Territorial Leaders get to know Australia
Territorial Leaders get to know Australia
4 September 2019
Commissioners Janine and Robert Donaldson read to children at The Salvation Army Carina Child Care Centre and Kindergarten, Carindale Corps (Brisbane), during their recent visit to Queensland as part of their national tour.
New Territorial Leaders, Commissioners Janine and Robert Donaldson, said they had been particularly struck by two things on their recent tour of Australia.
The Donaldsons joined the Celebration of Community event in Adelaide.
“Everyone is working together – strategically and holistically, for mission ... and everywhere we go, people have an overarching passion to see God’s Kingdom come,” said Janine, Territorial President of Women’s Ministries.
“This gets me passionate and I can’t help but catch the vision too. We are birthed for this very thing and it doesn’t get much better than this.
“As we travel around Australia we really are privileged to see what God is doing through The Salvation Army here.”
The Donaldsons have been travelling around Australia since their arrival in July, meeting Salvation Army members, employees, officers, guests and friends, and visiting a wide range of centres and expressions from Hobart in Tasmania, to Atherton in Far North Queensland, to Perth in Western Australia. The Commissioners will travel to the Northern Territory early in 2020.
McCombe House, Tasmania, was part of the visit to Tasmania.
“The intentionality of people working together for mission, and the pride in what they are doing, is inspiring,” said Robert, Territorial Commander.
“Corps are providing spiritual community with a social network, so we’re not just service providers. It’s formation together, and if we can get this right, The Salvation Army in Australia will be an example to the Western world of how this can be done.”
In Tasmania, the Donaldsons’ visit included McCombe House (emergency accommodation), Kingborough Corps, Bridge House (alcohol and other drugs recovery) and the Doorways to Parenting program in New Town, Hobart.
In Queensland, the Donaldsons spent time in Brisbane, Far North Queensland and the Gold Coast, at centres including Brisbane Streetlevel Mission, Carindale Corps, Centennial Lodge and Still Waters (emergency accommodation) and Fairhaven Recovery Services.
The Donaldsons with Miriam Newton-Gentle and Atherton Corps members.
The Rockingham Corps, Graceville (women’s refuge), the Beacon (crisis and transitional accommodation) and Harry Hunter’s Rehabilitation Centre were all part of the Donaldsons’ itinerary in Perth, Western Australia.
“The Donaldsons visited the new site being developed for the corps, family store, emergency relief and casework, and cafe during their brief stop in Tolga,” said Miriam Newton-Gentle, Atherton Corps Leader. (Tolga is 4km from Atherton, 80km south-west of Cairns.)
“It was one of their first visits outside a city and they loved being here. They chatted to everyone, asked questions, and were really engaged.”
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