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TerritorialMen ’ sConference
Conference exhorts Southern men to stand tall spiritually
By Brooke Turbyfill SOUTHERN SPIRIT STAFF
If there were a subtitle to the men ’ s conference “ Pursuing Holiness in Everyday Life ” held at Atlanta Temple Corps June 3-4 , 2016 , it could easily be this : “ Men , stand up .”
When delegates of the conference were asked which message stood out most to them throughout the weekend , almost every single one mentioned a different aspect of guest speaker Jonathan Evans ’ three sessions . Still , several men repeated common themes : Stand up … in your family . Sometimes , standing up in your family is as simple as sitting down at the dinner table . Captain Michael Harris said Evans ’ message “ Kingdom Man ” reminded him of the discipline he ’ d been neglecting : making family dinners a priority . “ I was reminded of the importance of stopping and getting around the table because it refocuses you ,” he said .
Charles Gage , from the Alexandria , Virginia , Corps echoed the importance
Continued from page 1 music , kettles , open air / canteens , spring missions and local corps outreach . The evening concluded when both sessions sang an arrangement of “ Carry Your Candle ,” and Cadet Whitney Tomberlain shared her testimony of God ’ s transforming power in her life .
Session speaker Lieutenant Chris Doborwicz drove this message home in a powerful address to the session and territory on Sunday afternoon .
“ This is a showcase of God ’ s grace and power in the lives of 62 people ,” he said of his session mates sitting on the stage .
Doborwicz , a graduate of the Suncoast ARC , alluded to the tough times that he had already experienced and the faithful God who brought him to this moment . of standing up as the leader of one ’ s family . “ If we are not making God the focus of our life , then our wife and children follow . Being a man as the head of the family … determines the kind of family we have .”
Stand up … in your community and in the world around you .
Robert Satterlee has been selling the War Cry magazine for 34 years . He sells it on the steps of the Asheville , North Carolina , courthouse , mostly to veterans who fought in World War II and Korea . He sells it to some people who say they were helped by The Salvation Army as a child . He said the sale of the publication helps remind people that Christians – and Christ – are for them , not against them . Asheville has recently been part of an ongoing debate about allowing mixed genders to use the same public restrooms , and Satterlee said he believes the answer is not to portray bickering and conflict but love . “ There ’ s got to be common ground ; ultimately , it ’ s up to the courts to decide . But I try to live by this : I
Allison Hogue
Major Rick Raymer , the men ’ s conference coordinator , went uniform-retro with the high-collar look . should treat a person like I want to be treated ,” he said .
Lieutenant David Birks from the Jonesboro , Georgia , Citadel Corps , said the world around you will always try to divide you . “ Our society will divide us , but as the church , we need to be united so society can ’ t divide us . We ’ re called to be in this world but not of it .” He referenced remembering , amid the political hotbed that is so prevalent in our nation right now , that we the church are foremost called to be kingdomcrats and kingdicans , a mashup of the word “ kingdom ” with democrats and republicans that Evans talked about .
Continued from page 1 Superman .
Thus Evans told the men of the South , “ This is your moment in a phone booth , and when you come out you ’ d better have an S on your chest . And that S is not going to stand for Superman , it ’ s going to stand for Sanctified .”
Evans ’ opening session addressed the spiritual battles that every Christian man , without exception , must face . “ You have to go through the wilderness after you ’ ve been saved so that you can be sanctified , and when you go through that , you then go to the promised land , where you will be glorified . Only then do your battles end .
“ But it seems like , on your way , you have to face one battle after another . He ’ s called us to holiness through the battles we fight .”
Evans followed in the second session with his description of “ the Kingdom man ,” taken from Psalm 128 . Evans said every NFL game comprises three teams : the two teams competing and a third team of officials . “ God has called us as Christians to be this third team administering his rule from his playbook , in the conflict but not of the conflict .”
He added that many men are discouraged in that role , feeling they can influence little when everything around them is ruling them .
“ When times get tough , may we remember this day . May we strive to be an Army that is creative and innovative in how we invade this world for God .”
Major Dean Hinson , Evangeline Booth College principal , likewise challenged the audience , asking officers and soldiers to reconsider and re-evaluate their own callings .
“ We are here to challenge and inspire you to be the lights that God has called you to be ,” he said . “ God doesn ’ t just call the messengers ; he calls each one of us .”
In his Sunday morning message , Colonel Wayne Maxwell , Philippines territorial commander , centered on the messages we bring to others and the eternal triumph of the light .
“ We are bombarded with messages ,” he said . “ And
June 17 , 2016
Laura Dake
Delegates kneel in prayer at the conclusion of one of the men ’ s conference sessions .
Stand up … in your relationship with God .
Several delegates referenced the need to simply trust God when they can ’ t see the outcome or the destination of where he is leading . Developing a relationship with him that gives a man the confidence to get out of his comfort zone is key to spiritual leadership , according to Jonathan Evans .
Jody Bigelow , from the Clearwater , Florida , Corps , agrees . He said the conference reminded him “ to always have faith in God and trust he will provide all things if I follow his will and not to be afraid to go to uncomfortable situations .”
Southern men receive challenge
It starts in the home , where the Kingdom man can influence his family . That good effect spills over into the neighborhood , which influences the surrounding city , then state and nation – and the world is ultimately affected for good by what started in the home .
Evans concluded with a session on the pursuit of greatness . “ You can be called to nothing less than greatness ,” he said . “ And he ’ s God – he doesn ’ t make mistakes . You haven ’ t been drafted to be mediocre ; you were chosen for greatness , to be men that make big plays for God . You ’ ve been chosen for nothing less . He has a specific position he wants you to play because he knew your gifts , talents and skills .”
Colonel Wayne Maxwell , Philippines territorial commander and the featured speaker in Sunday ’ s commissioning and ordination , shared his personal testimony , centering on his experiences in that command . The offering collected in the sessions was supplemented with gifts from the Southern Territory and the South ’ s ARC Command and presented to the Philippines Territory .
At the conclusion of the conference , Captain Dan Nelson , candidates secretary , recognized 17 men who came forward to make a public declaration of their intention to become Salvation Army officers .
CommissioningoftheMessengersofLight 62 new lieutenants ‘ strike a light ’ as they enter service
even our own lives give a message .” He called for accountability and authenticity among soldiers and officers alike . “ When I ’ m not in my uniform , am I sharing the same message as when I am ?” he asked . “ There is no room in the kingdom for a secret soldier of God .”
He then challenged all present to make their faith personal , purposeful and productive .
As the weekend drew to a close and the marching orders were about to be delivered , Lieutenant Doborwicz reminded the new lieutenants that this was not a time for mourning but celebration as they fulfilled the purpose of their training ; as they answered that call . “ This is why we are here ,” he said . “ This is why it is time to go . It ’ s time to invade the battlefield .”