Celebrating 50 Years in Dover
by Hugo Bravo
To celebrate the presence of The Salvation Army in Dover, Del., Captains Ardrine and Reginald Montour, corps officers of the Dover Corps, hosted a weekend of praise and revival outside of their building. Members of the community and guests from other corps were treated to music, timbrel performances, and food to commemorate 50 years of ministry in Dover.
“An event like this reminds the community that The Salvation Army is here, ready to serve and to be their church,” says Captain Reginald.
The weekend’s recurring theme was gratitude, for the work the Army has done in Dover and looking forward to what the future of the corps will be.
“We have past Dover officers who tell us that they had never seen the corps at these numbers before,” says Captain Reginald. “Of course, God is not just present and faithful when our numbers are large, but we still felt that we needed to be grateful to Him right now.”
That Sunday, Delaware State Coordinator Major Martin Cordner visited the Dover Corps to personally enroll two junior and four senior soldiers. Welcoming these soldiers on the 50th anniversary, he says, was a special moment for the corps.
“It solidifies the journey of the corps and sends a message about the future,” says Major Cordner. “Having taken the time to meet the senior soldiers, I can say that they have great potential to become leaders.”
Captain Reginald says, “We praise God for bringing us our new soldiers, three of which had never heard of The Salvation Army until they walked into our corps. They have grown here, and made positive choices here, so let’s thank Him for allowing us to be their introduction to the Army.”
Both Major Cordner and Captain Reginald acknowledged that for the Dover Corps to continue to spread its ministry, it would have to keep growing in space as well as in numbers.
“Sunday services at Dover are like a glimpse of Heaven — multilingual, filled with music, and with young people involved. Some Sundays have close to 100 people,” says Major Cordner. “But the Dover Corps now has a wonderful dilemma: They’re growing beyond the limits of their own premises.”
Captain Reginald agreed, noting that a larger space would create new ways to serve the Dover community. He hopes that the next 50 years will bring about a way to expand the Dover Corps.
“Child care and babysitters are very expensive, and there are parents who need a place for their young children to be while they’re out working,” he says. “That is a need we’ve seen in this community since my wife and I arrived in 2020, and we want to be able to help those families.”
Click here for more information on The Salvation Army in Dover.
