Happy Birthday to Us!
by Colonel Richard Munn
Hurrah! The USA East SAconnects e-newsletter, Good News, is 2 years old this very week!
Fifty-two editions done and dusted, reliably posted every other Thursday afternoon to nearly 7,000 subscribers around the world, Good News is quickly becoming a regular staple of territorial life. What began as an exploratory proposal, dare we say it, is now a must-read for anyone even remotely invested in our territory.
“One to walk, two to talk,” so the saying goes. Or, how about the “terrible twos”? Certainly, we are finding our voice and gaining confidence. Your consistent feedback encourages us here.
Some patterns are beginning to emerge: a regular lead article from our senior cabinet leaders; wholly dedicated issues for Commissioning, Star Search, Old Orchard Beach Camp Meetings, and Christmas season; monthly doctrinal or missional focus articles; and of course, lots and lots of great stories from our front-line heroes and innovators, the stuff that makes an army. You can catch up on everything from dynamic Vacation Bible School ministry to enterprising ice cream salesmanship, colorful Christmas sweater midwinter musical festivals to engaging Times Square Corps theater productions, and so much more.
And now, we look to the future, seeking to build on this good start and increase our impact for mission. You can expect to see a variety of strategies, a range of contributors, a fresh format, and a reliable overview of the life and personalities of the territory.
We are limited only by our imagination. This should not be surprising; the USA East is the place where The Salvation Army began in the USA. Whether your historical interpretation centers on Cleveland, Philadelphia, or New York City, we began right here. We have the longest-serving staff band in the world, host the equally long-serving summer camp meeting series in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, continue the historic meetings at the Centennial Memorial Temple in Manhattan, conduct the internationally recognized Star Lake Music Camp, and are forever associated with larger-than-life characters such as George Scott Railton, Evangeline Booth, Samuel Logan Brengle, Erik Leidzen, and Tom Ferguson.
Today the USA East is home to vibrant expressions of African American, Caribbean, Haitian, Hispanic, and Korean Salvationism. From the bluegrass of Kentucky and Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania to the rugged coast of Maine, from the gritty inner cities of Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia to the romance of Puerto Rico, we are present and active.
Yes, dear reader, this territory belongs to you and me.
Happy birthday to us!
“The boundary lines have fallen for [us] in pleasant places; surely [we] have a delightful inheritance.” —Psalms 16:6
