September 15, 2015
2
He never stopped moving me toward service
Sergeant Christopher
Gibson
When I entered the Oklahoma City Adult
Rehabilitation Center in 1997, I knew I needed help. I
had tried to end my life a few weeks earlier and was
in the hospital. The hospital social worker asked if I
wanted help for my alcohol problem, and I said I did.
That simple “yes” led me to the ARC.
At the ARC I found a God through Jesus Christ
that loved me and wanted me. I had never felt like
I was wanted, but because of God’s love, the ARC
wanted me. I was at the OKC ARC for 286 days; while
I was there, God opened my eyes to my worth in the
Kingdom of God. I learned what it meant to be loved
and to love. That’s when I began to hear God’s call,
but it would take me a few years to give in to that call.
Major Larry Deberry was the administrator at that
time. When I graduated, he offered me employment
mycalling
at one of the Family Stores. I was
employed for about a year and
left to try things on my own – big
mistake. I could hear God calling me to something
more, but I was afraid and began to drift away from
the Lord. After a short time I relapsed. Praise be to
God, Major Deberry’s son David, who was the store
supervisor at the time, called me out of the blue
and asked if I wanted to return to work at the store.
I said yes (again). God was not going to let me go.
While I was employed this second time, I began to
feel a stronger pull on my life. God was calling me to
ministry.
As time went on I received my associate’s degree
in public service and later earned my associate’s in
Project: Quarters for Kibaha Corps
Country: Tanzania
Territory: Tanzania Command
Amount given: $21,000
have to walk some distance to
school. Many children do not attend
school in the winter because of a
lack of shoes or other suitable winter
clothing. The Salvation Army operates
an after-school center to help
The USA South supported the
youngsters with their homework and
construction of a new officers
share with them about God’s love.
quarters for the Kibaha Corps. The
The center has a relationship with a
project resulted in the construction
Christian-owned shoe company that
of a home with three bedrooms,
gives the Army a substantial discount
washrooms, a store, kitchen and a
large veranda used by the corps as a on children’s shoes. Many children
prayer meeting location and for other and some family members have
come to The Salvation Army through
meetings. The veranda is a valuable
feature since the corps does not have this project.
a permanent building. Prior to the
Project: Child education/nutrition
completion of the project, a house
Country: Dominican Republic
in Kibaha was being rented for use
Territory: Latin America North
by the officers. The house was not
Amount given: $103,981
conducive for evangelistic work by
the officers.
The project provides opportunities
for early childhood education and
Project: Shoes for children
nutrition for 80 children in the central
Country: Moldova
area of Cotui in the Dominican
Territory: Eastern European
Republic. Focusing on children 2-5
Amount given: $8,717
years old from needy families, the
program emphasizes spiritual and
Moldova is one of Europe’s
moral values, personal hygiene
poorest countries. Because of high
and personal behavior skills while
unemployment, many families
struggle to meet expenses. Moldova’s providing breakfast and snacks. Most
of the children have shown significant
children are significantly affected by
improvement in their overall physical
the high rate of poverty. Typically,
condition and/or school performance
several villages are served by one
as a result of the nutritional care.
school, requiring that many children
Lt. Colonel
Fred McClure
Lt. Colonel
Fred McClure was
promoted to Glory
July 27, 2015, from
Atlanta, Georgia. The
funeral service was
held Sat., Aug. 8 at
the Abbey at Atlanta’s
Westview Cemetery. Commissioner
Philip Swyers presided, and
Commissioner Harold Hinson brought
the message.
Frederick Andrew McClure was born
July 10, 1925, in Ardmore, Oklahoma.
The son of Salvationist parents, Fred felt
the call to officership at a very early age
and took every opportunity to prepare
himself for a life of service to the Lord.
From his family he learned about
caring, sharing, coope Ʌѥ