It was a Thursday morning in 1995. I was
working alone in my office in Orlando, Flor-
ida, when I heard a voice clearly say, "You
have got to get to church." I looked around
and again heard the same words repeated.
"You have got to get to church." The defini-
tive message was compelling. I didn't attend a church, so I sat there wonder-
ing what to do, knowing I had to do something. I thought of The Salvation
Army and called and asked to speak with a chaplain because I did not know
that the Army was a church. I was told that
although there was no chaplain, the corps
officer, Major Dalton Cunningham, would
be happy to meet with me. We set up an ap-
pointment for noon that same day.
It was already 10:30 a.m. and the drive
to the corps would take about 30 minutes.
But I could not wait. I felt I had to go im-
mediately, so I arrived at the Army by 11:00
a.m. and informed the receptionist I was
early for my meeting with Major Cunningham. He called me into his office
right away, and we had a long conversation. My wife Joyce and I were in-
vited to tour the Orlando facilities on Saturday morning.
After the tour ended, Major Cunningham invited us to attend Sunday
services, pointing out that we would surely enjoy the brass band. Members
of the Salvation Army corps gave us a warm welcome.
Afterward, Joyce mentioned to me that, if I were willing, we could go to
another church the following Sunday to see what it was like. When the next
Sunday came around, I asked Joyce if she wanted to go to the church of her
choice, she responded, "No, let's go back to the Army." For the next half a
dozen weeks we attended the citadel in Orlando. Again I asked her if she
wanted to try another church. But her reply remained unequivocal. "We
belong at The Salvation Army," she said.
Joyce and I attended corps services for some time and then enrolled in
Soldier classes taught by retired Brigadier Georgia Wyatt, who is now in
Orange, Texas. In addition to Mrs. Wyatt, we made many good friends at
the Orlando Citadel, some of whom have been promoted to Glory. In 2005 we
relocated to Tavares, Florida. Now we attend the corps in Leesburg, Florida,
but we visit our home church whenever we can because we still have many
friends there. Our current corps officers are Majors Tony and Suzanne Bar-
rington who, sadly, plan to retire soon.
The Lord spoke to me that day in 1995, and He was not going to take
his hand off me until I got to The Salvation Army. We love our corps, and
we are blessed every day to have this family.
34
The War Cry | FEBRUARY 2013
Ray Cavins is a Senior Soldier at the Salvation Army corps in Leesburg, FL.
" We belong at the Salvation Army."
How I Met
the Army
............
"Get To
Church!"
by
RAY CAVINS
Featured this month on
www.thewarcry.org
Getting Fairly
Started
Learn about The Salvation Army's
early history in the African-American
community and its commitment to
racial equality in ministry.
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NOTEWORTHY WORDS
PAST & PRESENT
.....................
"God made the world round
so we could never see too
far down the road."
--I
S A K
D
I N E S E N
"A sanctified life means a gentle,
tender spirit; it means a fearless,
undaunted zeal; it means the
accompanying manifestation of the
Holy Ghost. It is the prelude and
condition and assurance of power."
--W
I L L I A M
B
O O T H
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