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
J U LY 2 0 24
VO L 4 0
ISSUE 7
DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE ORDAINED AND COMMISSIONED
Photo courtesy of Commissioning Communications Team
Atlanta Temple Corps echoed with offerings of praise as the Southern Territory’s music forces welcomed the Holy Spirit’s presence through selected songs of sacrificial worship on Sunday, June 2. Cadets, their families, Salvation Army officers, and all other attendees were invited to enter into a special time of worship, a time set aside to witness and celebrate the ordination and commissioning of the Defenders of Justice session of cadets. Following musical selections such as “My All is on the Altar” and “All for Thee” presented by the Southern Staff Band (SSB) and “To Thy Cross I Come, Lord” and “Thou Art Holy” from the
Southern Staff Songsters (SSS), Colonel Deborah Sedlar, chief secretary, asked all those present to remain in an attitude of prayer and solemnity for the first portion of the morning’s service. The cadets of the Defenders of Justice then entered the chapel. Ushered in by a beautiful offering of William Himes’ “I Bring Thee All,” the cadets symbolically presented their lives as a living sacrifice to God. Major Anthony Juliana, president and principal of the Evangeline Booth College (EBC), presented the cadets to all those present, asserting, “they will faithfully sustain and advance the purpose of God’s Salvation Army in the South-
ern Territory and give their all for Jesus as they walk like Him to love, serve, and disciple those with whom they come into contact.” “They’ve sought the face of God. They have indeed determined that they would be defenders of God’s justice in today’s world of injustice.” Together with the Territorial Arts Ministry (TAM) team, Cadets Michelle Cook and Michael Gutierrez visually presented testimonies of their ministry experiences. “Sometimes we get to see the results of justice and deliverance in the lives of people, and sometimes all we can do is continue to pray and hope for a brighter future “Defenders...” continued on page 8
Kids ‘Start the Party’ at Youth Conference BY KRISTIN MUDGE Commissioning 2024 was not only a time of great fellowship and discipleship for the soldiers and officers of the Southern Territory, but for the children and junior soldiers as well. This year’s Youth Conference’s theme was “Start the Party.” Based on the Vacation Bible School (VBS) material from The Salvation Ar-
Photo Credit: G-Lab
Photo Credit: G-Lab
my’s Sunday school curriculum partner, Orange, around 100 children ages 5-12 learned to Walk Like Jesus by celebrating the good news of Jesus with those around them. “We wanted something that would translate to the corps level,” Melissa Powell, territorial children’s ministries coordinator, shares about
this year’s chosen theme, “so that the resources that we had, the decorations we had, we could easily share those, maybe inspire some creativity in the field as well.” Along with the territorial youth department, around eight officer couples helped lead “Youth Conference...” continued on page 7