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Recognizing the importance of maintaining close spiritual ties to ARC program graduates and their families and establishing closer ties with other members of the recovery community, Commissioner Peter H. Chang has announced two Adult Rehabilitation Centers will develop corps in their programs.
“The recovering community has for many years offered a quality message and support system for recovering people,” said Adult Rehabilitation Centers Commander Major Daniel Starrett.
“They encourage people to develop their spiritual power and life. Yet, many recovering people do not know where to begin or how to develop their spiritual life. New Age, cults and other falsehoods have offered sources of the higher power from light bulbs to Mac trucks. We know there is only one true Higher Power, and that is Jesus Christ. We have a great opportunity to reach out with the message of Christ, as higher power, Savior and Lord, to a population estimated at 29 million, not including others touched by their addiction.
“We simply must reach out with the complete message of recovery, reconciliation and redemption through Jesus Christ. We then can offer a place for worship, membership and service and to become disciples of Christ and soldiers of The Salvation Army.”
Majors Robert and Betty Johnson have been assigned as corps officers at the Anaheim ARC and A/Captain Barbara Sloan will assume duties as corps officer at the Canoga Park ARC. These appointments are effective January 29, 1997.
Organized with much of the same flexibility as the New Life Centers, these two corps, the first of their kind in the nation, will seek to meet the needs of the congregation that assembles by reaching out to family members and organizing programs specifically related to the recovering community. The Canoga Park program identifies itself as the “New Promise Christian Fellowship” and, according to Sloan, seeks to provide quality programming based on the premise that “people need a second chance.” She hopes to reach untouched people, achieve self sufficiency fiscally and develop lay ministries within the congregation. “Our goal,” she states, “is to turn an audience into a congregation and introduce them to Jesus.”
Policy relative to the development of these recovery corps programs was established nationally through the Commissioners’ Conference early in 1996. The programs will continue to relate to the administrative structure of the Army through the ARC Command.