by Major Jenny Ortman
Forty-three pilgrims from the Central Territory took somewhere near 450,000 combined steps over 12 days in Greece and Turkey while on the Biblical Education Tour (BET). And it would have been a whole lot more if not for the modern convenience of a bus.
Many of the steps were taken on the very stones the Apostle Paul trod in his three missionary journeys. Some also were taken around all seven of the churches the Apostle John speaks about in Revelation.
The trip began with devotions at Central Territorial Headquarters. Territorial Commander Commissioner Evie Diaz encouraged us to set aside distractions and separate from our normal routines for a time to grow and gain knowledge and depth.
Colonels Janice and Steve Howard provided devotional thoughts, while Lt. Colonel Darlene Harvey, officer resource development secretary, provided leadership and care for the group. Teaching moments were presented by Dr. Rob DeGeorge and local guides in each country.
In Greece we had dinner with the corps officers in both Athens and Thessaloniki. We learned about their unique ministries, prayed with them and provided funds in a collection taken by officers on the tour.
Thanks to endowments and special collections this particular tour was enriched by including officers from Jamaica, Majors Desmond and Marie Davis, and Eastern Europe, Majors Valeriu and Victoria Lalac, as well as Majors Paul and Amy Jo Ferguson, Central officers currently serving in the Middle East.
Through the BET the Central Territory invests in officers’ spiritual and knowledge development. This directly results in preaching and teaching that is informed by experience in the places where the biblical text happened, given by officers who have taken this time to intentionally seek spiritual depth.
The words of Paul’s letters and John’s words in Revelation rang in our ears the entire trip. As we stood in ancient temples built to honor other gods, it struck me that the false gods Paul cautioned people about had names and images far more real to his original listeners, and it made his instructions about how to worship the one true God more real to me as well.
As we visited the bemas (platforms), acropolises (high places), agoras (marketplaces), prisons, synagogues, hills and other structures that the apostles and ancient Christians would have known, so many clarifications of scripture were given. The water pipes in Laodicea helped us understand how water temperature was an ideal teaching illustration for them in Revelation. Another Revelation passage references the throne of Satan and seeing a physical throne created for Zeus in Pergamon connected the truth of needing to stand strong for God, no matter where we live.
Church history also came alive as we toured churches built in caves to be hidden from persecution and as we saw the places where saints Basil and Polycarp lived and died.
Captain Amanda Hoscheit summed up the tour well, saying, “This trip has been a truly transformative adventure, filled with profound moments of growth, beauty and discovery. As I walked through historic sites, I was struck by the realization that every masterpiece was once hidden, waiting for someone with vision and perseverance to uncover its beauty. Similarly, our faith is a journey of uncovering the truth and grace that comes from Jesus Christ and embracing the journey with patience, dedication, and an open heart.”
