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“The sky over my Kyiv 17 June. Thank God we are alive! But, unfortunately, not all Ukrainians met the dawn today. ”  These are the words of Major Irina Shvab, Ukraine divisional leader with Major Konstantyn Shvab. As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to rage in its fourth year, cities across the country, particularly the capital, Kyiv, have been subjected to increasingly sustained and intense missile and drone strikes, killing dozens of people, injuring hundreds, and destroying apartment blocks, schools, playgrounds and other civilian infrastructure.   Despite this onslaught and the impacts of more than three years of full-scale war, The Salvation Army continues to serve local communities through regular Sunday services, Bible studies, youth and children’s activities and, as summer begins, scouting. Teams also provide vouchers, clothing and other essentials; psychological and emotional support; and a caring, hope-filled and actively compassionate, faith-filled presence.   Please continue to pray for Ukraine . For more images, click on the arrow below.

Three junior soldiers welcome General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham to the congress. The Salvation Army’s world leaders, General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, delivered “clear and compelling messages” at the Belonging 2025 Congress in the USA Central Territory earlier this month. More than 2200 people gathered for a series of events and avtivities as part of the ‘Belonging’ congress in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 3-8 June. In line with the theme, concepts of belonging to God, the Body of Christ, community and mission were explored. “It’s not sufficient for us to celebrate our belonging. It’s our responsibility as his redeemed children, loved by him, to clothe ourselves with those things that are synonymous with belonging to the Kingdom of God,” said the General. The massed choir representing many cultures and languages of the territory added to the sense of belonging at the congress. Commissioner Buckingham (World President of Women’s Ministries) echoed the General’s words. “We come together not just as individuals who occupy a common space, but we are part of something greater. We are a living, breathing community, connected by the love of Christ,” she said, referring to Romans 12 and diving into what it means to be the Body of Christ.    Inspiring musical presentations, enthusiastic praise, heartfelt personal testimonies, and profiles of transformative ministries were interwoven throughout the meetings. General Lyndon Buckingham congratulated Ryan Hanton on becoming a senior soldier. Congress highlights include the enrolment of 61 junior and senior soldiers and adherents; the commissioning of the Champions of the Mission session for cadets; a World Services Ingathering of $11.2 million and the dedication of summer mission teams heading to Kenya, Mexico, and Slovakia; as well as the presentation of the Others Award to Corps Community Ministries Director Pamela Church-Pryor, who was described as the embodiment of holistic ministry and cited for influencing 90 individuals to become soldiers or adherents. Others award recipient Pamela Church-Pryor speaks with the world leaders and Commissioner Evie Diaz, Territorial Commander. Aligned with The Salvation Army’s Global Strategic Framework , Compass , the new Territorial Priorities (Spiritual Life, Youth and Leadership Development) were featured, with Territorial Commander Commissioner Evie Diaz calling them three pillars for shaping the vision of the territory.  Twelve new awards for excellence in relation to the priorities were presented by Commissioner Buckingham at a commencement and awards banquet, which concluded a Belonging Conference representing a full integrated gathering of ministries – a first for the territory – preceding the congress. Fifty-eight officers were also recognised for earning degrees and certificates, and cadets received certificates and honours. In his commencement address, the General charged the Champions of the Mission to stay humble, connected, accountable and focused. The next day, all officers joined the Buckinghams for councils. Congress meetings were complemented by a plethora of activities. Ten ‘belonging’ spaces provided resources and facilitated connection and conversations, and an interactive prayer zone encouraged reflection and intercession. A gaming tournament and a Rising Stars musical competition filled an afternoon. The Thrift Express Bus brought a travelling boutique to delegates, and the debut of  Belongings: A Thrift Store Musical  took centre stage. A kids’ congress was a huge success, with more than 200 children affirming their sense of belonging.  For more images from the congress, click through the slideshow below:

Lope grew up in a large Christian family in a lagoon village of Papua New Guinea. When she was eight, her father passed away, leaving her mother to raise eight children on her own. Growing up, Lope faced significant hardship, relationship breakdowns, the loss of friendships, and isolation. After fleeing to Australia for safety, she found purpose and a sense of belonging through The Salvation Army, where she now serves in leadership and ministry. Lope says she continues to see “God’s blessings unfold in her life.” Through every struggle and joy, she can see God’s hand and guidance.

The theme of Refugee Week this year is Finding Freedom: Diversity in Community. BY ANTHONY CASTLE   I remembered to speak with a friend recently. I had intended to contact them in the lead up to Refugee Week but failed. My friend is an advocate who has worked for the freedom of people seeking asylum, and migrants, for 15 years. Australian policies continue to utilise detention and deterrence against many people seeking asylum, and I was hoping to ask her about the issue. I had not, however, for one simple reason: I forgot.   It seems sometimes that it is becoming easier to forget things. We live in an age of information saturation and constant disruption. Studies have found that attention spans have shortened over the last 20 years, with memory declining alongside frequent use of multiple forms of media. In many ways, the same platforms and smartphones that drive us to remember things can cause us to forget them as well.   Moving on? While the refugee issue was once an overwhelming part of Australia’s media noise and news cycle, many seem to have moved on. The arrival of boats and failures of offshore detention were breaking news in years past. While those who arrive by boat are still threatened with, and may be subject to, mandatory detention offshore, we don’t hear about it as much. While a decision by the government in 2023 enabled 19,000 refugees to apply for permanency in Australia, there are still many who have no chance to prove their refugee status. The issue never really went away. REFUGEE WEEK RESOURCES ON MY SALVOS: click here Perhaps this has less to do with technology and as much to do with the difficulty of the issue itself. The harms of mandatory offshore detention are well-documented, with a record of neglect, assault, child abuse, and 14 deaths. The debate is also polarising and can bring out the worst in political divisions. It might be hard to remember all this, but I wonder about what else we forget in the process.   There is a passage in Scripture, an instruction woven into the story of the Exodus: You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:21, New Living Translation).   This command exists within a particular biblical narrative, but has relevance for us, too. It instructs us to show compassion to those who come here, to work for their freedom, but also to remember that we ourselves may have similar stories.   Some on these lands are First Peoples, with a sovereignty that goes back 60,000 years. Others have a story here that begins with the arrival of Europeans following colonisation or the advent of immigration following World War II. In fact, one in three current Australians were born overseas and almost half of Australians have a parent born in another country.   The real story I remember to speak with my friend and ask them why we forget, about those still in detention, still with no certainty, and about our own histories. There are reasons, they explain; the issue has changed over time. The debate about those seeking asylum, and specifically those arriving by boat, can harm the vulnerable. My friend suggests that the point is not to return to the days of noise and news cycles, but to remember the people seeking asylum. Not to remember the ‘refugee issue’, but to continue to remember the people at the heart of it.   This year, Refugee Week expands on its theme of Finding Freedom, and we shouldn’t forget the importance of this issue. While there were fewer than five children left in immigration detention at the end of last year, there were still 979 people in these facilities, and there are up to 10,000 people seeking asylum here who have no certainty or pathway forward.   The Salvation Army has long recognised that the ability to seek asylum is a basic human right, and advocates for the freedom and safety of all people. There is still work to do, no matter how hard. In an age of information saturation, let’s not forget, but rather focus on the real story: the humanity of those who come here, as many of us have come here before them. READ MORE: Genocide survivor finds a place to belong in Cairns

To read the Promoted to Glory notice for Coral, click here

Did you know that eight of the top 10 states in the USA for homelessness are in this territory? Each week throughout 2025, Salvationists worldwide are uniting in prayer for a specific 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 (16-22 June) we are praying for the USA Western Territory . T his territory includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas. Commissioners Colleen R. and Douglas F. Riley lead the territory.   The USA Western Territory has 1062 officers (565 active, 497 retired); cadets 25; Envoys 20; employees 7487; corps 224; outposts 3; senior soldiers 16,101; adherents 3920; junior soldiers 2874.   Prayer requests for USA Western Territory Please pray: ·  For our upcoming commissioning. Pray for the new lieutenants as they begin their officership journey, that they will lean on Jesus and find joy in the journey. ·  For more men and women to hear and answer the call for officership to help continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus. ·  That the territory’s summer camp ministry will be fruitful for the Kingdom. ·  Eight of the top 10 states in the USA for homelessness are in our territory. Pray that we will continue to find resources, both financially and in terms of personnel, to help us combat this unhoused crisis. To find out more about the USA Western Territory, click here . To download the 2025 International Prayer Focus schedule, click here .

The beloved Shannen Box (left) with one of her closest friends, Alana Rosten. BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE The Salvation Army is privileged to be partnering with an organisation that supports the families and friends of military servicepeople who have died by suicide. The Flannel Project was begun by ex-Australian Army Corporal Elena Rowland, who lost a friend and former Army colleague, Shannen, to suicide in 2024. The organisation assists SOS (Survivors of Suicide) to access mental health and emotional care supports after an ex-military loved one dies by suicide. Elena Rowland (far left) and Shannen Box (front row, second from right) during their time serving together at 2GHB (2nd General Health Battalion). Tragically, two women discovered Shannen’s body days after her death, and the trauma they experienced through this event led to a realisation for El, as Elena is known. “The two girls who found her weren’t in the Army, and they weren’t veterans,” El said. “So, what happened was they didn’t get the support of any ESO (ex-service organisation).” El’s concern for these two women drove her to initiate a fundraising effort to support their healing journey, but she said it rapidly expanded as more and more people needed this kind of assistance. She then named the organisation after Flannel, Shannen’s beloved dog, who was also left bereaved. Later, she learned that the flannel flower is the symbol of mental health awareness in Australia. Shannen with her loyal dog – a beautiful moment that captures her spirit. El realised that while ex-servicepeople were supported by organisations such as Legacy and The Salvation Army when their military friends died by suicide, the friends and family were often left on their own with the emotions and trauma of the experience, particularly for those who found the bodies of the deceased. “When somebody you know dies, even in the best possible way, it sends ripples and shock waves and everything, and you’re kind of shocked and not knowing what to do,” El said. “What we do is we offer a lifeline called the SOS Card. When a person leaves the [military], they get a White Card or a Gold Card, which helps them to find the services they need to keep them functioning. [First] we get a needs assessment, and then we can put on [the card] everything that particular person needs, like whether it be food vouchers, shopping or running errands for them in that initial stage, we can load that card up with all the things that they personally need.” While Australian males currently serving in a permanent or reserve military capacity have a statistically lower rate of suicide than males in the non-serving Australian population, ex-servicepeople have a higher rate of suicide – 26 per cent higher for ex-service males than the non-serving population, and a whopping 100 per cent higher for ex-service females, according to the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare’s monitoring between 1997 and 2022. Jade Ingham CFMEU (Shan was a Plasterer when she died and was repping Mates in Construction), Lisa Riley (Operations Manager for TFP), Elena Rowland ( The Flannel Project founder)  and Marty Cornish (MC from Phoenix) at last year’s ‘Wear a Flan 4 Shan’ event held at Musgrave Park, Brisbane. Salvation Army involvement Defence Veterans Ministries Coordinator Captain Ali McKeand said she first partnered with El and the Flannel Project because she wanted to lend support to such a meaningful initiative with the trustworthy name The Salvation Army brought. She said an estimated 260,000 people in Australia had been directly affected by the suicide deaths of veterans since 1997. She said while the Salvation Army was not an ex-serving organisation, it had always been good at helping people. She said to make sure this care was extended where it was most needed, she wanted to partner with organisations like the Flannel Project, which shared the same ethos and values as The Salvation Army. “I think any suicide is horrifically tragic,” Ali said. “For me, it’s even harder when you think about who that person is and what they’ve done and what they’ve given. And then the ripple effect through the family, the friends, but also the ripple effect through units and through the military, I think, is probably far greater than the ripple effect in a normal workforce because you’ve worked so closely by that person’s side. “You may not understand that this ripple effect is so huge and [that] it’s going to affect you.” For El, the connection with The Salvation Army runs deep. As a child, she played the timbrel in the corps her parents attended. “It’s just such an honour to be partnering up with the [Salvos],” she said. “It’s like a dream come true for me.” As part of this collaboration, The Salvation Army’s Defence Veterans Ministries, Red Shield Defence Services (RSDS) and Emergency Services (SAES) will be joining The Flannel Project team at the Wear a Flan for Shan 5km Walk in Brisbane on 21 June. The event, to be held in Orleigh Park, West End, will feature live music, food and drinks, as well as a ‘Silent Walk Home’ to remember those lost to suicide. Attendees are encouraged to wear flannel, and Salvation Army representatives will be wearing flannel emblazoned with the red shield. SAES will provide food and refreshments at the event, and RSDS will bring a truck to offer a comforting presence, which Ali said was reminiscent of the Sallyman’s impact on the armed services for more than 125 years. To find out more about the Flannel Project and Wear a Flan for Shan, click here . Elena Rowland (left) and Alex Shain during their deployment on Operation Sumatra Assist (2004 Boxing Day Tsunami). This photo holds deep significance, as it marks the beginning of Elena’s journey with PTSD and her lifelong commitment to helping veterans facing mental health challenges. A group of walkers during last year’s Wear a Flan 4 Shan event.

Major Mal Davies is the Assistant Divisional Commander for Victoria, and an avid reader. Salvos Online asks Mal three book-related questions:   Besides the gospels and Psalms, what is your favourite book in the Bible and why? Along with countless thousands of preachers through the centuries, I love the book of Romans . It’s loaded with great teaching and immense depth, and you can turn to any chapter and find material to kickstart multiple sermons.   It’s the longest of Paul’s letters, and it has a strong focus on salvation and the person and purpose of Jesus. It also teaches us about grace and justification, and how to live a life transformed by Christ.   Well-known Anglican bishop N.T. Wright says that Romans is a “masterpiece” and “ a work of massive substance, presenting a formidable intellectual challenge while offering a breathtaking theological and spiritual vision”.   One of my very favourite Scripture passages is found in Romans chapter 10, where Paul writes how the Good News of Christ is to be shared and that, “ If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (10:9).   Romans contains solid teaching and much wisdom and shows both Paul’s logical thought processes and his heart for seeing people come into relationship with Jesus.   Besides the Bible, what is a Christian book that has strongly influenced your faith? In 2012, while writing for an Army publication, I reviewed a new book called Jim & Casper Go to Church . It was a great read, and I’ve recommended it to many officers since then.   US pastor and writer Jim Henderson wanted to know what a non-believer thought of the modern-day church. So, he advertised, recruited and paid Matt Casper, an atheist marketing copywriter, to go to 12 different churches with him and then give him his honest feedback on their church service.   Matt offers great insights as to what a visitor might make of what we take for granted. At one stage, he talks about taking up the offering: “So they pass a bag around and people just put money in it, with no explanation of what the money is for or who will spend it. That’s nuts.”   The book also spawned a follow-up called Saving Casper , subtitled, ‘A Christian and an atheist talk about why we need to change the conversion conversation’.   Sometimes we can get so caught up in ‘church world’ that we fail to see that non-church people have no idea what we’re talking about! These books helped me see church through a different lens.   What is a secular book that has revealed to you a Christian message or theme? I’ve long thought that the best novel I’ve ever read is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The book is set in 1930’s southern USA and tells of small-town lawyer Atticus Finch and his courtroom defense of Tom Robinson, an African-American wrongly accused of raping a white teenage girl.   In chapter 24, some of the Christian ladies of the town gather at a home to hear stories from a missionary, J.J. Grimes Everett, who has returned from Africa working with the Mruna people. They speak of how he entered their “sin and squalor” to take God to the poor natives, and how those people would be lost without Everett doing so.   I remember reading this chapter and thinking: ‘Isn’t God already there?’ Do we really ‘take’ God with us – he goes only where we go? That didn’t seem right.   Lee’s writing highlights the fake Christian morality of the ladies who see themselves as a class or two above the ‘poor Mruna’. They speak of the need to love such poor, lost souls, while showing that they have no desire at all to do so.   This episode reminds me that I need to keep up with God and his work, not him with me.

Sir Boyd Tunnock receives the Order of Distinguished Service from Commissioners Paul and Jenine Main, leaders of the UK and Ireland Territory. The Order of Distinguished Auxiliary Service, one of The Salvation Army’s highest honours, has been awarded to ‘Scotland’s most famous baker’, Sir Boyd Tunnock.  On Sunday 1 June 2025, Sir Boyd received the award “in recognition of committed professional, practical and financial support given generously to The Salvation Army in Scotland for over 30 years” at Bellshill Corps. The Order of Distinguished Auxiliary Service marks the Army’s appreciation of distinguished service rendered by non-Salvationists who have helped to further its work in various ways. It was inaugurated in 1941.   It is the first time in 70 years that the order has been bestowed upon a recipient in The Salvation Army’s United Kingdom and Ireland Territory.  Sir Boyd is the owner of Tunnock’s confectionery company, which is famous for its teacakes and caramel wafers – iconic snacks in the UK and beyond.  During the service at Bellshill, Divisional Commander Major Janet Robson shared that it was impossible to measure the impact that Sir Boyd’s generosity has had on the mission of The Salvation Army in Scotland.  Territorial Commander Commissioner Paul Main added, “We are deeply grateful for Sir Boyd’s kindness and support over the years. Through his generosity, practical involvement and belief in our work, he has exemplified what it means to put faith into action and to be a force for good in the lives of others.”  Commissioner Main presented Sir Boyd with his award on behalf of General Lyndon Buckingham, the international leader of The Salvation Army, and the congregation responded with a standing ovation.  Sir Boyd noted that it was an honour to be part of the service and discussed his family’s long-standing relationship with The Salvation Army.  Sir Boyd’s daughter Fiona Gow said her father’s support for The Salvation Army was rooted in the organisation’s commitment to help people in need: “This honour means the world to him because no one admires the work of The Salvation Army more than he does.”

William Baldock, of Unley Corps, meets General Clarence Wiseman in Adelaide in 1975. BY BARRY GITTINS Consider these famous Salvation Army names: William Booth (1865-1912) and Bramwell Booth (1912-1929). Edward Higgins (1929-1934) and Evangeline Booth (1934-1939). George Carpenter (1939-1946), Albert Orsborn (1946-1954) and Wilfred Kitching (1954-1963). Frederick Coutts (1963-1969), Erik Wickberg (1969-1974) and Clarence Wiseman (1974-1977). Yes, they are the first 10 Generals of The Salvation Army, and the years during which they led. But what common threads may be found to tie them together? While ‘gifts’, ‘passion’, ‘duty’, ‘calling’ and ‘faith’ may be words and aspects that come to mind, the most esoteric thread to weave these 10 people into the one story is embodied in the long life and service of retired bandmaster William Baldock, MBE of Unley, South Australia, who’d met them all. And that was William’s claim to Salvo fame – meeting the first 10 of the Army’s world leaders. (There have now been 22 Generals). The cover of The Musician in June 1975. This achievement was trumpeted in the 14 June 1975 issue of The Musician , 50 years ago. The first General William would have met was no other than General Booth, perhaps on the founder’s visit to Adelaide in 1905. Young William would have been 13 or 14. He then proceeded to meet another nine Generals up to 1975 when he shook hands with Clarence Wiseman at the Adelaide Congress. We don’t know if William also ‘collected’ Clarence’s immediate successors – Arnold Brown (1977-1981) and Jarl Wahlström (1981-1986) – before he passed away, but if he did, it would have taken William’s tally up to an even dozen. We do know that William Baldock met his Maker in 1982 at the age of 91. It was in The Musician ’s 19 June 1982 issue, seven years after the front cover photo, that we learnt a bit about William through his Promotion to Glory report. William Baldock was born on 1 April 1891, the eldest of 10 children, in Littlehampton, a village in the Adelaide Hills. Until 13, he attended the Mount Barker Corps before moving with his family to Unley. At just 18 years old, William became the bandmaster of the Unley Corps, leading (according to The Musician ) “the small and not particularly efficient brass combination.” The report continued, “With persistence, determination and enthusiasm, he [William] slowly developed a combination that came to be recognised as one of the foremost Salvation Army bands in Australia”, achieving this over 50 years of service. William’s life of service was described as “a blending of spiritual appreciation, intense emotional feeling and natural leadership abilities.” He even received an MBE from the Queen in 1960 for leading those groups of musicians! For the bulk of the years 1911-1947, he also led the songster brigade, which “was also kept at a high standard”; he also served as the divisional bandmaster and divisional songster leader. Through those long years, spent training, conducting, exhorting, guiding and navigating the intersection between music, faith and people’s lives, William met all those Generals, all busy popping in and out of history. As his baton went up and down, his hands shaped and cut, swayed and danced, serving as a metaphor for the life of The Salvation Army. Which begs the question: What got him through all those practices, performances, meetings, messages, altar calls, concerts, congresses, headaches, logistics and relationships? The Musician suggests it was a one-word motivation – love. “The bandmaster’s involvement in the corps necessarily decreased in recent years due to failing health,’ the promotion to glory report noted, “but his love for the Lord never waned”. Perhaps that, too – William’s love for God – was something he had in common with the 10 Generals we know he’d met.   The Unley Songster Brigade in 1921 that includes William Baldock: (Back row) Frank Solomon, Arthur Handley, Joe Mundy, Herbert Baldock, Stan Baldock, Edgar Nince (Nance), Fred Jolly, Clarrie Horskin, Ed Camm. (Middle row) Albert Martin, Eva Gibson, ?, May Gibson, ?, Mrs Solomon, ?, ?, Mert Mundy, Pam Baldock, Arthur Martin. (Front row) Mrs McKay, Mrs Gibson, Mrs Radoslavitch, William Baldock (Bandmaster/Songster Leader), Adjutant Samuel Smartt, Adjutant Mrs Catherine Smartt (COs), Mrs McKay, Win Baldock. (In front) Lil Sharp, Elsie Drew, ?, Eileen Camm.

Cathedrals, soaring upwards, are designed to point worshippers to God, writes Barney Zwartz. Image: Unsplash BY BARNEY ZWARTZ The principle of Gothic architecture, wrote 19th-century poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, is infinity made imaginable. There is something almost inexpressibly inspiring about a 1000-year-old cathedral which lifts us into something much bigger than ourselves, reminds us of our finitude and inspires us to look beyond our daily lives. Europe has many buildings of ancient lineage that are beautiful and grand, with every proportion designed to impress and delight – historic palaces or opera houses, for example. But only places of worship explicitly connect us to the numinous. Cathedrals, soaring upwards, are designed to point worshippers to God, to the eternal, through their airy space, majestic proportions and wonderful decorations. I love entering a historic Gothic cathedral (or small stone church) and knowing that I am standing, sitting or kneeling where untold thousands have done the same, worshipping the same God, and doubtless praying very similar prayers for themselves, their families and their communities. I love that I stand in this vast continuity, connected with the past and the future. I love the faith and commitment of the master architects and masons who often laboured for decades, knowing the work would never be finished in their lifetime. Cologne Cathedral, the longest, took 632 years to complete. People sometimes look at the ambitious size and scope of churches, even in small towns and villages, and wonder why their communities went to such lengths. One of the reasons was that centuries ago most parishioners could not dream of personal riches but, together, the community could – and did – take pride and pleasure in the result. Of course, it is not only believers who seek a connection with what they hold sacred. Many find it in God’s magnificent creation, which leads them to reflect on how small a mark our lives make on the universe, or in man-made achievements such as music or art. I, too, am moved by all of these. Perhaps the world’s most famous atheist, Richard Dawkins, has written that he is a cultural Christian in this way, that he loves the visible cultural expression of faith – the architecture, the music – while conceding nothing of its inspiration. Even sceptics, I think, are impressed by the spiritual sanctity of these marvellous buildings. In their hushed environs no one shouts or runs or talks loudly on a mobile phone. They, too, are awed and stilled by the hint of the infinite. Augustine, the great African theologian who wrote 1600 years ago – the one who as a young convert famously prayed “Lord make me chaste, but not yet!” – perhaps put it better than anyone when he observed that “our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in you”.   Barney Zwartz is a senior fellow of the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX) . This article was first published in The Age and is reprinted with permission from CPX.

1. What is your current appointment, and what do you find most satisfying about it? My current appointment is Tamworth (NSW), the country music capital of Australia. We arrived here with my wife, Yan, in November 2021, after serving as a chaplain in aged care for six years at Weeroona Retirement Village in Bass Hill (NSW).   Being an active officer for 30 years now, it has been great to be part of the journey, and Tamworth is no exception. It is the people you meet wherever you go. People are people, and I love to connect with them.   I’m a very pastoral person. I love to sit down and hear their stories, their journey and encourage them in God’s Word, particularly with being able to preach God’s Word, which I find very fulfilling. To also watch people’s lives be challenged and be challenged for the better so that they can find purpose in life, especially those who seek Jesus for their spiritual growth. Just being part of people’s spiritual growth is a great privilege.   2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind? I was amazed when God had this new appointment of Tamworth Corps. Just before going to Tamworth, I started to learn guitar for the first time, and I thought, “Wow! I am going to the golden ‘Guitar City’.”   I had the Holy Spirit tapping me on the shoulder about starting up a guitar group, which we have commenced. There are a couple of guitarists in the corps, and one of them joined since we have been here. I really enjoy relaxing and practising my guitar, and the fellowship that we have once a week learning guitar.   And of course, I enjoy walks with my wife, Yan. Majors Tony and Yan DeTommaso. (Photo courtesy of the Northern Daily Leader)   3. What’s a favourite Christian song and why do you like it? The song from the Salvation Army song book number 506: ‘Lord, You know that we love you. Help that love to be true: Fill our lives with Your Spirit’s power, Lord of love, make us strong, We who to Christ belong.’   It is a very powerful song that fills me. It is Holy Spirit music to my soul. I first heard it sung by the Dulwich Hill Songsters – that is where I became a Christian. It is a real blessing to have that song as part of my life, and not only is it a song, but it is also a prayer, and I have a beautiful image within of the songsters singing it.   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? Very interesting – so many amazing characters in the Bible who relate to life today. The first person that comes to mind if I could not speak with Jesus (although I do speak to Jesus all the time) is King David. I would ask him about his journey from that shepherd boy and his battle with Goliath to him becoming King of Israel. To ask about the challenges, the temptations and ultimately, where his stand was with God. Also, going over some of his Psalms would be nice as a reflection on the Psalms.   5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say?   I would ask them to truly see how God is calling them. If God is calling them to become officers, then certainly God is going to bless them. The calling is a fantastic journey of trusting. You never know where you are going to end up appointment-wise, and the different people you are going to meet. That has been the most interesting part of the walk as a Salvation Army officer. Also, trusting that God has a big picture in mind when He calls. So, if God is calling you, what have you got to lose? God has got your back – Amen!