Sunday, January 24, 2016
Saturday, January 23, 2016
The SA in Russia - 1913 Part Two of Two
Permitted to remain in the city during the exhibition. Larsson was as able to publish a Russian War Cry, but it was named Vjestnik Spasenija (The Salvation Messenger; avoiding the word 'war'). The thousands of newspapers prepared the way for the official opening of a slum center outside the gates of Moscow. Soon a corps was or ganized in Petrograd by the first soldier sworn in under the Army flag on December 20, 1914, though this was still officially a Finnish corps.
Army Meets Defeat
For a while the Army made encouraging progress. A refugee home was opened, as well as one for children. On Easter Sunday in 1917 they made their first march down Nevski Prospekt, singing salvation songs. Thousands watched and 450 were attracted to a public meeting.
They were given full liberty for street meetings, and the officers' training school was opened, but the first class proved to be its last. In the latter part of 1918 things changed for the worse; street meetings were prohibited, and religious organizations were required to register or they would be considered counter-revolutionary agencies. In close order the Army corps and institutions were shut down, and by December Commissioner Larsson and family were forced to leave the country. The remaining 50 officers and employees were faced with hardships and privations.
In 1921 a mutiny in Kronstadt signaled new attacks on the small body of Salvationists. Officers and soldiers were arrested and some imprisoned. In 1922 the officers in Petrograd were ordered to cease their work. Though appeals were made. the last Finnish representative of the Army, Adjutant Elsa Olsoni. left the country in 1923. Ten years of a brave tight in Russia had come officially to an end...but the embers remained.
Footnote
The Salvation Army departed from Russia after the revolution, but the calling never left the heart of 15-year-old Vladimir Mikhailovich Fursenko of Petrograd, nor did it diminish his view of his Christianity.
While supporting himself in Crimea as a laborer, he continued to recruit members to his secret Salvation Army for 20 years. At the outbreak of World War II, when he attempted to register his "Ukrainian Salvation Army" as a source of relief work and aid, the KGB authorities threatened, then arrested him. Fursenko spent 20 years in a Siberian prison, where he continued to share Scripture and lead other prisoners to conversion.
Upon the easing of the repression of religion, his house became, "Headquarters, Crimea Command." When The Army reaches the Crimea, there they will find uniformed soldiers and the grand old "General from Yalta."
************
"It was 1992.
The SA 'news reporter', author of the above story was half right. The "General" had learned that TSA was back in Russia, tracked us down and phoned me in Leningrad sharing instruction; 'I have plans for Crimea and need 30 uniforms, 100 blankets and 20 musical instruments. And do we need a ship, a Russian destroyer to Evangelize the Black Sea region?'
I flew down the following week and met with this remarkable gentleman. The full story of the General of Yalta is told in; Return to Russia with Flags Unfurled - Released in spring 2016 in English and Russian."
Kathie & Sven Ljungholm
Yalta, Crimea 1993
The SA in Russia - 1913 Part One of Two
"Darkest England" Sparks Interest
In 1890. William Booth's famous book. Darkest England and the Way Out, had laid the ground plan of the welfare state in the United Kingdom. All over Europe. including Russia, widespread in-terest was created. M. Paul Nardin. of the Department of Finances in St. Petersburg, had read the book, and other Salvationist literature, which apparently impressed him so that he made inquiries to local authorities throughout the civilized world requesting their opinion of the Salvation Army. Was it genuine and charitable? What effect had it had on the welfare of outcasts
Prince Nicholas Galatzin of Russia in 1894 closely investigated the evangelistic and social work of the Arms in England. having previously seen it in parts of the United States. A devoted Christian. had accompanied General Booth on some of his campaigns in Holland. Galatzin fell in love with Booth's daughter and did his best to persuade her to come to Russia as his wife. Only her love of the Army and loyalty to her father made her write that she would not be coming. In 1908. William T. Stead. the news-paper editor who was actively involved in the Army's social reforms in London. interviewed the Russian Prime Minister and raised the question of whether it could begin work there. The official went so far as to ask for a copy of their statutes, "so that I can examine them before I give my final decision."
Railton's Dream
In 1904 Commissioner George Scott Rai1ton, one of William Booth's closest coworkers, dreamed of bringing The Salvation Army to Russia. At that time political factors intervened to keep him from going. but in 1908 he managed to conduct crowded meetings in St. Petersburg. Neither he nor Booth, who visited the city in 1909, were invited to meet the Czar. Railton's promotion to Glory in 1913 left the realization of his dream to others. The Founder made his first speech in the country to a private assembly of Russian aristocracy, meeting with promis-ing enthusiasm. Colonel and Mrs. Povlsen, a Danish couple, moved to St. Petersburg to apply for permission, which was turned down after a two-year wait.
Sensational Topic
Soon after the death of the Founder in 1912. a Swedish officer, Commissioner Karl Larsson, was appointed leader of the Army in Russia, his motto being. "If I don't try, I'll surely not succeed—so I'll try." In 1913 a Hygiene Exhibition in St. Petersburg gave the Army a chance to show its activities as part of the Finnish Pavilion. In a time when hygiene was a sensational, novel topic. the Army's exhibit was a great success: sta-tistical tables, sample beds from a men's shelter and children's home, samples of sewing done at a women's industrial home, and a life-size model of a slum officer. It won first prize!
In recognition of his sacrificial service, Vladimir Fursenko was admitted to the Order of the Founder by General Eva Burrows. (From an article in the March 5, 1977, War Cry, by Lt. Col. Thorsten Khali. The assistance of Major Jenty Fairbank at the International Heritage Centre is greatly appreciated.) Material was also garnered from Sven Ljungholm’s, The General from Yalta.
END PART ONE OF TWO
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Our Russian adventure Part Two
'A great and effectual door is open to us. We must accept the opportunity with faith and courage.'
General Eva Burrows
....
After that it was back to unload the truck – we took off about eight tonnes by hand, every case of food or box of clothes being passed down a human chain into the storeroom. We were helped by three young Muscovites and an American Christian whose hobby was weightlifting. We slept well that night!
Sunday was very special. In the morning there was Protestant church meeting. The evening meeting was attended by the General and has already been reported in Salvationist.
Monday saw us, with a Christian friend seconded to the Army from Amoco (USA), threading our way through the Moscow suburbs to find a food warehouse loaned to the Army. We backed the truck up the ice-laden alley and unloaded the last two tonnes of our cargo. Four local storemen helped us and seemed a little bemused by the cheerful fools from England, who laughed while their knuckles bled.
The evening of Monday 23 March was – to quote the launch poster – the ‘Re-attack of The Salvation Army on Moscow’. The real treat came when the Youth Institute’s program of Russian folk songs was interrupted as a local Baptist choir sang, ‘Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb’ and ‘In the love of Jesus’, with the solo being taken by a massive bass singer complete with flowing black beard. The result was a breathtaking.
The meeting in which 65 people – a whole corps – was enrolled under the blood-and-fire flag has already been reported. To have been there was an unrivalled privilege.
CORPS
It was a very thoughtful group that chatted its way back across Europe. Between us we tried to squeeze every bit out of the experience so that every detail was remembered. In the minibus we were carrying back a ‘thank you’ gift from the newly-formed corps to their friends in Bournemouth. It was a a large screen-printed Army flag (with Blood & Fire printed in Russian-Cyrillic letters)
But the real gift we carried in our hearts. A part of us will always be in Zubovsky Boulavar, feeling the excitement, seeing the faces and hearing deep Russian cadences and singing:
By his grace forgiven, in his presence blest.
In the love of Jesus, in the love of Jesus,
Is perfect rest.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Our Russian adventure
Our Russian adventure
Boscombe Salvationists took a truck-load of aid to Moscow. Mike Adams tells us how.
One Sunday evening in January (1992) our CO, Major John Mott, asked, ‘Can anyone get a truck to take some badly-needed supplies to Moscow? So our Russian adventure began.
At the same time, contact had been made with Captain and Mrs, Sven-Erik and Kathleen Ljungholm the officers (in charge of the SA) in Moscow. They needed bulk supplies of food (for the 18 SA canteens that were feeding 6,000 Muscovites at day), clothing, medical supplies and all kinds of only paraphernalia to make the new soldiers being enrolled feel like ‘proper Salvationists’.
And – we were told – it would be nice if all this were in place for the weekend in March when the General officially reopened the work in Moscow. We had just seven weeks.
A team of six was quickly selected, and back-up teams were also formed. The latter took care of fund-raising and the task of collecting and storing gifts. Another team sorted, sized, cleaned and packed the clothing.
By mid-February things had started to move on swiftly. The local Safeway, a shop across from the hall and local Rotary clubs gave valued support. Leyland DAF promised a 17-tonne truck plus a minibus for us to use, and P&O Ferries agreed to give us a generous discount and their Dover-Zeebrugge passage.
Cargo
Meanwhile, we had kept in touch with Moscow, making changes to our cargo as priorities shifted. We bought two tonnes of tinned meat and a half a tonne of baby food. We believe that the cost of those late and expensive items – about 5,00.00 GBP - would come from somewhere.
And it did. When the General addressed a Rotary conference at Bournemouth, the collection, over UKP 2000 was given to the Project. The rest of the money came later.
Almost 100 people saw us off from the hall on Tuesday evening. This commitment to the project kept the team in very high spirits for several days. And on Saturday morning at 07:00 AM we were sat in Zubowski Boulivar outside the Army’s centre in Moscow.
We had crossed Belgium, Holland, Germany, Poland, Belarus, and Russia itself. En route we picked up a Mail on Sunday photographer at the Polish-Russian border. He travelled the 22 hours non-stop through Russia with us and, as he said, ‘thoroughly enjoyed his first exposure to Salvationists’.
In Moscow, we changed into uniform and went straight to Red Square and held a short open-air meeting.
End Part One of Two
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
YES, I AM THE GRANDEST OF THEM ALL-
I am not wishing to pick a fight – not my intention.
I am not shaking my fist at “the establishment” either.
But…I do think Brengle was right – when it’s all said and done your rank, your position in life, your amazing accomplishments mean absolutely nothing. It won’t matter if you were a General, a Major, a Colonel, a Captain, an Adherent (I am purposely putting this in a nonsensical order)…it will not matter at all. You could have been a Divisional Commander, or just an A/V sound booth guy on Sunday Mornings – it all won’t matter.
Why Rank Doesn’t Matter:
What we do with these temporal things and titles, however, is what truly matters.
If we lord over others because someone has given us authority – then we are certainly unwise with these temporal things.
If we squander our time and our talents, we too are unwise with that temporal thing or gift.
If we are good stewards of what and where God has placed us, however, and we live for Him in and through all things – we are wisely using these temporal things.
What we do matters.
How we live matters.
Where God places us matter.
Our Attitudes, Pride, Humility, Love, Hate, Generosity or Greed – It all matters.
Dear Salvationist:
…. Dare I say some become Officers or Soldiers because of the assumed power it offers them. It is simply a tool to misuse and abuse. I am confident that this is not the majority of us, but be mindful of the snakes and vipers sometimes posing as Soldiers (even in our Army). We still live in an imperfect world though now as Kingdom people we can bring hope to those seeking.
We all must be sober of thought and honest before God.
“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.…” Psalm 24:3-5
Should there be ranks and order in our Army? Of course…I’m not talking at all about anarchy…but what I am talking about is something deeply personal for all of us. Are our heart and motives clean? Are we living for God or are we living for ourselves? Is there work still needing to be done in our lives? Changes needing to be made in our attitudes and our hearts?
This is an ongoing mission…with an ongoing need for personal holiness.
I am only scratching at an itch that begs to have the whole salve of the Holy Spirit upon it. Without Him we can do nothing.
When it’s all said and done, the heart of our mission and our purpose will be evaluated by the Most High. This isn’t said to scare, but rather to provide a reality check.
So…how are you doing?
Something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory.
Monday, January 18, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (11-4-92)
SALVATION ARMY IS A MAJOR PARTICIPANT IN MOSCOW
BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE ‘92
The October 1992 Billy Graham crusade was hugely successful, with many thousands of first-time decisions made for Jesus Christ. The Salvation Army, after only one year in Moscow, was an integral part of the planning and conduct of the crusade.
Meeting in the large Olympic Stadium, the final Sunday afternoon meeting was the largest crowd to ever be gathered in Russia. With over 50,000 people seated and standing inside the stadium, over 20,000 listened on speakers outside while seemingly oblivious to the inclement Moscow weather. At the final meeting over 20,000 seekers crowded the floor, which could not contain all of those who were seeking Christ.
Everywhere one looked there were uniformed Salvationists. Salvationists served as the Steward Captains and made up the largest portion of the counselors. When Dr. Graham entered or departed the stage, his way was secured by an honour guard of approximately 150 uniformed Salvationists. To quote one of the senior staff of the Crusade; “There seem to be Salvationists everywhere. How could we have done without them?”
Joni Erickson Tada, after appearing at the final meeting, stated; I’m very pleased to see the Army so visible and involved in these meetings, and to know that they were so involved in the planning.
Marina Kiralyg, a uniformed Salvationist, linguists and international law student, had the privilege of translating for Mr. Cliff Barrows, the well-known Crusade Music Director, as he led the huge 7,000 voice chorus.
At the first Salvation Army recruit class following the Crusade, nearly 50 individuals who made first-time decisions at the Crusade joined the following week for information on becoming Salvation Army soldiers, led by Mrs. Captain Pamela Smith. (UK)
Captain Sven-Erik Ljungholm. Commander for Moscow, served on the Crusade Planning Committee and took responsibility for the counseling and voluntary security services. Mrs. Kathleen Ljungholm assisted her husband and served as a hostess to the honoured guests. They joined director Graham on the platform for the final meeting.
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