Long before Albert Montiel was walking his dog and saw the Grand Rapids Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center being built in his neighborhood, God had tucked the idea of working for The Salvation Army into his heart.
“Ever since I became a Christian, I wondered what it would be like,” said Albert, referencing the early 1980s and his admiration for the organization’s commitment to preach the gospel and serve without discrimination.
His circuitous journey to being Kroc facilities supervisor started in California, with a vision of missionary aviation. Albert and his wife, Ruth, moved to the Midwest in 1990 to pursue it. When the school they’d been attending to prepare for missions closed, they prayed for direction. Convicted about incurring more debt, they put full-time ministry behind them, and Albert landed in the field of security. Ironically, it was another step toward working for The Salvation Army.
The next came in spring 2011. Albert was looking for a new job and felt compelled to apply for a facilities/security job even though the listing didn’t identify the company. It just so happened to be the Kroc Center. Six months after the center opened, he joined its staff. He’s been there ever since.
“God directed our path all along,” Albert said. “I now see the missionary field is right outside our front door.”
Perhaps no one has had more influence at the Grand Rapids Kroc Center than Albert, not only because of his longevity but his unwavering commitment to the Army’s holistic mission.
While the nature of his position requires him to be vigilant about maintaining a safe environment and fills his days with an endless array of tasks, Albert says the essence of his work is about serving God and serving people. He’s just as likely to be talking with members about their families or school as about guidelines. He can be found on Sunday mornings in the center’s prayer garden sitting with and listening to a man who is hungover and homeless, getting him food and water, and cleaning up before coming into the worship service.
This kindness, this compassion, emanates from Albert’s faith. As a soldier, he volunteers countless hours at the center, serving on the corps council and helping in unassuming ways like driving a van to pick up congregation members who lack transportation or beneficiaries from the nearby adult rehabilitation center. He and Ruth began attending the corps when Major Marc Johnson, then Kroc center senior officer, simply invited them.
“When we invite people to church, we open a door,” Albert said. “Being a fitness and community center with a church, it’s a perfect segue for those who are looking.”
