General Brian Peddle

Because this is generally boy you are listening to words of life. I am Chris Benjamin, the producer for the Salvation Army's words of life. A few weeks ago Bernie Dake and Salvation Army officer Lieut. Col. Allen Saturday had the honor to sit down with the general of the Salvation Army Gen. Brian joined us to discuss some of the Salvation Army's current opportunities, challenges and successes. To learn more about the Salvation Army's work worldwide visit Salvation Army.org welcome back the words of life. Everybody we are so excited to have the international leader of the Salvation Army here in the USA seven territory general petal welcome. Thank you very much. It's really great to be here were excited to introduce you to our editor-in-chief of the publications here. His name is Lieut. Col. Allen Saturday welcome.

Thank you all.

General tar honor to have you with us today, and as you said, I would have some questions. The first question we want to ask is how has COBIT impacted the worldwide work of the Salvation Army. I've got to start with what I refer to as a personal lament impact is often borne out in the context of what you will gain or lose and the Salvation Army has lost some things through COBIT but the most incredible one for me is that I've lost in excess of 120 active officers, many of your listeners will know that when an officer's commission. There is a silver star that's issued to mentors and parents.

When an active officer dies, we replace that star with a gold star and we have never in the last decades had to replace so many silver stars and that's still happening and that does not acknowledge the impact on our our soldiery and our employees. During this time of coping. So the first impact I would want to acknowledge is that we lament and grieve with the pain and suffering that covert is costing. I think for the international Salvation Army. The Salvation Army has weathered the storm. So far so very very well and I put that down to the resilience of our people. Quite frankly, some people don't realize that we go home in our work goes home with us lately look after literally millions of people in institutional realities and boarding schools for for hundreds and thousands of children homes for for vulnerable children.

So we we couldn't stop doing these things wrinkle so so we have we have seen the resilience of our people.

We have seen our teachers teach when there is no guarantee of salary. We've seen people front up without all of the normal amenities of life available to them and in that context, there was always the sense of personal risk. We are an army of salvation and right at the heart of Lawson challenge and difficulty. We need God and man in the Army is steadfast.

I believe around the world have a follow-up question.

C. Is there any one lesson that we've learned from covert. One lesson that would be hard for me to articulate because I think the lessons of the very situational we have learned and in the continent of India or Africa would vary. For instance, in India, we found a new courage we we are not in India is the most favored of all peoples. We are faith-based and non-faith-based environment and sometimes are our governments there don't look at us. That was great value, but in this time we have several hospitals across India has many would know and to have the government officials come to us and say, can we use a met Robert Hospital as a as a covert hospital is like. Thank you Lord silver lining out of this whole situation, or when the migrant workers were just no filling the train stations in Mumbai. No food in the only vehicles allowed the more our little white 4 x 4's with the red shield on it and then we get to feed the migrant workers who are literally hungry.

So my hope is that we find favor and we build on that, just as we do here in United States. Since it's been wonderful to see the public favor towards Salvation Army and we we keep building up. These are good stories for our church and we want to be faithful in helping manage that trust in us.

What is the greatest challenge facing the Salvation Army in 2022.

I think that there several dimensions to to that question for me and they play out differently. As I look through some lenses I first want is the same question that William Booth was concerned about how do we minister in the age in which we are living happy. How does the Salvation Army in the US Southern territory remain faithful in the time that we are living and serving. So that's about the Salvation Army.

It's about the Army of salvation that it is about the main thing remaining. The main thing. That's why as general on trip around the world talking about God's call to mission call.

I feel this song on the Salvation Army.

Our world is becoming so sick secular laws becoming so anti-biblical view that it concerns me that there is less and less space for the value added reality of faith, we have legislators legislation all created without any context of the biblical view and often was with extreme biblical illiteracy so how do Salvation Army live in the secularized context and still be the Army of salvation think the these are just some of the challenges that we facing these days.

But God continues to be faithful either.

Yes, the key element that emboldens me and countless others around the world. Well-liked start flipping that one of the greatest opportunities of the Salvation Army has taught goodness me love these.

These are just bursting work wherever I look now. Some people might think I have my head in the sand, but I do get a panoramic view of the international Salvation Army, God encourages and inspires me through that. But I think the opportunities since we still work in God's will and way out of an incredible position of strength. We are financially sound. We are biblically sound. We have mission frameworks that stand the test of time and we still have this very beautiful ability to just acknowledge me. Then turn all all our resources to