192: Commencement address from 2024 Testify Congress with Dr. Sharon Docter

This past weekend, in Pasadena, California, The Salvation Army from around the Western Territory joined for an event focused on teaching, training and motivating Salvationists to tell the story of Jesus more often and to more people—the 2024 Testify Congress.

The annual celebration includes the commencement, commissioning, ordination and appointment of cadets as they’ve completed two years of training at the College for Officer Training at Crestmont to become Salvation Army officers.

But this year was bigger than ever as The Salvation Army’s international leaders, General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, traveled from London to be part of it all.

Now, we’re dedicating our next few episodes to sharing the highlights with you, starting today with the commencement address by Dr. Sharon Docter.

Dr. Docter is a professor of communication at California Lutheran University and a member of the Board of Governance for the College for Officer Training. She’s also a lay leader, the Corps Sergeant Major, of the Pasadena Tabernacle Corps. 

This session of graduating cadets is named the Defenders of Justice. Listen in as Dr. Docter shares three superpowers cadets need when beginning their life as officers from a soldier’s perspective: authenticity, presence and seeing people as they really are. 

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