Commencement 2024 Honors Academic Achievements
The Defenders of Justice session of cadets was at the center of Commissioning 2024, and on the morning of Friday, May 31, the 12-member session was honored for their academic achievements. The Commencement service was held at Atlanta Temple Corps, kickstarting a busy and rewarding weekend for the new lieutenants and all those in attendance.
“We are here to ratify, to recognize, and to reward the hard work of our Defenders of Justice session of cadets,” said Colonel Deborah Sedlar, chief secretary, at the start of the Commencement. “They’ve worked hard during their time at Evangeline Booth College (EBC). They’ve met all of the requirements in completion of their training program, and now, it’s time to celebrate with these beloved cadets and cheer them on for what is to come.”
After the cadets marched in to the backdrop of “Celebration (Keep the Old Flag Flying)” from the Southern Staff Band, Major Anthony Juliana, president and principal of the EBC, struck a chord in praise of the session.
“What I have noticed particularly about the Defenders of Justice is that they are ready to seize opportunities,” Major Juliana said. “They are ready to demand more and better from their communities and to give back in return. They are a group of creative, dynamic, service-minded people who will undoubtedly have a profound impact on our world. They approach life and scholarship with a good attitude.”
In addition to the presentation of diplomas and degrees for the Defenders of Justice, officers from around the USA Southern Territory were honored for degrees earned in the past year. This presentation was followed by the singing of “Soldier’s Hymn,” led by transMission, the Southern Staff Band, and Southern Staff Songsters, urging us “Onward to the conquest, north to south and east to west. Forward to the glorious fight of love.”
Though several session awards were distributed at a banquet earlier in the week on the EBC campus, the two highest awards were bestowed during the Commencement. Cadet Michael Gutierrez earned the Principal’s Award, with Cadet Antione Terrell earning the Commissioners’ Award. The latter is considered the highest honor for a cadet, and, as noted during the ceremony by Major Anita Caldwell, EBC director of curriculum, the recipient “must exemplify the high ideal of Salvationism, exert a positive influence on the EBC campus, demonstrate effective leadership, be committed to the Salvationist mission, manifest maturity and self-discipline, work well with other people, and be in good academic standing.”
Cadet Terrell also served as the session speaker for the Commencement, delivering an impassioned message and noting his belief that “a small group of broken, submissive, humble, selfless people can change the world.”
“In the bigger narrative that is the story of our salvation, someone intervened,” Cadet Terrell said. “God, help us to advocate for those in our communities who do not meet the standard. Because we know a God. We know a fount. We know a place where sins are washed away, and how dare we not fight for other people to know that, too.”
Cadet Terrell also harkened back to the welcome of the Defenders of Justice two years prior, noting that the session recited a version of William Booth’s famous “I’ll Fight” address and that there is still work to be done.
“What we know is that there are still women weeping,” he said. “There are still children hungry. There are still men in and out of prison. There are still the lost. There are still people in this world that are relegated to the darkened margins of society. What we want you to know is that those people deserve to know the love and graciousness of God, too. And we know. We know. We are sure that those people are worth fighting for.”
Prior to the Commencement address from New York Times best-selling author and Church historian Stephen Mansfield, a choir made up of the cadets, EBC staff officers, and EBC employees sang “Psalm 34.” This collaborative musical ministry was a source of great joy and fellowship, and the earnest offering was a blessing for all to hear.
Mansfield, who has an extensive leadership development background, praised The Salvation Army for its ministry, saying plainly “I love who you are.” He also noted that “history is not ruled by the powerful majority. History is ruled by the anointed minority. This is how God works.”
Mansfield went on to inspire and speak of a new vision of justice brought forth by believers in Jesus Christ.
“It was rooted in compassion,” he said. “It was rooted in understanding of who human beings are, but it also called people to understand that God had revealed His ways in the world, and that life would not be fulfilling and successful until we aligned with His ways.”
Finally, Mansfield left attendees with a challenge, focusing on the prospect of what the Kingdom can do even amid a challenging time in our world.
“Don’t think of your times as fearful,” said Mansfield. “Don’t think of your times as hardened and resistant to the gospel. Don’t think of your times as some abomination or that you wish you had been born in another century. Think of it as pregnant with possibilities for the Kingdom of Jesus.”