Commissioning and Ordination of the Reflectors of Holiness

By: Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee

From June 2-4, 2023, Commissioning Weekend for the Reflectors of Holiness session was held at the Atlanta Temple Corps with the theme of "All In: Everyone… Everywhere—A Call to Evangelism & Discipleship Mark 16:15 ERV." Below is a recap of Sunday morning’s Commissioning and Ordination service.

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The culmination of the 2023 Commissioning weekend came on Sunday morning at the service for the Commissioning and Ordination of the Reflectors of Holiness session. Colonel Deborah Sedlar, chief secretary, opened the meeting followed by the processional of the Reflectors of Holiness accompanied by the Southern Territorial Staff Band.

Soon following was the presentation of the session by Major Anthony Juliana, principal and president of Evangeline Booth College. Speaking to the session, he said, "This is the last time I address you as cadets. I am reminded of what General Bramwell Booth said, ‘Officers must not only feel responsible for the command of a corps but feel their responsibility for every man, woman and child in their town or district.' You are responsible to God."

Then turning to Commissioners Kelly and Donna Igleheart, he said, "I present the cadets of the Reflectors of Holiness Session. They arrived at the Evangeline Booth College wide-eyed and uncertain what being an officer entails. They are still wide-eyed and uncertain what being an officer means. But we can affirm their commitment to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and meeting human need without discrimination. The training staff has come alongside and with their help, these have shown they have the Blood and Fire spirit, that they are prepared to sustain and advance the purpose of God's Salvation Army in the USA Southern Territory. They have been praying for those to whom they are being sent; they have sought the face of God; they affirm that they are men and women of God's Word and are ready to represent the Savior in their communities. They are ‘all in.'"

This was followed by the recitation of the Officer's Covenant by Cadets Douglas and Sharon Ingold and the Declaration of Faith by the entire session.

In what was a time of deep consecration and dedication, Commissioners Kelly and Donna Igleheart alternated in pronouncing a blessing on each cadet and giving each one a Scripture promise to carry with them. The time was concluded with the cadet being promoted to the rank of lieutenant.

Following these solemn moments, the meeting turned into a celebration as representative session flags from the past were paraded in to cheers and shouts of celebration. The session reentered, now wearing their lieutenants' uniforms. Lt. Mandy Doggett, representing her session, said, "What do we need to know? We look to the wisest of men, Jesus Himself. We remember that He was heavily immersed in His mission. He was constantly surrounded by people with legitimate needs expecting to receive something from Him. Yet He took time to meet His Father in a solitary place, to have that intimate connection with Him. We need to have that balance between meeting with God in private and being ready to serve people. We cannot afford to neglect time being with God while at the same time proclaiming the good news."

Commissioner Donna Igleheart and Territorial Sergeant-Major Jeremy Rowland then gave a special blessing on the session.

The Territorial Commander Speaks

Commissioner Kelly Igleheart shared from his heart as God led. "It is amazing to see the hand of God on the people of God. Just like that, they're lieutenants. I remember meeting the Army as a first-generation Salvationist. I knew nothing about The Salvation Army except they were strange and weird. That's still true, but I cast my lot with them. What drew me first was their love for Jesus and the joy of the Salvationists.

"This is a high and holy day. It's as good as it gets. The closest word in Scripture we can come to the idea of ‘reflectors' is ‘imitator' as we find in Ephesians 5:1, ‘Be imitators of God as dear children.' We are a holiness movement while still giving attention to evangelism. If we don't live holy lives, it trips up evangelism. Reflecting holiness is scorched in the tenets of our beliefs. It is in our DNA.

"The world is interested in what you say but more so in what you do. We are always imitating, always reflecting. What do people see in us? They need to see a reflection of Jesus in our hearts, to feel and touch Him. The Church's chief task is to make Christianity visible, intelligible and desirable.

"Reflecting means denying ourselves. The world says, ‘Get what you want.' But Jesus made Himself of no reputation. It is not about me – it's about Him. That is why if we are not causing a disruption, we better check ourselves. The world needs to see something different. If I blend in, I will not be seen."

As the territorial commander closed his message there was an easy transition to a time of decision as people streamed to the front. In time, the meeting came to a triumphant close with a grand arrangement of the Army standard, "Happy Song."

We are marching on with shield and banner bright,
We will work for God and battle for the right,
We will praise His name, rejoicing in His might,
And we'll work till Jesus calls.

For more information, photos, and to view streaming video of Commissioning 2023, visit the events portal by clicking here.