Salvation Army sees change of command

Just one month shy of being here two years, Lt. Michael and Wendy Cumben left the area last weekend for a new assignment with the Salvation Army.
The young couple and their daughter, Emily, headed for Spring Hill, N.S. on Sunday, about a 90-minute drive from Halifax.
“We expected [to stay] longer but we’re in the army. It’s part of the package,” Lt. Cumben said last week.
Taking over the Salvation Army here will be Capt. Lloyd and Elaine Yurett, who are scheduled to arrive sometime this week.
Considering the Cumbens originally are from Newfoundland, this move brings them a lot closer to their home turf.
“We’ll be a lot closer to family members,” Lt. Cumben said. “That comes in handy sometimes.”
“My sister’s also a Salvation Army officer and she’s now stationed in Halifax,” echoed his wife. “It’s going to be nice to see our families.”
Fort Frances was the second posting for the Cumbens since they’ve been married. While here, they helped expand the size of the thrift store, as well as maintain the existing family and spiritual services the church offered before their arrival.
“We had never run a thrift store until here,” Lt. Wendy Cumben said. “We learned a lot from the employees.
“We’ve had lots of wonderful experiences here,” she added. “Mike’s really enjoyed the fishing.”
She also said the advisory board was very easy to work with and that their congregation, though small, was “just a handful but a heart-full.”
So when the order came for them to move, it arrived as more than a bit of surprise.
“We made close friends and lots of beautiful acquaintances,” she said. “It’s hard to let go and go on but I’m sure [Spring Hill] is where God wants us.”
“The worst part is we didn’t expect it,” Lt. Michael noted. “We have friends here. We’ve certainly enjoyed living here.”
The services offered by the church they’re moving to will be very similar to what’s offered here, Lt. Wendy said, having both a thrift store and a family services unit.
Spring Hill’s Salvation Army also runs a full youth ministries program, she added, and has double the congregation than here (30 as opposed to 15).
“We also have an outpost [to look after],” she added. “It’s almost like having a little church in Rainy River from here.”
“We enjoy youth ministries, we’ve certainly missed [that],” Lt. Michael admitted. “It’s going to be a new adventure.”