Introducing the Defenders of Justice

Cadets of the Defenders of Justice session share their stories as they begin officer training.

For my whole life God has faithfully guided and guarded me! I was first called to officership eight years ago during a prayer event at The Salvation Army in Amsterdam’s red light district. After this God led me to worship and serve at Huddersfield and Leeds Bramley.

Throughout, God has repeatedly blown my mind; he has called me deeper and deeper into relationship with him, ignited a passion for mission, and stretched my understanding of his Church.

‘And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns’ (Philippians 1:6 New Living Translation).

God is faithful! That is my story, my testimony; God has been faithful through all of my days.

My first experience of God was on the Roots Farewell Tour and, despite Duggie Dug Dug’s intense wake-up-shake-up and all the smoke machines and fancy lights, God reached down into my life and told me I was his, a daughter of the King, and that he would be faithful to me.

‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20 King James Version).

When I accepted the Lord Jesus into my life at Armáda Spásy Margate, I found out that life has far greater dimensions than I ever could have imagined. I found that there is someone who died for me and loves me despite my faults and shortcomings. He forgives my sins and gives me another chance, without taunting me or reminding me of them.

He is calling me to a service in which I am to show others his love, understanding and compassion – to not condemn, but to accept. To share the joy that we can only find in Christ Jesus.

Through the trust I place in him, I was accepted to William Booth College. I put my life in his hands and know that he will take care of me and my family, just as he has done since I confessed him as my Lord and Saviour

When I accepted the Lord Jesus into my life, he showed me that I should go to England. He led me to The Salvation Army and there God made himself known to me and told me I would grow.

I served in Margate for 11 years, but the Lord kept revealing to me his will for me to go to William Booth College. So after some time, when I was certain that it was God’s timing, I decided to go to London to the college.

I am here now, I am learning, and I believe that God will strengthen me here and I will be able to continue with the work the Lord has placed on my heart. Above all, I want to do what is good, acceptable and perfect in his eyes.

Before I was part of the Army, I was called to be an officer. I grew up in a Christian family and knew and loved God. Aged 15, I dreamt I was wearing Army uniform with red epaulettes, preaching.

I’d known as a child I was called to be a minister, but the Army was new! I had no contact with it apart from seeing TV adverts and a band outside Tesco.

I didn’t understand the dream until I went to university in Edinburgh and attended a corps. A lady explained the red epaulettes and I prayed, asking if officership was God’s will. The answer was yes.

Since that time, God has been faithful, enabling me to grow in confidence and experience. I’m excited to see where the journey leads next!

‘So do not fear… I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’ (Isaiah 41:10).

As I have reflected upon my life’s journey to this point these words have followed me every step of the way. In the good times, and especially in the bad, these verses have been a source of great comfort and promise.

Knowing that I am held in God’s right hand brings me a great sense of peace as, no matter what roads lie ahead of me, I am held safe in my Saviour’s hands and his love will never let me go!

‘His faithful follower I will be

For by his hand he leadeth me.’

(SASB 645)

When I first said yes to officership kneeling at the mercy seat (a rubber dinghy) during summer school in 2018, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. I didn’t have much to offer in those moments – I hardly knew what officership was – but I knew that I had to say yes and hand everything back over to God.

Since making this commitment, God has done immeasurably more than I could have asked or imagined. Through the trials and triumphs, I have experienced God’s power and faithfulness in amazing ways.

And the incredible thing is that this is just the beginning! He still has so much work to do in me and through me. I’m so excited for whatever he does next!

I have had a strong relationship with Jesus from a young age, but I first felt called to officership six years ago, when I got angry at God after finding out I would be moving house again. In response, I felt God ‘shout’ back at me through a song saying: ‘Just go, just go, I will make you fishers of men.’ This was the clearest I had ever heard God speak to me and the moment has stuck with me strongly as my calling.

Now I am so excited and energised by the Holy Spirit to share the news of Jesus and see how God can use my life to open people’s eyes to his grace! The greatest act of worship I can perform is to give my life back to God after all he has done and share his encompassing love with everyone I can (see Romans 8:38 and 39).

When I realised God was calling me to officership, I said no. I believed there were too many barriers in my life that would prevent me from serving as an officer. However, at divisional summer school that year, I heard the words ‘let God use your barriers’ and I knew that what I saw as barriers God would use for his Kingdom.

As I started my social work degree, we were asked to write down why we were there. I wrote that, because I had experienced inequality and injustice myself, I wanted to stand with those experiencing injustice.

I am so excited to see what God is going to do through me as a Defender of Justice.

For the past 11 years I have served as a territorial envoy in the Severn and Somerset Division. I am married to Louise, who continues to serve as a territorial envoy at Street Corps and we have two sons, Jacob and Noah, who are nine and six years old.

My road to the college has definitely not been a straightforward stroll in the park and there have been several lumps and bumps along the way. But I am thankful to have the love and patience of a faithful God who has watched over me throughout my life and I know that he will continue to do so in these exciting days and years ahead.

God has been faithful and gentle in calling me to officership. I have always pursued his will for my life while studying and while working as a speech and language therapist. Now God has called me into full-time ministry, I feel a sense of peace as I am released into something new.

I am grateful for the support of my church family at Staines, where I’ve had a safe space to develop the foundations of my faith, question my beliefs and grow in maturity.

Since saying yes to officership, David and I have been on an adventure to Arizona to serve for three months at summer camps. We cannot wait to see what God has in store for us as we step out in faith again!

It was during a Covid-19 lockdown, while working as community manager at Staines Corps, that I felt the Holy Spirit convicting me that I was called to officership. I didn’t mention it to my wife, Bethany, as it was daunting, and I knew that she would hold me accountable to it.

To my surprise, two weeks later she told me she felt called and over the past 18 months we have felt a strong sense of peace, and everything has fallen into place, including the arrival of our baby boy, Levi.

I’m grateful for the support we have received from our corps, officers, family and DHQ team and look forward to the training we will receive at the college in preparation for ministry as officers.

Walking humbly with God (see Micah 6:8) is something I have aspired to experience for a long time, but in recent years this walk has also allowed him to probe and test me anew. Floods and food poverty within my community and the need to take on additional leadership within Pentre Corps have been some of the experiences the Lord has used to call me into greater service for him – service that I seek to undertake as a distance-learner cadet.

The ongoing encouragement and prayers of my wife, my family and my friends, in and out of The Salvation Army, have supported me in answering this call and I praise God for them all.