Meet the officer – Captain Tim Size

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

Our current appointment is at Geraldton Corps (WA). We were appointed to Derwent Valley Corps in Tasmania and spent eight years there. It is a beautiful spot, but it can get quite cold, so I asked for somewhere a bit warmer for my tired, cold joints. We are now in Geraldton, which is definitely warmer, and my joints love it, although some days my joints feel like they could melt! Besides the warmer weather, Geraldton is also a beautiful spot, and I have found the people very friendly here and quite receptive to the Salvos. God is in all the places I have been, and I am sure he has many opportunities for me here as well. One of those opportunities is to do some outreach at the Greenough Prison, so I certainly am getting a wide overview of the local community. We are also seeing a willingness for our local Salvo community to work with the Indigenous community through our ongoing RAP. It is very satisfying to see the local Salvo community willing to share the love of Jesus with others.

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

I love photography. I find it gives me a whole new perspective on what I am actually looking at. I must not only frame the scenery but also allow for lighting and perspective (something interesting). I like to use my photos and videos in reflections that I like to share in corps or online. I believe God’s creation is not just to look at but to enjoy and share my enjoyment of it. Each of my photos also has memories attached to them, but it is difficult then to cull my thousands of photos taken in RAW format, which takes up heaps of memory on my hard drives.

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

Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher. It speaks to me of my calling into The Salvation Army. It spoke of my joining, college, corps and every hour since. I can do nothing on my own, and all that I do and all that I am is totally dependent on my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

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 have often felt an affinity with the Apostle Paul when he says in Ephesians 3:8, “I am less than the least of all God’s people, his grace was given me to preach.” I would like to talk to Paul about that grace and his view on being content in all circumstances. I find it incredible that Paul could be content when people were speaking out against the message he was called to give. Paul learned to give grace as well as receive it. Sometimes, my impatience gets in the way of giving grace so Paul could teach me a lot about contentment in all circumstances.

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

I could recommend officership only if it is a calling. The calling that you have is far more important than any position or task that you have to perform in life. Officership is tough and sometimes your calling is all that you have left some days. I would not have been able to make it on my own or even survived officership without my Lord and Saviour leading and guiding me all the way. Is officership for you? First, ask if you are prepared to leave the world behind and follow Jesus. If you are willing to follow Jesus, then officership is for you in all its forms and positions.