The Salvation Army Bradford Corps will see a changing of the guard in the new year, for the third time in about three years.
Capts. David Means Jr. and his wife Kristen are preparing to assume the duties of the organization on Jackson Avenue in Bradford on Jan. 22. They will succeed envoys John and Nancy Barnett who replaced Lts. Dawn and Shane Carter in June.
The Barnetts will become the directors of a Salvation Army family caring center in Pittsburgh. The Salvation Army Western PA Division official Donna Fencik said there was nothing that the Barnetts did wrong at the Bradford location. Rather, there was a vacancy that needed filled at the family caring center, she said.
“We are blessed to be following the leadership of Envoy (John) Barnett. It’s our desire to build on the success and momentum that they have begun,” David Means said. “The beauty of Salvation Army ministry is its ability to adapt to the needs of the community. We hope to meet with local leaders and Salvation Army advisory board and Corps Council members to get a clear picture of the needs of the community and make plans on how the Army can address those needs.”
The Means desire to show the love of Jesus throughout the Bradford area, David Means said.
“As pastors we strive to give hope to people who feel lost and downcast,” he said.
Of their new appointment in McKean County, he said they are excited about small-town living. Three of four of their Salvation Army appointments have been in towns with fewer than 15,000 people, he said.
“We grew up in small town Pennsylvania. We have been ministers in small town America. It’s where we feel most at home,” he said.
They have many friends and family who will now just be a short distance away, he said.
The Means family is no stranger to The Salvation Army. They were raised attending Salvation Army worship services and were part of youth ministries, he said.
“Both our families have deep roots in the Army going back to the early 1920s,” he said. “We have been employed by The Salvation Army since 2001. We both began as youth ministry coordinators and then were ordained as corps officers (pastors) in 2006. Since then we have held four separate appointments that moved us to upstate New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, as well as Western Pennsylvania.”
Major Deb Sedlar, the Western Pennsylvania Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army, also shared some thoughts on the change in leadership.
“We feel we have a good change coming up,” she said.
She called the Means family good people with good experience.
“We’d really like to see Bradford be concrete for awhile. We’ve had too many changes in recent years,” Sedlar said.
All in all, “We are excited to get to know the community and the people we will serve,” David Means said.
He and his wife have two daughters, Linnia and Caleigh.
And as far as the Barnetts, Sedlar said they are a good fit to lead the family caring center.
For the Barnetts, though, the change is bittersweet, said John Barnett. He said he and his wife are looking forward to directing the 36-bed facility for the homeless. But he said they will miss the people of Bradford, saying the town is one of the best places they have ever lived in.
The Salvation Army dates back to 1865 in London. Nowadays, the organization provides vital services in 127 countries across the world, including the 28-county Western Pennsylvania Division where Bradford is located.
The Salvation Army Bradford Corps can be reached at 814-368-7012. The facility is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 111 Jackson Ave. in Bradford.
