Meet Major Michelle Oliver

1. What is your current appointment and what do you find most satisfying about it?

My current appointment is Area Officer, North Quensland. I can be fairly tenacious and what I find most satisfying is working alongside corps and centres to solve problems so mission can continue and expand.

2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind?

In January, we left our children in Brisbane as we took up this appointment. With fewer family responsibilities, I have more time to relax in the garden and have started going to the gym.

3. What’s a favourite Christian song, and why do you like it?

It’s a classic: ‘And Can it Be’ by John Wesley. I love the story it tells of our wonderful Saviour, the work of salvation, the transformation of lives and eternal life.

4. If you could have a good talk with a biblical character apart from Jesus, who would it be, and what would you talk about?

I’d like to have a conversation with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and have her fill in all those ‘missing years’. What was Jesus like as a child and young adult? What things did she ‘store up and treasure in her heart’? How did she transition from seeing Jesus as her son to seeing him as God?

5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say?

I would say absolutely – but first, seek God and get a realistic sense of what is actually involved in officership.

Interview by Major Mal Davies