From Catholicism and beyond...

In September, 1975, my wife and I were among a group of some fifty Cadets who marched into The Salvation Army Training College at 2130 Bayview Avenue in Toronto. What a day that was and what promises we all saw in the future.

The Training College was an experience that helped me grow but concurrently also sowed some seeds of doubt about what I perceived as my calling. I had problems with the liberalism I saw in some Cadets and the none sense of some of the rules for Cadets. But we persisted, and in June 1977 we were commissioned on the platform of Massey Hall and listened intently as we heard our appointment to Neepawa, Manitoba announced. This was back to our home Division, and less than 100 miles from my wife’s home and our home Corps. I was not a Salvationist by birth in that I grew up in a coal mining town in Cape Breton in a strong Roman Catholic family. My home town had about 10,000 residents and of which 9,300 or so were Roman Catholic. Our family were devout Catholics and included two uncles and cousins as Priests. I, and the other youth in our family were active in the church, however, our faith was in Christ . It was not the Catholic faith many see and heard about . The Priests in our Parish did preach Christ and Christ crucified as our way to salvation.

I got to know the Salvation Army in my home town through the Scouting movement. The only Cub Scout pack in our area of town was the one at the Corps and I jointed that troop. During the time I was involved with the Scout movement I met Salvation Army Officers who left a mark on my life, men and women who were true followers of Christ.

During my university years I, like many of the youth of the late 60s, went my own way and experimented with drugs, alcohol and all that was popular then. Following graduation I worked in retail management and sales until one year, when I went on holidays (vacation) and sobered up 2 months later 2,200 miles from my home in Nova Scotia in Winnipeg. I realized I needed to deal with my chemical addiction problem and entered the Anchorage Program at The Salvation Army Men’s Social Services in Winnipeg. Three months_later I accepted Christ and graduated the program._I made the choice to remain in Winnipeg and immediately found a job with a High School as Science Resource Person ( my 4 years of University was a major in Physics/Math) .

The Corps I was attending was East Kildonan and it was there that I met my future wife. Soon after being enrolled I found myself teaching the Teen Class and later that year was made the YPSM. Thinking about it now I am not sure that putting a new convert/soldier into those functions so soon may not have been a good thing to do but it happened. Soon after being married we applied and were accepted for training within a month of applying .

Part one

John Stephenson
Canada