Champions of the Mission make their covenant with God
BY LERISSE SMITH
The Ordination, Commissioning and Sending Out of cadets is a defining moment in The Salvation Army yearly calendar.
But there’s one special and sacred event that few have the opportunity to witness before the public event, and it holds a deep and special meaning for this year’s cadets: Covenant Day.
It’s the sacred step that precedes the Commissioning ceremony, which is the first step on the road to becoming an officer in the Salvation Army.
Yesterday, the Covenant Day 2024 ceremony was held at Eva Burrows College for the Champions of the Mission session, which includes cadets Sameeha Deepesh, Colette Albino, Michellie Higginbottom, Sam Higginbottom and Auxiliary-Lieutenant Alex Robinson.
“Covenant Day is a sacred occasion when each cadet signs their Officers Covenant before God,” said Kylie Herring, Leader of Officer Formation at Eva Burrows College.
“In this moment, cadets are making a sacred agreement with God – they are accepting God’s call on their life, they are accepting a life of sacred service as a minister of the gospel in The Salvation Army.”
In the week before Covenant Day, the Territorial Commander (TC) meets with the cadets being commissioned on Tuesday and discusses the Officer Undertakings with them so they are fully aware of what they are agreeing to and the spiritual nature of their relationship with the Salvation Army. The Officer Undertakings must be signed by each cadet before Covenant Day.
On Wednesday, those being commissioned head into a retreat, where the significance of call and covenant is prayerfully considered.
Covenant Day occurs on Thursday. On this day, commissioned officers gather with ongoing cadets, the officer formation staff and senior Salvation Army leaders.
“It’s a very intimate, sacred and reflective space,” Kylie explained.
“The cadets make their covenant declarations and are invited to sign their covenant, which the TC and the Leader of Officer Formation sign in witness. Following the service, we share a meal together, then depart to prepare for the commissioning and ordination event.”
To be ordained and commissioned as a Salvation Army Officer, the following covenant is made:
Called by God to proclaim the Gospel of our lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as an officer of The Salvation Army, I bind myself to Him in this solemn Covenant: To love, trust and serve him supremely all my days; To live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life; To care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unloved, and befriend those who have no friends; To maintain the doctrines and principles of The Salvation Army, and, by God’s grace, to prove myself a worthy officer.
After ordination, the newly commissioned officers participate in a five-year development program. They gather with their fellow officers for peer support and to reflect on their journey at the end of their first, third and fifth years.
Certain professional development requirements must be completed within five years. If they are completed, the candidate will be promoted from lieutenant to captain.
Ongoing professional pastoral supervision is a requirement for officers and provides important support to new officers. It provides a regular opportunity to debrief, discuss challenges and joys, and review how officers are integrating their learning with their ministry practice.
When asked to describe a main challenge for the newly commissioned ministers, Kylie remarked that it was navigating all the systems, procedures, processes and responsibilities of The Salvation Army.
“Corps officership is challenging because of the multiple accountabilities that come with the role,” she said.
“You are responsible for leading and developing a faith community, for equipping leaders and mentoring emerging leaders, for assisting community members needing emergency relief, for oversighting community programs, for developing relationships and partnerships in the local community, for line managing staff, oversighting volunteers, for keeping buildings and premises in good shape and managing all the risk and compliance landscape.
“There are more things that could be added to the list – but you can see in that list the scope of responsibility and accountability. It can feel overwhelming to new officers commencing their first appointments because of the complexity of holding all those pieces and learning how all those pieces fit into the flow of a week, month, or\and year in that location.”
And one of the great joys?
“The affirmation they receive on their commissioning,” Kylie said. “That The Salvation Army is saying to each of them, ‘We believe in you! We recognise you as a minister of the gospel. We believe you can do this and that you are ready to step into your appointment’.”
Click through the slideshow below for more photos from Covenant Day.
Watch the Commissioning service at Camberwell live here
