|PIC1|The Salvation Army commissioned twenty-three men and women from the UK, Channel Islands, Netherlands and Australia to live out the Gospel with their lives as they were commissioned and ordained into full time Christian ministry over the weekend.

The commissioning ceremony at Wembley Conference on Saturday was the climax of two years of dedicated training for the officers at the Salvation Army's William Booth College.

The skills and experiences of the newly ordained officers will give the men and women the strength and ability to serve their communities, spread the message of the Gospel and fight against social injustice.

The group have prepared for their offices in service under the sessional name of 'Visionaries'.

Commissioner John Matear, head of The Salvation Army in the UK, sent the new officers a letter of encouragement in which he prayed that the sessional name would characterise the ministry of the new officers.

|AD|"The world needs visionary Christian leaders ... an envisioned Church is a potent force," the letter read.

Janice Lahouel from Glasgow, Scotland, was one of the women commissioned on Saturday. She returned to God after drifting away from her Church of Scotland upbringing when she felt a call from God whilst helping at a Salvation Army Brownie group.

Jonathan Cook was also among the new officers commissioned last weekend. Formerly in the social services sector, Cook explained how working in God's service brought him fulfilment.

He explains: "God's service is a great ministry. It's not just standing behind a pulpit on the platform. Jesus spent lots of time out with the people ... and that's where I find fulfilment through the giving of myself by faith."

The newly commissioned officers will take up their church leadership positions later in the summer.

[Source: Salvation Army]