Salvation Army officers who have concluded their service in 2025: Effective 27 July Captain Katrina Hindle Captain Michael Hindle Effective 26 June Major Paul Ong Effective 7 May Auxiliary Lieutenant Lauren Luiker Effective 19 March Major Brad Watson Effective 6 February 2025 Major Jennifer Reeves Effective 28 January 2025 Major Naava Brooks                     Effective 31 January 2025 Captain Rachel Knight        Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers. We thank God for their service and ministry and pray that as they step out in faith to new beginnings, plans will go smoothly, God’s blessing and peace abound, and fulfilment in new ventures will be a source of great joy.

It often seems like the pace of life in our modern world hasn’t just returned to ‘normal’ after COVID-19 but has actually sped up, says Lauren Martin. Photo: Djim Loic “Do you ever feel ‘disconnected’ in one of the most ‘connected’ periods of human history?”   BY LAUREN MARTIN   Time is a funny thing, isn’t it? It can feel fast or slow. It can frustrate us in times of waiting or bring us great joy when things fall into place ‘just at the right time’. Our God is timeless yet holds all of time in his hands. It blows my mind.   During the COVID-19 outbreaks and lockdowns, we lost so much, yet many of us gained the gift of time. Time to ponder, time to invest in ourselves and our relationship with God, time to re-align our priorities when so much of the ‘stuff’ that usually sat in our calendars was stripped away. (I want to recognise, though, that for our dedicated essential workers this was not the case.)   Cultural norms Now that this period is over, it often seems like the pace of life in our modern world hasn't just returned to ‘normal’ but has actually sped up. The intentions and new rhythms we created are, for some of us, slipping away, lost in the cultural norm of ‘busy’.   For most of my Christian life, I have wrestled with God about the issue of ‘time’. I would joke that I often prayed that God would give me more hours in the day. A request that was never granted! I knew that the more things I stuffed into my calendar, the less time I had to hear God’s voice. But the demands of life, and the desire of my heart to “love others well”, “fulfil the demands of my job”,  to “be there for people”, and “be a good mum”, “good wife”, “good friend”, (the list goes on) overwhelmed the underlying truth that God says:  enough is enough.   Do you ever feel ‘disconnected’ in one of the most ‘connected’ periods of human history?   Disconnection from God occurs at various stages in our lives, for different reasons, in different seasons. Some people call it a ‘wilderness’ experience, likening it to the Israelites in the desert because they had lost touch with their true identity and calling. It can also happen when we are so busy doing ‘all the good things’ that define our earthly roles as mother, father, disciple, friend, husband, wife, partner etc. that we don’t even realise we have also lost touch with our true identity and calling.   Enough is enough , says God.   Intimacy with God We are  enough , just the way we are. Psalm 139 tells us that. God’s deepest desire is not for our calendars to be full of good deeds, but for intimacy with us. Jesus emphasised this when he responded to the Pharisees’ question about the greatest commandment.   Loving God comes first, loving our neighbour flows from that. Putting ‘first things first’ means entering into intimacy with God, and allowing that to change us, mould us and guide us – and our schedules.   Jesus showed us a life of intimacy with God during his time here on the earth and consistently invited us to ‘follow him’ in living that kind of life. In Psalm 23, David reveals the fullness of life that comes when we take the time to follow God into deeper and deeper levels of intimacy.   A group of Salvation Army ministry leaders has met in south-west Sydney every Friday for the past two years to pray, listen and seek God’s heart. Recently, I took the time to attend a two-hour prayer meeting that a group of my colleagues attend every week. “Two hours!” I thought, “Every week! How do they fit that into their busy Salvation Army ministry schedules?” I felt curious and drawn to experience this practice that they had been faithful to now, for five years. Wow. I came away from those two hours feeling lighter, refreshed, more centred and focused. No wonder they had told me that blocking that time into their diaries actually “enhanced” rather than reduced their productivity.   God says to us that we are enough. The question is, do we believe it? Are we trusting and brave enough to say: ‘ enough is enough’  to our busy schedules and take the time to enter into deeper intimacy with him? That’s the challenge I have accepted.  If you want to read more about the south-west Sydney prayer cell that Lauren visited, the story is here

To read Gloria’s Promoted to Glory notice and her officer appointment history, click here

1. What is your current appointment, and what do you find most satisfying about it?   Together with my wife, Jodie, we are the Corps Officers of Gungahlin Salvos in the north of Canberra. We are very excited to be back in Canberra and more excited to see God at work here in the nation’s capital. Gungahlin is a fast-growing community. In the early 1990s, about 100 people lived out this way, and now close to 100,000 people call Gungahlin home. For over half of the community, English is a second language, and it is a community where the average age is just 31.    One of the most satisfying things about being here is connecting with the community and building community partnerships. And as that happens, we have seen people connect and reconnect with the corps and their faith. As a whole, Canberra is becoming less Christian; however, people want a place to belong and feel at home, and it is exciting to see more and more people call Gungahlin Corps home.    2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind?   We have four kids, so life is pretty busy. However, in the last few years, we have been able to go on two cruises as a family. At first, I was a little worried about the whole idea of being stuck on a boat, but it didn’t take long for me to be hooked. I enjoy embarrassing my kids and often have been found dressed up in costume for school pick-up.   I am also a very keen supporter of the greatest NRL team to ever exist, the mighty Brisbane Broncos! So, during the winter months, I am kept busy offering my support and advice to this great team. One thing I love about this team is that it is not always about winning for them; they sometimes go out of their way to ensure football is the winner by allowing other less great teams to win.    3. What’s a favourite Christian song and why do you like it?   Recently, the kids introduced me to ‘Give Me Jesus’ by Upperroom. I like the simple message in the words: Give me Jesus, You can have all this world, Give me Jesus.   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?    Jonah. I would like to talk about what it was like in the belly of the whale. What did he do while he was there? How long did the smell last for afterwards? Do whales scare him now? Does he like fish in general?   5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say?    Of course! Yes, but only if God is calling. Officership isn’t easy, it is counter-cultural in many ways – but it is also very rewarding. Officership isn’t for everyone, but I believe God is still calling people to full-time commissioned officership. So, I encourage people to seek after God and his calling on your life. If he is calling, don’t say no.

The Salvation Army warmly welcomed US sailors in 1908 (above), but by 1925 the Salvos were acting as ‘guardian angels’ to the seamen.   BY BARRY GITTINS On 1 August 1925, 100 years ago today, The Salvation Army in Australia reported it had “opened its doors and its big international heart to welcome the men of … the American Fleet”, and “let loose its Officers on the streets of Melbourne to act as guardian angels to any of the sailor lads who were exposed to moral danger”. That last gig – playing guardian angel – kept the Salvos busy indeed, according to the War Cry . The sailors from the Prohibition-era US (alcohol was criminalised from 1920-1933) took advantage of the liquor licensing laws in Australia. Local criminals and barkeeps had a field day. “Over forty men” were gathered up on the lower hall of the Melbourne City Temple “who had succumbed to the effects of doped liquor”; they were “carefully watched over” by the Salvationists. The story that appeared in the War Cry 100 years ago today. The Salvos had met the Americans as the battleships arrived at Port Melbourne, and the fabled Salvation Army vehicle ‘Lizzie Tinribs’ was put to good use, transporting inebriated seamen from dens of iniquity to Salvation Army centres for coffee and food. Not that all the visitors were happy to be sobered up; the report noted that “after a tussle, we succeeded in dragging out a budding admiral who had evidently been drugged and very likely fallen among thieves. He was doubled up like a ball and absolutely helpless, so we bundled him in”. A depiction of The Salvation Army vehicle nicknamed ‘Lizzie Tinribs’ that transported US seamen. Ushering sailor lads out of “drink shops and … the clutches of some of the Melbourne crooks, who seemed to be like a cloud of blowflies hovering around the boys” was a precursor to transporting them to Little Bourke Street Hall and the City Temple, where the faithful were aided by comrades from Carlton and South Fitzroy. Police officials had requested The Salvation Army lasses keep the sailors away from houses of ill-fame. “Your bonnets can do what we can’t,” said one constable. “Time and again we would bring along loads of helplessly drunk sailor lads [in scenes of] disgrace to those citizens of Melbourne, who were guilty of putting drink in the way of our American visitors”, the report added. One sailor Yank “has been knocked about badly; the Salvos dragged him from an angry crowd and took him to the hall to have some of the Yankee blood bathed from his face … Back and forth we went, loaded with drunken sailors [and] half-dead marines”, all stowed precariously on the platform of the Army hall. The Salvos delivered their American charges “out of the clutches of the harpies and crooks that are after them. Great crowds of crooks of the worst type are dogging their footsteps. The brewers and drink shops are reaping a rich harvest. Racing, boxing and all kinds of sport, legitimate and otherwise, are being offered in attractive garb”. In the limelight in 1908 Things were less dramatic but more prophetic in August publications 17 years earlier, when “the Great White Fleet” had previously visited. The 22 August 1908 War Cry reckoned Australia welcomed “her brothers of the Anglo-Saxon family, whose territory, language, arts and arms embrace the world … Australia and the United States are one in blood, language, ideals and destiny …” “… No exigency, or combination of interest or policy, in or related to the Pacific, can be realised in the future without recognising the United States as an important factor in its adjustment.” The Salvation Army was at hand to film the fleet’s much-heralded arrival, in one of the Limelight Department’s last great ‘shoots’. The very next week’s issue (29 August 1908) recorded the US sailors making land in Melbourne, greeting them with the Aboriginal words ‘Monomeath Mirainbeena N’ Yaalingo (Welcome a thousand times)’.   Members of The Salvation Army Limelight Department had their cameras whirring for the 1908 arrival of the US fleet.

Perth Chinese Corps and Perth Fortress Corps are hosting an upcoming multicultural event to better connect the services of the Salvos with the diverse communities of Western Australia.   “The purpose of the event is to showcase the work of the Salvos across Perth, with a particular aim to our broader multicultural community,” explains Aaron Stobie, Perth Fortress Corps Officer. “We want to ensure that our broader community is aware of the breadth of the work of the Salvos.”   Perth Fortress is opening its doors to the local community to learn more about its work.   Services at the site include Doorways, social groups, a community meal and a low-cost café. All operate out of the Salvos William Street site, where both Perth Fortress and Perth Chinese Corps are co-located.    “We want to raise awareness, collaborate and build strong relationships to better serve and meet the growing needs in our community,” Aaron says. “We also have the Beacon Accommodation, Bridge House, AOD, and Family and Domestic Violence supports all based in Perth.”   The event will also offer Wills Day services, social activities for all ages and specific activities for youth and children.   The Perth Multicultural Event runs from 10am-12pm on Thursday 7 August, 333 William Street, Northbridge.

Major Bryce Davies has been hosting the ‘Stories of Hope’ podcast for the past five years.   BY LAUREN MARTIN   Over the past five years, the life and faith of Major Bryce Davies have been authentically laid bare through the ‘Stories of Hope’ podcast he started during the COVID-19 lockdowns.   But after 600 episodes, Bryce is turning off the microphone.   He has been given a new appointment – as a Team Member at The Salvation Army’s Goodna Mission in Brisbane’s west – after serving for several years as the Faith Communities Development Coordinator based out of Divisional Headquarters in Brisbane. The podcast series has been aired on his own Stories of Hope website each week, and for the past two years on Salvos Online Facebook each Saturday. Even though Bryce has recorded his last interview, Salvos Online will continue the Saturday series from his vast library of pre-recorded episodes.   Bryce said the Stories of Hope podcast emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic.   “I’d been working in Villawood at the time that COVID hit,” he said, referring to his involvement in building the Community of Hope in the south-west Sydney suburb.   “I had been doing social media posts about the living out of the Gospel in real life. It felt like all the things that the Salvos and the Church should be like, and a friend of mine pointed out how popular the posts were and how much people engaged with them.   “There was this idea that there was more potential, that there was a way that I could be involved in a more public space.”   Bryce’s new book now available on the Salvos Publishing website. And so, ‘Stories of Hope’ was born, resulting in hundreds of devoted listeners, thousands of online interactions and hundreds of episodes. And it’s even birthed a book, Doing Life With Bryce , which has just been released by Salvos Publishing. Through the podcast, Bryce inspired both Salvos and non-Salvos, Christians and non-Christians, with his practical, earthy theology (“I’m just an ex-plumber” is a line heard often throughout the podcasts.)   Starting with three podcasts per week – the ‘Monday nuggets of truth’ series mostly focused on Scripture and how we can practically live out the Gospel, the Wednesday stories were heartwarming moments Bryce shared, illustrating how God is at work in the world, and the Friday interviews, where people discussed life, love, faith and connection. It was the ‘Monday nuggets of truth’ series that inspired the book. “I think the podcast has made me more reflective,” he said. “It has shaped my theology. I think a lot of people’s ways that they think about God have been heard and respected and understood in a way that it may have not been heard before.”   Impact on listeners For his listeners, the ‘Stories of Hope’ podcast has inspired and challenged them to think outside of religious tradition, to the heart of how Jesus lived, loved and ushered in the Kingdom of God here on Earth.   Major Sandra Pawar reflected, “This podcast has been amazing, and I have listened to every episode. Thank you for the investment … it has blessed and challenged me.”   Another listener, Territorial Envoy Bronwyn Bithell, said, “I have been educated, encouraged and challenged by your teachings and the stories of those you’ve interviewed.”   Andrew Grinsted, who met Bryce when both were young adults and Bryce was the youth worker at Camberwell Corps in Melbourne, said his faith has been shaped by not just the ‘Stories of Hope’ podcast, but Bryce’s ministry across his officership. He was interviewed by Bryce for the podcast, during which he expressed his deep desire to be a “good neighbour”.   Writing to Bryce after learning about the podcast ending, Andrew shared that following that interview, he felt called to step out in faith and is now working as the Community Mission Lead for The Salvation Army in Merton, south-west London, where his wife, Jill, is the leader of Raynes Park Corps. “I just wanted to let you know, after listening to my interview with you again, that I am now taking this opportunity that has come my way and doing my dream job of being paid to be neighbourly.   “I use you and the work you have done, not only as an officer with Streetlevel and other community projects, but the role model you were when we were both a bit younger when I speak to people about my journey and my hopes for this new job. You have always been and will continue to be an inspiration to me! Thank you for just being you and letting God use you!” Bryce and his ‘lovely Sue’ in the kitchen. Bryce says looking back over the last five years, probably his favourite interview, the one that he has listened back to more times than others, was the one he did with his daughters for a Father’s Day podcast. “ I find myself laughing and smiling. I love those two girls, so that’s pretty special.”   His final episode will feature none other than his wife, Sue, whom he has affectinately called “the lovely Sue” throughout the podcast episodes.

The new mural by Leah Newman. Image: Supplied BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE Staff at the Salvation Army’s Sobering-Up Unit in Adelaide, South Australia, have recently unveiled a new mural. The Australian landscape scene, featured in the entryway of the complex, was painted by Leah Newman, Art Teacher from the Warrondi Engage and Link (WEL) Day Program, which operates in tandem with the service. The painting is one of many that Leah has installed throughout the building. Leah said her painting was inspired by a conversation with an Indigenous client in her art class at the WEL rehabilitation program, who was an anthropologist with a knowledge of the landscape from which many Aboriginal Australians in Adelaide have migrated. She said that since 70 per cent of the clients at the Sobering-Up Unit were Indigenous, she wanted to paint something that would help them feel welcome. She began with paintings of Australian animals, then her anthropologist client advised her on the correct animals and bush foods to include in the larger mural. Image: Supplied “It was great to have somebody who really knew what she was talking about,” Leah said. Sobering-Up Unit Team Leader Kirsten Pennington said the mural was a “wonderful” addition to a part of the building, which, due to iron gates and an intercom system to preserve security, can seem intimidating. Kirsten said clients were enjoying Leah’s work. “A lot of them have made comments about the artwork throughout the unit,” she said. The Sobering-Up Unit is a 30-bed facility that operates free of charge and accommodates people aged 18 and older requiring non-medical detoxification from the effects of alcohol and other drugs. The service offers around-the-clock support and monitoring in a safe environment and refers clients to other services for further care and symptom management. Find out more here . Follow Leah on Instagram here .

Human trafficking is a global issue affecting an estimated 27.6 million people around the world. Photo: Roma Kaiuk   Today is the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons . It’s an annual event globally observed on 30 July. The day was established on 18 December by the United Nations General Assembly with the desire to raise awareness and promote the protection of the rights of trafficking victims. The Salvation Army has been part of the fight against human trafficking and slavery for 140 years. What began as a local response to the sexual exploitation of women and girls 140 years ago has since evolved into a global strategy committed to dismantling modern slavery and human trafficking.   To learn more about the international Salvation Army’s response to modern slavery and human trafficking, click here . To read Amy's story, click here .   Human trafficking continues to be a global threat driven by organised crime. More and more victims are being trafficked every year, across greater distances, with greater violence, for longer periods of time and for greater profit. From 2020 to 2023, there were more than 200,000 detected victims globally, which is just the tip of the iceberg. The actual number of unreported cases is believed to be significantly higher. READ MORE: The Salvation Army Australia on the frontlines of support   In Australia , The Salvation Army’s response to this global scourge includes a safe house, the Additional Referral Pathway (ARP) for crisis support and referrals and survivor leadership programs. It also includes advocacy work, programs such as supply chain mapping, training for frontline workers and participation in national and regional anti-trafficking coalitions.   For more information about The Salvation Army Australia's fight against human trafficking and modern slavery, click here . For more information about the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, click here .

General Lyndon Buckingham urges the international Salvation Army to pray for peace throughout the world. Photo : Mohammed Ibrahim General Lyndon Buckingham says The Salvation Army grieves deeply at the ongoing loss of life and human suffering due to war around the world. In a statement issued by International Headquarters in London, the General said the Army recognised the human toll in conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Sahel region of Africa (including Burkina Faso and Mali), Syria, Myanmar, and in the Russo-Ukrainian war and elsewhere. “We urge all parties in all conflicts to rethink their positions and, for the sake of their own people, to pursue pathways of peace, justice, reconciliation and healing,” the Army’s world leader said. “The protection of the innocent – especially children, the elderly and the vulnerable – must be paramount.” Highlighting the situation in Gaza, the General said the Army recognised the desolation of its people and the profound sorrow of families who have lost loved ones.  “The displacement of millions, the plight of hostages and the anguish of their families weigh heavily on the hearts of the people of The Salvation Army.   “Every life is sacred, and every act of violence leaves a scar on our shared humanity. As a people of faith and conscience, The Salvation Army calls for an immediate release of the remaining hostages and a sustained ceasefire that ensures protection, security, support and a viable future for all people in the region. “We ask that world leaders exert strong moral courage to continue working alongside the regions’ leaders to bring a swift end to the conflicts and open pathways towards lasting peace.” The General added that peace was possible through the promises of Jesus. “My heartfelt prayer is that peace will be immediate and comprehensive in Gaza and throughout the world; that the desolation will cease and a profound goodwill towards one another will shape the future of humankind. Amid the complexity, I urge the citizens of the world to pray for peace and a new desire to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’.”

N obody paddles alone, on the water or in life, reflects Major Joel Clifford, who runs the Paddlers Against Poverty group based in Hobart, Tasmania. Joel says, “It’s been really amazing to see how God has moved in and through our group”, breaking down walls, creating community, connection and faith.

Colonel Tilitah Goa prays for Majors Deon and Michelle Oliver at their PNG welcome. The Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory has warmly welcomed Australian officers, Majors Deon and Michelle Oliver, during its weekly prayer and fellowship gathering at Territorial Headquarters (THQ) in Port Moresby.   The couple have been appointed to the territory, with Deon to serve as Secretary for Program and Michelle as Development Officer.   Major Jenny Vali, Assistant Secretary for Program, delivered a welcome address, praising the Olivers’ dedication, discipline and the fresh perspective they bring to PNGSI’s leadership and mission.   Colonel Tilitah Goa, Territorial President for Women’s Ministries, led a prayer of dedication, rendering the Olivers’ service to God.   The THQ family presented the couple with welcome gifts and a celebratory cake, symbolising unity in diversity in spirit and communal fellowship.   The event underscored gratitude for the Olivers’ safe arrival and excitement for the impact they will have on the territory’s programs and development.   – Tania Kubak