– welcomes new Divisional Commander and wife with open arms

AFTER spending more than five years at the helm of the Guyana Division of the Salvation Army, Divisional Commander, Major Emmerson Cumberbatch and wife, Major Carolinda Cumberbatch, Divisional Director of Women’s Ministries have completed their tour of duty here, and last Wednesday extended their gratitude and bid a warm farewell to the people of

Guyana.

The Divisional Leaders who have completed a successful tour of duty in Guyana, will leave these shores today for neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago, where they will join their son, Carson, who is currently pursuing higher education there. They are to be succeeded by Divisional Leaders Majors Matignol and his wife Mirelle St Lot, who previously served in Guyana in other capacities.
The Cumberbatches took up assignment in Guyana on January 2, 2012, succeeding vice Divisional Commander, Major Vilo Exantus and wife.

For the last five and a half years, under their administrative watch and with direct supervision of Corps Officers operating in six administrative regions of Guyana, Majors Cumberbatch have witnessed exponential growth as the Corps mushroomed, ministering powerfully to the spiritual and humanitarian needs of their congregations, and ‘Saving the Lost at Any Cost.’
The Salvation Army reaches out to the communities through eight Worship Corps established in six regions: Vergenoegen, Region Three; Four in Region Four – Citadel Headquarters, South Road and Alexander Streets, Queenstown, Wortmanville and East La Penitence; at Mahaicony, Region Five; at New Amsterdam, Region Six; Bartica in Region Seven and at Linden in Region 10.

Last Sunday, the combined Corps hosted a farewell service in honour of Majors Emmerson and Carolinda Cumberbatch. Hundreds of Salvationists, including officers, soldiers, religious leaders from other denominations and other invitees gathered for the spirited and occasionally moving event which was held at Citadel Headquarters.

Reflecting on their sojourn in Guyana, both Divisional Leaders had pleasant memories of the times spent here, noting that the good times were more than the challenges ones.
And of the good things, one that will remain indelibly etched on their minds is that the Guyana Division continues to uphold the image and good name of the Salvation Army that has come down through the ages. It is with pride that, on every occasion, whenever the leaders of Guyana have anything to say about the Salvation Army, it is always something good and is accredited on the basis of merit.

One of the Salvation Army’s major projects in Guyana, is its Drug Rehabilitation Programme at a national level. It is the only, ‘live-in’ facility to reform or rehabilitate substance abusers from the onslaught that continues to plague, particularly our youth population.
Throughout, The Salvation Army continues to do an incredible job at reducing the number of substance abusers in the streets, and snatching many from the brink of disaster, affording them an opportunity of being reintegrated into society being and happily reunited with their families.

Majors Cumberbatch, during their tour of duty in Guyana, have served under two consecutive governments: The People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) and ‘A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition. The Presidents of both Governments, as well as other key functionaries, continue to bestow the highest level of trust and respectability upon the Salvation Army. They have rated it as the number one humanitarian organisation in Guyana, recognising its impeccable character and the astute manner in which it conducts its business.
Consequently, the leaders of both governments readily acceded to making annual subventions towards administering the Army’s Drug Rehabilitation Programme, and plans are now being considered at the highest level to raise the grant from $10 Million per year upward.

Vice-President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, alluding to that annual subvention given to the programme by government, said, “Knowing of the work they [the Salvation Army] have been doing, I’d rather suspect that we are shortchanging them.We have to do better than that.”
Minister Ramjattan made these remarks as he delivered the feature address on behalf of His Excellency President David Granger, who is patron of the Drug Rehabilitation Programme, and who at that time, was out of the country on official business.

And so the Majors can now leave Guyana full of hope that the Drug Rehabilitation Programme is on its way to receiving a ‘shot in the arm.’ They also gratefully acknowledge other assistance given through the years, notably the complete refurbishing of the Men’s Social Services Centre – the home of the Rehab Programme in Water Street, Kingston.
The Drug Rehabilitation Programme, even though administered fully by Majors Ulrik Thibaud and wife, assisted by professional counsellors and a fund-raising committee, does not act on its own, but in consultation and collaboration with the Divisional Commander, Mjr. Cumberbatch.

The outgoing Divisional Leaders and the wider Salvation Army in Guyana have expressed profound gratitude to the government and people of Guyana, as well as the Salvation Army Advisory Board for their ongoing support towards the highest good of the institution.