1st Official Interview of General Andre’ Cox:

A DISCIPLE OF JESUS

The newly elected international leader General André Cox spoke with Major Jane Kimberley at the conclusion of the 2013 High Council

How do you feel after just being elected as the 20th General?

I feel an immense sense of privilege and awe because of the responsibility that goes with the role.
I also have a sense of peace. I have never identified myself by either rank or role, I am who God made me to be and I am growing into the person he wants me to be. A General or anyone else is but a disciple of Jesus and I think that gives me comfort because it’s not all on my shoulders.

The Army belongs to God, it’s not mine. I have a role to play, but I was called to proclaim the gospel and I will do just that.

What impression stands out for you from the 2013 High Council?

We were all in one accord in a peaceful, secluded and very holy place. From the moment we started the pre-High Council conference we sensed that this was right. We were not rushed and knew that God’s hand was upon us. It was good to be in his presence.
This was the third High Council that I had attended and perhaps the one that I cherish the most because of the sense of God’s presence. The prayer fellowship was phenomenal.

What will be the main challenges you face as General?

Multiple challenges impact The Salvation Army’s global mission, including poverty, social exclusion, social injustice, the increasing gap between the rich and poor, sexual exploitation, human trafficking and lack of respect for the things of God. When faced with secularism and materialism we need to rediscover our confidence in the divine inspiration and authority of God’s word.

I believe The Salvation Army must continue to have a strong bias for the poor and the marginalised. There is a lot more that we can be doing in mobilising our corps. For too long we have relied upon institutional social care. Many problems today demand that we are fully engaged in the communities in which we serve and not serving ourselves and sitting in comfort. We need to pay more than lip service to things we believe and truly live out the values we proclaim. Belief and actions should go hand in hand.

My vision is that as an Army we will be fully mobilised and committed to the calling God has given us. We are a covenanted people, we have all signed a covenant and I would like to see us live up to that.

How important in your opinion is the Army’s relationship with other churches and other faiths?

The links with others are very important. We need to recognise that we all belong to the same family. In the Christian churches we have a strong bond and can learn from each other. We don’t have to compare ourselves with any other because God has given us a specific calling as The Salvation Army. We need to feel secure in our own faith and we don’t need to be judgmental about other people. I have seen evidence in projects and development work of people of different faiths working together in harmony for the common good.

One of the challenges of an international Salvation Army is diversity. The office of the General is vital in holding that together. How do you find unity in diversity?

Diversity needs to be celebrated. We shouldn’t see that as a problem. There are so many things that bind us together as The Salvation Army, including belief in the Bible, faith in Jesus, doctrines, the mercy seat, 24-hour prayer, uniforms and orders and regulations. I am a great believer and supporter of the internationalism of the Army, believing this to be one of our greatest strengths. The High Council met as a group of many different cultures all drawn to the light of God through Jesus Christ his son. I hope that we can celebrate our differences because the things that bind us together are far stronger than the things that separate us. Having lived in different cultures, I have learnt that no one has ‘the’ right answer and that there are many right answers.

What role does your family play in your life?

They keep me sane I would think! We are very proud of our children and have four grandchildren – two born within the last five weeks. One of our priorities, when we get a moment, will be to go and spend some time with them. Our family is very important to us; we thank God for the blessing. My mother, sister, brother and his family live in the UK but our children are all in Switzerland. We shall soon have a mountain holiday!

Who has influenced you most over the years in your personal development?

In my recent journey General Linda Bond has been a real example of courage and faith and that has spoken to me strongly.

I have had the privilege of considering General John Larsson as a fatherly figure. He first appointed us to territorial leadership in Finland and he has always been a good and steadying influence.

In my early years of officership General Eva Burrows was a real inspiration to me and helped me to aspire to do something greater in my spiritual development.

What about the International Vision?

I am grateful to my predecessor General Linda Bond for her visionary leadership, for her submission to the will of God and for the fact that she inspired our International Vision of One Army, One Mission, One Messageand that must continue. A change of General does not change that focus.

Major Jane Kimberley is Editor of the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland’s ‘Salvationist’ publication

Additional photographs by Major Nigel Bovey

-Via IHQ Website: http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/news/interview060813

August 6, 2013 1

“Get Off Of Your Laurels!”

“Nothing wilts faster than laurels that have been rested upon.” –Percy Bysshe Shelly

The hero takes the stage as the crowd explodes into cheerful celebration. After grueling torment and near defeat, the hero stands alone from the rest of the competition. He has defeated his adversaries masterfully and now he is crowned with a laurel wreath on his head and the affections of the crowd. He is their champion and hero.

But what happens to many champions after victories such as these? What becomes of them? Some continue to strive for excellence and gain victories again and again, while others stumble and fall upon their pride and face humiliating defeats later on.

Dare I say it is what happens after the victory that matter most! In the Christian world we face temptations on all sides. We experience real spiritual warfare for our souls. Sometimes we go to revival meetings, camps, youth/adult conventions and we experience real victories by the Holy Spirit in our lives at the ‘High Places’. These are mountain top experiences and we cherish these experiences for the rest of our lives. They are milestone markers in our relationship to Christ. These moments in actuality become sacred to us and rightly so because they were real tangible moments when we felt God’s presence in our lives.

But what happens when we come down from these mountaintops with our laurels of victory having done battle with sin and temptation? Do we think those temptations and sins will simply disappear on our descent into the ‘real world’? Can we ride that victory all the way to the gates of heaven? Of course not! The real battle is still ahead of us. We have to enter our lives again fresh from victory and engage the enemy (sin) once again. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we go into the world looking for sin, that’s not what I mean. But in our attempt to live holy lives we will most certainly face sin again on the battle field. When we come down from the mountaintop we must realize that Satan is waiting for us. He doesn’t want us to succeed continually in our victories but would rather we face the cold realities of a world wrought with sin.

When we come down from a mountaintop experience, high with the Holy Spirit, we need to be mindful that we cannot rest on yesterday’s victories to get us through today or even tomorrow. The Apostle Paul wrote of his own struggles, and in his wisdom he said this: ^“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

What Paul is saying here is that though he had won other victories at other mountaintop experiences he couldn’t rest his laurels on the past because the prize “heavenward in Christ Jesus” was still ahead of him. He had to keep on going, and this is what we must do as well!

We cannot rest on our laurels from previous victories and expect to grow into holiness without engaging in our present battles as well. I think there are two key words here to remember: “Pride” and “Press”.

Pride:

The Apostle Paul understood the dangers of pride in his life and clearly says, “I am not there yet, my destination isn’t complete.” C.S. Lewis once said, When we allow pride to enter into our hearts (pride in what we’ve already accomplished, pride in our holiness, pride in our efforts) we, unknowingly take two steps backward. We begin to compare ourselves with other Christians along this same journey instead of comparing our image with that of Christ’s. Pride allows us to keep our laurels yet resting upon them will not propel us forward rather will create in us a stagnancy and therein lies the real danger of an atrophied soul!

Rather…

Press:

Instead of pride leading to our spiritual demise, we ought to humbly press on toward our ultimate prize which is the very image of God within us – Imago dei. Without this heavenward goal, which is holding captive our thoughts, actions and speech, we can become so much like the world around us that we blend in completely and are no longer ‘set apart’. We must press on from victory to victory…keep on keeping on. We don’t have time to hang our laurels. We don’t have time to rest and admire them, but we journey on because we haven’t reached our destination yet.

Let me ask:
Are you resting on your laurels of past mountaintop victories? If so, it is time to set them aside as glorious as they were and press on. Our ultimate victory is assured in Christ if we are faithful to Him. Our goal to be like Him and in so doing we shine before the world so that His redemption is visible to all. Eternity is our reward as we press on towards our goal!

August 6, 2013 1

15,000 views reached! Thank you readers!!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all for tuning into this little blog site! It’s unreal that in just over six months that this blog has reached 15,000 viewers. I will do my best to keep this going, and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in the process! Hallelujah for this wonderful opportunity and for the blessings God has granted me in this area of ministry!

In January I felt the Lord convicting me to share more from my heart in the form of writing, and so I began this venture…I really only got into it in March of this year! So with that said, I wish again to thank you all and keep reading and I will keep writing in His name!

-Blessings on you!

August 3, 2013 2

Here’s to you PCUSA Committee!!

In Christ Alone

August 3, 2013 0

High Council: GENERAL ANNOUNCED

And there you have it…the announcement has finally been made:

Our new General is: General Andre’ Cox

Here is His profile –

CANDIDATE PROFILE: COMMISSIONER ANDRÉ COX

Chief of the Staff
International Headquarters

Date of birth: 12 July 1954

Nationality: British/Swiss

Home corps: Genève 1, Switzerland & Austria Territory

Commissioned: 25 May 1979

Married: Silvia Volet, 25 September 1976

APPOINTMENTS

Switzerland and Austria Territory
Corps (June 1979)

Zimbabwe Territory
PR (July 1987), THQ (June 1992)
Financial Secretary (April 1994)

Switzerland, Austria and Hungary Territory
Head of Communications Department (October 1997)
Business Administrator (February 2002)

Finland and Estonia Territory
Territorial Commander (July 2005)

Southern Africa Territory
Territorial Commander (October 2008)

United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland
Territorial Commander (May 2012)

International Headquarters
Chief of the Staff (February 2013)

As the General takes His official office he could possibly pick his Chief of the Staff from one of these candidates if he so chooses.

The world has anxiously awaited this announcement and I am sure that there will be much thought given to our new General’s mission and vision for The Salvation Army in our world and he will provide us the leadership that we have been praying for. This new General comes at the heals of an abrupt departure of General Linda Bond, who subsequently took early retirement for ‘personal reasons’. Though this event took the Army by surprise, our World Leaders rallied and convened rather quickly to the High Council in order to stem off any additional vacancies or additional issues. It is unfortunate that the High Councils had to convene a year early, but as many have said, the Lord has provided and we will continue to trust in God’s guidance for the future!

On behalf of the Soldiery around the world we wish to congratulate General Andre’ Cox, and we will be praying for his leadership and for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to continue to use this Army for the Lord!

August 3, 2013 4

High Council Day 6: “Announcement Imminent”

So today is the day!

Even on The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters’ Website the promise of an Imminent announcement is posted for the world to see. Below that is the live video link to be tuned in so that everyone can watch the announcement:

http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/tv

Soon, all of our speculations and discussions will be moot as the High Council’s decision will be announced and we will have our next General.

Are you ready?

August 3, 2013 1

High Council Day 5 Official Update

For all intense and purposes the High Council could quite possibly reach a decision tomorrow on the prospective General nominations. They could very well announce this news as quickly as tomorrow (Saturday, August 3rd) as well!

Here is the official transcript of today’s update:

// 02 AUGUST 2013 //

‘¿A QUE tú no sabes lo que en High Council pasó?’ were the words sung by the Hispanic members of the High Council at the commencement of the fifth day of the proceedings of the 18th High Council of The Salvation Army – ‘Don’t you know what happened at the High Council?’

The song explained: ‘Don’t you know what happened in Damascus? The Holy Spirit was poured out on Saul. Don’t you know what happened at the High Council? The Holy Spirit was poured out on everyone.’

The Chaplain (Commissioner James Condon) read from Revelation 1:6: ‘[Jesus] has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father’ (New International Version), then led the council members in singing ‘Unto Thee, O Saviour-King’ (The Song Book of The Salvation Army 532), drawing attention to the line: ‘Body, soul and spirit, all in obedience to thy call.’ The verse, words and songs chosen were extremely apt as members prepared to listen as each candidate and each spouse answered a specific set of questions prepared for them.

The candidates had 24 hours to work on their questionnaire answers and speeches which meant the translators worked into the early hours of the morning to ensure every member was able to follow the proceedings clearly and to have a copy of the speeches being read.

The answers to the questionnaires were delivered without interruption and received in silence in accordance with the Orders of Procedure. After each candidate and spouse had finished there followed opportunity for members to ask clarifying – but not additional – questions.

Later in the day the candidates delivered their speeches, which were again received without comment but followed by a period of contemplative silence.

After the speeches the President (Commissioner William Roberts) adjourned the council for the night with the invitation to return in the morning to begin voting for the 20th General of The Salvation Army.

The Chaplain had the final word: ‘The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer’ (1 Peter 3:12) he reminded council members, before closing in prayer.

Report by Major Christine Clement
High Council Communications Officer

Photo: Major Makoto Yamaya (Japanese translator) gains a perspective of how members will experience voting.

(via the web: http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/news/inr020813)

August 2, 2013 0

High Council Day 5 Proceedings (A brief look behind closed doors)

Well, later today we will probably hear of how the presentations of the five candidates went. There would be included in the day an all army inclusive question and answer time as well as a speech from each of the five candidates.

Yesterday each candidate would have been provided an assistant in order to accomplish what they had to write and prepare for today’s proceedings and presentations. As each of the five candidates present their speech and answer the questions to the High Councils, the High Council will in turn assess each candidate. Finally, after the five candidates have all completed their presentations the High Council will begin to vote. If a general consensus or 2/3 vote isn’t accomplished on the first round of voting then the candidate (of the 5) with the least votes will be eliminated as a candidate and they move onto a second round of voting. It has happened in the past that a majority has voted on the first round and a General has been elected, but this is not always the case. Thus, today is quite a crucial day in the proceedings of the High Council. Quite conceivably the High Council could elect its next General by the end of today or more likely tomorrow.

There is much speculation as to who our next General will be given the list and profiles of the five candidates has been available to the The Army world who is on the outside anxiously watching and waiting. But we are not inside the High Council room. We cannot know the responses by the High Council to the presentations nor how the voting will take place. But we do know that soon, very soon we will have the announcement. We all have our preferences and our hopes within these candidates. Some of our concerns and preferences have merit while some are only personal opinions. Thoughtful consideration and prayer are truly viable aspects of this election decision.

additional information on the election process: https://s3.amazonaws.com/cache.salvationarmy.org/f71ade2f-b30f-4554-972a-d2d85b5efcf9_High+Council+feature+-+John+Larrsson.pdf

The office of the General, which is vacant at this moment will be filled very soon. Please be in prayer for the High Council as well as the Candidates today as they have probably come to the conclusion of their participation already today.

August 2, 2013 3

High Council: Day 4 Official Report

// 01 AUGUST 2013 //

IT would be easy to say that on day four of the High Council nothing happened. However, the day – falling on a Thursday – began with the members joining Salvationists internationally in the Worldwide Prayer Meeting. This was introduced by the Chaplain (Commissioner James Condon) with words of Scripture and suggested topics for prayer. The members divided into groups to enable everyone to participate and voice their prayers more easily .

Readers who are following this High Council and who have read Retired General John Larsson’s article ‘How the High Council elects a General’ will know that once the candidates are known the High Council adjourns for a day. The candidates and spouses work on their speeches and answers to the questions they will answer when the council reconvenes.

Some members have attended more than one High Council but for other territorial leaders it is their first experience. What were their impressions of the High Council and all that had happened so far? Commissioner Vinece Chigariro (Kenya East Territory) – at her third High Council – felt that, so far, it had been spiritually inspiring. She said she was very aware of the spirit of unity among the members.

This was echoed by Colonels Patrick and Anne-Dore Naud (Germany and Lithuania Territory) who were attending for the first time. They had read General Larsson’s description of the workings of a High Council yet confessed it still sounded mysterious. However, through they felt that the articles and the information on the Internet brought the happenings closer to all interested people. They were aware of people supporting in prayer particularly for the specific happenings of each stage.

This is endorsed by the interest that is being shown in the High Council website, Facebook page and Twitter account which have been set up by International Headquarters. The video of the opening day of the High Council has been viewed more than 8,000 times and the publication of photographs on Monday night resulted in 47,655 views.

Although India and Nepal seem many miles distant from the happenings in London, Colonel Lalngaihawmi (Territorial Commander, India Eastern Territory) said that the Salvationists of her territory were very much a part of all that was happening through prayer: ‘The people are not detached in any way. At corps [churches] the High Council has been one of the main topics for a number of weeks.’

Commissioners Lalzamlova and Nu-i (International Secretary and Zonal Secretary for Women’s Ministries, South Asia) reinforced the feeling of unity being sensed in the council and their assurance that proceedings had not been rushed in any way.

Among all members there is a sense of privilege in having been called to the High Council, a feeling that they are participating in a unique event and that together they are listening to and being directed by the Holy Spirit. Colonel Lalngaihawmi summarised the experience as ‘a great privilege yet a great responsibility. We are all humble people,’ she said, ‘with a special task to fulfil.’

Tomorrow morning (Friday 2 August) the council will reconvene to continue its ‘special task’ when the candidates address the High Council.

Report by Major Christine Clement
High Council Communications Officer

via the web: http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/news/inr010813b

August 1, 2013 0

When we utter “Why me God?”

When do we utter “why me God?” Sometimes It happens when we have felt His calling on our lives to do something for Him. Other times we utter it out of frustration at life’s circumstances.

If we are honest with ourselves, at times, we doubt that God even has a plan for us. This doubt may appear and disappear in a moment but still it is present in our thoughts and lives. We fear and sometimes question if God truly knows what He is doing with us. Don’t take this the wrong way, but faith sometimes makes it hard for us to grasp the tangible of the unseen. Does it mean that God isn’t there or He doesn’t know what He’s doing? Certainly NOT!

Let me be clear, God has a plan for each of us, you can be certain of that! Does it necessarily mean that He is involved in all of our steps? I don’t think so, be His presence is certainly there. Rather in the grand scheme of our lives He would love nothing more to forge us into His holy image and guides our steps in that matter.

How should we then respond to God in our circumstances and in His calling on our lives?

There are two biblical examples that I would like to draw from:

1) Samuel

He didn’t quite know who was calling him initially. It is recorded in 1 Samuel that the word of the Lord was very rare in his day…so God calls Samuel in the middle of the night. Samuel thinks that the high priest Eli is calling him. So Samuel gets up and makes his way to Eli, but Eli awakens and says “I didn’t call you. Samuel gets called two additional times, and each time he awakens and goes to see what Eli wants. Finally Eli wises up and says; “Samuel when you hear the voice calling you again say ‘Speak Lord for your servant is listening‘”. (1 Samuel 3:1-10) And so God calls to Samuel again and this time Samuel doesn’t respond with “Why me God?” but instead he responds just as Eli instructed him to. Thus begins the calling and ministry of Samuel and his willingness to obey the Lord when He called.

2) Isaiah

God gives Isaiah an epic vision of heaven. God is on His throne, and all around there are angelic creatures and angels calling out in worship to God, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” As Isaiah is viewing this majestic scene, he quickly realizes that he is doomed to be in the holy presence of the Almighty. He is confronted with his own sin and the sins of his people. How could he possibly compare to the perfection of God who is in the very room as he? And so Isaiah, perhaps wants to utter “Why me God” but he can’t because He is blown away by God’s very presence and Isaiah’s utter failings and sin. In response to his damning pronunciation one of the Seraphim flies over and brings a coal from the altar of the Lord and touches Isaiah’s lips. Isaiah is purified of his sins and is finally able to respond to a question that God then asks; ” Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” Isaiah doesn’t say “pick someone else“, nor does he say “why me?“, but rather he simply says, “Here I am, Lord send me.” (Isaiah 6:1-8)

What happens when God calls us?

What is our response to His holy calling? Our response ought to be similar to Isaiah’s response “Here I am, Lord send me!” There might be times when we doubt. There might be times when we feel like asking “Why me God?” Yet when He calls to us and asks something of us, even despite our doubts, the appropriate response is “Here I am, send me!”

This response is a dangerous response. It is a response that says, “Lord I’m going to trust you fully“. It’s a response that says “despite the places and the people you send me to I will go!” Yet the journey will be rewarding…not always but in the long run so very much more rewarding than refusing to go. We aren’t forced to go where God tells us to go. Nor are we robots in our decisions. God listens to us and to our concerns. He hears our worries and our desires. Faith leads us into a deeper relationship with God. Faith helps us to realize that His plans are perfect, He can use us and we can be worthy of His calling.

What will our response be to His calling? Will it be “Why me God?” Or will it be “Here I am, Lord send me!”

August 1, 2013 2

Author: Pastor'sPonderings