Some people love The Salvation Army’s mission of sharing the gospel and meeting needs in Christ’s name so much that it becomes part of their DNA. That’s the case with Lynn and Sherman Turcotte, longtime soldiers of the Duluth, Minn., Corps.
Sherman has been dedicated to the mission for more than six decades. His enthusiasm began at age 9 while he was living in the small town of Cloquet, Minn., where his mom used to take him into bars to hand out The War Cry and ask for donations to help fund the ministry.
“We’d leave the bars with a big container full of change. I thought it was so neat,” recalled Sherman, 73, who has lived in northern Minnesota his whole life. “That was my first encounter with The Salvation Army.”
Throughout the years, Sherman’s service has known no bounds: cooking and serving meals, ringing bells at kettles and distributing toys at Christmas, to name only a few.
“Whenever they’ve needed volunteers to do something, I’ve done it—no matter what it is,” said Sherman, a retired equipment operator who worked for St. Louis County for 42 years. “Helping was instilled in me by my parents.”
Lynn likes serving too. She has been heavily involved in the corps ever since the couple began attending worship services in 1990. For years she has been involved in community care ministries and youth activities and has helped provide transportation to corps programs.
“I feel like God called me to this church,” Lynn said. “Faith is extending our hand to people who need help.”
Lynn and Sherman were married at the Duluth Corps in 1993. Their wedding ceremony was officiated by Commissioner Barry Swanson, at that time a captain stationed in the city.
The couple first met in the late 1980s when Sherman showed up at Lynn’s house to buy an old red Dodge she was selling.
“I bought the car, and I got the owner with it,” Sherman joked.
As the years passed, Lynn and Sherman’s faith and commitment to Christ have grown and deepened along with their dedication to serving Him through their corps.
Sherman expanded his ministry by teaching Sunday school and serving on the advisory board, which he still does after 15 years. Lynn immersed herself in women’s ministries. Since the late 1990s she has attended and helped lead Bible studies that have provided encouragement and spiritual enrichment for women. She also has had a ministry of sending cards and visiting those who can’t get out to the corps for worship.
“I’ve been to almost every Bible study for the past 25 years,” Lynn said proudly. “Even the smallest things we do in faith to help others is a blessing.”
