Southern Territory Looks to 2027 Centennial Celebration Through Vision Committee
The Southern Territory is looking to the future to celebrate the past. The year 2027 will mark 100 years that the Southern Territory has been serving the American South with its official territorial status within the international Salvation Army. Wanting to fully celebrate this incredible milestone in our history, territorial leaders began the planning process for a Centennial Celebration over a year ago. Now, just over two years from the event, a group of leaders and visionaries have come together to cast a vision for the celebration, focusing not simply on festivities, but on real, lasting impact for our future.
Kicking off the first vision committee meeting for the celebration, Lt. Colonel Mark Israel, territorial program secretary, highlighted how blessed we are today to be part of an incredible legacy of faithful service. He cited Deuteronomy 7:9 which says, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”
“The verse emphasizes the everlasting nature of God’s covenant, God’s provision, His faithfulness,” Colonel Israel explained. “It reassures us that God, who was faithful 100 years ago, is faithful today.”
“This is all for His glory. Let’s set it right from the very beginning,” Territorial Commander Commissioner Kelly Igleheart told the committee. “This is not about our Salvation Army. It’s not really about 100 years. It’s about how we choose to honor God for 100 years of His faithfulness.”
The group entered into a time of prayer, asking for God’s guidance, for discernment, and for clear vision to ensure that this event is not only a celebration, but a launching point of unification and passion for the next century of service.
Following the time of prayer and commitment, Roberta Simmons-Smith, territorial director of special events, explained the basics of the event that have already been determined. The event, themed “Centennial Celebration All for Jesus,” will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta over the first week of June 2027. Not only will the territory be celebrating its 100 years of official service, but also the culmination of four years of focusing together on our territorial priorities. The Proclaimers of Transformation session of cadets will be commissioned over the weekend, and General Lyndon Buckingham, international leader of The Salvation Army, will be in attendance.
The event space will feature multiple exhibitions, including a large historical exhibition showcasing the history of the Southern Territory. It will also house a full Youth Conference, main sessions, breakout sessions, and a brand new “Spotlight” music and creative arts competition.
In a similar vein to the Eastern Territory’s “Star Search,” this new “Spotlight” event will feature individual competitions at three levels of music and arts from ages 7-23, covering multiple disciplines. The Territorial Music Department is already working closely with divisional music directors to begin or continue their own local competitions to eventually have a handful of divisional winners to bring to the Centennial Celebration Spotlight for the final rounds of each category. “Several divisions have been doing these competitions for the past couple of years, and it’s been such a boon to their programs. So, we’re excited to see that grow territorially,” Bethany Farrell, territorial creative arts director, told the committee.
As part of having the Georgia World Congress center as the venue, the territory will be able to utilize Centennial Olympic Park on Saturday, June 3 for a major outreach event as a part of the festivities. “We’re going to be in the heart of Atlanta,” Simmons-Smith explained. “I would love all the businesses, all the people, all the community around there and out further to know that we were there and to know who we are.” This time will be an excellent opportunity to put our service into practice in one of the largest city centers in the territory.
The rest of the meeting was spent discussing the desired outcomes of the event. In addition to celebrating our history, the group mentioned a desire to spark revival, to energize the troops, to inspire soldiers and officers, and to engender spiritual transformation. The hope is to not only inspire transformation within our ranks, but to ready ourselves to proclaim God’s transformational power to those around us in our daily lives. In viewing our history, we should be able to say, “I am a part of this; I belong here,” and then find a deeper connection for forward momentum for the future.
Major Zach Bell, president and principal of the Evangeline Booth College, summed up the spoken desires by saying, “It’s a time to remember God’s faithfulness. It’s a time to allow the Spirit to move to revive us. And it’s a time to ready us to be sent.”
Major Jamie Satterlee, territorial youth secretary, concluded their time together in prayer, saying, “God, everything about this is for your glory. We pray that you would help us to keep that in mind. Every single aspect, every minute detail is all about you. It’s all for you.”
More information will be announced as this momentous time of celebration draws nearer. For now, make sure to put the first week of June 2027 in your calendar. You won’t want to miss this Centennial Celebration – All for Jesus!