In the News: Greenville Journal profiles new Area Commanders
The Greenville Journal recently sat down with The Salvation Army of Greenville, Pickens & Oconee Counties Area Commanders Majors Mike and Christine Harris to learn more about their journey and what lies ahead. Read an excerpt of the story here and then follow the link below to read the full article.
Just about everything is new to Michael and Christine Harris — new home, new city, new office and new jobs.
But there are also familiar things in that upstairs office on Rutherford Street: family photos, a modern painting of a tuba, Freddie Mercury Funko Pops and a miniature red kettle.
The Harrises, who are both majors in the quasi-military hierarchy of The Salvation Army, arrived as the new area commanders for The Salvation Army of Greenville, Pickens and Oconee Counties, SC. They took over earlier this summer following the retirements of Majs. Andy and Amy Kelly. The Kellys spent 38 years as officers in the international organization with the stated mission to “preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”
As is custom in The Salvation Army, the Harrises got a call about their new assignment in April and welcomed it.
“I do believe that in the calling there has to be a sacrifice,” Michael Harris said. “It turns out that a true sacrifice to me — and I know Christine would echo it — isn’t not living where you want to live, but not doing what you want to do. Every so many years, you get this phone call on a designated day in April saying you’ve been reassigned, so for us, it was going from Dallas to Greenville. For us, this was actually one of our better moves, because we’re very happy about where we’re going and what we’re doing.”
Getting to Greenville for Michael and Christine Harris was a circuitous but routine route for officers in The Salvation Army, who are stationed where they are needed. Officers in The Salvation Army are also ordained ministers within the universal Christian Church.
Most recently, the Harrises served in Dallas, where Michael was chief financial officer and Christine worked in ministry recruitment.
The Harrises are both multigenerational Salvationists, or members of The Salvation Army church, which mobilizes its members and leaders for community service. It is often best known for its red kettles and bell-ringers taking donations every Christmas season.
“I think it’s important for people to realize that Salvationists is a church, although the church is very overshadowed in the (U.S.) by the social work that we do,” Michael Harris said. “It’s from the thought that, ‘I can’t preach unless I can help the one with the practical things.’ So, that’s where the sort of practical ministry came from — and, of course, that grew and grew.”