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'My
dear General'
Book review by Dawn
Volz
Doyen of
Salvation Army writers, Commissioner Wesley Harris, who for
more than 60 years has enjoyed what he terms a ‘parallel
ministry’ of writing for the Army, has completed his 11th
book, entitled My dear
General: Letters to William Booth from the 21st century.
In this latest
book from Salvo Publishing, the Commissioner writes a series
of rhetorical letters to the Founder, walking with William
Booth through his long and extraordinary life and regaling him
with stories of the Army of the 21st century.
Written in part
to commemorate the centenary of the promotion to Glory of the
Founder, the letters celebrate William Booth’s legacy while at
the same time addressing momentous issues facing The Salvation
Army of today.
Throughout his
officership, Commissioner Harris had contact with a number of
people, including family members, who knew the Founder
personally. A feature of My dear General is its previously
unpublished ‘oral history’, including recollections by William
Booth’s former private secretary, George Jolliffe, who as a
retired commissioner was mentor to the young Wesley Harris.
Unsure ‘whether
saints in Glory have information about what is happening on
Earth’, Commissioner Harris recounts the growth of The
Salvation Army over the past 100 years and canvasses a wide
range of issues including soul-winning, holiness and prayer,
as well as celebrating the distinctive joy of Salvationism.
Broaching the
intriguing question of how William Booth would view The
Salvation Army in 2012, the Commissioner suggests that firstly
he ‘might want to do something about a lack of urgency in
soul-saving’. ‘You would galvanise us into action and urge us
to do “better than our best” as soul-winners,’ he declares.
Other letters
discuss Army music and literature, the sacraments, social
work, the role of women in the Army, and modern technology as
a means of evangelism.
The
Commissioner’s hope is that the book will provide unique
insights into the character of the Founder and inspire
Salvationists around the world to honour William Booth’s
legacy of love, service and seeking the lost.
In a first for
Salvo Publishing, My
dear General is available in multiple formats: as a book;
an audiobook, narrated by Commissioner Harris (CD and digital
download); and an eBook.
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