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Eighty years of hotel ministry
Hotel ministry - visiting pubs, bars, cafés and hotels - is a part of Salvation Army history that still has a place today. Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Savage and Blenheim Corps soldier Ian Vercoe shared their experience of a combined 80 years of hotel ministry, and why they think this remains an important part of The Salvation Army’s work.
In Booth’s footsteps: Lt-Col Peter Savage
50 years ago this month I first visited a public bar with Major Fred Reeves, Corps Officer at Linwood, Christchurch. The major felt that as a candidate for officership I needed a little introduction to pub life prior to entering The Salvation Army Training College, in March 1967.
He introduced me to it by telling me the story of William Booth, who was walking home from the East End of London with his nine year old son Bramwell, after a full-on day of preaching. William took the child’s hand, pushed open the door of a public bar and stepping inside said, ‘Bramwell, these are our people; these are the people I want you to live for and bring to Christ.’
It was said that Bramwell never forgot that moment. Neither did I—such was the impact made on me by Major Fred Reeves that day. From that first day I’ve found ministry in the pubs to be my niche.
Even though my only introduction to beer was in the military—I was desperately thirsty while on an extensive exercise, and I hated the stuff!—I’ve felt a kind of affinity with ‘the ordinary bloke’ and whoever else I met.
I well remember the days of the six o’clock swill, coming home and hanging my smoke-saturated uniform out on the clothesline to air!
Over the years I’ve been asked to conduct weddings, funerals, dedications and use the Family Tracing service for pub patrons. For some patrons, the salvationists they meet each week in the pub are the only ‘Christian ministers’ they know. Visiting and praying with patrons in hospital or in their homes has always been an extra privilege. To see some attend our Sunday meetings and a few who made a Christian commitment was thrilling.
In the days when the War Cry was published weekly I often ran out of supplies. Nowadays I also use the pop-open cards and have numerous patrons looking forward to their weekly wisdom text and a ‘God bless you’. At times I’ve entered into a range of theological discussions, as is usual in this ministry.
It is a great opportunity for evangelistic witness and a quiet word of encouragement. I’ve taken my share of rebuke over visiting bars and The Salvation Army’s stance on alcohol, and other issues. Often I’m asked, ‘Do you know [so and so Salvationist]?’ It’s a thrill to hear commendation of faithful Salvationists who have set a great example by their living.
Meeting and relating to the everyday person is what this mission is all about; the financial return is a secondary but significant boost to our growing community service operations. Hotel ministry is a very public facing ministry of The Salvation Army. I know pub visiting is ‘not everyone’s cup of tea’, but I feel in many places we need to reactivate it.
Giving back: Ian Vercoe
I first did hotel visiting six months after I came to the Lord. Our corps officer, Major David Clark, said, ‘Would anyone like to come round the hotels with me to hand out Christmas War Crys and calendars,’ and I said I would. I wasn’t in uniform at that stage, I had a white shirt and a pair of black trousers, and someone lent me a tie. After that, I didn’t do it for a year.
Then we had new officers, Majors Graeme and Lorna McMurdo. One Sunday, Major Graeme asked, ‘Who wants to be a witness for the Lord?’ I and a young lady put up our hands. After church he asked me if I would come round the hotels with him and that’s how I started. Since then, I’ve worked with successive corps officers and on my own, and 30 years later I’m still smiling. As long as I’m physically able and mentally able I’ll keep doing it.
I’m an alcoholic and I haven’t had a drink in over 30 years, but I still do a pub crawl every Thursday and Friday—I can easily relate to the reality of the people in those places and I don’t go in to be critical, that’s their life, I just try and point them to Jesus.
I knew when I started that I was going to meet people that I used to drink with. But thankfully I don’t desire to drink alcohol anymore, and I think most people respect the fact that my life has been turned around by the Lord. When people challenge me on The Salvation Army’s position on alcohol and my being in a place where alcohol is served, I tell them a bit of my story and I say, ‘Hey, we’re here to help anybody no matter their circumstance.’ Most people accept that, if you go quietly and humbly.
I always go in with a quote that I have taken from my diary. One I used recently was, ‘There are always periodic opportunities to give up, but every moment is an opportunity to persevere.’ My favourite is, ‘Everyone has something to offer and everybody has a part to play.’ I want that on my tombstone.
I also like to go in with a joke, because God gave us a sense of humour and he wants us to enjoy life. I invite people to come to church and say, ‘I’d love you to sit with me, because my wife won’t sit with me at church.’ They say ‘What?’ and I say ‘No, she sits with the band and I sit in the pews.’ One or two have come along and a few have stayed.
I give out calendars or other materials and I go to the hospital and visit and give out the War Cry and pray with people. In the hotels I collect donations and there are people who regularly donate to the Army. Sometimes people also give me meat raffles they have won and I pass them on to someone in need.
Quite often when I have a conversation with a person in a hotel they will accept a prayer. When I have prayed with a person I say, ‘Thank you Lord,’ because they have opened themselves up to God and it’s a privilege to be a part of that. It’s not my ministry, it’s God’s ministry and I know God is with me at all times.
If people want to talk I will take them aside so it can be confidential and they don’t have to say things in front of their mates. I will say to them, ‘This isn’t the place to talk at length, but we can meet at The Salvation Army and talk if you want.’ I remember one guy who was a terrible alcoholic, he came and we spoke confidentially at The Salvation Army and he said it really helped him to talk.
Hotel ministry is a wonderful opportunity to go out and be a witness for the Lord. We represent God in the community and we have this opportunity. It’s important that we take advantage of it to witness for the Lord and carry him into those places.
by Robin Raymond (c) 'War Cry' magazine, 11 June 2016, pp 18-19
You can read 'War Cry' at your nearest Salvation Army church or centre, or subscribe through Salvationist Resources.