THE SALVATION Army’s Chief Secretary for the Caribbean territory, Lieutenant Colonel (Lt) Victor Leslie, and Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries, Lt. Colonel Rose-Marie Leslie, arrived in Guyana Monday on a one-week visit, hosted by Divisional Commander Emmerson Cumberbatch and Director of Women’s Ministries, Major Carolinda Cumberbatch and other divisional staff and officers.

The visiting party is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Donald Ramotar and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds on Friday, after which they will visit Salvation Army properties in Guyana – namely, the East Street facility and the Queenstown Corps.
The high point of the agenda will be Divisional Youth Councils’ Meeting and a Concert at 18:00 hrs on the same day on which the Salvation Army guests will be entertained by young Salvationists and the Home League.

The venue for this activity is the Georgetown Citadel Corps.

On Wednesday, after completing the Review, they will visit the Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Kingston and the Wortmanville Home for Women who are senior citizens. Later that evening, there will be a Soldiers’ meeting at the East La Penitence Corps, beginning at 18:00 hrs.

On Thursday the Leslies will conduct appraisals of the Divisional Officers’ work.
On Saturday, there will be an open-air meeting and March of Witness, beginning at 09:00 hrs. It will culminate at the Independence Boulevard in West La Penitence. The day’s activities will conclude with a Choral Singing competition at 17:00 hrs.

The curtain will come down on the week of activities on Sunday, March 16, with a grand Holiness Meeting, beginning at 10:00 hrs at the Guyana Red Cross Centre in Kingston. Then, at 14:00 hrs, at the same venue, the final activity will be a Praise Meeting.

Lt. Colonel Victor Leslie and Lt. Col. Rose Marie Leslie are Caribbean nationals whose appointments in Corps (8 years), social work (7years) and headquarters administration (20) years have shaped their thinking and approach to ministry, and allowed them to effectively see the Salvation Army in both the Caribbean and the United States.
The Leslies have vast experience in leadership, fiscal management, social work, and community relations; and are well qualified for their current assignments. Lt. Col Victor has a MA in religious studies; a Masters in Business Administration and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence.

Lt. Col. Rose-Marie has a B.Sc. in Social Work; a B.Sc. in Nursing and an M.A. in Social Work Administration.

On a personal level, the Leslies enjoy music, teaching, storytelling and creative writing. They share a passion for mentoring and empowering others. They have two daughters, Marieka, married to Mark Michaud; and Tarrah, married to Junior Bernabe. They are also the proud grandparents of Adrielle Bernabe and Maleah Michaud.

(By Shirley Thomas)