A call to prayer for our friend Colin Wood.
Colin is in intensive care at Flinders Medical Centre after the toxicity from an infection that started behind his knee has spread.
He is being stabilised and it is believed he will make a full recovery. However at this time that he is in an induced sleep and receiving breathing support it is quite scary, especially for Mavis.
I have visited him this morning and I am grateful to God for the good care he is receiving and the positive spirit of his nurse.
Please pray for the Woods.
Monday, 31 January 2011
High Council update
Over the weekend the High Council continued to meet at Sunbury Court, UK.
The 109 delegates listened to the questions and answers from the 9 candidates for General, and where appropriate, from their spouses also. There were intense worship times, led by the new Council Chaplain, Commissioner Vic Poke.
From this morning, the President of the Council, Commissioner Jim Knaggs, will be calling on the delegates to commence the voting process. The voting works simply.
Each delegate is called forward by the President or Vice President (Colonel Birgitte Brekke) and handed a ballot paper. They then retire to the voting room, tick their choice for General and place their paper in the ballot box. When the vote counters then tally the votes the following happens:
The candidate with the least number of votes is automatically eliminated from eligibility.
On the first three ballots, if one candidate recieves more than 2/3 of the vote, they are declared the General-elect.
On any subsequent ballot, any candidate with more that 1/2 of the vote is declared General-elect.
This voting and counting can continue until such point as there are only two remaining candidates, at which point it is assumed (as there are an odd number of delegates) that one will receive more than 50% of the vote.
Each ballot can take over an hour, and is conducted in silence as the delegates pray for each other, the candidates and the process at hand. We should, as we can, also support them in prayer as they elect our new General. A notice will be sent around the world about a live webcast for the announcement of the new General-elect. I would assume that this would happen sometime tomorrow, UK time (perhaps late into the night Australian time).
The 109 delegates listened to the questions and answers from the 9 candidates for General, and where appropriate, from their spouses also. There were intense worship times, led by the new Council Chaplain, Commissioner Vic Poke.
From this morning, the President of the Council, Commissioner Jim Knaggs, will be calling on the delegates to commence the voting process. The voting works simply.
Each delegate is called forward by the President or Vice President (Colonel Birgitte Brekke) and handed a ballot paper. They then retire to the voting room, tick their choice for General and place their paper in the ballot box. When the vote counters then tally the votes the following happens:
The candidate with the least number of votes is automatically eliminated from eligibility.
On the first three ballots, if one candidate recieves more than 2/3 of the vote, they are declared the General-elect.
On any subsequent ballot, any candidate with more that 1/2 of the vote is declared General-elect.
This voting and counting can continue until such point as there are only two remaining candidates, at which point it is assumed (as there are an odd number of delegates) that one will receive more than 50% of the vote.
Each ballot can take over an hour, and is conducted in silence as the delegates pray for each other, the candidates and the process at hand. We should, as we can, also support them in prayer as they elect our new General. A notice will be sent around the world about a live webcast for the announcement of the new General-elect. I would assume that this would happen sometime tomorrow, UK time (perhaps late into the night Australian time).
Egypt
I'm sure many of you have been disturbed by the events that are taking place in Egypt at the moment. The civil hostility is directed toward the incumbent president, but of course is having an impact on the whole nation. There are reports of riots, looting, and even anecdotal claims that the police are firing weapons in the streets just to get people to go home. Of course, not everyone can. One family with Australian connections is trapped in Cairo and can't get to their home town of Alexandria. This uncertainty and insecurity is adding to the general lacking of safety. There is high anxiety for families around the world.
Keep in mind, also, that Cairo is a big city... the population of Australia living in one city! That's a lot of people on the streets and hard for any government, or police force, to maintain order.
Pray for this nation.
Keep in mind, also, that Cairo is a big city... the population of Australia living in one city! That's a lot of people on the streets and hard for any government, or police force, to maintain order.
Pray for this nation.
Army work
I hear that yesterday our worship time at Marion Corps was exceptional. Thank you to everyone who pitched in to help Ange and Kathleen.
I was at the Hampstead Barracks mandatory training weekend. You can gather by the term 'mandatory' that I didn't have much choice! This weekend is a lot about corporate governance and each soldier in the Army has this annual induction. It covers off on a lot of topics from heat managment, safety, technical regulatory frameworks, mental health, suicide prevention, physical training, envoironmental impact, equity and diversity and so on.
It makes me grateful for the way we do corporate governance in The Salvation Army!
What also stood out to me was the number of personnel issues that arose. Over just two days, I had 11 people seeking assistance from the chaplain, and two sub-units at the barracks seeking support for their courses. Of course I won't be able to do all of the things that are asked of me, but it is good that the people of the Australian Army are seeking out their chaplains.
A new thing this year is also the presence of the Military Christian Fellowship at Hampstead. They have been around the ADF for a long time, but not on every base. Having a presence at the barracks to specifically support the Christians and provide evanglical opportunities, while I get on with the more general work of providing care to the whole unit is a great bonus. Pray for their representative leader, Major Geoff Robertson.
I was at the Hampstead Barracks mandatory training weekend. You can gather by the term 'mandatory' that I didn't have much choice! This weekend is a lot about corporate governance and each soldier in the Army has this annual induction. It covers off on a lot of topics from heat managment, safety, technical regulatory frameworks, mental health, suicide prevention, physical training, envoironmental impact, equity and diversity and so on.
It makes me grateful for the way we do corporate governance in The Salvation Army!
What also stood out to me was the number of personnel issues that arose. Over just two days, I had 11 people seeking assistance from the chaplain, and two sub-units at the barracks seeking support for their courses. Of course I won't be able to do all of the things that are asked of me, but it is good that the people of the Australian Army are seeking out their chaplains.
A new thing this year is also the presence of the Military Christian Fellowship at Hampstead. They have been around the ADF for a long time, but not on every base. Having a presence at the barracks to specifically support the Christians and provide evanglical opportunities, while I get on with the more general work of providing care to the whole unit is a great bonus. Pray for their representative leader, Major Geoff Robertson.
Thursday, 27 January 2011
High Council 2011
There have been developments overnight at the High Council in Sunbury Court, UK.
Ten candidates were nominated for the office of general. One of those, Commissioner James Knaggs, declined his nomination. Therefore there are nine candidates standing for election:
Commissioner John Matear (UK)
Commissioner Linda Bond (from Canada, currently the TC in Australia Eastern Territory)
Commissioner Christine MacMillan (from the US, currently the International Social Justice Leader and Salvation Army representative to the United Nations)
Commissioner Dick Krommenhoek (from the Netherlands, currently the TC for Finland and Estonia)
Commissioner William Francis (from the US, currently the TC in Canada)
Commissioner Max Feener (from Canada, currently the TC in USA Southern Territory)
Commissioner Barry Swanson (from the US, currently the 2IC of The Salvation Army - the Chief of the Staff at IHQ)
Commissioner Robert Street (UK, currently Zonal Secretary for Europe)
Commissioner William Roberts (from the US, currently US National Commander)
Because the office bearers for the High Council are all either candidates for General or a spouse of a candidate, new office bearers have been elected to govern proceedings:
High Council President - Commissioner Jim Knaggs, TC USA West
Vice President - Colonel Birgitte Brekke, World Youth Convention Convenor
Chaplain - Commissioner Vic Poke, from Australia, currently TC Sweden and Latvia
Please pray, especially for the candidates for the office for general, and those that are entitled to vote. Over the next day or two they will be questioned by the Council and then later in the week or early next week, the elections will take place.
Ten candidates were nominated for the office of general. One of those, Commissioner James Knaggs, declined his nomination. Therefore there are nine candidates standing for election:
Commissioner John Matear (UK)
Commissioner Linda Bond (from Canada, currently the TC in Australia Eastern Territory)
Commissioner Christine MacMillan (from the US, currently the International Social Justice Leader and Salvation Army representative to the United Nations)
Commissioner Dick Krommenhoek (from the Netherlands, currently the TC for Finland and Estonia)
Commissioner William Francis (from the US, currently the TC in Canada)
Commissioner Max Feener (from Canada, currently the TC in USA Southern Territory)
Commissioner Barry Swanson (from the US, currently the 2IC of The Salvation Army - the Chief of the Staff at IHQ)
Commissioner Robert Street (UK, currently Zonal Secretary for Europe)
Commissioner William Roberts (from the US, currently US National Commander)
Because the office bearers for the High Council are all either candidates for General or a spouse of a candidate, new office bearers have been elected to govern proceedings:
High Council President - Commissioner Jim Knaggs, TC USA West
Vice President - Colonel Birgitte Brekke, World Youth Convention Convenor
Chaplain - Commissioner Vic Poke, from Australia, currently TC Sweden and Latvia
Please pray, especially for the candidates for the office for general, and those that are entitled to vote. Over the next day or two they will be questioned by the Council and then later in the week or early next week, the elections will take place.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
School Holiday Program
Just a reminder to pray for the school holiday program that is on this week. Paul and the team are looking after 40 young people - 20 of them having their first experience of The Salvation Army. What an opportunity. A report will follow.
Jacob's video
I had the opportunity yesterday to head out to the Factory campus of Arndale Corps to help make a video for our PR department. This is going to be a great tool that can be used in high schools and in general to advertise the work of The Salvation Army. I was involved, because I was the chauffeur and interviewer for a man whose life has been transformed by our Corps.
Jacob came to Australia from the Sudan. For those that don't know the history of this country, the British colonised it, but created rather artificial borders. This meant that people groups that previously had nothing in common had to try and form a country together. The north of the Sudan, where the wealth is, is predominantly Arab Muslim. The south of the country, where the oil is, is predominantly African Christian. The two sides have been at war since 'independance' in the late '50s.
Please pray for this nation. There is currently a referendum underway to approve partition. Pray for the right outcome and for peace for this land.
Back to Jacob... Jacob is from the south. He and his family applied to leave the civil war as refugees. This meant monthly trips to the IOM office (International Office for Migration) in another city to plead their case and "wait" for their turn to be repatriated to a recipient country. This took three years, and Jacob's family had to come out before he could. (Consider 3 years of travelling, danger, sleeping on the streets in the middle of a civil war 'waiting your turn', perhaps to go to Australia, perhaps to be killed, before trying to turn away the next load of boat people).
When he arrived in Australia, his wife had moved on without him. He was left alone in a house that he couldn't afford to rent. He was left alone in a country where his teaching qualifications were not recognised. He was unlicensed and couldn't drive around his new home. He had $75 a fortnight to live on. He was depressed and considered suicide. He wished he had never been accepted by the Australian government.
His friend (the real hero in this story) brought him to our church where the CSS team put him into our doorways program. Over the course of a few months, Julie Davis, one of our soldiers and social workers, managed Jacob's case and provided him with extensive assistance. Then one day he disappeared. Julie chased him up and found out that he had work. Jacob was amazed that someone cared enough to find out where he was, that there were people in his new country that went to extraordinary lengths to make sure he was OK. Remember, he came from a country where the enemy went to extraordinary lengths to make sure you weren't OK!
Jacob was so overwhelmed by the love and ongoing support of our CSS team that he offered to do anything he could to let people know about The Salvation Army (hence the video!). Kudos to Julie, the CSS team and to all that make our place as welcoming as possible.
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