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‘Never judge a book by its cover’,
Thank
you for mentioning my new novel, The Elvis Interviews on
your web site. Some of your visitors may question why
you would be promoting what looks to be a secular novel
on a Salvation Army related website. Like the old adage
says, ‘never judge a book by its cover’,
so perhaps a letter of explanation would be in order.
As you know, I produced a three CD audio drama on the
life of William and Catherine Booth and the founding of
the Salvation Army called, Blood & Fire(www.battlefieldmedia.com)
I must confess that before I started to research my
project, I knew very little about the Army. Its
existence I knew of course, (the whole world knows about
The Salvation Army) but I had absolutely no idea on how
it came to be. When I learned the history of the Army’s
early beginnings, their dramatic style, their outlandish
antics, their dedication to the cause, I felt I had just
stumbled
on what could possibly be one of the world’s best kept
secrets. How could the roots of such a well know well
respected organization for the most part, go unnoticed?
There I was, a former pastor, and I didn’t know the
story.
Now, being a pastor with a strong desire to evangelize,
and coming from an entertainment and theatrical
background, I could relate to the Booth’s innovative
style of evangelizing. Namely, get people’s interest in
new and creative ways, then give them the Good News
about Jesus Christ. In my estimation, no one was more
creative than William and Catherine in that respect. I
believe you posted a comment on your website about
William owning one of the first motor cars and using it
for purposes of attracting attention. Well, that was my
inspiration and primary focus for writing The Elvis
Interviews, a different vehicle with which to attract
attention in order to share the word. But why Elvis you
ask? I came across a book on Elvis Presley that
chronicled his rise to fame and his ultimate demise laid
out in a day-by-day anthology. What particularly caught
my interest was the author’s comments on Elvis’s early
religious experience. The more I learned, the more I
wondered was his religious experience real? Did he have
a relationship with Christ? If so, what happened?
Those questions led me to examine Elvis’s life in a more
pragmatic way. Having spent the first part of my life in
show business, and having traveled extensively across
the USA with my band, I could relate in a small way to
what Elvis must have experienced on a gigantic scale. I
can only imagine the pitfalls of fame and fortune in
Elvis’s life. (I say that in retrospect, having become a
Christian in 1982.) How would I have fared under the
same conditions? Could I have stood up under the
onslaught? All of that attention and adoration? All of
that money? Just imagine being able to do absolutely
anything you wanted and having no one close to you to
hold you accountable? How would you hold up?
Then, as the writer’s imagination kicked in, I began to
wonder what a scenario might look like if, as the
conspiracy theorists surmise, Elvis Presley really did
fake his death. How would he have pulled it off? The
bigger question is, WHY would he fake his own death? The
only reason I could think of was, freedom. Freedom from
the obvious ravages that fame and fortune were taking on
his being. (My character, Sheriff Jesse Smith actually
deals with this subject in my book.) But even if Elvis
could get free from his circumstances, unless he had a
heart change, he could never truly be free from himself.
As a Christian I believe his only chance would have been
through Jesus. (He whom the Son sets free – is free
indeed). That was the actual premise of my book. The
story surrounding the theft of the famous Pink Cadillac
was a vehicle to present a scenario of what things might
have looked like if Elvis had of accepted his ONLY way
out.
God is faithful.
He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can
stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out
so that you can endure. (1 Corinthian 10:13)
In authoring my book, The Elvis Interviews, I believe I
am using the same methods the early Salvation Army used
in attracting attention to the Gospel, albeit through a
secular medium. My book was never written as a
‘Christian’ book for ‘Christian’ readers. It was written
to attract attention from the world to the cause of
Christ. If I can get a person to wonder, to ask
questions, to thoughtfully consider Christ, I’ve
accomplished my task.
Well, Gee, I hope you have found this account of why I
came to write my book informative. Please feel free to
share it with the people who visit your website. And
keep fighting the good fight, my brother.
Blessings to you and your family…
Glen Bonham
President Bush to recognize YUMA MAN for dedication to
volunteer service.
Released 10
April 2007
THE WHITE HOUSE - WASHINGTON
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alyssa McClenning - April 6, 2007 202-456-7381
President George W. Bush will present the President's
Volunteer Service Award to Michael Christopher when he
arrives at the airport in Yuma, Arizona, on Monday,
April, 9, 2007. Christopher is a volunteer with The
Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Yuma. To thank them
for making a difference in the lives of others,
President Bush honors a local volunteer when he travels
throughout the United States. President Bush has met
with more than 575 individuals around the country, like
Christopher, since March 2002.
Christopher has been a volunteer for 12 years with the
Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Yuma and has logged
more than 5,000 hours of volunteer service. As the
volunteer Athletic Director for the club's after-school
programs, he plans and supervises sports and activities
and works with the students to instill positive
leadership skills and character development. In
addition, Christopher volunteers at the Salvation Army
Boys & Girls Club of Yuma summer camp and assists with
other special events and programs.
In his January 2002 State of the Union Address,
President Bush called on all Americans to make a
difference in their communities through volunteer
service. He created USA Freedom Corps, an Office of the
White House, to strengthen and expand volunteer service.
Americans are responding to the President's Call to
Service. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
more than 61 million Americans volunteered in 2006. Go
to
www.volunteer.gov or call 1-877-USA-CORPS to find an
existing volunteer service opportunity in your area or
to find more information about service programs,
including national service programs such as the Peace
Corps, AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Citizen Corps. USA
Freedom Corps is also highlighting youth volunteer
service. Visit
www.volunteerkids.gov for games and ideas designed
to show how America's youth are making a difference.
The President's Volunteer Service Award was created at
the President's direction by the President's Council on
Service and Civic Participation. The Award is available
to youth ages 14 and under who have completed 50 or more
hours of volunteer service; to individuals 15 and older
who have completed 100 or more hours; and to families or
groups who have completed 200 or more hours. For more
information about the Award, please visit
www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.
Commissioner Betty Matear to become Moderator of the Free Churches
Commissioner
Betty Matear will become the first Salvationist to hold
the office of Moderator of the Free Churches Group when
she is inducted to the position at a public ceremony at
The Salvation Army's William Booth College on Wednesday
25 April.
The Free Churches Moderator is one of four presidents of
Churches Together in England. The others are the
Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, the Roman
Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac
Murphy-O'Connor, and a fourth nominated by other
churches in England including Orthodox, Black Majority,
Lutheran and Quakers. The fourth president is currently
Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian, primate of the Armenian
Church of Great Britain.
The presidents meet regularly to pray and discuss
matters concerning the Church in England. They also take
the lead in representing Christians at state events such
as the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in
Whitehall.
In June 2002 the four presidents signed a Personal
Covenant in the presence of the Queen at Windsor Castle.
Commissioner Matear will also sign this covenant when
she takes over as a president of Churches Together in
England.
In December 2006 the presidents led a high-profile peace
pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Since the 1880s there have been bodies established to
enable 'Free Churches' to have a common voice and a
public presence. In 1940 the Free Church Federal Council
was created, bringing together a number of predecessor
bodies. The Moderator of the Free Churches represents 21
denominations, some of whom are also members of Churches
Together in England.
Issues currently causing concern to the Free Churches
Council include legislative changes in the Charities Act
and Equalities Act as well as the debate over the
employment status of ministers of religion.
Commissioner Matear currently heads the women's
ministries team in The Salvation Army across the UK and
Ireland. When asked about her personal agenda,
Commissioner Matear said: 'I wish to emphasise that
which unites rather than that which divides Christians.
I want to focus on the strengths of particular
denominations and how we can enrich each other. For
example, while I firmly believe in the particular
ministry of The Salvation Army, I also believe in the
particular ministry of other denominations. Every
Christian needs to be confident in who they are and
willing to tell society about their confidence in God.
'It is a huge privilege working with these other
leaders. I feel very humble, particularly in the light
of the rich heritage of the British Free Churches. I
hope that we can build on this heritage in the next four
years. In these days one major evil is human trafficking
and I believe the churches must speak and act to combat
this.'
Everyone is welcome to attend the induction on Wednesday
25 April at William Booth College in Denmark Hill. It
will be conducted by Rev David Coffey, President of the
World Baptist Alliance, who has been the Free Churches
Moderator since 2003. Starting at 6:30pm, the service
will include music from The Salvation Army's
International Staff Songsters and Cadets' band.
National Association of Evangelicals
appoints Commissioner W Todd Bassett as new Executive
Director.
For Immediate Release: January 16, 2007,
Contact Person: Richard Cizik
Washington, D.C. -- W. Todd Bassett, former National
Commander of The Salvation Army, has been named
Executive Director of the National Association of
Evangelicals (NAE).
"Todd Bassett brings the highest level of leadership and
experience to his new position as Executive Director of
the National Association of Evangelicals," said Leith
Anderson, NAE President. "He is well known and respected
among evangelicals and the broader religious community
of America. I am thrilled to have him join our
leadership team."
Bassett has served on the association’s Executive
Committee for four years, representing The Salvation
Army, one of the organization’s 60 member denominations.
In his new role as Executive Director, he will oversee
NAE’s administrative, financial, and communications
functions and help formulate and implement
organizational vision and strategy.
"As former National Commander of The Salvation Army, one
of the premier service organizations in the world, Todd
will bring a wealth of experience to this new role,"
said Richard Cizik, Vice President for Governmental
Affairs. "We all look forward to working with him. He’s
a man of great integrity and spiritual stature," Cizik
said.
"I’ve watched first hand his handling of a national
crisis, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the
devastation it wreaked, and can say that the credit The
Salvation Army received for its splendid response, can
in part be given to his leadership. Moreover, Todd has a
special burden for the poor and he’ll be able to lend
his commitment and experience to this aspect of our
governmental affairs work," Cizik said.
Todd and his wife Carol were commissioned as officers in
the Salvation Army in 1965 and have served in ministry
for nearly 42 years in a variety of appointments. Their
assignments have included youth ministry, the School for
Officers' Training, and divisional and territorial
leadership. They also served for two years at the Army's
International Headquarters in London.
Bassett was appointed National Commander of the
Salvation Army in 2002 and served in that post until
April 2006.
Reported by Richard Cizik, excerpted from the NAE
website,
www.nae.net
Commissioner Israel Gaither –
Steady consistency under pressure
Newly elected National Commander of the Salvation Army
in the U.S., Israel Gaither has absolute conviction and
high level communication – thus he overcame the odds.
The first African American Commander (and a mixed
marriage), Gaither is a superb preacher and speaker – he
would say it’s the power of God and if you met him you
would not argue. Nor would you argue about his skill as
a communicator playing a strong role in his rise to
leadership – strong of voice, well prepared, always
focused, and with movement, energetic gestures and
expressive language and word pictures – he commands an
audience whether it is a small group of civic leaders,
or thousands of the members of his Army. (Which by the
way is the largest army in the world – with over three
million officers, employees and volunteers and a $2.6
billion budget.) Gaither’s biography is called titled
“Man With A Mission,” so its likely you will be hearing
a lot more from him.
http://www.bertdecker.com/experience/2006/12/top_ten_best_an.html
Office of
the General to Launch Pastoral Letters
Dispatched Electronically to Soldiers
Office of the General to Launch Pastoral
Letters Dispatched Electronically to
Soldiers MARCH 2007 will see the General
initiating a huge step forward in mass
communications within The Salvation Army, in
a move which will strengthen the pastoral
role of the office of the General. For a
very brief period in the earliest days of
The Salvation Army the first General,
William Booth, had a luxury no subsequent
General has enjoyed: the facility to
communicate directly with his soldiers
through The
War Cry, published in the UK, where at that
time all the Army’s soldiers were found.
However, that situation lasted for just a
few short months before the geographical
spread of the Army – first to the USA and
then to Ireland, France, Canada, India,
Switzerland, Sweden and all points north,
south, east and west – meant that most of
his soldiers were out of easy reach. More
than 120 years and 17 Generals later,
advances in technology have now made it
possible for the General again to
communicate directly and virtually
instantaneously with his soldiers, wherever
in the world they are. General Clifton
intends to do that through periodic Pastoral
Letters which will be distributed
electronically. During the Lenten period
leading to Easter, the General will write
the first such Pastoral Letter which will be
sent to every soldier, anywhere in the
world, who provides International
Headquarters with his or her email address.
The Pastoral Letter will also be published
on a new web page dedicated to the office of
the General, enabling soldiers to read it on
screen or print it out from their home
computer, or in such places as internet
cafés. The General’s web page can be viewed
at
http://www.salvationarmy.org/thegeneral
To meet the needs of soldiers without access
to electronic communications the Pastoral
Letters will also be distributed in ways
appropriate to local circumstances. The
letters – offering spiritual guidance
reflecting the General’s pastoral role as
the Army’s international leader – will be
published in a number of languages. The
intention is that every soldier will have
access to a copy in a language he or she
understands. The letters will be published
several times a year. Those wishing to
register their email address with a view to
receiving the General’s Pastoral Letter as
an email should sign up: by logging on to
www.salvationarmy.org/thegeneral
or by emailing their address to
IHQ-Website@salvationarmy.org
or by sending their email address by post to
Communications Section, The Salvation Army
IHQ, 101 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4P
4EP, United Kingdom. Report by the
Communications Secretary International
Headquarters
Chief of
the Staff Urges Technology Managers to
Seek Innovative Ways to Support Salvation
Army Mission
Chief of the Staff Urges Technology Managers
to Seek Innovative Ways to Support The
Salvation Army's Mission SALVATION Army
technology managers from around the globe
gathered in Atlanta, Georgia (USA Southern
Territory), for the sixth International
Technical Exchange (ITX). Commissioner
William Roberts, International Secretary for
Business Administration (International
Headquarters), chaired the meeting of 35
delegates from 14 countries – Australia,
Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, The
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, The
Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, the
United Kingdom and the United States of
America. The keynote speaker for the opening
session was the Chief of the Staff,
Commissioner Robin Dunster, who asked the
delegates to consider the risks and
challenges technology brings to the Army as
it expands in both traditional and
non-traditional ways. She affirmed previous
ITX recommendations that innovative ways be
sought to use technology to support the
mission of The Salvation Army and suggested
that delegates consider defining this
further during the conference. Following the
presentation by the Chief of the Staff,
Commissioner Roberts briefed the delegates
regarding the status of 'The Way Forward',
the financing plan for The Salvation Army
internationally. He also detailed the need
to be transparent and accountable in all
dealings since what the Army does has been
entrusted to it by God. The remainder of the
agenda was led by Mark Calleran, Information
Technology Manager, IHQ. Included in the
agenda were a number of demonstrations of
new software applications, discussion of IT
performance indicators and examples of 'best
of breed' applications used throughout the
Army world. Highlights of the gathering
included an enlightening 'African
Perspective' by Jean Marc Mbumu from the
Democratic Republic of Congo and a 'South
East Asian Perspective' by Victor Benganan
Jr from The Philippines. Both perspectives
helped delegates understand the technology
challenges faced by Salvation Army commands
and territories in developing nations.
Following these presentations, delegates
were able to review successes in technology
that have been achieved in developing
nations since the last meeting of this group
in 2005 as well as hear of some of the
solutions that are expected to be revealed
in the near future. The meeting facilitated
the exchange of ideas and technologies that
will be useful to many parts of the Army
world. Additionally, the delegates learned
of need in other parts of the world and were
urged to consider how they or their
sponsoring territories/commands may be
useful in finding solutions. Commissioner
Roberts closed ITX with the reminder that
although all are at different places in
their spiritual journey all are at some
point on the journey. He quoted the last
line of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer poem 'Who Am
I?' that says: 'Whoever I am, thou knowest,
O God, I am thine!' Report by Ron Shoults.
International Headquarters to Establish
Social Justice Commission
International Headquarters to Establish
Social Justice Commission GENERAL Shaw
Clifton has announced that a new unit of
International Headquarters – the
International Social Justice Commission (ISJC)
– will come into being on 1 July 2007. It
will be led by a senior officer who will
carry the designation of International
Director for Social Justice. The commission
and its director will be attached to the
office of the Chief of the Staff, although
its offices will be based in New York in the
USA Eastern Territory. The first Director of
ISJC will be Commissioner M. Christine
MacMillan, currently Territorial Commander
of Canada and Bermuda. The shape and main
purposes of the commission are as follows:
The director will lead a small team of
full-time specialists, all committed
Salvationists. The commission will be a
permanent, standing body. A panel of expert
international consultants will be created.
The director and staff will be the Army’s
principal international advocate and adviser
on social, economic and political issues and
events giving rise to the perpetuation of
social injustice in the world. They will
assist the Army in addressing social
injustice in a systematic, measured,
proactive and Christian manner, consistent
with the purposes for which God raised up
The Salvation Army. The commission will
advise the General and other senior leaders
at IHQ in matters of social justice. It will
absorb and extend the current work of the
Moral and Social Issues desk at IHQ,
re-introducing an International Moral and
Social Issues Council (IMASIC). The
commission will expand and develop the
Army’s role and influence within the United
Nations, supervising and coordinating the
work now being done in New York, Vienna and
Geneva. It will place on a more systematic
and effective basis the role of the Army in
relation to other major world forums,
advising the General on representation
therein. The commission will liaise
regularly with territorial and other Army
groups
engaged in social justice advocacy, seeking
to ensure a coordinated approach and
offering encouragement and guidance. It will
liaise with territories and commands where
as yet little is being done in relation to
issues of social justice, seeking to find
ways in which such a role can be undertaken
by the Army in the local setting. The
General concludes: 'I believe that God is
providing us with a moment of his choosing
for this initiative. Again, please bring it
all to him in prayer and uphold the director
and staff as they come into office later
this year.'
An exciting new
step has been made, and the People's Voice has
been re-titled to become known as
The Soapbox.
This decision was made due to other publications
being titled things close to or the same as the
people's voice in the USA and Canada - where our
subscribers now number many. The change of name
is all that has changed. The content is still
side splitting, politically challenging and
tackles revolutionary social justice issues, and
all proceeds will contribute to efforts the help
the homeless.
To launch The Soapbox a new web-page has been
created. The new web page offers you the ability
to subscribe on-line. It costs only $15 (The
same price as 6 cups of coffee) and will benefit
real people living on the street - as all
proceeds are donated to missions that work with
the homeless. What's more - you can now become a
subscriber anywhere in the world! To subscribe
just visit
www.the-soapbox.org It's dead easy!. by Tim
McPherson, Salvation Army THQ, AUS Southern
Territory.
NEW BOOK RELEASED 'THE ELVIS INTERVIEW'
A
Letter from the Author
I guess it all started in September of 1956. I
was eleven years old at the time, living in
London, Ontario—in one of those wartime houses
so common throughout Canada. Darned if I can
remember what else I happened to be doing that
evening, but I do recall that The Ed Sullivan
Show was blaring from the television. I was
half-watching the program, half doing something
else.
Suddenly I was aware of this incredible 'music'
coming from the TV! I don't think I had ever
heard anything quite like it in my entire young
life. My Mom loved music and always had
something playing in the house—either on an old
78 rpm record player or the radio. We listened
to all of the popular songs of that era—but the
music I heard that evening was something else.
When I turned to get a better look at the
television I saw this young twenty-one year-old
man—possibly the best looking guy I had ever
seen. He was smiling broadly—famous curled
lip—and had greased-up hair. He was surrounded
by a guitar player, a bass player, a drummer—and
he was singing his heart out to a brand-new,
almost hypnotic beat. Nothing would ever match
the excitement I felt that evening. I remember
phoning a friend immediately following the show
and asking him, "Did you see that guy on Ed
Sullivan? What was that?"
Not long afterward, I spent an entire afternoon
carving two drumsticks from a piece of wood I'd
found in the garage. I pulled an assortment of
my mom's pots out of the kitchen cupboard and
tried to duplicate that rhythm I heard, now
locked in my soul. This was probably the
beginning of my musical career.
You could say that I grew up on Elvis, and that
my first exposure to his performance on Ed
Sullivan predetermined the next twenty or so
years of my life. During those decades, I
followed his career while developing my own
musical path. In 1976, I ended my professional
music career following an engagement in Altoona,
Pennsylvania. The following year, in Memphis,
Tennessee, Elvis would leave the building for
good. But he never completely left our hearts.
Here it is, almost thirty years later, and I've
just finished a novel called The Elvis
Interviews.
You
can now purchase
"The Elvis Interview"
online through this site your credit card
payment will be processed securely by Pay Pal.
The books cost $21.95 each plus shipping and
handling (all prices are in Canadian dollars) [click
here to buy this book]
HAPPY
NEW YEAR 2007!
.....as 2006 fade away, we begin a fresh with a
clean, new year. How awesome it is to look upon
the be
ginning of all the potential this year
holds for all of us. We are eager to be
connecting and resourcing you even more this
year with vibrant and relevant resources that
will help you grow and equip you for great
ministries in 2007. We look forward in eager
anticipation to all that God has in store!.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we as or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!" Ephesians 3:20
Christmas and New Year Greetings from our heart to yours.... we wish you a very blessed Christmas and a truly prosperous New Year in the Lord.
Your time is coming dear friend, you may have been through hell, and high water. You have been through many different circumstances but know this that the father never fails that He is faithful and this is a time to trust God for the unthinkable, the unimaginable and tap in to the breakthrough anointing that He has sovereignly placed upon this ministry and which is available to you as my highly valued visitor.
The Father loves you so much that He sent his only Son so you could be reconciled with Him and He has great plans for your life. Reconciliation and restoration are the cries of the father and also of Gee Jo Online-that I would know Him more intimately. Everything Jesus talked about pointed to the Father and this is what we as the Gee Jo Online need to do. Gee Jo Online is the Fathers net work and everything points to Him and so we pray that the Fire of God would fall in greater level in your life.
We praise God for everything He has done and as we always say, what God has done for us He can do for you!
Thank you so much for your part in my website ministry to reach the souls. Where ever you are in from us that we never forget you- we carry you in our hearts- you are our treasure in eternity.
We wish you and your families and extended families the most wonderful Christmas, remembering the birth of our Lord Jesus and thanking the father that He so loved us that He sent us His only begotten Son, so that none of us would perish.
God Bless You
With so VERY much love in our wonderful Lord Jesus, from our hearts.
Gee Jo, Princy and Ajin G Sam
