DAY five of the International Leaders Conference – Saturday 11 July - began as each day had with prayer and Bible study, led by Commissioners Amos and Rosemary Makena. Their consideration of the words of Jesus when he said ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’ (John 14:6) included a return to the call to trust God for all things and for all time.
General Shaw Clifton said the day’s theme, Today’s Children – Tomorrow’s Leaders, had ‘a cutting edge’ as he presented his reflections on the September 2008 meeting of the General’s Consultative Council (GCC) discussion on winning children for Christ. ‘Today’s topics’, he continued, ‘hold a special relevance, a divinely ordered timeliness, for the whole Army – both for today and generations to come. … It is not by accident that we have linked the themes of children and leaders.’ The findings of the deliberations of Zonal Groups that were set up after the GCC referred to above were presented by the Chief of the Staff (Commissioner Robin Dunster), stimulating a lively discussion out of which a number of recommendations were tabled for future consideration.
On arrival at the conference the General had presented every delegate with a copy of a small book soon to be on wider sale entitled Essential Measures. This tiny volume contains a letter sent by William Booth (partially in his own hand) in 1911 to an officer couple stationed in India. The General summarised the leadership principles, ‘the principles which are essential to success’, spelled out by the Founder. Commissioner Barry Swanson and Commissioner Hezekiel Anzeze then presented their contributions to the subject of ‘Preparing Officers for Senior Roles’, papers which again encouraged many delegates to contribute to the discussion of these crucial matters for the future of the Army.
Commissioners Robin and Shona Forsyth led the conference in evening prayer and the day ended with delegates joining together in small groups for their last opportunity to study the Scriptures, as they have done on most evenings for the duration of the conference, Hebrews 13:17-25.
In his welcome to delegates the General had indicated the significance of planning for the conference to end on a Sunday. As the conference agenda moved to a conclusion leaders keenly anticipated the opportunity to share in a Holiness Meeting, to praise God for his faithfulness throughout the conference and to pray together for the Army and the world.
Commissioner Bill Cochrane
International Secretary to the Chief of the Staff
