Serving overseas officers – Major Fran Everitt
BY SIMONE WORTHING
Major Fran Everitt has a global appointment! As the Australia Territory’s International Service Support Officer, Fran works with her team to oversee the needs of 32 Australian officers serving overseas, one Aussie officer on International Headquarters living in Australia, and nine officers from overseas currently serving here.
Fran works from Divisional Headquarters in Brisbane, where her husband, Major Mark Everitt, is the Queensland Divisional Commander.
She is physically separated from those she serves, as well as from her own team who are based at Territorial Headquarters Redfern in Sydney – Major Esther Ong, Major Romona Kinder and Gaenor McAlister.
Fran and Esther began their roles in January this year, taking over from Majors Beth Brooks and Julia Price. Beth is now a corps officer in the Blue Mountains and Julia is serving in the Hong Kong Macau Territory as Territorial Protection Coordinator – Children & Vulnerable Adults, and Territorial Spiritual Life Development.
A varied role
“I just love this appointment and serving those overseas,” Fran says. “I have a map on my office wall with the names and photos of our overseas officers pinned to the location on the map where they’re serving, and I often look up and see them and pray for them and their families,” she shares.
Fran’s role is varied. She leads the team that looks after the process of sending officers overseas, repatriating them home and holistically taking care of them while they’re away. On the ‘home front’ side, this can include assisting with obtaining passports and visas, organising language classes, booking any children into schools, and organising luggage and storage.
“There are so many nitty gritty details, all of which are so important,” Fran explains. “We’re also getting feedback from the officers about our processes – what works and what doesn’t – taking advantage of their collective wisdom.”
When an officer returns – such as Captain Cherry Ip who had served as Assistant Training Principal in the Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand Territory – different processes are activated.
“There are flights home, a very warm welcome, installations into new appointments, transporting any stored goods and making sure accommodation, computers and phones are all taken care of,” Fran explains. “Re-entry debriefing is also arranged.”
The team also manage details around accommodation, transport and other needs when officers return on furlough or on any extended leave, including compassionate leave.
Pastoral care
Wholistic care and not just focusing on the physical essentials is a critical part of the role for Fran.
“It’s definitely one of my top priorities,” she says. “I regularly send devotions, Bible verses and prayer resources, and ask for prayer points as well. We, as a team, also check in with the officers as to how they’re going – sometimes through (Microsoft) Teams meetings or by other means of communication, which I love. It’s deliberately not always about work, just a check-in.”
The team is also working to raise the profile of officers serving overseas by connecting them with each other and with the broader Salvation Army audience.
“For example, on ‘Worldwide Wednesday’ through the Salvos Publishing Facebook page, Lieut-Colonel Laurie Robertson, who manages the page, shares information about different books written by some of our overseas officers as well as their book recommendations.
“And Salvos Online is also doing a gradual series on our overseas officers. I share the links to these stories with all the overseas officers, so they learn more about each other.
“We also appreciate the Missionary Fellowship meetings, such as in Brisbane, that feature guest speakers from or about overseas ministry, and raise money for them as well.”
About Fran
For a recent Brisbane Missionary Fellowship presentation, Fran asked the officers serving overseas for a few personal details – including their favourite Bible verses, books and movies. These will be shared as part of the overseas officer stories on Salvos Online.
One of Fran’s favourite verses is Jeremiah 29:11 – the words of which are on a wooden cross that hangs in her office.
“When it comes to books, I enjoy murder mysteries – anything Agatha Christie,” she shared. “I enjoy the Christian series Sensible Shoes, about women who met at a spiritual retreat, and books on the spiritual formation journey, Lectio Divina and how to walk a labyrinth (mindfulness).
“When it comes to movies, I don’t have one favourite. I do love all the TV renovation shows and the theme of the broken to the beautiful. I align that with how God comes into our lives and renovates us room by room.”
To listen to Major Bryce Davies interview Fran, click here.
