Peter's passion for news - read all about it!
Peter's passion for news - read all about it!
29 October 2019
Over the past 24 years, Peter has curated and published more than 1170 editions of the corps newsletter.
They say some people have a nose for news. For Peter Roberts, Creative Ministries Director at Morwell Corps in Victoria, this is undoubtedly the case.
Over the past 24 years, Peter has curated and published more than 1170 editions of the corps newsletter. Since taking the mantle from his late uncle Norm Hodgson in 1995, he has tapped into the heartbeat of the corps with the weekly publication now titled Salvo News.
While many of us take for granted the weekly rundown of activities, appointment changes and prayer points, the newsletter has become an invaluable way for Peter to measure the corps’ growth and culture.
“Compiling a weekly corps newsletter reflects the mission, the growth, the activities, the leadership and the personnel of the corps – the longer you do it the more obvious the changes become apparent,” he says.
“I offered to take responsibility because I felt the newsletter was important and my background as a schoolteacher and principal meant I had the language and computer skills to do the task.”
It’s important to note (pun intended) that the newsletter is just one of Peter’s responsibilities at the corps. Since joining as a founding member in 1955, he has been a bandsman, songster, songster leader, corps council member and has held positions such as Young People’s Sergeant Major and now Creative Ministries Director/Bandmaster. Add in his role as the corps historian, which has included two published booklets, and you could say that no one knows Morwell Corps better than Peter.
With each new edition of Salvo News, Peter’s passion for the local church shows. From witty cartoons to lectionary readings, everyone can find something valuable in it. In fact, the newsletter is so good that people keep coming back for it. “One strange response at present concerns a person who has left the corps but during the service each Sunday morning he is seen in the foyer collecting his copy of Salvo News, which he obviously enjoys reading!” Peter laughs.
Peter’s passion for the church, however, goes beyond the four walls of Morwell Corps. Between 1997 and 1999 he printed and circulated a bi-monthly publication called Salvo Community News to households in the vicinity of the corps, reflecting the Army’s mission to ‘create faith pathways’ – even through a humble newsletter.
With an estimated 3500 hours of work already dedicated to producing Salvo News over the years – only interrupted by a couple of hospital visits and an overseas holiday – Peter shows no sign of stopping the presses.
That sounds like a real Everyday Salvo to us.
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