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Forty-nine Salvation Army officers from The Salvation Army’s South Pacific and East Asia (SPEA) Zone met in Taipei, Taiwan, for the SPEA Leaders Zonal Conference, under the title “Moving Forward in the Power of God.”
Chief of the Staff Commissioner William Roberts and World Secretary for Women’s Ministries Commissioner Nancy Roberts served as special guests, supported by Commissioner Gillian Downer, SPEA international secretary, Commissioner Denise Swansbury, SPEA zonal secretary for women’s ministries, and Major Barry Casey, SPEA under secretary.
Commissioner Keith Banks, who previously served in the SPEA Zone, served as chaplain, bringing challenge and blessing each day through a series of meditations. With a “coming to the table” theme, Banks covered presence, to provision, acceptance and forgiveness.
Following the keynote address prepared by General André Cox and delivered by the Chief of the Staff, a number of accountability sessions were held for delegates to consider child protection, finance, governance, impact measurement, continued growth, leadership development, resourcing the mission and resourcing the zone.
During the final worship meeting the Robertses both spoke—she offered words of testimony, drawing on memories from her life, and he gave a Bible message from Mark 10:35-45. He reminded the gathered leaders to aspire to Jesus’ example of servant leadership, emphasized by verse 45: ‘The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve’ (ESV).
