Promoted to Glory: Major Teresa Hawley

Major Teresa Hawley was Promoted To Glory, at the age of 66, on the afternoon of March 6, 2023, surrounded by her family.

Teresa Kaye Powell was born in New Bern, North Carolina on January 3, 1957, to Charles and Addie Powell. Her family faithfully attended the corps, and at age 16 while attending Territorial Youth Institute, she gave her heart to Christ during vespers one night.

"(We) were standing around the cross for vespers, singing softly, and listening to the devotional," she wrote in her Candidate's questionnaire. "I knew I needed Jesus as my Savior, and that I didn't have Him first place in my life. Then (the speaker) said, ‘You have to come to the cross, to Jesus, for salvation.' He said that all one has to do is to repent and believe. So, I tried it. No thunder flashed; but it was real. He forgave me!"

Teresa received her calling to be a Salvation Army officer one year later. She entered the Evangeline Booth College in 1976 as a member of the Disciples Of Jesus session of cadets. Commissioned with the rank of lieutenant on June 4, 1978, her first appointment was to assist in Gaffney, South Carolina. Later, Lieutenant Powell was sent to assist in Roanoke, Virginia.

She married Lieutenant Michael Hawley on February 16, 1979, and together they served as corps officers in Washington (Southeast), D.C.; Prince William, Virginia; and Princeton, West Virginia.

Their overseas service began in 1983 with a nine-year appointment to West Germany. Returning to the U.S. in 1992, Captains Hawley were posted as corps officers in Harrisonburg, Virginia; followed by the same position in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Work on divisional and territorial staffs began in 1997, when Captain Teresa was made assistant divisional women's ministries secretary for the Kentucky-Tennessee Division. In June 1999, the Hawleys arrived at the Southern Territory Headquarters, where Major Teresa became associate evangelism and adult ministries secretary. Then back to divisional service, where Major Teresa worked as assistant divisional women's ministries secretary for the Texas Division.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Majors Hawley went to the New Orleans Area Command, where she was coordinator of women's ministries.

Overseas service resumed in 2008, when they were sent to open the Army's work in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates—terms that lasted four years. In 2012, she was named coordinator of women's services for the Louisville Area Command, in Kentucky.

Major Teresa became secretary for personnel in the North and South Carolina Division in 2014; then as secretary for women's ministries and secretary for program for the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi Division in 2018.

In 2021, Major Teresa was named territorial program officer at THQ; where she was due to retire in August 2023, serving faithfully as an active officer for 45 years.

Major Teresa Hawley is preceded in death by her father, Charles Thomas Powell, himself Promoted To Glory just one month prior.

She is survived by her loving husband of 44 years, Major Michael Hawley; her mother, Addie Powell; two sisters, Freda (Bob) Bullock; and Darlene Nanney; one brother, Major Charles (Paula) Powell; four children, Aaron (Barclay) Hawley; Meagan Heronemus; Janet (Shobi) Issa; Bethany (Tim) Farrell; and seven grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life is slated for Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Atlanta Temple Corps; with a committal service following at the Westview Cemetery.

—Major Frank Duracher