The new slogan for the Salvation Army is "Doing the Most Good," and Captains Glenn and Jennifer Queener have taken over the Warner Robins unit "with the goal of living up to our promise of doing the most good with every dollar and every volunteer hour that people entrust us with."

The Queeners arrived in Warner Robins about two months ago from their last appointment in Denton, Texas, where they ran a homeless shelter and a soup kitchen as well as pastoring a church.

"In the Salvation Army when you're married, you're a ministry team; you share a position. The Army's work is too big for any one person to handle. The Salvation Army's founders, William and Catherine Booth, did everything as a team, and Jennifer and I were both called to be corps officers with the Salvation Army," explained Captain Glenn Queener.

The Salvation Army moves the corps officers periodically, usually for one to five year terms. The husband and wife teams are moved based on matching the needs of the appointments with the gifts and talents of the officers.

"The only denomination that moves its ministers more than Salvation Army are the Methodists," Captain Glenn Queener joked.

The Warner Robins Unit

In the Warner Robins community, the Queener's job is twofold– to oversee the day-to-day operation of the Salvation Army's service delivery function in Houston, Peach, and Pulaski counties, and to serve as pastor of the Salvation Army Church on 96 Thomas Boulevard in Warner Robins.

"The main function that we provide in the community is the Safe House, which is the area's only domestic violence shelter. Currently we can house up to 18 women and children for a period of time to help them break free from their immediate situation. The Board of Directors recently voted to purchase a building, and we are in the middle of a capital campaign to raise funds for the new facility. The new location, which is more secure and offers better amenities, can house up 30 women and children. Our immediate goal is to get the Safe House's new location up and running. The ladies and children deserve better than what they have now," said Captain Glenn Queener.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store, located on 350 Green Street in Warner Robins, doubles as a social service office and offers basic assistance including food, clothing, rental and utility assistance. A client can come once a year for rental and utility assistance. Food and clothing are provided every three months. The Salvation Army offers furniture to victims of fire.

Salvation Army Angel Tree Program

The Warner Robins Unit also sponsors the Salvation Army Angel Tree Program, and Captain Jennifer Queener is gearing up for this year's program.

"We'll start with the application in late October to verify the family's need and the number of children in the household and to make sure that the angels adopted wouldn't have a Christmas any other way. We see this program as a way of keeping the spirit of Christmas alive in the children while their families are using their limited financial resources to pay for rent, utilities, and food. After our registration process, we work with other local agencies, making sure there's no duplication, so we can all spread our resources further. We compile the gift suggestions and size information about our angels for the donors. The donors go shopping, which is a special Christmas tradition for many families. Donors bring their unwrapped gifts back to the Salvation Army Christmas location. We check to make sure the gifts are appropriate, and then Salvation Army volunteers sort the gifts and notify the families of a distribution time. When the families receive these presents, they get to see what their children are receiving and can wrap their own gifts for their children, allowing them to have a part in the child's Christmas. We also provide food boxes for the families," Captain Jennifer Queener said.

The single major fundraiser for the year, the Christmas kettles, raises between 8 to 10 percent of the Salvation Army's total operating funds.

Growing the Church

Besides planning, organizing, and executing the church's service work at the Salvation Army location on 350 Green Street from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. everyday, the Queeners also have the responsibility of pastoring the local Salvation Army Church, located on 96 Thomas Blvd.

"We are committed to growing the body that takes care of the body. We want to be that extension of God's church that He has called us to be. We are the church that lives out Acts Chapters 2, 3 and 4. We take care of people. Since coming to Warner Robins, I have been preaching the message that people can be loved, accepted, and used by God in our church. In Salvation Army churches across the country you can find doctors and lawyers from the community sitting next to a homeless person in church. We don't feel like anyone is above anyone else. It doesn't matter what you wear; it doesn't matter what your past is. Any of us can lose everything and become homeless and alone at any moment. We've all seen it happen. Drugs and alcohol can get the best of people. They can fall. I think the statement that most people are only one bad decision away from disaster is true," said Captain Glenn Queener.

The church's Sunday School starts at 9:45 a.m. and has classes for all ages. The morning Worship Service begins at 11 a.m. Sunday night Bible study and evening worship begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday night youth activities will start up in the fall at 6 p.m. Wednesday night Bible study begins at 6:30 p.m. The Men's Club and Home League Women's Fellowship groups meet after Bible study. The men's and women's groups share a fourfold purpose: worship, fellowship, service, and education. The Queeners have been married for seven years and have one son, Brandon, who is 20 months old. They reside in Warner Robins. For more information, call The Salvation Army at 478-922- 2226.