Fifty Not Out

As her officer training session celebrates its 50-year anniversary, Major Judith Bennett shares memories of the innovative training experiences of the Defenders of the Faith cadets.

I’d looked forward to this day for nearly 10 years—dreaming, hoping and praying. Now, I was actually climbing the 44 steps of 33 Aro Street, Wellington, to enter the William Booth Memorial College. The front doors were wide open to welcome the 23 new cadets of the Defenders of the Faith Centenary Session.

I was so excited, meeting new friends, enjoying afternoon tea with the staff, settling into my small bedroom, exploring the college. Tuesday, 23 February 1965 is a day indelibly etched in my memory. I sensed a whole new world was opening to this ‘kid from Foxton’—a new chapter in my journey with God, with a lifetime of adventure ahead.

For the past six years I’d worked as a bank officer, where making money was the business. Now, I was commencing training as a Salvation Army officer, where people would be my business for the rest of my life.

Our days were packed with learning and listening. Our heads crammed with biblical truths, doctrinal beliefs and church history. Our brains reeled with the overload from a variety of other subjects. We raced from class to class. Previous sessions had enjoyed short breaks between classes and we wondered why we’d been deprived of these 15-minute intervals. But in the midst of all this study and swotting, our spirits were regularly nourished with the Bread of Life and immersed in Living Fire.

Three months prior to our entering training, Major Wesley Simpson was appointed Training Principal. After a long line of mainly British leaders, Major Simpson was the first New Zealand-born and trained officer to occupy this position. We were privileged to be his first session.

Major Simpson’s appointment swept in a new era of Kiwi lifestyle and removed the mustiness of some unnecessary customs. A few longstanding rules were relaxed. After all, this was the mid-1960s, the Beatles were rocking the world and the Joystrings were swinging The Salvation Army, encouraging youth to use ‘the people’s music’, as founder William Booth had done so successfully. (Who of us will forget our Friday evening meetings on the corner of Cuba Street and Swan Lane? Crowds blocked the corner as people clapped to the beat of ‘It’s An Open Secret’.)

On Sundays, we travelled by train to our brigading corps, where we took turns in leading meetings and preaching sermons. Lunch (provided by the college and carried in a large trunk by two of us), was a relaxed affair in a back room of the building. The day seemed full of meetings: ‘holiness meetings’ in the morning, ‘salvation meetings’ at night, plus street meetings, visitation, Sunday school and prayer meetings. It was a long day and by the final benediction we were always tired, but never too weary to sing cheerfully all the way home in the train, with fellow commuters singing along.

In May, the female cadets went on a 10-day campaign: five days to Avondale Corps and five more to Papakura. What an experience! Our campaign included standing on a busy street corner taking turns to read John’s gospel nonstop to pedestrians, managing over 100 exuberant kids in holiday programmes, visiting mental health patients at Kingseat Hospital, leading a variety of meetings, and door-to-door visitation. We were totally immersed in typical Salvation Army church programmes of the ’60s.

For two weeks in August, we were posted to a number of corps throughout New Zealand to assist corps with their ‘old style’ annual appeal. Another adventure! I took the good old overnight ferry from Wellington to Lyttleton, then a very long train trip to Gore, where I was thoroughly spoilt by the corps officers. This inspiring week was followed by a week at one of the Dunedin corps, where the main thing I remember is having to trudge around the city’s hilly streets in the sleet collecting donations, while the majority of male Salvationists disappeared for the afternoon to enjoy the rugby at Carisbrook!

Imagine the excitement when it was announced the cadets could participate in the divisional annual winter sports day—something never permitted before. We were eager to show the other teams that we could play rugby and basketball. The news trickled through; some teams thought we’d be a pushover! We entered into our training (every spare moment) with frenetic enthusiasm. The results? Girl’s Basketball: 1st Wellington South, 2nd Training College and 3rd Wellington City. Yeah!

In October, just before the customary 10-day college recess, the training principal made the astonishing announcement that we would be the first two-year residential training session. There was stunned silence. We were gobsmacked! Weren’t we due to be commissioned in less than three months? Of course, it was inevitable that some session would herald the way for two-year residential training, but we hadn’t reckoned on it being us! What about our finances?  (In the days before Student Allowance, cadets needed to have enough money saved to meet their expenses for a year.) Where would we go for out-training? Six months out of college then six months back in college? How would we cope?

And so the usual commissioning weekend in January became our Out-training Appointments Weekend. We were appointed to a variety of corps and social appointments. To assist with our ongoing financial needs, we were paid an allowance for these six months. After a year with no income we felt rich indeed!

Returning to college in July, we encountered the reality that we now had to share ‘our’ college with Witness of the Faith cadets in their first year of training. But we soon came to terms with sharing ‘our corridor’ and learnt from each other’s journeys.

The college curriculum was quite different that second year. As staff grappled with a changing list of learning requirements, along with two training sessions, we made the best of preparing ourselves for future service. Our session enjoyed the first ‘Education Week’. Every day we visited different places that broadened our outlook. This included Parliament in session, Kimberley Hospital in Levin, Hokio Beach Boys Home, Arohata Borstal and even the Todd Motors car factory.

Commissioning was soon upon us. Very soon we would leave the college and travel to our first appointments. Our future was in God’s hands, which was exciting yet somewhat scary!

Five decades on, I can report that the Defenders of the Faith Centenary Session have stayed true to God’s calling on our lives. We’ve journeyed through a kaleidoscope of experiences, ranging from sheer joy to extreme tragedy, but in it all God has been with us. Defenders have served throughout our territory, plus Africa, Pakistan, Australia, Russia and the United Kingdom.

Two of our session were promoted to Glory as active officers:  Major Beverley Allott and Lieut-Colonel Lance Rive. They kept the faith and our session values and honours the legacy of their lives.

In celebration of our half century not out, I recall a few lines of our sessional song. I’m sure my fellow Defenders will still agree with these sentiments:

Be it life or death we’ll defend the Faith for without it all is lost.
’Tis the Faith we hold, makes us strong and bold …
Holy Faith, Radiant Faith!
Faith that brings men home to God.
Bringing mind and skill, bringing heart and will,
We’re Defenders of the Faith.

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by Judith Bennett (c) 'War Cry' magazine, 18 April 2015, pp18-19.
You can read 'War Cry' at your nearest Salvation Army church or centre, or subscribe through Salvationist Resources.