In the second of a four-part series. Salvos Online history writer BARRY GITTINS explores the tumultuous events of 1929, when General Bramwell Booth’s leadership of The Salvation Army reached a crisis point.   On 22 November 1928, seven Salvation Army commissioners successfully called for a High Council to be held. The seven were Samuel Hurren, Robert Hoggard, Charles Jeffries, David Lamb, Henry Mapp, Wilfred Simpson and Richard Wilson. The commissioners requested “all to refrain from public discussion of the matter … if any dissension is caused within our ranks, it cannot be the result of the action we have taken but will arise from misrepresentation of [the Council’s] nature and purpose”. Tongues wagged and consternation ensued. Particularly painful for Salvationists was the fact that the press had already well and truly gotten wind of the Salvation Army’s woes. Commissioner Charles Jeffries, writing on 20 November 1928 to the Army’s International Training Garrison, lamented the fact that “unauthorised” statements to the press from Lieut.-Colonel Tucker were being “discussed in the newspapers [with] statements that are, to say the least, misleading … especially those alleging that certain people are claimants or candidates for the position of General, should it become vacant.” The seven commissioners who called for a High Council. Mentioning the High Council’s imminent proceedings, he asked those officers in training to stop talking about what the entire Salvation Army world was talking about. He urged them to remember in prayer both General Bramwell Booth and the Chief of the Staff (Higgins, the soon-to-be elected third General). And he reminded them that the High Council was “instituted by our revered Founder to deal with such an emergency as the present”. On 21 November 1928, the day before the seven requisitioning commissioners received their High Council codicil from IHQ, Bramwell’s wife, Florence Booth, addressed the growing concerns about Bramwell’s competence and capacity, determined to defend her spouse’s position. In a letter sent around the world as a telegram, also dispatched from the Army’s International Headquarters at 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, the General’s wife unknowingly confirmed what many of the Army’s commissioners around the world sincerely believed – that Bramwell was fading fast and unable to conduct his duties. “My dear Comrade,” she wrote, “I write this letter in the General’s sick room. He is so ill that I cannot be long away from him. “In view of various mis-statements which have appeared in the press in this country and elsewhere, I feel that it is very important that the Staff Officers of The Army should clearly understand that the High Council has been called expressly for the purpose of deciding ‘whether the General is unfit for office and should be removed therefrom’. “It is heartrending to all those who love him that such a thing should happen at what may prove to be the close of a long life of self-sacrificing toil and devotion for God and The Army. “For over fifty years, my dear husband has given himself without stint – first as his father’s right hand in the formation and consolidation of the Movement, and again, during the last sixteen years, as our General and Leader. “Do you realise that seven Commissioners have called the High Council for the purpose named, at a moment when he lies seriously ill, unable to defend himself, and indeed at a time when he cannot even be made aware of their action, as the doctors declare that any shock might prove fatal. “As, therefore, he cannot speak for himself, I must make my poor efforts to do so for him. “If the General goes to Heaven before the High Council can meet, it may be that there will be no opportunity to remove the stigma which has been cast upon him by the requisitioning of the Council. “In order that you may more fully understand the position, I hope to have available copies of the Foundation Deed (1878) and the Supplementary Deed (1904), which will be sent to you, post free, if you will make application to Commissioner Catherine Booth … “This letter is confidential and not for publication,” the General’s wife wrote, actively lobbying against the legally called High Council in her unofficial capacity. “In the interests of The Army, I have carefully avoided making reference in the public press to recent Salvation Army affairs. At this crisis, you can all help The Army, to which for service and sacrifice we have all given our lives, by thinking clearly, acting courageously, and praying ceaselessly that God will restore the General to health for further service, and over-rule all for the Glory of His name. “Your affectionately in The Army, (Signed) FLORENCE E. BOOTH” The drama, lobbying, grief and pain all led to the deposing of Bramwell as ‘General’ in a process that stretched through January and February 1929. Bramwell died, or was ‘promoted to glory’, on 16 June, a few months after being removed from power. Posterity and historical research, human nature and interactions, and the full passage of time that strips away fears are all forces that reveal what folks would have preferred to keep concealed. The 1929 High Council at Sunbury in London – Commissioner James Hay (President of the Council) stands in front of the flag. In due time, much of the Army’s linen would be washed through the High Council; wrung through law courts and put out in plain sight through the secular media, to be dried thoroughly in the light of day. Correspondence was flying around the world and the United Kingdom as the High Council drew nearer. Commissioner David Lamb wrote several letters throughout December 1928 defending the right of commissioners to call the High Council. “Your letter is intended as propaganda on behalf of some person or persons,” he charged a fellow officer, “and not as you try to make out something from a sincere soul seeking after truth … “No one of us knows all the facts – even I do not know it all – but [we had] no alternative but to requisition the convening of the High Council … “You are of course perfectly entitled to your personal opinion on the question … but your action in broadcasting it [to] your fellow Officers is entirely gratuitous and, indeed, impertinent. It certainly does scant credit to your own sense of modesty, and still less to the intelligence, integrity and good faith of the seven Requisitioning Commissioners, of the chief of Staff [and] the eight retired Commissioners who, after the most careful consideration, have endorsed their action.” Warming to his theme, Commissioner Lamb told his “impertinent” correspondent that his propaganda against the High Council assumed that I and my fellow Officers [lack] the mental acumen or integrity of purpose equal to at least your own, to form an unbiased judgment … “I do not propose to attempt to refute your argument, though it would be easy enough to drive a ‘coach and four’ through its logic, or, rather, want of it.” Addressing aspersions of disloyalty to Bramwell, Lamb wrote that he and his fellows had “dedicated their lives to The Army’s service, before they had so much as seen wither the Founder or the General … our allegiance was not, and could not be, a question of personalities … “Nevertheless, I yield to no one in my reverence for the memory to the Founder, and my personal affection for and loyalty to the General, as Head of The Army. But the part is less than the whole … none of us can possibly be untrue to the General, as part of The Army, if we are true to the interest of The Army as a whole.” Part 3: https://www.salvosonline.org.au/post/part-3-how-is-bramwell-faring

In the first of a four-part series. Salvos Online history writer BARRY GITTINS explores the tumultuous events of 1929, when General Bramwell Booth’s leadership of The Salvation Army reached a crisis point.   The year 1929, some 97 years ago, is mostly remembered by the general public for the crash of the Wall Street stock market on 24 October. The crash led to a global depression, massive losses of livelihoods and widespread misery and deprivation.    But for members of the Salvation Army, the year 1929 was the culmination of months (for some, years) of agony and discussion over the movement’s future and leadership.   Growing concerns over succession planning and the mental and physical health of General Bramwell Booth were explored through arguments, allegories, prayers, pitched battles of correspondence and invective, legal interventions and, of course, High Councils. In a long, passionate letter to her big brother Bramwell on 9 April 1928 – which Commander Evangeline Booth placed in the hands of her peers (it was duly ‘printed for the convenience of members of the High Council’ the next year) – the US leader laid out her concerns ‘in definite detail’ for ‘the future stability of the Army’.   Bramwell Booth’s sister Evangeline Booth. Evangeline was writing in the context of international concern about the General’s arbitrary decision-making processes (admittedly, following his father’s example closely) and his desire to anoint his own successor; Bramwell’s coming illness and infirmity would exacerbate her concerns and bring them to a head.   She believed Bramwell’s capacity to choose his own successor, she wrote (citing previous conversations they’d shared), ‘after your own reign [would] work an injustice [with] evil consequences which, unless faced and remedied … would ensue, releasing disruptive forces of incalculable injury to the Army …   “Since that day, the discontent has become so alarmingly prevalent that I could not, either in justice to you or to the organisation, do other than express to you [my request to] allay this growing unrest’.   “... I pray that you will read the writing on the wall of our organisation ...”   Evangeline reminded her eldest brother that “there is not any member of your family that stands in the same relationship to you, that you stood to the Founder. Not one of your children has had your training. And, dear Bramwell, can you not see that to preclude the High Council’s having a voice in the selection of one for this all-important office is jeopardising the Army’s future most seriously.”   Evangeline cited their father’s often-repeated belief that “The Army is not mine! It is not yours! The Army is God’s and the world’s!   “He must often have expressed to you – as he repeatedly did to me – his hopes and his fears respecting the perpetuity of the organisation … our voice is not heard [and] the leaders in our ranks are not consulted; are not taken into counsel, or even their views sought. This we cannot help but feel to be contrary to the Founder’s most positive method and intention, and strongly savors [sic] of despotism.   “[If] over your mind, or that of any other, there rests the shadow of a thought that I aspire to your position, let it be known to you, and to all the world, that such an ambition has never for a moment been entertained by me!” [Evangeline was to go on to become the Army’s fourth General.]   Predicting international protests that “I imagine will continue with increasing action”, Evangeline defended “the purity of my motives!” and wrote, “surely, Bramwell, you will credit me with all disinterested motive in my further urging … although you may think that I, with other of your most trusted officers, are mistaken … You see this is how I feel.   “We are near the end of life’s journey … I think I have said all that a sister can say.” Part two: https://www.salvosonline.org.au/post/part-2-let-s-have-a-high-council

(From left): Cadet Belinda Clark, Major Melanie-Anne Holland, Sue Bennetts, Charlene March, Gabby Winstanley, Michael Turk, and Captain Nicola Salomo Poore. BY DEAN SIMPSON Christmas came early for four people at Macarthur Salvos in December when they committed themselves to membership of the corps in Sydney’s south-west.   At a special service on Sunday 21 December, Sue Bennetts and Gabby Winstanley were enrolled as senior soldiers, Charlene March became an adherent, and Michael Turk reaffirmed his covenant as an adherent.   “What a privilege it was to support Sue, Gabby, Charlene and Michael on this very special day,” said Corps Officer Captain Nicola Salomo Poore.   “And, of course, we celebrated them with a delicious cake!” Captain Nicola Salomo Poore conducts the enrolment ceremony of new senior soldiers Sue Bennetts and Gabby Winstanley. Nicola conducted the enrolment ceremony for the senior soldiers, while fellow corps officer Major Melanie-Anne Holland conducted the adherency ceremony. Nicola, who this month begins a new appointment as Mission and Ministry Coordinator at Eva Burrows College in Melbourne, has journeyed with the four new members over many years.   Melanie, who has shared the corps officer role with Nicola for the past 18 months, has now taken on a new appointment as a Recovery Coordinator within the National Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) team.   The new Macarthur Corps Officers starting this month are Lieutenants Anthony and Nicole Bezzina. Major Marina Randall (Ret.) prays for the new members of the Macarthur Corps. Journey to enrolment Each of the four people enrolled in December has found a sense of belonging at Macarthur Salvos and peace in committing to their spiritual home.   “Sue connected with The Salvation Army through Campbelltown Corps about two decades ago and has been active for many years in SAES (emergency services), hospitality and the corps’ Sponge Bag ministry to local hospitals,” said Melanie.   “Gabby was introduced to The Salvation Army Macarthur through a school friend, coming to faith and growing as a disciple over a few years. Gabby is part of the worship team and tech team on Sundays. The newly enrolled members cut the cake, supported by their Macarthur Corps family. “Charlene came to Macarthur Corps through our Friendship Group over a decade ago and has found a loving community to share and grow with. And Michael was introduced to The Salvation Army in the early days of Narellan Corps and has continued to enjoy fellowship and serve musically over the years.”   Melanie said the enrolments came after Macarthur Salvos ran a six-week seminar series titled ‘We Believe’, covering The Salvation Army’s doctrines and covenants.   These seminars were presented by Nicola and Melanie, with assistance from the other corps leaders, including Cadet Belinda Clark and Major Marina Randall (Ret.). Click through the slideshow below for more photos of the enrolment Sunday:   For more information on officers, soldiers and adherents, click here Interested in becoming a Salvation Army soldier? Click here

BY THE EDITORIAL TEAM AT ALL THE WORLD*   Forced into marriage at 14, Fides’ life was transformed when access to education and support enabled her to return to school and rebuild her future.   Globally, about one in five girls are married before their 18th birthday.   Child marriage doesn’t result from a single cause; it stems from complex social, economic and cultural factors. These include: poverty; gender inequality and perceived norms that devalue girls’ autonomy and education; lack of access to schooling for girls; wider issues such as conflict, climate shocks and economic crises; and traditional ways of living which might mean that some communities reinforce early marriage as a rite of passage. Fide is from Zambia, which is bordered by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Botswana. The Salvation Army is committed to both tackling modern slavery in all its forms and improving the lives of women and girls across the world. As a global movement, The Salvation Army is uniquely positioned to be able to reach out and help girls and young women to get back to school and continue their education. This is due to the fact that Salvation Army corps are thriving across the world; many are located in hard-to-reach areas, for example, rural Zambia where Fides lives. We believe that every girl should have the right to be educated and to live with dignity and without fear. At [The Salvation Army’s international magazine] All The World , we want to promote the voices of women and girls who have experienced these horrors by telling their stories in their own words. Below we showcase Fides’ story. Fides lives in rural Zambia; a land-locked country in southern Africa. It is bordered by the DRC in the north, Tanzania and Malawi to the south and Mozambique and Botswana to the south.  FIDES’ STORY Fides, like the young student above, attends school through The Salvation Army and can look forward with hope to the future. My name is Fides Hadovwe and I am in Grade 10 at St. Patrick’s Secondary School in the Gwembe district of Southern Province in Zambia. My mother is blind, and my father died a long time ago when I was still very young. This prompted me to drop out of school because of lack of financial support.   As a result of not being able to get sponsorship for school, I got married in 2020 when I was 14 years old. My husband took advantage of my vulnerability particularly because my father was dead and my mother was blind. He used to beat and mistreat me in any way he liked, especially when he came back from drinking beer.   In 2021, something terrible happened that made me feel ashamed and lonely. I felt as if a dark cloud had fallen on me and that I was alone on Earth. My husband divorced me and I had nowhere to go. Things had fallen apart on my side, and I had to go back and stay with my blind mother. Everything became worse when my mother died.   I had a lot of pressure to earn money and support my siblings as I am the eldest of four children. I did casual jobs for different people and I slept with different men just to earn a living. At this time, it was very difficult for me to think about going back to school.   However, someone from my village in Mulongalwili told me that the government of Zambia was offering free education. So, in 2022 I went to Mulongalwili Primary School in Monze district to look for a school place. I passed my exams to go into Grade 8 but there were no school places in Monze.   In 2023, I then approached St. Patrick’s secondary school to look for a school place. The head teacher, Mr Kaitano, felt pity for me after hearing my story. He enrolled me into Grade 8 and also contacted a teacher, Mr Moono, who could give me some guidance after what I had been through.   The school management helped me purchase the school uniform and learning materials through orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) grants. This opened a new chapter into my education journey. In 2024, I sat for my Grade 9 external and passed the examination to Grade 10 but I could not continue due to lack of financial support. As a result, I had to stay at home and I was back to square one: depending on men to survive.   However, in April 2025 I heard that The Salvation Army was helping girls to go back to school by preventing them from entering early marriages. The Salvation Army gave me this opportunity and provided all the school materials and requirements I needed to go back to school. I am very happy that now I am back at St Patrick’s secondary school doing my Grade 10.   Now, I really appreciate all the well-wishers who have helped me in my educational career as they have made such a difference in my life. I am looking forward to ongoing support so that I can advance further in my educational journey. I am also encouraging other pupils, those that have dropped out of school, to take this milestone privilege of free education and turn around their lives like I have done. *To read the original story and for footnotes, click here .   Read more about how The Salvation Army is tackling modern slavery . Learn about the signs to spot if someone is being held against their will.

In this ‘God Defining Moment’, Major Katrina Potter ( Area Officer - Northern & Rural WA) remembers a time when God challenged her priorities through the prompting of her children. He took her to a place where she had to lean in, become obedient and follow him in truth and action.

Salvos Online  continues a new weekly column – Three Books. Today’s guest bookworm is retired officer Lieutenant-Colonel Laurie Robertson. Besides the gospels and Psalms, which is your favourite book in the Bible and why? I have a deep affinity with 2 Corinthians . It is a ‘go to’ book for me as it reveals Christian life and relationships warts and all. It has all the ingredients to be made into one of today’s TV reality shows. There is relationship betrayal, infighting, division, passion, pain, positive persistence, forgiveness, outsiders trying to undermine and loving determination for unity. This was the first Bible book that I took a really deep dive into as I was finishing my Diploma in Ministry at Ridley College in Melbourne. I had a spiritual mega-charge and a history feast during the 15 weeks of 90-minute lectures by Dr Colin Kruse. Dr Kruse had recently returned to Ridley after a 12-month sabbatical in England, where he wrote the Tyndale Commentary on 2 Corinthians, and his lessons were a massive inspiration. Despite our 22.5 hours of study in 2 Corinthians, Colin said we had only scratched the surface, and during the ensuing years, I have confirmed that he was right. Thankfully, there are many layers of depth in the Bible books, and God continues to unearth new insights for daily holy living. Second Corinthians is a gold, platinum and diamond mine for body, mind and spirit life lessons and if you want to gain deeper insights, including about its wider context (i.e. Is Corinthians two, three or five letters?) then I suggest you quickly go and snuggle up with Dr Kruse’s Tyndale commentary! Besides the Bible, what is a Christian book that has strongly influenced your faith? I am an extrovert and find it hard to slow down my active mind and mouth. Contemplative is not a word I ascribe to myself; however, The Contemplative Pastor by Eugene Peterson powerfully confronted and impacted me just over 30 years ago. God put this book in front of me just as Simone and I were moving from our appointments in The Salvation Army National Editorial Department in Australia to again become corps officers. While it is aimed at pastors in a USA context, this is a brilliant book for every Christian. Having pulled it off the shelf and read much of it again for this article, I enthusiastically verify that its contents are still perfect for us in 2026. It’s hugely and practically countercultural to the life of busyness and quick fixes that so often fill our agendas and schedules. Peterson grounds his contemplativeness in everyday life and takes us into the deeper world of who we are and who we can become in Christ – relationship. He compellingly reveals how the life of faith is actually the real world, not just a nice addition to the rest of our life. When I first read it, I was shocked and rocked in the very best kind of way. This book helped shape my Christianity and leadership for the decades to come with its emphasis on prayer and positive, subversive Christian living. I haven’t always lived it out as life did become extremely busy, but I kept coming back to the Biblical truths Peterson powerfully portrays, as I engaged with others who were trying to make their priorities mine. These sample chapter headings give a glimpse of the treasures within The Contemplative Pastor: The Unbusy Pastor; The Subversive Pastor; Ministry Amid the Traffic; Curing Souls: The Forgotten Art; Praying with Eyes Open; Desert and Harvest: A Sabbatical Story. Footnote: I resisted the urge to select one of the many fantastic Salvos Publishing books I have read. What is a secular book that has revealed to you a Christian message or theme? I’m stretching the friendship with Salvos Online here, as this is science fiction and it is a series, not just one book, I am selecting, and the winner is E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith’s Lensman books, written in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Along with Isaac Asimov, Doc Smith was one of the most impactful early science fiction writers, and this series was runner-up in the 1966 Hugo Award for the Best All-Time Series. Asimov’s Foundation series pipped Lensman at the post. The main connections with a Christian message I gained from this exciting space opera are: beyond the visible world there are supernatural beings; there is a battle between good and evil; people have an imperative part to play; love, kindness, caring, integrity, goodness are vital for life; the supernatural and the physical need to work together for good to conquer. The overall theme includes looking out for others, helping people grow in their skills, abilities, and understanding, and recognising that there are greater forces than us sharing our space. I found that these broad connections triggered me to think more deeply about faith and action. The choices the main characters had to make led me to discuss my own life choices with God. So while these are certainly not Christian books – there are many aspects that don’t fit my Christian theology – I see Christian facets throughout. But maybe that’s because throughout my life I have seen God at work in the most unlikely of places. And a footnote: because they were written mid-last century, there are cultural areas that are extremely different to today. But this didn’t stop me from scouring secondhand bookstores to get copies for my son and son-in-law!

Residents and volunteers gathered at the Seymour relief centre, where the Salvos were ready to assist as fires spread rapidly through neighbouring towns. Image: Facebook BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE With nearly 400,000 hectares burnt in the current Victorian bushfire crisis and up to 12 fires still raging, The Salvation Army is continuing to assist affected communities by providing food, bedding, electrical gear and other necessities. More than 350 structures have been destroyed, and one person lost their life in the Longwood fire, near the central Victorian town of Seymour. At the height of the disaster, The Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) were on the ground in 12 centres across impacted areas of the state. As of this afternoon, SAES were serving first responders and residents in eight centres – Lilydale, Shepparton, Whittlesea, Mansfield, Wodonga, Healesville, Seymour and Yea. At the Yea staging area yesterday morning, SAES teams served a cooked breakfast and coffee to 200 first responders and community members. The relief centre in Seymour was also a hive of activity, where Mitchell Shire Salvos were also assisting residents in the Mitchell, Murrindindi and Strathbogie shires who have either evacuated or been affected by fires. Captain Lauren Kirkham with representatives from Greater Shepparton City Council; Salvos Emergency, Aid and Development General Manager Daryl Crowden offers service with a smile; The donated food on offer in Seymour. Images: Facebook and supplied Seymour Corps Officer Captain Lauren Kirkham said her team has assisted up to 100 people per day at the Seymour Sports and Aquatics Centre. These people are coming through seeking food relief, emergency needs such as bedding and power, and a supportive community in the face of great loss. Lauren said public warnings that alerted residents to the fact that fire crews would be unable to contain the blazes in the area were much needed but had left many very afraid and uncertain about what was going to happen. “We’ve got a lot of traumatised people that have come in just looking for assistance and what they need to do next,” she said. Lauren added that, now, people were beginning to see the burnt remains of their houses and, as a result, were processing immense grief. She said many residents had lost a great deal, especially in the nearby town of Ruffy. Salvos on the ground, connecting with the community and businesses, and doing what they do best: serving. Images: Facebook The Seymour team has established a warehouse for material aid distribution in collaboration with local youth organisation Gnarly Neighbours and are providing essentials such as shelf-stable snacks and electrolyte drinks, sunscreen, hand sanitiser and zip lock bags. The team has also partnered with Greater Shepparton City Council, which kindly donated 22 pallets of food relief, including pet food, collected through the generosity of Shepparton residents. A heartfelt message to the Salvos from a community member affected by the Longwood fire, near Seymour. Image: Lauren Kirkham Lauren said the help from across the region and the state had been overwhelming. “We’ve had a lot of volunteers just getting in and doing stuff,” she said. “Our staff have been spending their own personal time coming in to help. [We’ve] had people come up from Melbourne to help, which has been lovely.” One community member at the Seymour relief centre took pains to express their thanks to the Salvos, saying in a note left on a whiteboard at the centre that the help and caring on offer was “absolutely appreciated and beautiful”. “Angels on earth,” they wrote at the end of the note. Salvos Online will continue to bring updates as they become available. Would you like to become a Salvation Army Emergency Services volunteer? Click here for more information.

Each week through 2026, Salvationists around the world are uniting in prayer for the same territory or region of The Salvation Army. Prayer requests are shared by the territory/region to help us pray with precision and power for one another. This week (12-18 January)   we pray for the France and Belgium Territory.   The France and Belgium Territory has 143 officers (49 active, 94 retired); 2 envoys; 29 corps; 3 outposts; 1034 senior soldiers; 223 adherents; 167 junior soldiers; 2998 employees.   Colonels Claude-Evelyne and Jacques Donzé lead the France and Belgium Territory. The work of the territory includes: ·  Work with children and young people ·  Social inclusion ·  Supporting people with disabilities and dependencies ·  Food aid (1.5 million meals distributed in 2024) ·  Emergency street work.   Prayers for the territory: Praise points: ·     Let us thank God for our wonderful seminar last November where managers and assistant managers, officers and corps leaders gathered to work together. ·     Let us thank God for the progress made in our spiritual strategic plan, particularly during the weekend workshop with 20 young people from the territory. ·     Let us thank God for the two cadets from the “Proclaimers of Transformation” session who joined the three cadets from the “Keepers of the Covenant” session.   Prayer requests: ·     Let us pray for our 2026 congress in the presence of General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, from 20 to 24 May. And also, for the consecration of the “Keepers of the Covenant” cadets, which will take place during this event. ·     Let us pray for all the participants of last summer's European Youth Event; that we may know how to give them a place, and that they may dare to respond to God's call.   FRANCE Praise points: ·     Let us thank God for the creation of the new Federation of Families Homes. This federation is a partnership between The Salvation Army and two Christian associations to develop day centres for families.   Prayer requests: ·     Let us pray for the development of the new social strategic plan, taking into account the political and economic situation in the country. ·     Let us pray for the Chartres outpost, which has become a corps, and for all the steps and organisation that this entails. ·     Let us pray for the Mazamet corps and its plans for new building.   BELGIUM Praise point: ·     Let us thank God for the project to welcome Ukrainian refugees in Spa which has produced magnificent work with a real spiritual impact, as well as a beautiful testimony to the public authorities. Prayer requests: ·     Let us pray for the granting of public subsidies and approvals for several social centres. ·     Let us pray for corps without officers; that leaders may rise up and commit themselves. ·     Let us pray for the spiritual and Salvationist training of young people in the corps.   To find out more about the France and Belgium Territory, click here . To find out more about The Salvation Army’s prayer focus, click here . To download the 2026 prayer schedule, click here .

SAES vehicles outside Taggerty Hall in Victoria on 9 January. Image: Daryl Crowden BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) teams have deployed into fire-affected areas of Victoria, and are now providing food, refreshments and support to CFA fire crews and sheltering residents. With conditions changing rapidly, teams are poised to move should they be required to evacuate. The Victorian Government has upgraded most of the state to ‘Catastrophic’ fire risk. Two SAES teams were put on standby yesterday in Seymour, close to the Longwood fire, and Eltham. Today, one team has deployed to the relief centre in Seymour, where they have provided breakfast and lunch to residents fleeing the at-risk areas nearby. A local KFC representative with the Seymour SAES crew. Image: Supplied The Seymour team will remain in place serving food and refreshments until at least lunchtime tomorrow. The local KFC in Seymour has collaborated with SAES, donating food for evacuees. The Seymour team is expecting an influx of more evacuees from tonight. The second team this morning deployed to a staging area in Taggerty, also close to the Longwood fire, where SAES crews fed lunch to 500 CFA personnel. This afternoon, the Taggerty staging area was evacuated, and the team originally planned to relocate to Buxton, but found conditions too unsafe. The team is now planning to set up in Healesville. Additionally, the SAES are now supplying bedding for 200 evacuees at a centre in Wodonga, near a blaze spreading from Mt Lawson State Park, and for 50 residents in Whittlesea fleeing the Longwood blaze and other fire hotspots in the region. With temperatures in the state rising above 40 degrees and overnight thunderstorms creating new fire risk areas, the SAES is providing much-needed relief to those battling disastrous conditions. Image: Daryl Crowden In a message to SAES personnel and volunteers, Territorial Commander Commissioner Miriam Gluyas said she appreciated all the effort being put in to provide relief to emergency workers and people affected by the bushfires.   “To each of you who have stepped forward – often quietly, always faithfully – please know how deeply grateful we are,” she said.   “In conditions that are unpredictable, exhausting and at times confronting, you continue to show up with compassion, professionalism and a servant heart.   “To our wider Salvation Army family, thank you for the prayers, encouragement and practical support you are offering behind the scenes. Each role contributes to the hope we bring.   “Loving God, protect all affected, strengthen those who serve and guide us in peace and purpose. Amen.” Follow for more updates as they are released. Earlier today, The Salvation Army's Emergency, Aid and Development General Manager Daryl Crowden captured footage of SAES vehicles evacuating from the Taggerty staging area. Would you like to become a Salvation Army Emergency Services volunteer? Click here for more information.

Villawood Salvos Support and Outreach Coordinator Lawrence Besant at the centre located in a Housing NSW complex in south-west Sydney.  BY LAUREN MARTIN   When Lawrence Besant started as Support and Outreach Coordinator at Villawood Salvos Community of Hope in south-west Sydney, his vision was for it to be a safe place where people could find purpose and meaning and have a life-changing encounter with Jesus.   God has been faithful. Over the past year, as relationships have deepened with members of the community, people have been staying longer to chat over a cuppa, others have engaged with the coffee-and-games morning, and many have started asking questions about God.   According to Lawrie, it’s been an authentic ministry of presence: “Being present, authentic and sensitive to what’s going on” is so important in building relationship and trust, he said. Lawrie says he aims to bring an authentic ministry of presence.  Having worked in the inner-city as a homelessness chaplain, a hospital chaplain, and also in a church planting role, he has the calm, patient demeanour of a follower of Jesus that recognises that God’s timing is always perfect.   When the community wanted to hold monthly lunch gatherings last year, Lawrie and his team member, Hilda, faced a provision dilemma. Their weekly Oz Harvest food delivery had been declining, and every Tuesday the food-relief ministry seemed to be sustained through prayer alone, to make the donated food stretch to the number of people attending for assistance. How would they have enough food for a monthly lunch?   Lawrie and Hilda came to the conclusion that “if God was saying to do it, just do it and God will provide the means.”   So, that’s what they did.   Members of the local Fijian community in the NSW Housing complex in which Villawood Salvos is located offered to cook, and on the day, there was plenty, with people generously contributing food items to share.   During the meal, testimonies were given about God’s life-changing work in people’s lives and there was prayer.   It was after that first luncheon, that community members started asking, ‘When are we going to do a Bible study?’   In November, Lawrie and Hilda felt the time was right, and they invited anyone in the community to attend on Wednesday for a Bible study. Four people came, plus Villawood Salvos staff and a student placement worker. God’s provision came through when Villawood Salvos was successful in a grant application to purchase a coffee machine for the community room. Lawrie used materials developed by retired Major Peter Farthing, called His Story, Our Story (available here ), a small-group discipleship series developed for people new to church or from non-English-speaking backgrounds.   “The first story was Jesus in the storm,” said Lawrie. He said he was blown away by the engagement of those who attended, all who came back the next week for the next session.   “During the Bible study we don’t close the door,” said Lawrie, “but keep it open and put chairs outside so that people can still come and grab a coffee and relax at the centre. While they’re sitting outside the Holy Spirit can be working in their hearts.”   True to his church-planting experience, Lawrie said he’s already asking God to show him who the future leaders of the Bible study will be.   “We want to empower the community to look after it,” he said. “So, myself and Hilda have kicked it off, but we are asking God to show us the long-term leader.”   And, just as God has shown his faithfulness in provision, in growing the Villawood Salvos community and in opening hearts for the faith community to start, Lawrie and Hilda are trusting in him to continue what he has started. Please keep Villawood Salvos in your prayers.

If apprenticeship and leadership development means anything, it means taking risks, writes Captain Dr John Clifton. Image: Getty CAPTAIN DR JOHN CLIFTON* My youngest nephew has been cutting hair for four weeks. Sixteen years old, an apprentice. Still learning how to hold his shoulders, how to angle the blade, how to breathe. He’s been practising on a skeleton … and on my brother. But now it was my turn to sit back in the chair at Noor Barbers, cape around my neck, and watch him get to work with a seriousness that belonged to someone older. There’s a moment in a barbershop when trust becomes physical. A sharpened blade sits inches from your face and you do your best not to flinch,  something I’ve written about before . On this occasion, I was letting someone untested try. I stayed still long enough for him to keep learning. I saw his hand shake slightly as he loaded the disposable blade into the straight razor, before he settled and began the line of the fade. At a couple of other points, the owner had stepped in with instruction, but not this time. Not for this bit. Focus, not intervention, was what mattered. Of course, the boy, although he is a man, is still a boy. When he paused to ask if I was happy with the line, I asked if  he  was happy with it. He shrugged and grinned: he said he didn’t know yet as he still can’t grow a beard himself to check. He made some adjustments. The line sharpened. The blade moved with more confidence. Skill was being forged in real time with real stakes. A haircut can be fixed, but a craftsman cannot be formed without risk. And I found myself thinking about my church – The Salvation Army – because we struggle with this, despite having started out with innovation driven by the ambitious audacity of people in their late teens and young adulthood. We have teenagers ready to be trained into local officer responsibilities; cadets, envoys, young adult officers hovering at the edges of leadership … but when do we actually let them hold the razor? By this, I mean moving beyond youth groups, AV desks or running social media accounts, and into platforms, budgets, buildings, responsibility, decisions, mistakes. When do we allow a younger leader to shape the line of the fade, knowing it might look uneven before it looks excellent? This is what apprenticeship, and leadership development, looks like: someone places the blade in your hand, stands close enough to correct you, and trusts you not to ruin everything. Sometimes they even offer their ‘face’ to let you practise. The only way to learn a craft is to be allowed to cut, and to be put in a position where failure can cause some damage. As we come to the end of 2025, ready for a brand new 2026, here are the resolutions I’m making from where I am: 1. Have something worth apprenticing people into If the movement has no clear craft – mission, holiness, social doctrine and practice – there is nothing to hand on. An apprenticeship assumes a  trade . So, the resolution here is to make my contribution to articulating the craft of Salvationism and encourage others to do the same. I’ll keep using  this  platform to explain  this is what we do; this is how we do it; this is why it matters.  You can check out an early effort at this from an old pamphlet I co-authored called  Marching Towards Justice . 2. Allow people to make real decisions with real consequences Responsibility has to be real to be transformative. At the North East of England Divisional Headquarters, we will identify at least one domain (something like a project, budget line, or ministry area) led by those under a set age – 18 or 25 – without senior override unless doctrine, safety, or legality is genuinely at risk. I need to confirm the details with our DHQ team, but the principle stands. We’ll invite our corps to do the same. 3. Offer correction without condescension Affirmation without standards is cruelty; correction is an offering of respect. The owner of the barbershop corrected my nephew plainly – grip, angle, clippers, pace. He didn’t applaud mistakes; he shaped the skill. There are consequences if your skills fall short. In too many churches, we’ve replaced feedback with flattery and called it kindness. I’ve heard some younger people say they feel patronised, as if their presence alone is the achievement. My resolution is to normalise clear, honest, non-punitive correction. If something’s wrong, we’ll say so. If something’s excellent, we’ll say so with equal clarity. 4. Refuse and correct the label of ‘young officer’ when it is applied to me I’m turning 40 this year and, strangely, I’m still referred to as a  young officer . I even know of colleagues in their 50s who are described that way. But look at the world beyond our walls: national leaders like Obama, Blair, Cameron, Sanna Marin and Jacinda Ardern were trusted to lead nations in their thirties and forties; in business, people like Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman are 41 and 40. In most sectors, the 30s and 40s aren’t ‘young’ – they’re the moment when people are tested, trusted and asked to carry weight. So here is another resolution: I will gently refuse the label of  young officer  when it’s applied to me, and I’ll correct it when I hear it used for others who are already building, leading, and carrying responsibility. Language shapes expectations. Let’s avoid labels that keep people in the foyer of leadership long after they should have been invited into the room. If apprenticeship and leadership development means anything, it means taking risks. It means handing someone the razor before they think they’re ready, and possibly even before you think they’re ready, and then staying close enough to speak and shape them. “Angle. Slow. You’ve got it.” There’s no future, or even a present, without that kind of trust. *Captain Dr John Clifton is Divisional Commander for the North East Division of The Salvation Army UK. He writes on Substack about Salvationism and faith . This article first appeared here and has been reprinted with permission.

Majors Lalthanmawia and Rualthanpuii have been missing since 19 December last year. Salvationists around the world are praying for the safety of two officers who have been missing in Myanmar since mid-December.   Majors Lalthanmawia and Rualthanpuii are officers of the Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand Territory.   They are serving in Myanmar and were last seen travelling from Tahan to the Mizoram border in the north-west of the country on 19 December 2025.   The territory has engaged search parties to locate them and is asking anyone with information about their whereabouts to come forward.   “We remain steadfast in prayer for their safety and ask you to join us in keeping them in your thoughts and prayers,” a post on the territorial Facebook site says.