New soldiers have bigger goals

by Robert Mitchell

Norma Gordon and her husband, Silton, were enrolled as senior soldiers on February 26 at the Trenton, N.J., Corps and she saw the ceremony as a precursor to something much larger.

“We hope to be officers and pastors,” Norma says.“God changed my life and He is No. 1 in everything. He’s using me to be a soldier and I’m open to Him continuing to show me the path to be a pastor with my husband.”

Norma has worked at the Salvation Army Family Store in Trenton for more than 14 years. She met Silton, who was in the Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) program, in 2021 when he came to work in the ARC warehouse and she was the family store manager.

“What I liked about him was he wanted to follow God’s path like I did,” she said. “I was looking for someone who, the first thing in their life was God.”

Norma said she and Silton want to be officers because they believe in The Salvation Army’s mission.

“I like the way we can serve God there,” she said. “I like their history of helping people. They serve the community. To me, God gave them the name Salvation Army.”

Lt. Colonels Jim and Sue Betts, then the Salvation Army’s divisional commanders in New Jersey, Majors Jongwoo and Misook Kim, led the enrollment of the Gordons. Joining them on stage was Sayvier Carmichael, who was enrolled as a junior soldier.

The New Jersey Division has held several enrollments and local officer commissions the past few months.

In Union City, N.J., the corps commissioned six new local officers on March 12. Majors Kim were also on hand that morning to commission Elia E. Hernandez, corps secretary; Carmen Rosairo Mendez, corps treasurer; Dorca Alvarado, CSM (Corps Sergeant Major); Rene Morales and Maria E. Orellana, Sunday school teacher; and Manuel Lima, recruiting sergeant.

The Plainfield, N.J., Corps commissioned the following local officers on April 2: Bruce A. Flinton, quartermaster; Mary E. Flinton, YPSM (Young People’s Sergeant Major); and Denise Tait, Community Care Ministries secretary.