The heart of an officer

October is pastor appreciation month and the perfect time to share the impassioned commencement speech given by Lt. Cecilia Dinardi earlier this year that captures the heart of officership. May you be inspired and then take a moment to thank your own corps officer for their sacrifice and service.

Defenders of Justice,

Today, in the presence of the territorial leaders, CFOT officers and staff, officers, family, and friends, we gather together to celebrate not only the culmination of our training experience but also the privilege— because God has called us—to step forward to join the noble work of serving humanity with compassion, humility and love.

Congratulations DOJs, auxiliary captains and officers on the remarkable accomplishment of your academic achievements. Your dedication, passion and commitment to excellence inspire us all to continue striving for greatness in our service to others.

We are grateful for the investment, encouragement, patience, preparation and love the College for Officer Training showed us. We express our gratitude to each officer and teacher on campus and on the field who dedicated their time and effort to helping us prepare to fulfill God’s calling for our lives. For those of us who are parents, we express our gratitude to the FCC [Family Care Center] staff who took care of our children during these two years with so much love, and we are also grateful for our sister-session mates who have also helped and cared for us during this chapter of our lives.

Today, after two years of training, we are reaching a significant milestone in our journey. It seems like it was yesterday when we started our first day of training, not knowing what the 22 months in front of us were going to bring—for some of us, a little bit longer than that. And now, after this weekend, we will have the privilege of joining a line of men and women who have dedicated their lives to the service of others.

As we prepare to embark on this sacred mission, we are encouraged to embrace the core principles that have guided The Salvation Army. Let love be our guiding light, compassion our constant companion, and humility our hallmark.

This mission is not one that we undertake alone. First, we are part of a global movement united by our shared commitment to serve others and advance the Kingdom of God. Second, God is walking alongside us, He will never leave us nor forsake us.

We live in a world that encounters many challenges—poverty, homelessness, addiction, injustice— but it is also filled with opportunities to make a difference…We have been called to be agents of change, to stand up for the marginalized, and to bring hope to the hopeless.

Let our hearts be filled with courage, our minds with wisdom, and our spirits with faith as we confront these challenges, never forgetting the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:28, who reminds us that “in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

As we start this new chapter of our lives, a chapter we have been dreaming of for the last couple of years, may we be filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to preach the Gospel to heal the brokenhearted and to bring light where God sends us. May our lives be a testament every day to the transformative power of God’s love, and may we continue to inspire others through our example of selfless service and unwavering faith.

Congratulations, family! We did it by the embrace of our faithful God. The same faithful God who brought us together two years ago and the same faithful God who stayed with us every step of the way, preparing us for what is about to come, is the same faithful God who will walk with us to love and guide His people to know and be more like Him. Hold on to this promise and always remember our session verse Micah 6:8: “Act justly, Love mercy, and Walk humbly with our amazing God.”