History to be Proud Of

On our first Sunday night, the building was crowded to the extreme, with the local “roughs” packing the gallery.

They pelted us with rotten eggs, and flour, keeping up a continual hubbub which almost precluded us from holding a meeting at all.

I asked them to show a bit of British fair play, and to listen to what we had to say—to hear our message then judge us, but they would not listen to any appeal that was made. Amid to hours of bedlam, we stuck to our meeting and God honoured us with eight souls at the Mercy Seat.

—Captain Alfred Wilkinson, first corps officer of Palmerston North Corps

Reading The personal memoirs of Captain Alfred Wilkinson, you get the feeling that church today isn’t the same as it once was.

In March of 1884, a 21-year-old Captain Wilkinson rode (yes, on a horse) into the ‘Wild West’ of Palmerston North. He possessed a fire, the kind of which was not going to be extinguished by the local volunteer fire brigade (formed, incidentally, the previous year).

That same holy fire is evident today among those who worship and serve at Palmerston North Corps. When the corps celebrated 125 years over Queen’s Birthday weekend 2009, history told of God doing wonderful things, and passion spoke into another 125 years of the same.

What a Way to Start …

Like any decent battle, the first few weeks in the life of The Salvation Army in Palmerston North saw strong opposition from locals. A ‘mock army’, with a skull and crossbones banner, would parade behind the Salvationists at any indoor or outdoor meeting with the sole aim of disrupting proceedings.

With God giving the Salvationists a clear majority, this mock army never stood a chance. And for six members, the marching ironically served as good practice; they were saved and joined the army they had so bitterly opposed. These six converts became foundation members of Palmerston North Corps, proof that God can build his Church on anyone.

But the noise and disruption wasn’t limited to those opposing The Salvation Army. When an opportunity to preach the Gospel presented itself, it was taken, even if it meant getting offside with the law.

During one particularly confrontational outreach in a local pub, as some Salvationists were being pushed out the door with their War Crys in hand, Captain Wilkinson seized the opportunity to have an open-air meeting.

A crowd of several hundred had gathered, attracted by the commotion. As the police tried to move the Salvationists on, Captain Wilkinson began to preach, resulting in him being summoned to court on an order of obstruction.

Times Like These

2009’s 125th anniversary celebrated everything that has brought the corps to its 125th year. It is recognition of prayers prayed, decisions made, people ministered to, songs sung, Bibles opened, flags raised and an eclectic mix of every other activity in the life of a corps and its people.

Queen’s Birthday weekend 2009 also saw the release of By Love Compelled, a book highlighting some of the corps’ heritage. It is often not until people have the opportunity to view a snapshot of history that they fully appreciate the magnitude of all that has been achieved and all that God has laid out in his plan. The book’s title captures the motivation for 125 years’ service—Salvationists compelled to love others because of the love God first showed to them.

The book recalls events like the 1980 live telecast of a Sunday morning holiness meeting on national televisionshow the innovation that came from the desire to declare God’s message of salvation in Jesus Christ, not only in Palmerston North, but throughout New Zealand. Letters and messages received after the telecast indicated that many lives were challenged, with some giving their hearts to the Lord during the programme.

This same willingness to use gifts within the corps to present the Gospel away from home can be seen in the corps’ rich musical history. The first appearance of the corps’ Songster Brigade is recorded in 1890. Eighty years on, the 1970s and 80s saw the brigade undertake a huge amount of musical outreach around New Zealand and Australia, with 1977’s ‘Outreach’ event seeing the songsters take their message across Australia.

Locally, Palmerston North ran one of the first corps-based Community Ministries programmes in New Zealand, a model now seen throughout the country. An ever-growing social presence within the Palmerston North community has seen the corps presented with many opportunities to show God’s love in practical ways. A recent example is the opening of New Zealand’s first Mega Family Store.

But ‘Let Not The Wise Man Boast’

With the opportunity to look at the many accomplishments and highlights of Palmerston North Corps, it is natural for Salvationists to be infused with a sense of pride. And as participants gather next year, fresh uplifting stories will no doubt flow thick and fast.

That any of this work has been achieved solely by human hands is of course untrue. A glance in any Salvation Army history book shows a people totally dependent on God who realise they are simply God’s hands and feet.

Palmerston North Corps has a lot to boast about, but above any ‘pride of man’ is the knowledge that God has been—and will continue to be—at the centre of it all.