On Saturday 16th July, 40 new Salvation Army officers formally affirmed their faith and were commissioned to the service of the United Kingdom Territory through the Preparers Of The Way (POW) Session held at Wembley Conference Centre.
The commission ceremony has shown the great tradition of the Salvation Army with the testimony of senior leaders and carefully selected music provided by the International Staff Band, Staff Songsters and the Electralyte worship band.
The commission ceremony marked the end of the cadets’ training at the William Booth College. Founded in 1929, the College which is located at Denmark Hill in South East London, has been in the forefront of delivering education and learning programmes for the Salvation Army’s United Kingdom Territory and beyond.
In the Territorial Commander Commissioner Shaw Clifton’s address, he thanked those who had mentored the cadets, preparing the way for them to enter the officer covenant. Family members gathered in front of the stage to pray with the new officers after the ordination and commissioning ceremony.
It was also very encouraging to see that many came from the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Italy and Denmark to attend the ceremony to show support to the UK Salvationists. They waved their national flags enthusiastically as the new officers marched in.
The evening ceremony overflowed with testimonies by the new officers, which had persuasively encouraged the congregation. Captains Ian Walford, Pauline Milner and Simon Clampton testified, following the sessional song devoted by the new officers.
Captain Penny Palmer-Taylor, the first person in the UK Territory to be commissioned in a wheelchair, spoke to the weekly journal for Salvationists in the UK and Ireland Salvationist.
