JAC Online

Soldier Interview - Fleur Hodge
Australia South Territory
JAC interviewed soldiers from five territories regarding battle issues that we all face. We expect that most of you will learn much on what the problems and solutions are in this great salvation conflict. We esteem the interviewees as those fighting hard and committed to glorifying Jesus as they capture, train, and deploy on very different fronts.

JAC: Quick bio:

FH: Fleur Hodge, Bi-vocational leader of the Gen1 outpost in Adelaide, the birthplace of The Salvation Army in Australia. I am a Salvation Soldier fighting against apathy, comfort and middle class mediocrity personally and corporately in order to see this Army of Salvation rise up from the ashes and fulfil it’s call to usher in the great final conquest of our Lord!

JAC: Tell us about your salvation and sanctification.

FH: I am what some call a foetal Salvationist; in fact I am a 5th generation Salvationist on both sides of my family. Praise the Lord for a godly heritage. I was saved at the first junior youth councils I attended. I can still remember the wonderful feeling of weightlessness when I got up from confessing my sin, repenting and knowing the forgiveness of Jesus. He came into my life at that moment but better yet I entered into His life.

I grew up through the ranks of our young peoples programmes, Junior Soldiers, Sunday School, Singing Company, Timbrels (yuck!), Corps Cadets. Can I tell you that I didn’t really understand The Salvation Army? Perhaps it was because I never understood our traditions in light of the fight! As I look back I see that Yahweh was weaving all sorts of strands of understanding and experience into my life for His ultimate glory. I went to a Lutheran secondary school, where I soon learnt, amongst other things, that Lutherans don’t clap! The shock and horror of it all. I also had an interesting “discussion” with my year 10 Christian Knowledge teacher who was explaining the difference between trans-substantiation and con-substantiation. I asked if he really believed that the blood and body of Jesus were actually mixed into the wine and bread, because it was obvious that nothing had really changed, had it? Needless to say, this line of questioning was not received well. Nevertheless my secondary education expanded my faith horizons beyond Adelaide Congress Hall.

When I was 16 years old I became a senior soldier of The Salvation Army. But to be honest, I saw it as little more than membership in the church I was committed to as a follower of Jesus. In fact it fit very nicely into my now well-developed pharisaic nature. I had no concept of fighting the salvation war, and saw no one around me showing me what real soldiership looked like. Man, it wasn’t even cool to love Jesus in our youth group, let alone be a Salvation Soldier! So I grew in faith but with no real outlet and with little discipleship. In those days I learnt to feed myself.

Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a nurse. It seems a little cliché, but there it is. So I went to university and got my nursing degree. God spoke to me about going overseas and working as a missionary, which I was keen to do. I went on the Australian Southern Territory’s first YES (Youth Experiencing Service) program, a month in Fiji. Sounds really tough, doesn’t it? Well Yahweh opened my eyes to the poverty of His people and my own affluence. Something shifted in me on that trip, but Western culture is so strong, it didn’t take long to lull me back to sleep. Still the change had been made.

While I was still at university the Lord introduced me to Holy Spirit in a new way through the Hillsong conference in Sydney. I went five years in a row! It had a great impact on my spirituality when nothing much was being offered at The Salvation Army. When I finished studying, I did my graduate year and then found myself at a loose end. The hospital I worked at weren’t offering positions for the following year, so I saw it as the opportunity to go to Tabor College, a charismatic, interdenominational Bible College, and do my degree in Christian Ministry (it only took me 10 years to finish!). It was during this period that I became a raging Charismatic. Praise the Lord!

So I worked almost full time nursing with an agency, studied full time and was involved in ministry at ACH. I had a brief but damaging relationship during that time too. Needless to say I got burnt out by my third year and took a break from studying. I got a full time job and started saving for a house. The “independent woman” spirit settled on me and I built my own beautiful home and really settled into middle class life.

A couple of times during this period my disillusionment with The Salvation Army caused me to try to leave ACH for “greener pastures”. I say, “try” because Holy Spirit wouldn’t let me rest at any other place except The Army! So I resigned myself to my fate. I was stuck with The Salvation Army! It was in this place of awkward submission that Holy Spirit began to work. A copy of “Sowing Dragons” by Geoff Ryan came into my possession and eventually I read it. I still had some pretty strong sacramental theology bumping inside me, so I did throw it across the room at one stage but it was a dawning realization, right? I wanted the corps to be alive in the Spirit but all I had was blah! Then I read Geoff’s introduction that said something like we hold onto the stories of The Salvation Army’s heroes of old until we have stories of our own! I could do that. I’d loved Samuel Logan Brengle for a long time!

Holy Spirit was moving things into place. The ultimate move came when I had the opportunity to go the Aggressive Christianity Conference at Box Hill in Melbourne. My friend Nathan Rowe was worship leading at it and told me about it. So his sister Kate (one of my best friends) and I went. It was free and we could do some shopping it was boring! Little did we know what Holy Spirit had in store? Captain Stephen Court was first up in the aggression session; a time to be as aggressive as you want in telling us what you believe! I was so offended by his rant on what a Salvationist is. Of course he spoke about the sacraments amongst other things. Who were these freaks? I suggested that shopping might be a good idea after all.

But by the end of the conference I was different. If these guys were Salvos, then I’d never met any before! Yahweh was bringing everything into alignment. The dissonance I’d experienced all my Christian life was being relieved. The problem was not with worship style, our name, our meeting time. The problem was us! We had ceased to be The Salvation Army in everything but name, and we even wanted to change that. We had become comfortable and middle class, totally disconnected to the people Jesus had given us to bring into the Kingdom. In fact, I had never led anyone to Jesus, rich or poor!

I was at a total loss as to what to do! I didn’t know how to be a Salvation Soldier! I’d never been involved in the pub scene; in fact, drunken people scared the living daylights out of me. How do I make stories of my own when I’m totally ill equipped for the fight? That’s where The War College came in. So at the age of 32 I quit my job, rented out my beautiful house in the suburbs and moved to Vancouver to live in a slum hotel for a year to be trained as a Salvation Soldier. Let me tell you it was the best year of my life. I detoxed from program-oriented church life and experienced Christian community like never before. I learnt to pray for three hours at a time in the War Room. I helped two of my friends begin a relationship with Jesus. I could go on. I came home to Adelaide a changed person. But the challenge is to remain changed and live up to what I’ve already attained.

Holy Spirit has been sanctifying me throughout this journey as I’ve yielded to His will. The challenge is to hear and obey the voice of the Lord in whatever situation I find myself. There’s still so much dying to be done!

What engages your passions and energies these days?
My Kingdom purpose is refracted into many beams of light in this season. I get paid to work three shifts a week as a Registered Nurse in the Recovery unit of The Memorial hospital.

I’m updating “VISIONS” to help people access the writings of William Booth and begin to experience Holy Spirit speaking to them through dreams and visions.

I lead Gen1: My favourite part of this incarnational ministry is seeing friends from our neighbourhood come to know Jesus in deeper ways and seeing that relationship free them.

I share leadership of WarCry (ACH’s youth group) with Lieutenant Nathan Rowe. We’ve been excited to begin down the path to revolution with them by tearing down idols, dying to self and letting the Lord of Light into the dark, hidden places of our lives.

I am part of the leadership team of ACH’s evening congregation. The Lord is teaching us to walk in humility in these days. We are bowing low and lifting Him up. We are dying to corporate sins of pride, arrogance, and control, in order for the Lord to teach us the ministry of love, grace, and mercy! I’m longing to see ACH live up to what has already been attained by “the Royal Blood Washed”(editor’s note- the early-day nickname for the soldiery at that corps, Australia’s first), then surpass it for the glory of God and the salvation of the whole world.

I am passionate about the Lord receiving a return on what He has invested in ACH, the South Australia division, the Southern Territory of Australia and me.

JAC: What is your role with The Salvation Army?

FH: I am a Salvation Soldier trying to live out that calling with Holy Spirit’s help. At present that involves bi-vocational ministry; I work three shifts a week at the hospital and I lead Gen1 and all that other stuff I mentioned before. I don’t have a rank or a title really, apart from leader of Gen1.

JAC: What is your mission/calling?

FH: To win the world for Jesus, starting with Adelaide, South Australia.
To redig the wells of my spiritual heritage, drawing young and old to fight together for the salvation of the whole world.
To use the gifts God has given me to see people captured by the love of Christ, trained as Salvation Soldiers and mobilised to usher in the great final conquest of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To model bi-vocational ministry. You don’t have to pay me to do it; it’s my calling and my responsibility. No funding – No problem!

JAC: How does the Army support your war fighting?
FH: The Army provides us with a rent-free house and a lap top computer. Praise the Lord! But the support that we appreciate most is their spiritual covering and prayer.

We support ourselves financially. In fact, this year we have been experimenting with a common purse. We each have part time jobs and pool our money together. Money is allocated for bills and our tithe, and then we each get an allowance. This way we’ve been able to release finance for mission like Hope HIV and Stop the Traffick.

It’s been very challenging for us because it goes against everything our culture says about income. People’s reactions tell us how big a stronghold it really is, like we needed any more evidence! Friends of mine have been horrified when I tell them about it; I make the most but get the same allowance as everyone else. On the flip side, I know one of Gen1’s members struggled because she makes the least and gets the same allowance. At times I’ve found that in telling them why we do it, I’ve been preaching to myself. God gives us everything we have. To some He’s given the ability to make more money than others. It’s not a reflection of our worth! It all belongs to Him and He entrusts it to us.

JAC: How do you influence people?

FH: I talk a lot! I mentor some key young women leaders. I talk a lot! I take every opportunity I get to preach. I pray! Hmmm I don’t know? Hopefully that doesn’t mean I’m not influencing many.

JAC: What are your dreams for the next several years?
FH: • To run Boot Camp in the week after Easter 2007 and see 15 teenagers come and have their lives changed by engaging in Urban Mission.
• To see an exponential increase in Gen1’s presence in the city, through numbers and influence.
• To start the Adelaide campus of the War College.
• To raise up leadership for Gen1 so I can go and start a new outpost in the developing world.
• To write a book - about what? I don’t know.
• To make first generation Salvation Soldiers.
• To tithe soldiers from Gen1 to mission outposts on a yearly basis.
• To see a Salvation Army where every soldier knows how to fight and loves the thickest of the fight!

JAC: What are the keys to successful warfare on your front and the larger salvation war?
FH: • Believing that what we do makes a difference even though the evidence looks contrary.
• Remembering the mission everyday – How does what I’m doing serve the Kingdom?
• Stirring ourselves up and warring against apathy in our own lives.
• Choosing to be uncomfortable – Following Jesus to uncomfortable places inside us or in the world for the sake of others.
• Daring to dream God’s dreams for us.

JAC: How are you and your comrades strengthening The Salvation Army?

FH: I remember a time when a group of my close friends and I would stay up late into the night solving The Salvation Army’s myriad problems. If only they’d asked us, we’d have been able to help! Well friends, I’ve had a revelation since then, I am The Salvation Army! It’s not about the organisation; it’s about you and me taking responsibility for the salvation war. I need to be the change I want to see (thanks Ghandi). If I think soldiership is watered down and pathetic in most corps, then I need to be the kind of soldier Jesus calls us to be and lead by example. I’m not going to sit around and whinge about it anymore. I’m going to be someone who makes the difference.

I believe we’re strengthening The Salvation Army by putting our money where our mouth is and saying, “Here’s the first instalment of the return You want to see from the vast investment You’ve placed within us Yahweh”.

JAC: What are some of the dangers we have to face in the coming years? (And how?)
FH: The Salvation Army is largely irrelevant in a situation where there is no awareness of the spiritual war. In fact it is quite an obstacle for the consumerist Christians who are wholly focused on self and how the church can meet their needs. From its inception, The Salvation Army has been focused on others, in helping those outside of the Kingdom experience salvation and deliverance. Without teaching on who we are, many corps have become TSA in name only. They haven’t seen anyone saved or delivered for years, perhaps decades. The frustrating thing is that TSA isn’t irrelevant, if only we’d embrace it, instead of falling away in cringing cowardice. The world is as much in need of those who will champion the cause of the oppressed and usher them into the Kingdom, today, as it ever was. We don’t need to change our name; we just need to be who God created us to be, without apology or embarrassment.

Another side of this dilemma of relevance seems to have brought an attack on our theology, welcoming a liberalism, which will bring destruction if left unchecked.

JAC: What final exhortations have you for this audience?
FH: Can I tell you something Holy Spirit’s been showing me? Well there’s a little background you need to know. I was at a friend’s place watching a movie, “Capote”, interesting movie if you get the chance, and it came to the end and there were some endnotes up on screen. I couldn’t read them. It was all blurry. Now admittedly I was sitting further than I would normally sit away from the TV, but there was no getting away from the fact that I couldn’t read it.

So I went and got my previously perfect vision checked to find that I am now short sighted, especially in my left eye. The optometrist asked if I do a lot of close work and I admitted to being the kind of reader who could suck back three hours of a book without looking up. She said that the problem had been caused by spending a lot of sustained time focusing on things close to me and not on things in the distance. So I need glasses to correct the problem.

Holy Spirit showed me there is a parallel between the physical and spiritual realms here. This year there have been many needs on this front that have jostled for my attention. A lot of my focus has been drawn to the things right in front of me. Holy Spirit is telling me, and maybe some of you, to look up and focus on things that are far away. If you don’t, you will become near sighted and lose your ability to see those things clearly. In the midst of turmoil and trouble on your home front, look up and see the big picture. Remember that Jesus is coming soon. Remember your comrades all around the world fighting the salvation war and pray for them. Do something for the poor and oppressed people of our world. Live a life worthy of the calling!