Hear the heart of our Chief Secretary

The Editor recently sat down with Lieut-Colonel Themba Mahlobo to gain insight into his heart, hopes and plans as he fulfils the role of Chief Secretary in the Southern Africa Territory. Throughout the interview, various aspects of the Chief’s nature were visible. His love for God, passion for mission, the friendly and high-energy nature of the Chief, coupled with his sense of humour infused every sentence. Prepare to be encouraged and inspired as his responses offer intriguing insights into the direction of our Chief Secretary’s thoughts.

Please could you share how you came to The Salvation Army.

My mother was a child of an Officer, and my father wasn’t too particular about the children attending his family’s church. As a result, I grew up in The Salvation Army. The person who significantly influenced me in this regard was my grandmother, Brigadier Liza Luhlongwana. She was a great inspiration in my life, and her influence impacted me spiritually, shaping my officership. Other significant influences in my life were my uncle and aunt, Majors Chris and Elizabeth Luhlongwana. So, my mother, grandmother, uncle, and aunt all had a major influence on my life and served as family role models.

We know that you love God, you love The Salvation Army and that your calling is sacred to you. Can you tell us about how/when you were called to be a Salvation Army officer?

When I was in school, my friends and I used to visit tent evangelism ministries in the community. Around the age of 20, one of my friends (who is now a reverend in the Lutheran Church in Empangeni) and I attended a tent meeting where we both received our calling to full-time ministry in our respective churches. Deeply moved by this experience, I spoke to one of the Local Officers at Vryheid Corps who then took me to meet with the Officer to discuss the calling I felt I had received. Shortly after that, Cadet (now Major) Bridget Ndou was preaching at Vryheid Corps, and once again, I received confirmation of my calling and publicly responded to God’s call to Officership.

Prior to your homecoming you were serving at the International College for Officers. Can you tell us about some of the experiences from your time at ICO that have influenced your journey and shaped your leadership that will be particularly valuable in your new responsibilities?

While serving at the International College for Officers at Sunbury Court, I had the privilege of meeting Officers from all over the world. I observed that despite Officers serving God in vastly different parts of the world, facing different circumstances and having different resources available, when they came together, they belonged together, and their hearts found a common home. Even being far away from my own home, I felt a sense of belonging with people from various corners of the world. I learned that challenges are essentially the same in every country; they simply manifest in different contexts.

Embracing teamwork, acknowledging the unique skills people bring to the table, recognizing the knowledge and experiences of fellow colleagues, learning and growing together have significantly shaped me. I carry this perspective into my new responsibilities and highly value unity and teamwork. Let’s cultivate the ministry together, sharing knowledge, working collaboratively and making a difference for the Kingdom.

What specific aspects within The Salvation Army’s mission resonate most with you?

Saving souls and growing saints resonate most strongly with me. How do you save people? By engaging with them. People are everywhere – in malls, streets and petrol stations! So the opportunity to change lives is everywhere! We can share Jesus wherever we go, engaging in simple but intentional conversations that can point people to God and remind them that He loves them. As a soldier of The Salvation Army, this is my mandate: sharing about Jesus in everyday situations and encouraging people to grow in the Lord.

The Salvation Army exists to save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity. How do you envision leveraging your roles to advance these core values?

For me, the most important place in The Salvation Army is the frontline. Corps and Centres are the frontline. This is where transformation and mission advancement happen most. Regardless of where we are, I encourage Officers, Soldiers and Junior Soldiers to do these three things: save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity. These are the basics. Winning souls doesn’t need to be complicated; we just need to do it, and we can do it!

Something that is close to my heart are regional mission conferences. A number of years ago, Commissioner Trevor Tuck conducted regional mission conferences. These were crucial as they provided space for important discussions that led to progress in mission, a return to basics and THQ being better able to serve the field. I would like to see these conferences taking place once again. From my office, I will encourage, speak about and remind people of the basics while ensuring that THQ supports, resources and equips the frontlines.

When you dream about The Salvation Army Southern Africa Territory … what do you picture?

I dream of a Salvation Army that loves God first. I dream of a Salvation Army committed and passionate about serving God, visible in the community and engaging with people at their point of need. I dream of a Salvation Army that will be known as a beacon of hope in communities – where people, when facing difficulties, know that they can turn to The Salvation Army and find help, hope, joy and peace. I dream of a Salvation Army united for one cause, diverse in makeup, and even doing things differently, while knowing our purpose and fulfilling our mission.

What do you see are some of the strengths of the Southern Africa Territory?

Our people are our strength – our Officers, soldiers and junior soldiers. We are blessed to have Officers and soldiers who are knowledgeable, competent and capable, as well as generous donors who contribute to our strength. It’s essential to harness these strengths in the right way and in the right places. When all these strengths come together and are utilized effectively, we can enhance the Territory, making it better, stronger and more effective in mission.

In your opinion, what are the most pressing issues that The Salvation Army in this Territory should address in the coming years, and how do you plan to contribute to tackling them?

One of the pressing issues we face relates to finances. As a Territory, we must be good stewards of our financial resources. I firmly believe that the necessary funds are available to us. We have people who are willing to give, connected to networks that support The Salvation Army’s work, provided we manage our finances wisely. Despite the economic pressures we are currently experiencing, every ministry unit needs to honour its financial commitments, operate with transparency and integrity, and effectively manage the resources entrusted to them.

Another area of concern is the number of Officers and Candidates in the Territory. In the next few years, a significant number of Officers will be retiring, necessitating a plan to address the resulting gaps and recruit others to fill them. I believe that when Officers live out their calling passionately and authentically, modelling servant leadership, transparency and integrity, people may be more open to responding to the calling to Officership.

Furthermore, I aim to work towards tightening our structures and implementing a Territorial Management Board. This board will expedite the processing of matters for the benefit of the frontline. While the Territory has implemented Governance to address policy matters, the Management Board will ensure that day-to-day operations occur quickly and effectively, maintaining accountability to the Governance Board.

How do you see the role and importance of young people in the Territory?

Young people play a critical role in The Salvation Army; without them, there will be no Salvation Army. I firmly believe that we must actively engage with our young people, extending beyond conferences. It is imperative to both listen to and converse with them, allowing their opinions to be heard. Having served as a Divisional Youth Officer and the Territorial Youth Secretary, the value and importance of young people and their voices have stayed with me. Although I may not be a young person, I consider myself young at heart and even now find myself shouldering responsibilities typically reserved for those in an older age category. We need to give young people opportunities to serve and I believe it is essential to involve young people in conversations and spaces where they can not only represent but also be heard.  Divisions and Corps should incorporate young people into their meetings, providing them with opportunities to contribute and share their thoughts and opinions. This inclusivity will undoubtedly benefit our mission.

What word of encouragement would you like to give to our Soldiers, Adherents, Junior Soldiers & Friends of The Salvation Army?

If I could broadcast a message, it would be to say: ‘We are in this together!’ We need you. You are The Salvation Army. Without you, we could not exist as Officers. We are in this together! Officers and soldiers, together, we are part of the new thing that God is doing in the Southern Africa Territory. In fact, together, we can do more! This is our Salvation Army!

I have been reflecting on Psalm 139 and Psalm 8. They speak about God’s deep, intimate knowledge of us, His people—how we are fearfully and wonderfully made by God. David speaks about how God has searched him, how God knows everything about him. Psalm 8:4 speaks about the fact that God is mindful of us. God knows us. God understands us. God sees us. Isaiah 43:19 says, ‘See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.’ God is doing a new thing; we just need to fit into the new thing God is doing. We all have a place in this; God has shaped and purposed us for His mission, with our strengths and weaknesses – He knows them all! There is nothing too difficult for God. He can do great and mighty things; we just need to fit into His plan, not our own plan, not Themba Mahlobo’s plan—God’s plan! It is my prayer that The Salvation Army Southern Africa Territory will fit into God’s plan and the new thing He wants to do in and through us all.