Listen to this article
New lieutenants receive their first appointments.
By Karen Gleason
The most light-hearted and joyous meeting, the Service of Appointments, began this year with the entrance of the Territorial Executive Council and the College for Officer Training (CFOT) leaders, Majors Tim and Cindy Foley. After the parade of previous session flags and recognition of long service recipients, the second-year Friends of Christ Session entered the room, followed by The Salvation Army’s newest officers, the 52 members of the Ambassadors of Holiness Session, who performed their session song, words by Lt. Colonel Diane O’Brien and music by Duncan Sutton.
Session representative speaker Lt. Sean Kelsey, a first-generation Salvationist, said that the Ambassadors of Holiness have “given God our best and will continue to do so.” What is important, he said, “is to love God and love people.” He referred to 2 Corinthians 5:18: All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
Chief Secretary Colonel William Harfoot gave the charge, reminding the session that above all they belong to Jesus. Their main task, he said, is “to love people into the kingdom of God.” He quoted Jesus: “Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing” (John 14:12).
“Go and be like Jesus,” Harfoot said. “Keep your eyes fixed on him. Read his word. Go where Jesus would go. When you go, he’ll be there with you. You and Jesus will change the world.”
Appointments announced
In his first Service of Appointments in the Western Territory, Territorial Commander Commissioner James Knaggs, supported by Personnel Secretary Lt. Colonel David Hudson, got right to business in a friendly, relaxed manner.
Although he kept the proceedings moving along, he was sensitive to each individual and couple, especially recognizing the children. When Lts. Joe and Joni Alvarez and their five children approached, he noted, “Each of these beautiful people is willing to go where God sends them—what a wonderful thing!”
To Lts. Kevin and Heather Pope, he said, “I’m not appointing you to the corps inside the walls alone, but to the community—go outside the walls and bring them in.”
Speaking to the three children of Lts. Rob and Tiffany Lawler, he said, “What I discovered as an officer’s kid is that God’s plan for my parents was also God’s plan for me.”
With each appointment, GPS maps pinpointed the exact location of their new home—complete with a photo of the assigned corps.
The CFOT Chorus, led by Duncan Sutton, performed “Church on Fire,” before Knaggs bade farewell to Colonels William and Susan Harfoot, who take new appointments at National Headquarters on August 1. They have served in the West since summer 2008.
“Appointments come, and you go,” said Harfoot, who has come to realize, “The Salvation Army West is just the best.”
Addressing the assembly, Knaggs said, “On your way to being more like Jesus, if you’re not sure what that looks like, look at Colonels Bill and Sue Harfoot, and you’ll know.”
The Western Territorial Band, led by Bandmaster Neil Smith, provided music for the weekend meetings.
