Territorial Headquarters Celebrates Launch of LOVE Priority
Staff officers and employees from The Salvation Army’s Southern Territorial Headquarters (THQ), along with a group of cadets from the Evangeline Booth College gathered on October 1 to celebrate the launch of the new Territorial Priority focus for this next year: LOVE. The THQ dining room was decked out in red with activity stations, interactive art opportunities, plenty of food, and specialty coffees, creating an atmosphere of excitement, fellowship, and celebration.
Territorial leaders Commissioners Kelly and Donna Igleheart kicked off the launch party with the well-known song “What the World Needs Now is Love” by Jackie DeShannon as their chosen soundtrack. Commissioner Donna, territorial president of women’s ministries, noted that even though this song was written over 50 years ago, the words still ring true today. “Here’s the truth — God hasn’t called the world to provide that love; He called us, The Salvation Army, you and me. We carry the answer the world is crying out for.”
“Love is the heartbeat of everything we do as followers of Jesus,” she continued. “This is a divine calling for such a time as this. This is God positioning us to be the answer… to meet the deepest need of our generation.”
Territorial Commander Commissioner Kelly then explained the background of the Territorial Priorities. When they first entered their current positions, Commissioners Igleheart sifted through years of information to define the territorial focus moving forward. They organized the resulting ten subcategories through Commissioner Phil Needham’s mission statement to “LOVE inclusively, SERVE helpfully, and DISCIPLE effectively,” and placed them all under the umbrella “ALL FOR JESUS.”
Commissioners Igleheart launched these Territorial Priorities in October 2023, encouraging the Southern Territory to lean into each focus, to be more intentional in programming and planning, and to ensure that everything we do is “All for Jesus.”
“Year one,” Commissioner Kelly said, “we deepened our roots through discipleship, growing stronger in faith, learning more about Jesus, and building our spiritual foundation. Year two, this last year, we put our faith into action with our serving, taking up the towel and the basin, looking for ways to serve rather than be served.”
After showcasing and highlighting some of the moments of service throughout the territory over the past year, Commissioner Donna said in thanks, “Every beautiful selfless act of service that was rendered unto the Lord and to His people, God saw it all. Big and small, it all matters in the Kingdom of God.”
Commissioner Kelly announced that for October 2025 through September 2026, this next program year, “We’re launching LOVE, the driving force that makes our discipleship meaningful and our service powerful… This isn’t some new direction but the culmination of everything we’ve been building toward. Love is the tie that brings us together. Love is the why.”
The three subcategories under the focus of LOVE are evangelism, community engagement, and biblical justice.
Evangelism
“Our evangelism focus will be powered by love, not arguments, not necessarily programs, not pressure, just pure, authentic, Christ-centered love,” Commissioner Donna explained. “When we love people the way Jesus loves them, hearts open, walls come down and the gospel breaks through. Every act of love becomes a sermon… Every moment of genuine care creates space for someone to encounter Jesus. We’ve learned about him through discipleship. We’ve shown him through serving, and now we love people into his Kingdom.”
Community Engagement
The past two years of discipleship and serving have prepared us for this year’s community engagement focus, Commissioner Kelly said. “We’re not entering into communities as strangers with programs; we’re entering as neighbors. We’re going to our neighbors with love — love that listens before it speaks, serves without expecting something in return. Love that stays put when things get difficult.”
“This is a natural overflow of everything that we’ve been building,” he declared. “Our discipleship taught us God’s heart. Our serving taught us God’s hands. And now, love reaches out in God’s character, and we become living demonstrations of what it’s like to be [Jesus] in our communities.”
Biblical Justice
Commissioner Kelly described “biblical justice” as “Justice not just defined by a person or a political party or some group, but justice as demonstrated by the voice of God and the hands of Jesus.” This type of justice is highlighted in scripture in Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
“Love cannot stay silent in the face of injustice,” he continued. “Love speaks up, love stands up, and love shows up. Our pursuit of biblical justice will be fueled by love — love for the marginalized, love for the oppressed, love for those without a voice, love that works for systems reflecting God’s heart. It isn’t political; it’s biblical. This is love in action: defending the dignity of every person made in God’s image.”
Love In Action
Commissioner Donna declared that our territorial commitment for this year is from 1 John 4:7, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”
“As we launch the priority of LOVE, here’s what it might look like: evangelism driven by love that draws people to Jesus. Community engagement motivated by love that transforms neighborhoods. Biblical justice compelled by love that defends the vulnerable.
“Are you ready for this? Two years have prepared us for this very moment. The world is in desperate need for authentic love, and they’ve seen religion without relationship. They’ve experienced service without sincerity, and they’ve heard words without action.
“But when they encounter The Salvation Army, they’re going to experience something different — love that’s been cultivated through discipleship, demonstrated through serving, and flowing from the very heart of Jesus. This is our moment.”
Commissioner Kelly then called all those present to be examples of love in action to all those they encounter through work and in their daily lives, citing Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
“We aren’t just administrators,” he said. “We aren’t just employees; we’re disciples. And we aren’t just headquarters staff; we are the Army of love. The territory is watching you, the corps are learning from you, the world is observing you, and they must see the love of Christ so that they can be that love themselves. This is our opportunity; it’s our calling. This is our moment to demonstrate that love works right here, in our lives, and in this building, and in your house, and your communities, and across the territory.”
“Lord, we are so grateful to you. You have helped us as we have been discipling and serving our communities around this great territory,” Chief Secretary Colonel Deborah Sedlar prayed in benediction. “As we launch the next year pursuing the theme of loving like Jesus, we pray for your holy work to be done in each of us. Lord, may your presence be with us as we give ourselves fully to this mission, and please use us to promote your amazing love to every community across this great territory.”
“Help us to hold nothing back from sharing your redeeming love to a world that is lost and without hope,” she continued. “Make us always vessels of love as we faithfully serve the living God.”