Cadet Gladis Koshkarian Shares Her Call to Salvation Army Officership

In this episode of the Salvationist podcast, new Cadet Gladis Koshkarian shares her journey to Salvation Army officership—a journey that spans the globe, from Syria to Lebanon, to Canada and Calgary. She shares what she’s enjoyed most about working for The Salvation Army so far and why she’s excited to take the next step into full-time ministry.

Transcript

Kristin Ostensen

This is the Salvationist podcast. I’m Kristin Ostensen. This month, a new session of cadets will begin their training to become Salvation Army officers in the Canada and Bermuda Territory. Two of those cadets are Gladis Koshkarian and Atallah Albeketan from Shaganappi Community Church in Calgary. In this episode of the Salvationist podcast, Gladis shares her journey to Salvation Army officership—a journey that spans the globe, from Syria to Lebanon, to Canada and Calgary. She shares what she’s enjoyed most about working for The Salvation Army so far and why she’s excited to take the next step into full-time ministry.

Gladis Koshkarian

You're welcome. I'm so happy to be here.

Kristin Ostensen

So you've been accepted as a candidate for officership in The Salvation Army starting training this fall. Congratulations. That's so exciting.

Gladis Koshkarian

Yes, it is. Thank you so much.

Kristin Ostensen

Can you take us back? How did you first get involved with The Salvation Army?

Gladis Koshkarian

So in 2019, we were newcomers. So when we arrived to Canada, we were looking for opportunities to serve in Calgary. And to see what we can do here. We met with Connie Cristall, now she is a captain. The Salvation Army were planting church there in the Shaganappi area in Calgary. So she invited us to be part of the church. We were attending every Sunday, and we like the church, we like being part of it. It is small church. It is a different type of churches, like it's not, let's say traditional church. So it is like a cafe-style church, tables and chairs and conversation and questions. And so we like that church so much. Then she invited us to be part of the leadership team. And then we were invited to preach and plan for what the church should do in the next step, or how we should do this or that. And then we are here. After continuing the journey with the church, with Connie, with everyone at the church, we are here in the officership journey, let's say. 

Kristin Ostensen

Great.

Gladis Koshkarian

My husband and I, we are originally from Syria. My father, my grandparents, they are from Armenia. They moved during the Armenian genocide to Syria. So my father and his grandparents, they were living in Syria. So I'm half Armenian, half Syrian. So my husband and I, both of us, we are from Syria, right?

Kristin Ostensen

And can you tell me sort of what led to you coming to Canada?

Gladis Koshkarian

The war started in Syria, it was so unsafe to be there. And after living many years in the war, like for I was there for four years. It was so hard for me to continue more and more in that all of that situation, especially that no one understood what was going on there. We wanted safer place. At that time, I wasn't married. So I moved from Syria to Lebanon to study theology. And at the theology seminary, my husband and I, we met, we get married and then a friend of us, very good friend, he asked my husband if he wants to come to Canada. So my husband says, OK. So we applied and after one year and 10 months, we were accepted. And go here. 

Kristin Ostensen

Wonderful. I'm so glad you were able to apply and be accepted. And did you go to Calgary right away?

Gladis Koshkarian

Yes. The first night it was in Toronto. And then we came to Calgary and when we arrived, we felt that this is the home. This is our home. And the nicest statement that we heard in Toronto: "Welcome to your home." Like they didn't say anything about being refugee or anything about you are just newcomers or you are whatever. They just said, "Welcome home." It was the warmest statement that we can hear.

Kristin Ostensen

Yeah, that's wonderful. And so powerful, too. And when you did come to Calgary, how did you find out about The Salvation Army? Did you know of it before you came to Canada?

Gladis Koshkarian

No, actually, we don't have The Salvation Army in Syria. I'm sure we have it in other parts of the Arab world. But no, we don't have it in Syria. So my husband was looking for opportunities to serve, to see where we can use our gifts and talents, because we are called to do this and we were doing this in our lives before and we want to do this and continue in this. So he met Captain Connie. Yeah, she told him about what they are doing at The Salvation Army, at the new planted church. So here we are.

Kristin Ostensen

Wonderful. And what were some of your early impressions or experiences with the Army?

Gladis Koshkarian

OK, when we started to tell our sponsor church, it is Westview Baptist Church, to tell people from that church that we are now with The Salvation Army, we are doing this and that, they were so happy. Like, almost everyone is so happy with The Salvation Army. We didn't hear any bad comments. And most of the people that we know around us, they donate, and they put their money, and they see that it's very good investment. They see that The Salvation Army, they are doing what God wants us to do on this earth. So they love The Salvation Army. But when we enter and we were in, we were amazed how much things that The Salvation Army do for people. They help newcomers. They help families in need, they help ladies, they help children, youth, they work with everyone. Even they work with people that sometimes, like, no one wants them, which is so amazing. Like, they respect everyone. And they love everyone. And they treat everyone with love, which is sometimes I don't have words to describe this love, or this respect that they show and they give to everyone.

Kristin Ostensen

Yeah, absolutely. It does almost leave you a bit speechless sometimes. And what actually led you and your husband to become members of The Salvation Army once you started attending the church?

Gladis Koshkarian

We liked the church, and we liked what they were doing. And we felt so accepted, even accepted, like, without any conditions. They just opened the door and they said, "You are welcome in this place." Everyone that we told them about The Salvation Army, they were so happy, even people that, when we walk in the neighbourhood here, when they see us wearing the hoodies that it has The Salvation Army logo, like everyone asks us, “Oh, are you part of The Salvation Army? We all the time hear very good and very nice stories about The Salvation Army, and we support The Salvation Army and we donate to The Salvation Army.” So when you hear all of that good stories, you will feel, Yes, I am in the right place. I am with the right organization.

Kristin Ostensen

Absolutely. And you're not just a soldier and a candidate, you also have been employed by The Salvation Army. So can you tell me what your current role is and what you've been doing?

Gladis Koshkarian

I'm now a program co-ordinator. So I do two parts, like one part is with Shaganappi church. And the other part is for Calgary community services. The one part is programs to support, till now what we did a program called Grief Share. It was so powerful. It's a need, it's a need, like for people that they have, they lost people in the past, they have members that they are not with them anymore, they are in heaven. They are dealing with all of this hard emotions like grief, sadness, or feeling alone. It is a program for eight weeks. So each week, we will talk a little bit about this process, grieving process. We will support each other and we will pray for each other. And the nice thing it was when this program was done, after eight weeks, we kept this good relationship with the people that they were part of this program. So whomever they need support, prayers, or just having a coffee with someone, so people and employees from The Salvation Army, we were there to support them. And for me, this means a lot because it's not just program. Many organizations, they can offer you programs and when it's end, it's done; you are not part of that team or family, let's say, anymore because it's done. But with The Salvation Army, it wasn't like that. It was a program and a relationship, which, we need that as human beings. We don't need just programs. Yeah, and we did other things in other areas for addiction, for to support newcomers and to plan for the coming programs in the future. It wasn't easy season for the programs because it was between COVID and the opening after COVID. So people, they were in between. Are they going to be in person or not? Over Zoom, or they prefer to be there? So also it was hard time to plan or to offer programs. And, yeah, the other part, it was under Calgary community services. So the food bank, Food Bank Calgary, the Salvation Army, they opened that Barbara Mitchell Centre, one, two days for the food bank. So the clients and people that they live around, they can come and receive their hampers. So basically what we do, we organize the hamper, we put everything together, and then we give the hamper to the client. But I love the food bank day. I love the food bank day. Why? Because you can meet people, you can talk with them. Most of them, they are newcomers. So at least you can share your experience with them, and you can tell them, I was there at one point. And you can tell them about The Salvation Army, like this is not just a depot to receive your hamper. No, this is an organization that you can go to the receptionist and ask for any kind of help when you need. If we can provide that help, we will do. But don't hesitate, just come and ask. So I love the food bank.

Kristin Ostensen

Absolutely. I can see that. And so you've been an employee for a while. What made you start to think about taking the next step and actually becoming a Salvation Army officer?

Gladis Koshkarian

Yeah, actually, it started before the employment time, if I can say that. I will go back, back, back to our days in Syria. So my husband and I, we did this for a long time. This is our call, to be serving, to be part of the church, to do something. And because of that, at one point of our lives, each one of us separately, we chose to go and study theology. I chose to do it for three years. So I did the bachelor degree. And my husband did the MDiv degree, or master of divinity. During the studying time, we never stopped doing ministry. So doing ministry or being in the ministry field, it's part of us. It's part of our lives. It's, maybe I can say, it's who we are. Like, when we came to Canada, people, they started to tell us, and I remember one lady, she told me, OK, what you are going to do with this degree? You will not find any job, or you will not find any place to be in. And I felt a little bit disappointment because I said, OK, what should I study in Canada? So I said, maybe a social worker, so I can combine the two degrees. So maybe one day I can find something in Calgary to use, a church or Christian organization. So and then we prayed about it. We prayed for a long time, and God opened the doors through The Salvation Army. And here we are, we are using our gifts, talents and our education and studies. So yeah, and we are so happy because The Salvation Army also is giving us this opportunity to study and learn more and more about The Salvation Army itself and about the officership process, like we are learning slowly. We are entering into this culture, learning about the Canadian culture, churches and the ministry.

Kristin Ostensen

So I understand you actually took an officership information course. Can you tell me about that experience?

Gladis Koshkarian

Yeah, so it was amazing and great opportunity to learn more and more about what is the officership and what that means. And we learned also about The Salvation Army locally, what they do, and internationally, what they do. And we needed that because it opened our eyes and our minds, everything that The Salvation Army do. It was great. And the facilitator, she was great, and she was patient. And at the first session, before we start, she asked us what we want to learn, what we are expecting, and what are our weakness points, which was great of her to ask this so she can help us and support us. So I didn't feel that it's just studying a course or it's just to learn and finish and it's done. No, I felt someone is supporting us. Someone really cares about what we want and what we would like to learn and what are our weaknesses so they can support us. And it was an eye-opener, if I can say, for what The Salvation Army is really doing here, is doing internationally also. We need to learn about, we needed to learn about that. Like in some countries they support housing; in other countries they feed people. Like now when I read about what The Salvation Army is doing in Ukraine, during the war, they are still there, they are supportive. It's amazing. It's amazing. And even locally, I feel all the time, it's good from time to time to read what is going on. So we can learn from other Salvation Army churches, what they are doing and learn from their experiences.

Kristin Ostensen

Yeah, for sure. That's one of the reasons why I love what we do at the Salvationist. Because we get to tell the stories and share them with other Salvationists. And we can all kind of encourage each other and learn from each other. So yeah. So looking forward, what excites you the most about becoming an officer?

Gladis Koshkarian

We want to see how God will use us in the coming time, in the future. Actually, we are excited and, at the same time, there is a feeling that we can't express or tell. It's not a fear. No. Maybe it's a little bit the unknown future, like what is coming, what is going to happen in the future, where we will be, what kind of ministries we will be in. We are so excited. And we know the church that we are in, or we will be in doing our practicum part. So and we met them, which is exciting to see where you will be in the future or which church you will be part of. 

Kristin Ostensen

And which church is that? 

Gladis Koshkarian

Berkshire church in Calgary.

Kristin Ostensen

OK, wonderful. And what are you looking forward to about the training itself, about the officership training?

Gladis Koshkarian

Maybe to learn more about the church here. And to learn more about the Salvation Army churches because it's new for us and we don't know, like we we've never been part of the Salvation Army church. As I told you, back home, we don't have them. So and also to grow with the church, like maybe to learn about our weaknesses. Yeah, we are excited and we are praying for this.

Kristin Ostensen

Well, we are all praying for you too, and really praying and hoping that God will bless you as you start your training this fall. And thank you so much for sharing your story. It's really been a pleasure to meet you and talk about your journey.

Gladis Koshkarian

Thank you. You're welcome.

Kristin Ostensen

Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Salvationist podcast. For more episodes, visit salvationist.ca/podcast.