Evelyn “Evie” Stickland Monroe is among those strategically placed and delightfully gifted soldiers who populate our Army and give us encouragement. Born into a storied Salvation Army family with prodigious talents and a legacy of service, she has excelled since childhood in academics, music, choreography, and arts.

Fully immersed in seemingly every aspect of Army programming and outreach in congregational, divisional, and territorial life, Evie has inspired many a gathering with her artistry, the voice of an angel, and a consistent, grace-filled presence.

Graduating from Old Orchard Beach High School in Maine with an array of honors, then Gordon College in Massachusetts, Evie then attained certification in nursing. During this young adult season, the three strands of a strong cord became discernibly intertwined — soldiership in the Times Square Corps, New York City, employment as health and wellness director at the College for Officer Training, and marriage to Christopher Monroe, artistic director and facilities administrator at the Times Square Corps. The combined force is a powerful witness.

Fusing spiritual formation, vocation, and personal pilgrimage is a high Salvationist value, though not easily experienced. Evie models this — health care for an important cadet community, wife and mother, soldier and performer. On any given day we can find Evie countering an influenza outbreak on campus, caring for her young family, or immersing herself in Off-Broadway Times Square Theatre 315 productions.

I am a third-generation Salvationist on my mother’s side; my grandparents were Swedish immigrants that came to the Army during the Great Depression and became lifelong soldiers and local leaders. I am a fifth-generation Salvationist on my father’s side, coming from a long line of soldiers and officers in Canada.

Both sides of my family were blessed with the gift of music, my mother being an accomplished vocalist, and my father a skilled trombone player, songster leader, and bandmaster. My parents carried on the legacy of faithful soldiership of earlier generations by dedicating their gifts to the Lord and serving at the local corps throughout their lives, whether singing in the songsters, playing in the band, directing children’s musicals, leading youth musical groups, or supporting many other programs at the corps with their participation and engagement.

My upbringing was steeped in this engagement, and I have many memories of musical programs and late nights at the corps. It was expected that our gifts were meant to be used in ministry and shared freely; my sisters and I developed our own musical gifts and participated for many years in band, youth chorus, timbrels and songsters, also singing vocal solos or developing other musical numbers for “family programs” when visiting our family at other corps. I remember when I was a teenager, a friend of mine expressed that he wasn’t sure if he “felt like joining” youth chorus and youth band. The statement shocked me, as involvement and dependability were highly valued in my family!

What stands out to you as a formative, impactful moment or season in your Christian journey?

As a teenager and young adult, I was busily involved in the life of the corps, which also meant I was active in our divisional music and arts programs as well. While it may have been easy to assume at this point that my relationship with the Lord was defined by this “busyness” and what I could accomplish for Him, the Lord used these experiences to shape me and highlight what He accomplished for me.

At the age of 16 I became responsible for the development of a Jesus Theatre for use at our divisional camp. Jesus used these years powerfully in my life to help me fall in love with His story and with the creative process of telling that story to others. This led to many other opportunities to serve and use my creative gifts in The Salvation Army, and I continue to be humbled and blessed in the ways the Lord has used these gifts to disciple me and to bless others.

You participate in and contribute to a wide range of creative arts. Can you tell us more?

I have been so privileged to participate and lead in many creative ways at the corps and divisional level, including timbrels, dance, choreodrama, Jesus Theatre, and drama. I have participated in territorial ministries and groups including the Eastern Territorial Songsters, CAST, the territorial dance team, previously called Army On Its Toes, and more currently RePlay. I have also been able to attend and teach at TAM Conservatory for many years. Each opportunity has been a rich time of learning and sharing, and the Lord has used each season to continue to disciple and inspire me.

You now serve as the health and wellness director at the College for Officer Training (CFOT). How does your faith inform and impact that special role?

Back in 2010 I became a licensed registered nurse, which has opened up many more areas to serve and use my gifts for the Lord. In 2017 I became the nurse at the CFOT where it is my deep honor to work with the future leaders of The Salvation Army as part of the training process of cadets. This is more than a job but a calling to which I try to be faithful every day. I provide health education, development of wellness and fitness programming, and individual medical case management to those in the CFOT community. Although my job can be quite technical, it is also an opportunity to bless and minister to many on a personal level or corporate level, whether teaching healthy lifestyle choices, praying for healing in the community, or working within the many emergency state guidelines to keep the CFOT open and running smoothly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lord continually shows me he has no shortage of ways he can use me if I submit to His leadership.

How is your soldiership expressed in this season in your life?

While the specific activities of my current soldiership may look very different from my youth, the family legacy of faithful soldiership carries on in my life. My husband, Christopher, and I attend the Times Square Corps, where he serves as the artistic director and facilities administrator. As a family, we strive to be present and available to our officers in whatever capacity they may need support and participation.

Sometimes this is helping lead sections of the Sunday Service, and sometimes this is standing in the back with a noisy toddler while greeting those coming late into the meeting. As parents of young children (Enok, 6, and Elin, 2) it can often be challenging to be fully present in the life and worship of our community, but this is also one of the most beautiful parts of soldiership: raising our children in the family of believers and teaching them how to participate in the life of the corps.

Young as they are, our children know they are welcomed and loved in Sunday service, even if on occasion one of us needs to excuse ourselves to attend to their needs. Our son understands the purpose of our Sunday worship, and sometimes will elbow me during testimony time, because he knows it’s time to share what the Lord is doing in our lives. What an encouragement!

Any further insights or gems of interest that will encourage our readers?

Thank you, Evie, how we delight at the beauty of your life and ministry. The hand of God is upon you, it seems. You can count on this, the SAconnects team is cheering you on.