Cadets commissioned in inspiring and encouraging services
BY LERISSE SMITH
Inspiring testimonies of lives radically transformed and amazing miracles birthed in prayer were key highlights of the Ordination, Commissioning and Sending Out of the Defenders of Justice and Reflectors of Holiness on the weekend.
Cadets Edward and Beola Conteh (Defenders of Justice), David Delany (Reflectors of Holiness) and Vikki Song (Reflectors of Holiness) were all commissioned on Sunday at Auburn Corps with a special and moving service befitting such an occasion interspersed with powerful messages of support and encouragement. Cadet Leeanne Pattison (Defenders of Justice) was commissioned at Adelaide City Salvos last Friday.
“This is such an exciting day for you,” Captain Kylie Herring, Leader of Officer Formation, told the cadets on Sunday.
“It’s been our privilege to walk alongside you. We are delighted you were able to experience this event in person surrounded by people that have loved you, encouraged you and supported you along the way.”
Several other Salvationists spoke at the service, including Chief Secretary Colonel Winsome Merrett, Secretary for Personnel Lieut-Colonel Chris Reid and Territorial Commander Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, who led the declaration of faith and doctrines, ordination and commissioning. Worship music by the Hurstville Songsters and Auburn Music Team also formed part of the event.
A special feature of the Commissioning was a video compilation showcasing the cadets’ training during the past few years.
For Lieutenant Vikki Song, who was commissioned on Sunday and introduced the video to the service attendees, the training was a transformative journey for her personal spiritual growth and theological competency. It also sharpened her tools for the ministry role.
“It’s not only for the sake of shaping me into a minister but also for reshaping me from the very deep of knowing into a holistically healthy new self and being equipped into a capable servant leader of God,” Vikki said.
“The formation allowed me to develop my leadership skills based on who I am, my gifts and strengths, as well as my weaknesses. I have been able to integrate my learning in many practical ways, such as how to maintain an ongoing relationship with God, how to reflect spiritually and theologically in both personal life and ministry matters, the theologies of what we do as The Salvation Army, why we do them, and how I can apply them into practice.
“I have also been integrating the learnt skills into practice, such as preaching, pastoral care, healthy boundary settings, and relationship building.”
Vikki also thanked and acknowledged the officer formation team of Kylie, Heather, Andrew and Sharon and how their love, dedication and commitment to the cadets’ training had blessed their journey so abundantly and created a nurturing environment for their growth.
Kylie shared how, in the current training model, placement officers and supervising staff became training partners with the Officer Formation Stream at Eva Burrows College. The local placement officers provide cadets with a diverse range of learning opportunities and “act as our eyes and ears on the ground” she said.
“They give us feedback on how they have experienced cadets, observing their maturity, their God, self, and others awareness, their ministry skills and capacities, and their openness to learning and growing.”
Kylie added the cadets commissioned this year carried two sessional names – Reflectors of Holiness and Defenders of Justice.
“Each of these names speaks to the experience of transformation and the development of Christ-like character, which, as they have discovered in their studies and practice, is neither easy nor quick!”
Kylie spoke to the notion of justice as one of the meta themes of the Bible – as an attribute of God, its connection to righteousness, and how it is a mandate for the people of God to live by.
“In exploring how Jesus approached justice, we discover that to love is to be just; to be just is to love. We also discover that to love sacrificially is costly,” she said.
“Practising genuine justice requires us to enter directly into the darkness that exists in our world, and to be the light – and as the light in that darkness, to seek to bring healing and transformation, which pushes back the darkness.
“That is a much more costly experience than the experience of someone only willing to advocate from afar ... to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ requires courage. Our prayer for our newly commissioned officers is that they would be people of great love and people of great courage.”
Miriam reflected on the incredible life journeys of the cadets at the service and some members of the Auburn congregation.
“Talk to all these guys, and I believe in miracles, amazing stories,” she told the congregation.
“I think there are about 44 nations represented in this church today, and a whole lot of good Aussies who loved people beautifully – that’s hope, isn’t it? That is hope.
“It is exciting when hope is revealed. I love the two names – Reflectors of Holiness and Defenders of Justice. You have got to love Jesus and be filled with the Holy Spirit to go out into the world and be those defenders of justice. And so, we have this beautiful alliance, don’t we? People of God, we need you, whoever you are, whatever you are doing, to be a Jesus-centred, spirit-led, hope-revealed person.”
