Salvationist Podcast

Located on the outskirts of St. John’s, N.L., on the east coast of Canada, Conception Bay South is a small town of about 27,000 people. But thanks to a thriving live-stream ministry, the reach of the local Salvation Army corps goes far beyond the bounds of the town, as tens of thousands of people tune into their Sunday services each week. The reach is enormous—and so is the impact. Majors Chris an...

The commissioning and ordination of new lieutenants is one of the most exciting events on the Salvation Army calendar. But what happens after our new officers march out of the sanctuary and into their first appointments? Lieutenant Krishna McFarlane was commissioned in 2023, and is now the corps officer at Living Hope Community Church in Winnipeg. In this episode, she talks about her first year of...

Though Colonel Wendy is a Canadian officer, she is a true citizen of the world, having spent most of her officership in appointments around the globe. And she’s a passionate advocate for social justice, drawing on years of front-line experience, as well as her own theological studies. Colonel Wendy is currently the director of The Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission, along wit...

Whether hurricanes or wildfires, floods or other crises, The Salvation Army has a robust emergency disaster services (EDS) ministry across the Canada and Bermuda Territory and beyond. As the EDS director for the British Columbia Division, Ian Pollard has responded to emergencies large and small. And for his service following the massive floods in B.C. back in 2021, he received an Emergency Managem...

On October 15, people around the world will observe Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. While pregnancy and infant loss (PAIL) is often considered a taboo topic, the experience is relatively common. About 1 in 5 pregnancies in Canada ends in miscarriage. And around the world, approximately 1 in 6 people, women and men, experience infertility. There is a great pastoral need to support those...

When you look at trends in the church today, the news isn’t always encouraging. Attendance has declined in recent years, and many churches have struggled to find their footing again following the pandemic. But the big trends don't tell the whole story. In this episode, we are looking at a new, exciting movement towards church revitalization in The Salvation Army. Majors Bill and Debra Blackma...

There are two important days of remembrance and action this month: the Salvation Army's International Day of Prayer for Victims of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking on September 22, and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. These two issues are not unrelated. Indigenous women and girls make up about 50 percent of trafficking victims in Canada, despite only being ab...

What place does The Salvation Army have in the halls of government? Aren't we supposed to be "apolitical"? On this episode, we get political with Major Rick Zelinsky, territorial director of public affairs. Major Zelinsky gives us an inside look at the recent Salvation Army Week on the Hill, which brought 60 Army representatives to Ottawa to influence and inform lawmakers and politi...

What's cooking at the Salvation Army corps in Lewisporte, N.L.? A fun new program for youth—the junior chef academy!  Major Darlene Burt, corps officer, and Lorelei Cole, children and youth ministries director, share how these cooking classes for kids and teens are building relationships with families and raising the profile of the Army in this small town.

Many places in The Salvation Army have a staff band or a staff songsters brigade. But how many have a staff worship team? Here in the Canada and Bermuda Territory, we have NEON. This territorial worship group made its debut back in 2016. But last November marked the beginning of a new era for the group, as NEON became an official staff section—the only worship team to have this designation anywher...

Italy and Greece are known for being popular tourist destinations. But did you know that The Salvation Army has been ministering in Italy since 1887? Greece is a more recent addition to the Army world, with work commencing in 2007.  Today, the Italy and Greece Territory is headed up by Lt-Colonels Andrew and Darlene Morgan, Canadian officers who are no strangers to international service. In fact,...

Happy National Volunteer Week! On this episode of the podcast, we're delighted to welcome two long-time Salvation Army volunteers, Bruce and Irene Finkel. Volunteers are often called “the army behind the Army”—and with good reason. There’s no way The Salvation Army could achieve its mission without the thousands of people across Canada and Bermuda who give their time and talents in service. O...

In 2021, when The Salvation Army decided to restructure its ministries in Halifax, there was a unique opportunity to plant a new church — and so was born Encounter Church. In this episode of the podcast, Captains Brent and Melissa Haas, corps officers, talk about what it was like to plant a church during Covid; Encounter's humble beginnings in a condo common room and how it's grown treme...

On the east side of downtown Toronto, there is a trio of three-story Victorian houses that, together, form The Salvation Army’s Archibald Centre and Bunton Lodge, a halfway house to help ex-offenders transition back to life on the outside, after they’ve served their time in prison.  On this episode of the podcast, we go inside Archibald and Bunton to get a first-hand look at how the Army helps men...

Making our churches a welcoming place for new people is so important. We want the people who come through our doors to feel the love of God through us, to have a sense of belonging that will bring them back and into deeper relationship with Christ. But what does a welcoming church actually look like? Leanne Friesen is the executive minister of the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec and an exp...

Suffering is something that no one wants to go through—but it’s also something that none of us can avoid. So, what can we do when we find ourselves in a period of great difficulty? And how can we help others who are suffering? Dr. Aimee Patterson, a Christian ethics consultant at The Salvation Army’s Ethics Centre in Winnipeg, has thought very deeply about this topic—and not just academically. On...

How did you end up at The Salvation Army? You can ask any Salvationist that question and you’re always going to get an interesting answer. Maricarmen Raudales is no exception.  She is the executive director of L'Abri d'Espoir, the only Salvation Army shelter for women in Quebec. She's also a soldier at Montreal Citadel, where she's involved in multiple ministries. In this episo...

On this episode of the Salvationist podcast, we welcome Major Len Ballantine, former leader of the Canadian Staff Songsters and the International Staff Songsters, a prolific composer, and one of the giants of contemporary Salvation Army music. Over the course of this wide-ranging interview, Major Ballantine takes us through his life’s journey—from his salvation experience at the Salvation Army cor...

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada, an opportunity to honour Indigenous peoples, listen to and learn from them, and renew our commitment to walk in truth and reconciliation. For this episode of the podcast, we talk with Danny Zacharias and Chris Hoklotubbe, two Indigenous scholars and followers of Jesus who study theology from an Indigenous perspective. Danny is also one of the p...

Fathers have an important role to play in the development of their children. And yet, there are very few parenting programs out there specifically for dads. It’s a gap that desperately needs to be filled, and that’s why the Salvation Army’s Bethany Hope Centre in Ottawa created the Dads Matter program. On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Merlin, a father of five who’s found an invaluable...

This summer, the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s College for Officer Training will welcome the first session of cadets into its new eight-year training paradigm. On this episode of the podcast, Major Deana Zelinsky, training principal, and Dr. Michael Boyce, Director of Program Implementation, give us all the details on what's new at CFOT.

How is The Salvation Army cultivating new worship music today? One way is through Salvation Worship, a publication of the Canada and Bermuda Territory.  Laura Rowsell, worship ministries director at Glenmore Temple in Calgary, is one of the contributors to Salvation Worship. In this episode of the podcast, she talks about her song-writing process and why it’s important for the Army to cultivate it...

This June, Salvationists and friends from across the territory will descend on Toronto for the INSPIRE Conference and Congress. With a full week of events, workshops and services planned, it’s going to be an inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime event. On this episode of the podcast, Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd, territorial leaders, share highlights of the week and their own favourite congress mem...

As Lent comes to a close, we look forward to celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter. There are many ways that we can approach this sacred time, and to that end, the corps mission department has put together a collection of resources for Holy Week and Easter. One of those resources is for holding a Tenebrae service, a re-enactment of the night before the Crucifixion that usually takes plac...

This year, the Salvationist podcast celebrates International Women’s Day with a very special guest—Commissioner Rosalie Peddle, The Salvation Army’s World President of Women’s Ministries. Women’s ministries is, of course, nothing new for The Salvation Army. But in this episode, Commissioner Rosalie talks about how the Army has been “re-imagining” women’s ministries around the world, including the...