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Santa Maria Corps Officers Majors Alex and Vicky Villanea reflect on the long road to officership and the calling that sustained them.
“This is one of my gifts,” said Major Vera (Vicky) Villanea as she prepared the chapel at The Salvation Army Santa Maria (California) Corps for a wedding—decorating, organizing, perfecting every detail. She and her husband, Major Alexis (Alex) Villanea, have served as the corps officers (pastors) there since 2020.
Over the years, Villanea has used her creative talents at countless Salvation Army events—women’s ministries, youth and senior camps, men’s retreats, officer meetings, and even a congress, a central gathering of Salvationists.
“I love service,” she said. “God gave me the opportunity to use my gifts. And I have a lot of imagination—I can see how to set things up. And I had the blessing that my husband is my handyman. Whatever I wanted, he made for me.”
Her journey of service began in Costa Rica, where she was active in her local church and first encountered The Salvation Army through her children’s school. She liked what she saw, and the impression stayed with her.
After immigrating to the U.S. in 1993, the Villaneas were introduced to The Salvation Army in Riverside, California, and began attending the nearby Ontario Corps. There, they found a spiritual home and quickly became involved—teaching Sunday school and supporting a growing Spanish ministry. Their dedication stood out. When the Ontario officers were transferred to El Paso, Texas, they invited the Villaneas to join them in continuing Spanish-language outreach.
The Villaneas accepted and continued serving wherever they were needed. In El Paso, they managed a Salvation Army thrift store, where Vicky Villanea’s eye for merchandising and Alex Villanea’s business skills soon drew attention.
Colonel Olin Hogan, then Southwest Divisional Commander, began mentoring the couple and arranged for them to move to Phoenix, where they served at the Phoenix Central Corps.
“When the Villaneas arrived in Phoenix, they were eager to serve Christ…it became clear that their calling was genuine and unwavering,” Hogan said. “Each day, they ministered to Spanish-speaking clients and others in need, demonstrating steadfast faith and patience. Their commitment to God’s calling never wavered, and they continued to serve wholeheartedly, confident that he would open the door to full-time ministry through The Salvation Army training college.”
“Life is a process of faith. It’s not easy, but I believe my support and my life is always [that] God goes in front of us…I can see how God in the strong moments and the difficult moments, he is glorified, and that Lord I know and the Lord I love, he always is there.”
Major Vicky Villanea
After a year in Phoenix, they were sent to lead the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Corps, which grew quickly under their leadership. From there, they spent six months at the Chandler (Arizona) Corps before entering officer training in 1997.
The next 10 months weren’t easy, but they were commissioned as Salvation Army officers in 1999 with the Faithful Intercessors Session.
Since then, they’ve overcome new challenges.
In November 2024, the Villaneas traveled to Costa Rica to care for Vicky Villanea’s ailing mother and sister. On their third day there, Alex Villanea slipped and fell, severely injuring his spine. He underwent emergency surgery that same night.
“We had a blessing that the doctor is Christian,” Vicky Villanea said. “The doctor prayed for my husband before the operation.”
She spent the night outside the operating room, praying and repeating God’s words to Moses in Romans 9:15: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
In the morning, she asked the surgeon if her husband would be able to walk again. The doctor said there was perhaps a 1 percent chance.
“I felt so bad,” Villanea said. “But I woke up and I said to the doctor, ‘My God is there in that 1 percent. And I believe my husband is going to walk.’ The doctor hugged me and told me, ‘You’re a big woman of faith.’”
Today, Alex Villanea walks.
The recovery was long. After 10 days in Costa Rica, the couple returned to California, where Alex underwent months of hospital care and physical therapy. During that time, the corps assistant in Santa Maria oversaw ministry there.
Villanea said that in difficult times, the most important thing is to hold on to faith.
“I live by faith all my life,” she said. “That faith—it’s belief.”
Today, the Villaneas are back leading the Santa Maria Corps, where they serve a large immigrant community. Their journey has come full circle—now they are the ones opening doors, making space and offering the kind of welcome they once received.
“Life is a process of faith. It’s not easy, but I believe my support and my life is always that God goes in front of us,” Villanea said. “I can see how God in the strong moments and the difficult moments, he is glorified, and that Lord I know and the Lord I love, he always is there.”
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