoria was rapid, and two years after the Barkers’ arrival, their command boasted 100 corps, 75 outposts and 200 officers. It may well be that Barker was a ‘big picture man’ rather than a ‘detail man’ as Colonel Ballington Booth and Major T Henry Howard found out when they arrived, following orders from Booth to review the work in Australia. Although their welcome meeting in Melbourne was attended by government ministers, members of parliament and the wealthy, they discovered that Barker had not closely supervised the work, with Howard referring to a corps in NSW as “an army of lions led by asses”. The James Barker Aged Care Centre in Footscray, Melbourne, named after The Salvation Army pioneer who significantly influenced early social work in the city. In 1885, Colonel Herbert Booth, William Booth’s son, assumed command in Australia, with Barker given a lesser appointment to oversee Victoria’s work. However, the popularity of Barker, now a colonel, had not waned with now-Commissioner Howard commenting: “Without doubt, the colonel was the idol of the people. Few men in the Army have been the object of more admiration and flattery than he received in Melbourne.” In 1890, James and Alice Barker were recalled to London to commence ministry among the prisons as he did in Australia. In May 1901, at the age of 49, Barker was promoted to glory after suffering from diabetes for many years. In no small way, The Salvation Army owes much of its success in social work to this pioneering evangelical entrepreneur.

Captain (later Brigadier) Vic Pedersen was our first flying padre. BY JESSICA MORRIS The Flying Padre Service is part of the bread and butter of The Salvation Army in Australia. Since 1945, flying padres have served in the aftermath of war, floods, cyclones and drought, travelling to some of the country’s most remote locations by air to care for people. The service began 80 years ago as The Salvation Army served during wartime. Sadly, records about the Army’s work in northern Australia between 1944 and 1974 were lost in the devastation of Cyclone Tracy. However, former flying padre Brigadier Vic Pedersen (MBE OF) took on the mammoth task in 2002 of curating those three decades of missing history. Through this, we are given insight into the Flying Padre Service’s miraculous beginnings. Even being stranded in the Outback and surviving crash-landings! But more about that later. Captain Vic Pedersen proudly flying the ex-RAAF Tiger Moth, the first aircraft of the Flying Padre Service. The Salvation Army was very active across northern Australia even before the flying padre’s operations took off. But in 1944, a certain Captain Vic Pedersen entered the scene. Vic was appointed to serve 500 Australian military personnel at the RAAD 58 Operational Base Unit Truscott (WA), the closest part of Australia to the then Japanese-held territory in Timor and Java. With no chaplain on-site and an additional 1000 military personnel based nearby, Vic was responsible for delivering Christmas hampers to permanent and temporary personnel across multiple radar sites. He was soon conducting Sunday services, and when a Liberator aircraft crashed in early 1945 at Truscott, killing 11 airmen, the need for greater service from The Salvation Army was clear. As Vic recalls in his documents, “Commanding Officer Senior Leader Barry said, ‘Vic, you are our chaplain; you are to conduct the funerals.’ Vic stepped up, helping his peers through their grief. And soon afterwards, a chaplain was appointed to Truscott, leaving Vic to oversee welfare and church services at radar stations. On one particular trip, Vic travelled 160km down the coast to a radar station and was forced to shelter for three days while a storm blew over. On arrival, he found a letter from then Territorial Leader Commissioner W.R. Dalziel enquiring about his work, to which Vic replied, “If we had a light aircraft, I could have come home in an hour.” The divinely inspired path to The Salvation Army Flying Padre Service was set, and just before Vic could travel to Melbourne to meet with Commissioner Dalziel, everything came together ... sort of. “In Melbourne, Commissioner Dalziel called [me from] a garage with a flat tyre, and there I met Mrs Fitzgerald, the leader of a group of women called the Red Shield Units of Service. They financed the purchase of equipment for Red Shield Work,” Vic writes. “‘What do you need now?’ was [Mrs Fitzgerald’s] opening remark. ‘An aeroplane,’ [I said].’ ‘We’ll buy it,’ [she replied]. I arrived in Melbourne a few weeks later and discovered that buying an aircraft in wartime was easier said than done.” READ MORE: Changing a tyre and acquiring a plane When Vic arrived in Melbourne, the plan was in motion and they had their eyes set on purchasing an ex-RAAF Tiger Moth – the only aircraft available in 1945. While the Army purchased and readied the aircraft for use, Vic spent his time down south visiting the families of the men who had passed away in the Liberator crash. Brigadier Vic Pedersen (then Captain, right) receives his special Flying Red Shield badge from Commissioner William Dalziel at the dedication of the VH-ASA in September 1945. Before the aircraft was ready, peace was declared. But that didn’t stop The Salvation Army from dedicating the aircraft – a VH-ASA, for God’s service. And on 24 September 1945, at Essendon Airport, it was dedicated by Commissioner Dalziel in front of all Red Shield personnel. Soon, Vic was in the air, and the first journey of The Salvation Army Flying Padre Service was in motion. But on returning to Truscott and the surrounding radar sites, he soon found his service wasn’t needed. Instead, he conducted services in Wyndham, Broome and Derby in northern Western Australia. He recalls using many Red Shield songbooks and playing the English concertina. Stranded in the Outback During this time, a request came in for Vic to transport a Mrs Heggie and her five-year-old son, Bruce, to the Presbyterian-run Kunmunya Mission, 480km from Broome. The plan was to reunite them with Reverend Jack Heggie. It should have been a simple trip, but the journey was marred by dense smoke haze. They were forced into an emergency landing across a tidal swamp. It was the dry season, and with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, the situation was life-threatening, primarily because t he VH-ASA was now immovable. “The aircraft landed normally, but our situation was desperate. It was 10am on Sunday 21 October 1945, and [coming into] the hottest time of year. We had precisely two pints of water, which were quickly used,” Vic recalls in his records. “We asked God to help us, and he did. No other help came until the following Thursday when we were located by aircraft and supplies were dropped.” So how did God help the unlikely trio in one of the world’s harshest environments? By providing them with water. And it was five-year-old Bruce who saw it first. “Our tidal flat was surrounded by hills of rocks and loose stones. I climbed one and soon realised that my strenuous action was foolish,” said Vic. “We rested in the shade of the aircraft. Dozing off in the early afternoon, I heard Bruce call out that there was water racing towards us!” “We needed fresh water desperately and urgently.” Miraculously, cool water swirled straight past the grounded aircraft and its stranded passengers. Submerging the wheels of the VH-ASA, they sat under the toe wing and dug a hole so they could retain water. And it had come just in time. Describing their thirst as “torture”, flies had been swarming around them, getting stuck in their mouths. They now had enough water to cool off and rehydrate before the tide went out. But not knowing how long they would be stranded, Vic needed to find a way to purify and retain the water. “I tried to remove the auxiliary tank with a view of distilling water. Getting it out would be a long job. We needed fresh water desperately and urgently,” Vic said. “The thought came, ‘Why not boil water in my service water bottle?’ I filled it from our waterhole and set a fire underneath it.” Connecting the speaking tubes from his flying helmet and wrapping his handkerchief around the Y end to fit the water bottleneck, the other ends were placed in an empty bully beef tin. Vic’s ingenuity worked. They soon had water spurting into the tin, and they drank it while it was still too hot to tell whether it was salt or fresh. Their saturated clothes also became a source of hydration, and placing items on the tubes, the steam became distilled water for their consumption. In addition, God kept providing for them when the tide covered the flat again. “We had a lot to thank God for,” Vic shares. “Using the water bottle, I’m sure, was divinely inspired. It not only gave us all the water we needed but also provided excellent occupational therapy. It also gave a sense of achievement that boosted morale. When the sun rose, bringing another day of extreme heat and flies, we could relax in water-cooled comfort and count our blessings.” The first sign of human help came on day three when Bruce heard an aircraft. By Thursday, they had all seen a plane overhead, and it dropped a canvas bag of supplies for the trio on the mudflat. Finally, on Friday, five days after their emergency landing, they were rescued by a mission lugger [small sailing ship]. They left the VH-ASA behind, intending to recover it to continue the Flying Padre Service’s work. But before reaching Kunmunya Mission, they had an extra stop. The mission lugger was tasked with picking up the stranded crew of a Dutch Mitchell aircraft on the coast, a job that Vic was able to assist with. And after dropping the Heggies at Kunmunya – albeit five days late, they went to Truscott and then Darwin. Making his way back to the coast, Vic rallied and got a ride on a RAAF ship 06-16 that was pulling out radar stations along the coast. With Red Shield Assistant Frank Bounds accompanying him, they located the grounded VH-ASA, which they realised was at the foot of Mount Trafalgar in the Kimberley region. Along with the crew of the RAAF ship, they crafted sleds and dismantled the plane, placing it on the boat. The engine was damaged by salt water, but this, along with whatever was salvageable, was loaded onto the 06-16, which unloaded at Darwin Wharf that December. Not before a trip back to Truscott, though, where Vic and Frank dutifully handed out Christmas parcels to the remaining servicemen! Appointed to 12 Squadron in Darwin, Vic was able to store the VH-ASA in a retired RAAF hangar and do the repairs himself. Amidst ensuring the servicemen were able to get home for Christmas, he rebuilt the engine with the assistance of engineers over the coming months. A crash-landing in 1945 ended the career of the Flying Padre Services’ first aircraft, with some of the wreckage still visible in 2015. Soon, the Flying Padre Service would be up in the air again, before a crash-landing not long later ended the career of the VH-ASA. The unfortunate incident in the Cambridge Gulf (north of Wyndham, WA) caused the demise of this aircraft. The lighting of a signal fire to attract attention and eventual help turned to disaster, when Spinifex grass that covered the ground enabled the fire to work its way against the wind and burn out a big area – including VH-ASA. In 2007, Flying Padre Major David Shrimpton was flying in the area where the Tiger Moth had met its fate. David recalls: “With an incredibly rough ‘lat’ and ‘long’ marked on my map and GPS set to coordinates close to this mark – I went searching! Not expecting to locate the plane immediately, I was totally amazed when an object on the ground glinted in the sun and caught my eye. Unbelievably the markings on my map were within 20 metres of the wreckage of ASA. “It was quite difficult to curb my excitement of this sighting; and after circling a number of times at low level and carefully surveying the area, I cautiously landed on the mud flats and went to investigate! After capturing a number of photos of the site, I began to fossick around the area and gathered together a number of the aluminium panels that were still in a reasonable condition. Although partly eroded, one panel included a faint outline of The Salvation Army Shield.” This particular panel has been donated to The Salvation Army Museum in Melbourne. Vic is reported to have had five minor crashes between 1945 and 1950, surviving all of them, but it demonstrated the commitment of the early-day flying padres and the dedication they had to serving the people of the Outback in God’s name. Nearly three decades later, in 1975, the Flying Padre Service was dramatically grounded again, this time because Cyclone Tracy blew it away! But that's another story.   All photos courtesy of The Salvation Army Museum, Australia. Visit the Flying Padre Services exhibit at The Salvation Army Museum in Melbourne.

Captains Brad and Joycelyn McIver, with Captains Rose and John Aga (Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory), supporting the Hope and a Future program at the Gold Coast Marathon. BY CAPTAIN JOYCELYN McIVER From early December, my husband [Captain] Brad and I will be serving in the Solomon Islands, which is part of the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory. Brad will serve as District Officer, and I will serve as District Director of Women’s Ministries. Brad is currently serving in the role of Special Projects – Office of the Chief Secretary, and I am Corps Officer/Team Leader at Waverley Temple (Vic.) Earlier this year, God spoke to me about living in full surrender to him, and in that moment, he placed on my heart a call to missionary service. Around the same time, Brad also sensed God’s leading toward overseas service during his time at the International College for Officers. Together, we made ourselves available to The Salvation Army, indicating our willingness to serve in a developing nation. Saying yes has not been easy. We will deeply miss our family, the Waverley Corps and the comforts of home here in Australia. Our four adult children, their partners, and our two grandchildren (aged 4 and 22 months) are so precious to us, and leaving them is heartbreaking. On top of that, we have elderly parents and even our much-loved pets – a dachshund and two cats – that we need to rehome. The grief of leaving is already very real. But just as when we first said ‘yes’ to God’s call into full-time ministry, we trust that this yes will also bring incredible blessings and opportunities for service. “We are looking forward to warmer weather and the natural beauty of the Solomon Islands, but even more so, we are excited about the ministry opportunities ahead.” Our hearts are eager to walk alongside the local people, to encourage them in faith, and to see lives transformed through a relationship with Jesus. We know there will be challenges – language differences, limited infrastructure and scarce resources will no doubt stretch us – but we are confident that God will use every past experience, both before and during our officership, to equip us for the work he has prepared. Major Robert and Vanessa Evans at their recent farewell service. We feel especially blessed to have had the unique opportunity of an in-person handover with the officers – Majors Robert and Vanessa Evans – who previously held these roles. Their generosity in sharing their knowledge and experience has been invaluable, and we are so grateful for the way they have supported us in this transition. To read more about the Evanses and their eight years of service in the Solomon Islands, click on the link below: READ MORE: We have been living the extraordinary for eight years

Enjoying some fun cutting the ribbon at Wonthaggi Salvation Army’s new building (from left) Captain Amanda Hart (Corps Officer),  Cr Rochelle Halstead (Bass Coast Mayor), Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, Jordan Crugnale (Member for Bass) and Colonel Kelvin Merrett. BY LERISSE SMITH After years of dreaming and careful planning, the Wonthaggi community in Victoria’s South Gippsland is celebrating the official opening of a new building for The Salvation Army. And the premises in McKenzie St is more than just bricks and mortar – it’s a place of hope, dignity and connection, says Captain Amanda Hart, Corps Officer at South Coast Gippsland Salvos, that reflects The Salvation Army’s mission and vision . “We planted a special tree as a symbol of new life and growth,” she said. “For our space, for our building, for what goes on inside, and for our community as well … The main thing for us is that the building is not just for us; we are not just opening it for the Salvos. It’s for the community, and we want it to be shaped by the voices of our community and those who call Wonthaggi home.” Amanda (left), Kelvin and Miriam plant a special tree, a Callistemon ‘Kings Park Special’, a bright red bottlebrush native to Australia, as a symbol of new life and growth at the opening.  The official opening on 3 September reflected the strong community spirit, with guests from the local community, churches, Neighbourhood House and the local Shire. Commissioner Miriam Gluyas officially opened the building ‘to the glory of God’, with catering provided by the Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES). In a heartfelt moment, Miriam helped plant the commemorative tree, a Callistemon ‘Kings Park Special’, a bright red bottlebrush native to Australia, donated by Bunnings – a neighbour across the road! Ms Jordan Crugnale, State Member for Bass, and Councillor Rochelle Halstead, Mayor of Bass Coast Shire, were both in attendance at the opening and shared inspiring and encouraging words with the attendees. As the corps officer since 2023, Amanda oversees both the Wonthaggi and Leongatha sites, two separate buildings located about 30 minutes apart, operating together as a multi-site hub. Both sites are also co-located with other mission services, combining church and social mission in the same location. And it’s an effective partnership. The setup allows both to serve their respective diverse communities while sharing resources and a unified mission. The Leongatha site has long been the hub for social mission services, covering a range of vital support areas, and now, with Wonthaggi’s new facility open, those services will have a stronger presence in Wonthaggi too. The official opening of the new site means some of the social mission services can now operate out of the modern building space, enabling clients to have greater access – and it has been a long time coming. The official opening on September 3 reflected the strong community spirit, with guests from the local community, churches, Neighbourhood House, and the local shire. A vision and plan for the new building was first sparked by Captain Amy Jones, the former corps officer in the region. While her original concept has evolved, especially since Wonthaggi and Leongatha came together as South Coast Gippsland Salvos in 2023, the essence of her dream remains: a place where people are welcomed, supported, empowered, and lives are transformed with the love of Jesus. What was once a focus on just the corps and The Salvation Army’s Doorways program has now expanded to a vibrant, multi-use facility with a decent amount of office and community space, and a strong emphasis on community engagement with new services planned for the future. The previous building served the community for nearly 50 years before being redeveloped into the new site. It not only provided spiritual support, but also support services, part of a legacy of more than 100 years of local ministry building God’s Kingdom in the region. When the redevelopment began about a year ago, transforming the aged facility into a modern space fit for today’s needs was both exciting and innovative – with the focus remaining firmly on people and serving the needs of the local residents. And the result? A well-equipped new building featuring a community hall suitable for worship and programs, a commercial kitchen, food pantry, several interview rooms, and office spaces for services, including Salvos Community Connect. Some of the facilities inside the new building include a modern office space, a community hall where all the corps programs/ministry will take place, and a kitchen.  Alongside its weekly food relief programs, the corps is considering running activities such as cheese toasties and a cuppa in the morning for people when they come in to collect their food, allowing them to sit down and build community, foster fellowship, and reduce isolation. Crucially, the new site is being designed with adaptability in mind. Rather than reverting to old routines, the team plans to conduct a community needs analysis to understand how best to serve the area going forward. “We are not jumping straight into going back to the same old thing,” Amanda explained. “We are really looking at what the community needs are, and how we can work alongside community to bring about something different and to look at different ways of what church can look like today in this day and age.” Critical supports provided to the local communities include family violence, homelessness, and youth outreach – issues that are acutely felt in the Gippsland region. And the corps’ approach is collaborative, open to working with other agencies, groups, and stakeholders who share the same passion for change. Orange Sky laundry pod One of Wonthaggi’s newest additions: an on-site Orange Sky laundry pod, launched as the 50th service site for the organisation. That spirit of collaboration was evident recently with one of Wonthaggi’s newest additions: an on-site Orange Sky laundry pod, launched as the 50th service site for the organisation. With two washing machines and two dryers, the pod is open Monday and Thursday mornings, offering two weekly sessions where people can access laundry services in dignity and comfort. Local partners, including the council, Rotary, and the neighbourhood house, all worked together to bring the project to life. “It has a really strong sense of community and wanting to help each other,” Amanda said when reflecting of the special qualities of the Wonthaggi community. “There are some really great opportunities for us to work with other services, other agencies, and community groups to really see some positive change in the area. I think locals are really keen to see the best for their community.” To further engage with the local population, Amanda’s team is also planning a survey initiative in their thrift store, offering a $10 voucher to those who participate, either digitally via a QR code or on paper. It’s yet another way they hope to capture the voice of the community and shape the future of the space together. As the new building steps into its new role as a vibrant community anchor, gratitude runs deep. Amanda expressed thanks to the Salvos property team, Antarctica Architects, and local builders TS Constructions, who brought the redevelopment vision to life. “They have just done an amazing job,” she said. “They have been fantastic to work with and brought an exciting development to life that is a beacon of hope for the local community.” Who doesn't like to take a selfie?! Kelvin, Amanda and Miriam take a moment out for a fun selfie with the plaque commemorating the official opening of the building.

Salvation Army Worship Arts Coordinator Dan Casey with the CMMA award. BY ANTHONY CASTLE   Revolution Worship, a platform for new music within The Salvation Army, has been awarded by the Christian Media and Arts Australia (CMMA) for its emerging contribution to Christian music.   Revolution Worship was nominated for the Emerging Artist Award following the release of two new songs, Our God is Great and Move Again .   Winners were announced at the CONNECT25 conference on the Gold Coast on 2 September.   “I was in shock, to be honest,” said Daniel Casey, Salvation Army Worship Arts Coordinator. “I have so much respect for the others nominated. I sat down at the awards show and thought, ‘Just being here is a win’. Next minute, they announced us!   “I didn’t have a thank-you speech ready, I didn’t expect to win,” he laughed. “I got up, took the award, and said, ‘The Salvos are back!’ I truly believe the win reflects that the Salvos have a place in the Christian music industry of Australia. We really want to thank everyone who voted and all those who reached out and supported us.” With songs written by Daniel Casey, Luke O’Dea, and Paris Briggs, Revolution Worship has been releasing songs from an upcoming EP titled King Jesus .   LISTEN:  For Our God is Great , click here . For Move Again , click here     “The nomination came from our songs being on Christian radio,” Daniel says. “Our tracks, Our Redeemer and We Walk with Hope, have been getting good radio play, which is where nominations come. We would have been shortlisted from that radio reach, but I’m blown away that people rallied around the music and actually voted.”   Revolution Worship won the award for Emerging Artist, hosted by CMMA . The nominations are part of the People’s Choice Awards component, with winners decided by the public.   “This is a voting award,” Dan says. “You win if people vote, and you can’t force it. “Revolution Worship is essentially an initiative funded by our Worship Arts department, and its focus is to resource our Salvation Army faith communities across the territory. While we’ve been around for a couple of years, we’re still figuring out how to best serve communities. The nomination and win is hard evidence that people are behind new music that shows the heart of the movement.”   READ MORE:   The revolution now begins   Revolution Worship produces music from within Salvo communities, and for Salvo communities. Dan Casey is based at Salisbury City Salvos (Adelaide), Paris Briggs at Shire Salvos (Sydney), and Luke O’Dea at Northlakes Salvos (Newcastle), where much of the songwriting takes place.   “Winning this award was only possible because the Salvos community came together and voted for Revolution Worship,” explains Paris. “Seeing this unity within our community is incredibly encouraging to me.” The award won by Revolution Worship. Revolution Worship is also producing tutorials on YouTube to make the music accessible for people of differing skill levels. Revolution Worship makes music that is useful for faith communities. As demonstrated by the award win, these resources are now reaching communities outside of the Salvos.   “God is doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:19)!” says Paris. “Through Revolution Worship, the Holy Spirit is bringing unity to our movement, building on our rich musical heritage and carrying it forward in fresh ways. I can’t wait to see what God does next.”   Revolution Worship’s EP King Jesus will be available towards the end of the year, with new resources accompanying the songs. More on Revolution Worship’s releases can be found here , on Spotify , iTunes , and on YouTube . Revolution Worship’s upcoming EP titled King Jesus.

For 80 years, The Salvation Army’s Flying Padre Service has brought prayer, support and the love of Jesus to some of Australia’s most isolated communities. In 1945, Captain Vic Pedersen had the vision for a flying padre service to reach everywhere – from remote Outback stations to tiny missions. Today, there is a legacy of officers who have followed in Vic’s footsteps and flight paths, always with the same message: “You are seen, you are valued, and you are deeply loved by God.” Click on the Salvos Studios video below to view a history of our flying padres:

Each week throughout 2025, Salvationists around the world are uniting in prayer for a particular territory or region of The Salvation Army.   The focus territory/region shares prayer requests to help us pray with precision and power for one another.   This week (15-21 September) we are praying for the New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa   Territory.   Commissioner Janine Donaldson leads the territory. The New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa  Territory  has 511 officers (245 active, 266 retired); Aux-Capts 4; Envoys 4; cadets 18; employees 2082; corps 90; outposts and societies 24; senior soldiers 4480; adherents 1395; junior soldiers 772. Praise and prayer points: The whole territory: Praise:  For the gentle stirring of the spirit around the territory amongst congregations, officers and staff as evidenced by the attendance at monthly territorial prayer meetings, the recent Prayer Summit and our online spiritual retreat days.   Prayer:  Please pray for our Together Congress happening 26 – 28 September. Pray that people will experience a great sense of unity and purpose as we connect with each other and with God over this weekend. Please pray for all the behind the scenes planning but more than that, for the Holy Spirit to move especially as General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn share with us over the weekend.   New Zealand: Praise:  We praise God that there is a growing sense of passion and purpose amongst our young people.   Prayer:  Over the past two years we have journeyed through a significant amount of structural change in New Zealand. We ask that you pray for the ongoing work around our culture that is required to enable the new structure to be embedded and to see greater mission impact for the kingdom of God.   Fiji: Praise:  For the opening of the Kauwai Boys Restoration service which can now house 24 street boys. We give thanks for the funding that has made this possible and for the ongoing work that is happening in the lives of the boys. Prayer:  The abuse of alcohol and drugs in Fiji is on the increase – especially with our young people. Please pray that we are able to access funding for the Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) work that is required in Fiji.   Tonga: Praise:  For the opportunities that have opened up with the Tongan royal family around possible use of land for the mission of The Salvation Army in Tonga.   Prayer:  For unity, God’s guidance, wisdom and love in Tonga especially as they prepare for their 40th Anniversary celebrations in September 2026.   Samoa: Praise:  We are thankful to God for the people who are expressing interest in becoming soldiers and those exploring leadership development.   Prayer:  We pray for opportunities to extend the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army in Samoa to better serve the community.' For more information on the New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory, click here .   To download the 2025 International Prayer Focus schedule, click here .   To find out more about The Salvation Army’s prayer focus, click here .

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A clipping from a 1945 edition of the War Cry telling the story of how The Salvation Army acquired its first plane for the outback flying service. BY BARRY GITTINS Serendipity is defined as the occurrence of things that make you happy and benefit you. Christians, Jews, Muslims and Zoroastrians, etc., folks who historically have been described as ‘People of the Book’, tend to see serendipity more sharply as the hand of providence, dishing out God’s blessings. However you define it, Salvos can be grateful for what other folks might dismiss as a coincidence – an accident – that helped lead to the start of the Salvos’ flying padre service. It all started with a leaking tyre that needed attention. It was early 1945, and Commissioner W.R. Dalziel, Territorial Commander of the Australia Southern Territory, was having a punctured tyre fixed. A wealthy woman happened by and asked, “Are you in need of anything in particular?” “I’d like an aeroplane,” joked the commissioner, adding that The Salvation Army “could use it well around the north, where the men are so scattered.” For some time, it turns out, the commissioner had been corresponding with a young Salvation Army officer and pilot by the name of Vic Pedersen. At the outbreak of World War Two, Vic had joined the Royal Australian Air Force and became a qualified pilot. As the Army’s Red Shield Representative (Sallyman) with the RAAF Operational Base Unit, based in Truscott, Western Australia, Vic had served as the unofficial chaplain. Commissioner Dalziel films Captain Vic Pedersen and the new plane ready for service. But back to that punctured tyre and the wealthy woman … On the spot, the socialite promised to pay for the plane (costing at least a thousand pounds). And who, you might say, was this generous socialite? It was Mrs J Fitzgerald, head of a women’s auxiliary called ‘Red Shield Units of Service’. The auxiliary was seeking a new fundraising project for The Salvation Army’s war work. Commissioner Dalziel’s suggestion of an aircraft to more easily facilitate contact with small groups of servicemen isolated in the north-west region of Australia spurred Mrs Fitzgerald and her ladies into action.   Hence, The Salvation Army Flying Padre Service was born, with Captain Vic Pedersen serving as the first aviator in that role, with an ex-RAAF Tiger Moth . “With every display of confidence in the Red Shield activities of The Salvation Army,” the Army’s War Cry reported, “the RAAF has decided to service [the plane]. With the least amount of delay, the plane will be on its way to the wide North West. May God prosper the venture!” God has indeed prospered the venture, with the service still going strong 80 years later. The full article from the War Cry. READ MORE:   Top End to host anniversary weekend

Salvos Online  continues a new weekly column – Three Books. Today’s guest bookworm is Daryl Crowden, who is The Salvation Army’s General Manager of Emergency, Aid and Development (Mission).   Besides the gospels and Psalms, which is your favourite book in the Bible and why? I don’t think I have a favourite book – but the verses and concepts that have formed the foundations of my character and ministry come (sorry to break the rules) from Psalm 121 and 1 Peter 5:7. “… where does my help come from ... the maker of the heavens and the earth” (Psalm 121:1-2) was a promise my mother received when, as a young mum, she took her kids to live and work in the (then, very) foreign land of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Mum remembers many days when all resources were exhausted, but God inexplicably provided. This promise, backed by personal real-time family experience, continues to remind me of God’s provision – and later, deployed to Haiti, it was the promise God reminded me of and I paraphrased for and from a Haitian perspective. When commissioned as an officer, and in many dynamic (anxious) contexts of ministry (and life) throughout the years, 1 Peter 5:7 has reinforced and affirmed the original promise of provision – because God cares for me!   Besides the Bible, what is a Christian book that has strongly influenced your faith? What’s so Amazing about Grace by Philip Yancey. It’s an oldie, but a goodie. My default settings have a filter against religion, judgement and legalism, but Yancey’s stories and honest reflections reminded me how grace stands in stark contrast to judgment and legalism. He dives deep into what grace means – not as a religious concept, but as a practical and transformative life choice that can heal relationships, challenge injustice, and reshape how we live. With real-life stories and personal reflections, Yancy invites readers to wrestle with hard questions – like how we respond to those who hurt us, and whether we truly extend grace to others the way we’ve received it. This book reframed my default settings and continues to be a litmus test for me in my relationships, leadership and management of people.   What is a secular book that has revealed to you a Christian message or theme? The Thin Book of Trust: An Essential Primer for Building Trust at Work by Charles Feltman was introduced to me when I was working among refugees in Tanzania and Uganda. As a team, we were developing our organisational strategy, and as part of that, we were working with our staff and the refugees to identify what we wanted and were known for – TRUST was the theme that we heard most. There have been a lot of big books written about trust, but I found this book different because of its clarity: in under 100 pages, with no jargon or grandiose self-help promises, but with examples and illustrations that facilitate discussion, it is a tool that we could use regardless of (English, Swahili or Luganda) literacy. Feltman invites readers to think deeply about how they show up in relationships and how they interpret the actions of others. It’s a straightforward, actionable approach to trust; the building blocks of which Feltman argues are sincerity, reliability, competence, and care .

Commandant Herbert Booth and Major Joseph Perry directed and produced Soldiers of the Cross. BY LINDSAY COX* “A Christian woman, with a babe in her arms, was being pursued by Roman soldiers. The path lay across a series of wooden planks forming a narrow bridge. A comrade in the faith on the near side encourages her to cross, and receives her with a ready grasp and presses her on in hurried flight ... ... A soldier, who had outstripped his confederates, reached the plank and dashed across, forgetting to take into account the spring of the board under his weight and rapid movement. He suddenly loses his balance, and is seen flying through the air, and drops with a great splash in the stream. The tension of the audience thereat gave way to manifested gladness at the escape and the discomfiture of the poor woman’s pursuer.” (The War Cry, 18/5/1901. Page 9). The stunned and shocked audience broke their breathless silence with applause and cheers as vivid moving images and brilliantly coloured magic-lantern slides filled the huge screen in front of them. Soldiers of the Cross , a ground-breaking production by The Salvation Army’s Limelight Department, premiered on 13 September 1900 at the Melbourne Town Hall before an audience of more than 2000. Melburnians were captivated by this production, which has been grandly claimed to be the world’s first feature film. However, by the current definition, Soldiers of the Cross is not a feature film, but a two-and-a-half-hour multi-media event consisting of an ingenious mix of 16 90-second motion picture segments, some 220 magic-lantern slides, music from the Masses of Mozart by a 22-piece orchestra and choir, and rousing oratory by Commandant Herbert Booth. Soldiers of the Cross was an extraordinary achievement for its time, a startling, stirring and often brutal portrayal of the sufferings of the early Christian martyrs. The film segments of Soldiers of the Cross are among the earliest examples of using motion-picture film for narrative drama and are the first Australasian use of costumed actors performing on elaborate studio sets. Herbert Booth wrote, “In some [scenes there] are as many as 50 characters at once. I have not been able to discover any such slides in the world.” The cast of 150 officers and cadets acted on large film sets at the Murrumbeena Girls’ Home, with painted backdrops supported by the tennis court fencing. Smaller sets were erected in the Life Model Studio at 69 Bourke Street. Some scenes were shot on location; for example, the River Tiber clearly resembles the Richmond Baths. The Limelight Department camera crew with producer Major Joseph Perry. Commandant Herbert Booth, The Salvation Army’s charismatic Australasian leader (and youngest son of the Founder William Booth) conceived, wrote and directed Soldiers of the Cross , while Major Joseph Perry, the head of the Limelight Department, produced it. Film historian Eric Reade commented, “Perry covered huge crowd scenes with the dexterity of a seasoned producer. He was De Mille before his time.” Booth was adamant that Soldiers of the Cross was not just entertainment. He wrote: “I am anxious that as a result of all the labour, ingenuity and anxiety, which have been followed by prayerful dedication to the cause of Jesus, hundreds will be drawn to the Cross ...” *Lindsay Cox is The Salvation Army Australia Museum Manager based in Melbourne READ MORE: UNESCO recognition Pioneering past Limelight lights up with world premiere