LIVES OF SERVICE

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20906, 11 September 1939, Page 13

LIVES OF SERVICE

SALVATION ARMY’S CHIEFS GENERAL AND MRS CARPENTER AUSTRALIANS BY BIRTH SYDNEY, Aug. 29. Australians are recalling many associations with George L. Carpenter, newly-elected general of the Salvation Army. Now having control of 28,000 officers. 5000 missionaries, 16,000 churches, and property worth £20,000,000 in 97 countries, General Carpenter has gone far from his boyhood in a small New’ South Wales town. He was born at Raymond Terrace, In the central north coast dairying district and about 130 miles north of Sydney. His bride, formerly Miss Minnie Roxvell, was born at Mudgee, 170 miles west of Sydney. General Carpenter is 67 years of age. As a youth, he became interested in Salvation Army work, end he was still a young adjutant of the organisation when lie was appointed editor of the Melbourne War Cry. His literary work brought him into contact with his bride, who was editor of the army’s juvenile paper. After their marriage, they were transferred to London, where both did editorial work. Mr Carpenter became literary secretary to General Booth. He returned to Australia in 1928 with his wife, and was second in command in Army work here. Later they went to South America, where they had narrow escapes from whistling bullets in two revolutions. Their next move to Canada, where Mr Carpenter was commandant, and now’ they are back in London, with General Carpenter in the highest post in the Army. Work in the Australian Alps was Mrs Carpenter’s flrst experience of evangelical work. Then Miss Rowell, •she was stationed at Omeo (Victoria), and was Bbout 80 miles from a railway station and almost that distance from the nearest Salvation Army centres. She was a familiar figure on horseback or driving a buggy through the snow in winters. On her transfer to Melbourne, she became engaged in literary work, for which she had a flair. She is remembered in Sydney as the founder of the successful Home League of the Salvation Army in Australian, an organisation which deals with home and child training.