‘A Model of True Salvationism’

by Robert Mitchell

“I will be actively involved, as l am able, in the life, work, worship and witness of the corps…” —Soldier’s Covenant of The Salvation Army

Bill Hamm has enjoyed a long and honored tenure as the corps sergeant major at The Salvation Army in Schenectady, New York, but his ministry was set in motion only after he attended an unfamiliar service at the church.

Hamm used to attend the morning service with his wife, Brenda, but for some reason, he felt God leading him to try the afternoon “salvation service” one Sunday in 1983. The speaker was Captain Bill Bode, the corps officer in Schenectady at the time.

“When he was preaching, it was like he was preaching right to me,” Hamm recalls. “I just felt this calmness. When he did the altar call, I just floated to the altar. I don’t really remember taking any steps at all. I accepted Jesus at the altar, and it was one of the happiest moments of my life. It was pretty awesome.”

Hamm became a senior soldier and started helping out with Boys’ Adventure Corps, a Salvation Army youth program. That eventually led to a 36-year calling as the corps sergeant major (CSM) in Schenectady. He stepped down last year at age 74, but not before being involved in nearly every ministry that goes on in the corps.

“I loved the people,” says Hamm, who was raised Roman Catholic. “I started going to The Salvation Army and the people there were great and very friendly, and I just started getting involved.”

A corps staple

The Hamms, who will celebrate 50 years of marriage in 2026, saw an answered prayer when they were trying to buy a house in Schenectady and promised God they would use it for His glory. After getting the house, the couple hosted a home Bible study for 30 years.

The Salvation Army has become a second home for Hamm, who leads a Saturday morning prayer breakfast each week.

Every Sunday, Hamm shows up early to the corps after buying donuts and other refreshments for the adult Bible study, where he leads the prayer time. He also helps lead worship during the holiness meeting.

Hamm also writes a monthly corps newsletter, which he began during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep the congregation connected. He also participates in a home Bible study twice a month and leads the prayer time at each one.

During the busy Christmas season, Hamm comes in early each morning to count the previous day’s kettle collections. He also can often be found driving the truck to collect the many gifts donated to the Angel Tree program, a job that can take two full days or more.

“He’s always there helping to set up for our Christmas distribution program,” says Major David Payton, a former corps officer in Schenectady. “He and his wife have a tradition of taking a day and wrapping every corps gift for our many kids in the corps.”

Hear the calling

Hamm also visits shut-ins, volunteers to stand kettles, helps with Vacation Bible School, and is involved with the church’s annual back-to-school carnival. His motivation is simple.

“I like pleasing God the best that I can,” he says. “I love helping people, and The Salvation Army was a good fit for me. I feel so blessed at times.”

Hamm encourages fellow soldiers in The Salvation Army to consider the benefits of service. Some may visit nursing homes grudgingly, for example, but “you come out of there blessed,” Hamm says. “You go to bless them, but you’re the one that gets blessed. I feel God walking me through that whole thing.”

Hamm recalls being involved in a jail ministry years ago that allowed prisoners to pick out gifts for their children. He delivered a gift to one little girl, who became overwhelmed and cried when he told her the gift came from her father.

“It showed me that even though her father wasn’t there, that people in The Salvation Army cared about her,” he says. “It was just such a blessing.”

Hamm believes soldiers should step up to lead in their corps, and he thinks Schenectady has some rising leaders.

He recalls a comment from a corps council meeting several years ago when then-Majors David and Naomi Kelly were the officers in Schenectady: “Major David Kelly told us, ‘My wife and I are just people passing through here. This is your corps. You need to take hold of it. If we left and nobody came, you could still run this corps.’

“It’s very important to be an example to the younger kids and model leadership,” Hamm says.

Finishing strong

Hamm, who is retired after a 46-year career with a chemical plant, also has a personal testimony to share with the younger people in the corps, including surviving prostate cancer 24 years ago.

“I was more worried about my family than about me, but God walked me through that,” Hamm says. “He gave me such a peace, which made it easier to comfort my family.”

Payton, who led the corps along with his wife, Major Margarita Safarova-Payton, found Hamm’s “sacrificial service” to be “notable and unique and deserving” of recognition. He nominated Hamm for the Soldier of the Year Award in The Salvation Army’s Empire State Division last year, and Hamm won. A quiet and humble man who doesn’t seek praise, Hamm also was named the Volunteer of the Year by his corps in 2018.

“He is a model of true Salvationism and an example to all,” Payton wrote in nominating Hamm. “He is infectiously cheerful at all times and is always ready with some stale humor to lighten things up. He is familiar with the people and needs of our congregation occasionally paying visits to them. He takes his role quite seriously showing faithfulness and spiritual sensitivity particularly to his ministry in leading intercessory prayer. He is gentle and patient with our sometimes overly energetic young people.”

Walking the walk

Major Asit George, the current corps officer in Schenectady, along with his wife, Major Sunetra George, called Hamm a “tender-hearted soldier” with a “lovely sense of humor” and generous spirit.

“He is humble in his attitude toward studying the Bible on Sundays and weekdays with the other soldiers,” Major Asit says. “Following the Bible study, he creates a prayer list and prays over them publicly and then cleans up all the tables. He sets a stellar example of marriage by supporting his wife, Brenda, on a daily basis.”

Hamm remains very much involved in Schenectady, though he has taken a step back because of his wife’s ill health. His love for The Salvation Army and what the organization has meant in his life is obvious.

“Besides being a blessing, it’s really filled me up,” Hamm says. “It made me care more about people. I always cared about people, but it took it to another level being involved in The Salvation Army.”