Introducing the Keepers of the Covenant

As they begin officer training, cadets of the Keepers of the Covenant session share their testimonies.

I grew up in a non-Christian home and came to faith through teenage rebellion. Since committing to God my faith has not wavered.

I came across The Salvation Army while at university and my friend, Cat, invited me to attend a meeting. Afterwards I went to the local corps and at this point the call to officership made itself known.

My journey to this point has been an adventure around the country as well as up to Scotland, before ending up in Bognor Regis. I have been able to discern my calling further while in Bognor. The journey to this point has not always gone smoothly, however throughout everything God is and has been my rock.

My life shows that God’s plan is always perfect, God’s timing is always perfect even if you don’t understand, and the last is to let go and let God.

My name is Laura. I’m 29 years old and I come from the Netherlands. A few years ago I started at The Salvation Army as an employee, first as a social worker and later as a behavioural scientist.

On a Sunday morning in 2022, I asked God which church he wanted me to go to that morning. The Salvation Army came to my mind and, for the first time, I visited a corps. It was the start of a journey of getting to know The Salvation Army more and receiving the call to serve as an officer.

My placement will be at Amsterdam Goodwill Corps in the Netherlands and I’m involved in Sports & Ministries. I am happy to have the opportunity to study at William Booth College. Jesus loves you!

I was born into a Salvationist family. As a young adult I stopped attending the Army, returning in my late twenties but no relationship with God really developed for a few years, until I attended a Buddhist meditation course and felt God telling me that I needed to go home to the Army. My relationship with God started that evening and started to slowly develop.

From being young, I would feel a little uncomfortable niggle whenever officership was mentioned but didn’t know why, as I didn’t feel like I was being called. I now realise that I knew one day I would be saying yes to God and being an officer, but not until the time was right.

It was in 2020 that I knew it was time to explore officership and I knew that God held me very close throughout the whole process and will continue to hold me.

If you told me 10 years ago that I would be writing this, I simply wouldn't have believed you! God saved me in 2015 when I was in the most difficult time of my life, and in doing so he has shown me that he is working all things for good (see Romans 8:28).

Looking back on my walk with God so far, I am blessed to see how in every area of my life he has been preparing me to be an officer, even though I didn’t know it at the time! I am so excited to continue sharing the love of God with others, as it is this love that completely changed my life.

My encouragement to you today is that God has the power to bring blinding light out of the deepest darkness (see Psalm 18:28), and that he is faithful every single day.

What would you say if you were asked for three words in which your friends would describe you? They would say 'active, competitive and faithful', all with good connotations.

My faith story began as a young person at my home corps, but it has been in the past eight years that my story has become a journey. I felt called to officership around 2017, but denied this. I didn't want to explore it.

In 2021, I could no longer deny my calling and started conversations about what this would look like. How could I be sure? Why me? I can guarantee that allowing God's call on your life is an acceptance of transformation. My encouragement and hope for you is that you will listen to God's call and follow where he leads. This will be the best 'yes' you will ever say.