Praying for appointments: Waiting for the next chapter

Please note: We do not publish the annual change of appointments list until July to coincide with the move date.

In the meantime, if you have questions about local changes in leadership, please contact the corps or divisional headquarters directly.

As the annual change of appointments is distributed, Major Lisa Lloyd-Jones invites us to pray for patience, peace and trust.

About 20 years ago I read as part of my daily devotions: ‘Patience is a virtue that carries a lot of wait!’ Honestly, in planning and practicalities of life, I’m not very patient and I don’t like waiting, especially when the next chapter of life is about to unfold. I want to be ahead, reimagining, making plans and starting to turn the page of a new chapter.

In January, the Personnel Service suggested prayer themes and outlined the continuation of a process surrounding the deployment of officers and territorial envoys in the United Kingdom and Ireland Territory. Prayerful consideration was central and it’s important to acknowledge that every part of the appointments process as a whole remains focused on the discerning of God’s will, both for the local and the leaders. Your ongoing prayers around this are appreciated.

Imagine a waiting room – at the dentist, the doctors, the hospital. Anxious faces, unknown results or recommendations, the impact on family, the good news as a next chapter unfolds and perhaps, for some, a time of questions and rethinking. There’s often in my experience not a lot of patience in the waiting room and yet, somehow, a quiet confidence in those who want to give the people waiting the best opportunity to thrive, whatever the circumstance.

In The Salvation Army, waiting for an appointment to be announced can seem endless, both for a local community or congregation and for an officer. In times past, my husband, Mike, and I would go to the sorting officer to collect our appointment letters as the postman just couldn’t get them to us early enough for all that waiting to be bearable! This followed at least one night’s restless sleep where dreams could be of biblical magnitude. In today’s digital age, sharing information is less complex, but the waiting for an email to arrive – skim-reading the detail until landing on the appointment being made – requires some resilience.

Of course, the waiting doesn’t stop there. Finding the right time and words to share the news – with family, people who provide support, the community of believers – takes some discerning.

In my experience, our waiting as a family then continued, as more questions arose for the children. Which university am I going to? Will we get a place at a school? Will we make new friends? What will home look and feel like? Later, the transition – saying farewell, receiving some appreciation and stepping into the new – is another huge step. On these occasions, more than ever, our waiting leans into God in full measure.

Waiting is a recurring theme in the Bible, encouraging believers to trust in God’s timing and faithfulness. On Thursday 13 March, officers, territorial envoys and cadets received news about their appointments ahead of the move in July. Psalm 27:14 summarises all our hopes and desires: ‘Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!’ (English Standard Version).

• We will publish the full list of appointments in July, to coincide with the move date.

Reflect and respond

• Read Psalm 27. Where does your strength come from as you wait for the next chapter in your life?
• Pray for patience, peace and trust for spiritual leaders and congregations across the territory.