%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 21 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 17 0 R /I2 18 0 R /I3 25 0 R /I4 26 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 19 0 R /GS2 20 0 R /GS3 23 0 R /GS4 24 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20241121200649+00'00') /ModDate (D:20241121200649+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Annots [ 15 0 R ] /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1291 >> stream xVێ6}Wc xX\6 d--%ҥ(kݿh{;C^o¢A0,8s8s 'a!?fr$ul>t._ Z!,?f{4 * ﱵWFXljmd!ThXɯQ?q9$,Hi`F@l2BxC{t9|w3ى,C00ɏJ?>2 O$ 444כ!aFpf a Οc0f)0eۆJ[XN S[{uJQc܉z/JJl #W |Pz ki->'gy':핶$Rg#6*epcp8hYIFrBCQL$8$Y} nGV(L b;شDCEK)S{=1x x ?/Odt[8YӋ6Z X ZTe@xѬBZ,mM[Vp.F7 ۖ5V5B_i gD"4tF!Uk֐ 9h`e3E')L))4qV(KqEbքCQڒpWPJfǔ.6z:rƈΥ @yIe'jGo[iE W; ZѴ7&QHG3> ݭjVx-kKҨ=gG?HǤѡ˂K:Q.ą:q҃% [L%"IM q$}łOzR?8obї|<8 ,Ye=օ&hz"`t`IJ`s: xຸU ފ{D"[a6 uK[G#\K*Ot]S9I>DMh/g=JpcUKQ5UuEܑB[vfgd!fkQ`;TRuP=`XHT= Q]gEyx%0׬g>Dlj8/.pyJ O~j#]7>6UHŞ[vB%b%VFfp1O\Ţk]ǘǧ6s5#O~p endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 16 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 35.0000 360.6200 161.0000 585.6200 ] >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.newfrontierchronicle.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EmpowermentWest-e1448642688796.jpg) >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 22 0 R >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1378 >> stream xVnF}Wc(nٹN[ h݇9$7&w]Rm? 3KEPMѧ"p(˙3sΙٳIҎ?ί3*<'NwdL/t Mɘ _iYZ:1)V={uet ݰӝ*,&[κppgt<ћ,YL/yWtK䜏h]9'dϹwy !(mQ'@Z,<J^ #^@*{DEoOæ{KU8Jw;tB=ީF83[%q)D PS5]6|^Dh}g| , plM=Cf+Qp^޹V5v/}TOO1,ESe=Lv3| MR'{[u 'GUѽ6y\H!8&u{7 ʁZ`w VLc1eWdƔyIՠ rZ#h20pX ;AI8ه_Mr{9\*][Sz4 Ŀm?_)'#\O>-0cSʴPj;i(3t=VPb`_]J׸`/6̥;igI>}mMV1q~c718Jb"'9ȬLfT&`?,2:TӇu0DOt& q:%\-9kvNه*CZ> endobj 24 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 25 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 27 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000461 00000 n 0000000498 00000 n 0000000647 00000 n 0000000769 00000 n 0000002133 00000 n 0000002240 00000 n 0000002348 00000 n 0000002458 00000 n 0000002571 00000 n 0000002687 00000 n 0000002716 00000 n 0000002826 00000 n 0000002953 00000 n 0000003103 00000 n 0000008678 00000 n 0000009809 00000 n 0000009868 00000 n 0000009927 00000 n 0000010032 00000 n 0000011484 00000 n 0000011541 00000 n 0000011598 00000 n 0000017173 00000 n trailer << /Size 27 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 18304 %%EOF ‘Empowerment West’ celebrates African heritage | Caring Magazine

‘Empowerment West’ celebrates African heritage

Listen to this article

Salvationist describes experience of first event of its kind in the West

By Thandiwe Gregory –

When I first heard about the Territorial African Heritage Conference, “Empowerment West,” I knew I was going to attend. I was most excited to worship with Salvationists from all walks of life who look like me, and was instantly reminded of my time visiting “black churches” and Salvationists in Johannesburg, South Africa. I envisioned an infusion of worship between the two that made my heart jump for joy.

In addition, I was eager to learn what The Salvation Army is doing, or would like to do, to attract more individuals of African Heritage. And I was honored to be part of the conversation.

The Doubletree by Hilton Phoenix-Tempe was the perfect venue for an intimate encounter with God and one another during the Nov. 6-8 conference, the first event of its kind in the West.

The Friday evening welcome service greeted attendees from the Western Territory, two from the Central Territory and special guests: Majors David and Margaret Davis and Bandmaster Bill Rollins and Valencia Rollins from the Eastern Territory.

As I looked around the room, to my pleasant surprise there were many faces that didn’t look like mine. Over 250 Salvationists from all walks of life were ready to learn and teach effective ways to incorporate culture and values of the African Heritage into all aspects of worship.

In one of the workshops I attended, Skittles were used to demonstrate diversity. In reflection, this can also describe everyone who attended Empowerment West: Black, White, Asian, and Hispanic. I met Salvationists of African Heritage from Africa (Liberia and Zimbabwe), The Caribbean (Jamaica and Belize), and Central America (Panama and Costa Rica). Given the melting pot of African Heritage gathered in one place, the exuberant energy afforded a phenomenal weekend of encouragement, enlightenment, praise and love.

I have been left with many memories, but a few highlights were from Saturday. We had an opportunity to meet our leaders and have open dialogue about issues pertaining to the African Heritage. The Festival of Praise evening featured The Southwest Divisional Gospel Choir, a jazz band, African Praise Dancers, Zimbabwe Marimba and a Caribbean Flavor “Hallelujah Windup” that ushered in a Holy Ghost dance party lasting way after the service ended.

A spirit filled Sunday morning worship service was supported by the Empowerment West Brass Band and Songster Brigade. The sermon equipped us to share what we have learned with our corps and loved ones. We were challenged and empowered to expand the number of individuals of African Heritage in the corps and as Salvation Army officers. Several in attendance accepted the call to officership. I’m sure others, like myself, committed to doing our part to be active change agents and make a difference in our corps and communities to expand the presence of African Heritage in The Salvation Army while ultimately growing  the Kingdom of God.

Empowerment West was the breath of fresh air I needed to continue embracing my African Heritage while suffusing it with the embodiment of Salvationism.

 

You May Also Like