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Captain Patrick & Lieutenant Laura Gesner

Corps Officers

Captain Patrick Gesner has been an officer for 10 years. He served in several appointments including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Georgia. He has served as an associate officer (associate Pastor) and commanding officer (Pastor) within that time.  The last four years, Patrick has served on Divisional Headquarters positions in finance, including being Finance Secretary (Chief Financial Officer) for The Salvation Army State of Georgia Division.

Captain Patrick Gesner has an Associates in Arts Degree from the Honors Program at Tallahassee Community College in 2001, and with his Bachelors of Sciences in Economics and Political Science from Florida State University in 2003.

Before becoming a Salvation Army officer, he worked in the Auto Industry for several years in the accounting department. He then worked for A.G. Edwards & Sons Investments as a stock broker for several years. While the career was going well, Patrick sensed that he was being called to a different vocation. “I’ve always wanted to help people all my life”, he said. While he was helping people save for retirement and college, he felt God calling him to help others in a different way.

Lieutenant Laura Gesner has been an officer of The Salvation Army for 3 years. Before becoming an officer in The Salvation Army, she worked as an employee of The Salvation Army in Atlanta, GA at The Southern Territorial Headquarters. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Asbury University in Wilmore, KY and a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministry from The Salvation Army Evangeline Booth College. She is currently working toward her Master’s Degree in Christian Counseling from Trevecca Nazarene University. She has a heart and passion for showing Christ’s love and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Captain Patrick and Lieutenant Laura Gesner moved to Corpus Christi, TX as the Corps Officers of The Salvation Army of the Coastal Bend in 2017. It is their calling and passion to serve those in need in the name of Jesus.

The Gesners are responsible for pastoring and shepherding of the Salvation Army Corpus Christi Corps (church) as well as the supervision and financial integrity of all The Salvation Army programs in the Coastal Bend. These include the Family Services, Veteran Services, Food Pantry, The Red Kettle Program, Angel Tree Program and many more.

Captain Gesner says, “It is an exciting time to be here in the Coastal Bend as The Salvation Army! We have so many great programs that are helping children and families, as well as adult men and women to return to stability and prosper. We are excited that we are very close to finishing the fund-raising for the Capital Campaign for the first phase of the Salvation Army Center of Hope, which will increase our ability to house more families and veterans by 42 beds!” Captain and Lieutenant Gesner have two children and are hoping to call Corpus Christi home for a long time!