First Guyanese in over 12 years to become Salvation Army Officer

MEET winsome Shannamae Bourne, the lone candidate from the Guyana Division of the Salvation Army, who, last month commenced training at the Jamaica Headquarters of the Salvation Army Caribbean Territory to become an officer. Once she completes training, Shannamae will be the first Guyanese in over 12 years to answer this call of service within the Salvation Army.

Ironically, though she has been involved with the Salvation Army for the last 16 years or so, since graduating from high school, it was never her dream to become an officer in The Army. But, there comes the time when one must answer one’s calling and so it was with Shannamae.

And having made the first step with a determination to forge on unconditionally, she is now exhorting her fellow soldiers in the Guyana Division who might have had thoughts of doing likewise. “My advice to you would be to take up the challenge if you know you have the desire or calling. When you find your purpose, life is more rewarding. Choices you make today will shape your tomorrow,” Shannamae encouraged.

The training will be for two years after which she will be commissioned as Lieutenant Shannamae Bourne, and thereafter she will be sent to some part of the world to press towards the goal of officership and mobilisation.

Shana who has been in the Salvation Army since the age of five years, is the daughter of Shana Bourne Jonas, Secretary to the Divisional Commander of the Guyana Division.
Born on June 19, 1996, she is the third of seven siblings and was raised in Georgetown, Guyana, where she was an active soldier at the Citadel Corps, South Road and Alexander Street, Georgetown, until the time of her departure for Jamaica on August 21, 2017.

Shannamae has pleasant memories of the fun times she had, doing evangelism; getting the chance to meet people and interact with them. “I enjoyed special events like Christmas concerts, playing the timbrel in open air meetings, singing in choirs, visiting places, doing mimes, taking part in fundraisers, dancing, and attending evening services,” she modestly declared.

Commenting on her teenaged life and what it is like being a soldier of the Salvation Army, particularly in an environment where there was a diversity of religious persuasions, she responded: “Well luckily, I have not had too many challenges, but the ones I faced were, doing things differently, since people were looking at me as a leader. Another challenge came from my peers who disagreed with my choices,” she said.

“And more essentially, the fact that people were not as supportive as you would think they should be, and that sometimes I would have to divide myself between work and church activities, which worked out after some prayers,” she added.
Asked about her career choices after graduating from high school, the aspiring Salvation Army officer opened up: “Initially, in my life, I have struggled to find my purpose. When I graduated from high school I proceeded to do a number of courses, but still could not make up my mind as to what I wanted to venture off into,” she said. “To be very honest, part of me wanted to be in the medical profession and part of me in entrepreneurship, but I could not immediately decide.”

She however recalls that sometime in 2014, she began to realise her purpose after a strange twist of events. “As I recall now, during my lifetime I have had experiences where I was exposed to public speaking and at that time I did not know that I was being prepared for my future and that it was a skill that I would require as I journey through life, counselling and ministering to people,” she said.

And asked what motivated her to enter Training College to become an officer even though it is not a calling that is readily answered by her fellow Guyanese, with an immediate sparkle in her eyes responded: “My motivation came from believing in myself, from God and the will to do good things and to make a difference. Becoming an officer was not what I ever dreamed I would be, but I knew somehow I would do something good during my time on this earth. I didn’t know that this was the channel I would go through to reach that goal,” she said.

And now that she is in college, Shannamae surmises, “Everything that has happened throughout my life is now making perfect sense, and something you should know about me is that I am extremely positive.”
She admitted that the behaviours or responses of some folk along the way – whether positive or negative behaviours- had a huge impact in developing her character to become an officer today. “So now, from observing different strengths and weaknesses I have seen through them, I know what I want to see changed and what I would not do or do better.”

And her exhortation to fellow youths who could and should be moving towards this position within The Salvation Army, Bourne declares: “I have observed that in this the 21st century young people are afraid to take bold steps in Ministry because of what their friends or families would have to say; afraid to rise up to the challenge because of peer pressure.

The fear might demotivate them,” she says, adding: “But my advice would be to take up the challenge if you know you have the desire or calling. When you find your purpose life is more rewarding. Choices you make today will shape your tomorrow. It’s your life the keys are in your hands. What are you going to do? Don’t be afraid to do something different, something better, something great. Don’t be afraid to do something for God,” she purposefully declared.

And injecting the seriousness it requires into the decision to become or not to become officers, Bourne made this sobering encouragement: “Officership is not something you want to run into just to be a part of the Salvation Army. Make sure that it’s your calling and your goals are lining up with its mission.”