A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E S A LVAT I O N A R M Y S O U T H ER N T ER R I TO R Y
AU G U S T 2 0 2 3
VO L 3 9
ISSUE 8
AMID NIGERIA TRAGEDY: GRIEF AND PROMISE OF JOY B Y C O M M I S S I O N E R K E L LY I G L E H E A R T Commissioner Donna and I won’t soon forget the joy that filled the auditorium at the Nigeria Territory’s Officer’s Councils. 420 officers and 40 cadets sang and danced, praising the Lord for His faithfulness in what was a rare occasion for them to gather as one. Given the considerable financial and logistical challenges of organizing such an event, it had been many years since such a gathering had taken place. We encountered at that officers’ councils a people overflowing with gratitude and holy expectation. The exuberance and energy in that space vividly displayed the awesome power of the Spirit—the splendor of His presence amongst His people. The feeling amongst our delegation was also expressed through traditional Nigerian pageantry. There was a “social night” featuring traditional attire, favorite choruses, cultural dance and customary greetings that made us instantly feel not only welcome but like members of their family. The glory of the Lord was thick and palpable. It was a week we will always hold close to our hearts. Yet, no one there could have imagined the news we would soon receive following the event’s conclusion. The next day, the territorial commander, Commissioner Daniel Kasuso, met us and gave us unfathomable news. Around 9:00 that morning, 16 officers, a two-year-old child, and a soldier were traveling home from the councils when they were involved in a horrific accident. The van carrying the Salvationists was crushed between two tractor trailers. Of the 18 passengers, 12 of the officers, the two-year-old child, and the sol-
Commissioners Kelly and Donna Igleheart at the Nigeria Territory’s Officers Councils
dier driving the van died. Four more officers were taken to the hospital with two admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Two of the deceased, the driver and an officer, were brothers. That officer’s wife and mother of the deceased child still remains in the hospital. Most of the officers were from one division. Upon hearing reports of the accident, we immediately went to the THQ compound to pray and mourn with other Army leaders. I cannot find
the words to adequately express the grief experienced by the Nigeria Territory. I assured them of our steadfast prayers. I pledged the financial support of the Southern Territory for the burial of the victims and a new van for their children’s home to replace the one totaled in the accident. It is for precisely such deepfelt needs that our territory raises World Services funds each year. At Commissioning in June, we recognized the hard “Nigeria...” continued on page 2
Kentucky-Tennessee Division Grows Pathway of Hope Footprint Through Impactful Grant T H E S A LVAT I O N A R M Y 1424 N O R T H E A S T E X PR E S S WAY AT L A N TA , G A 3 0 3 2 9 W W W. SO U T H ER N US A . S A LVAT I O N A R M Y.O RG
BY BR AD ROWL AND The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope initiative, launched in 2011, provides targeted services to families with a desire to take action in breaking the generational cycle of crisis and enable a path
Onesa Anozie, territorial director for Pathway of Hope, presents during a training session.
out of poverty. In the USA Southern Territory its impact has been wide-ranging, and in the Kentucky-Tennessee Division the initiative is expanding due to an influx of capital from a grant and an investment in training. In 2019, the Kentucky-Tennessee Division applied for a grant through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and 2 Generation Approach (2Gen) from the State of Tennessee’s Department of Human Services. This grant aims to provide Pathway of Hope services to families experiencing poverty at each corps and command in Tennessee with the 2 Gen Approach targeting four key areas: economic support, health and well-being, education, and social capital. Pathway of Hope also focuses on these areas, with Lorena Hood, divisional director of social services, describing “engagement with community partners, the ability to leverage The Salvation Army’s existing programs, the integration with the mission and corps programming of The Salvation Army, and family events in local communities” as some keys to the initiative’s overall success. “Pathway of Hope...” continued on page 3