The pending retirement of Weyburn’s Salvation Army officers is going to mean some changes for the ministry and the services it delivers to the area.
Majors Wilfred and Heather Harbin announced earlier in the spring they were going to retire at the end of June, ending a lengthy career in ministry with the Salvation Army that spanned 43 years for Heather and 40 years for Wilfred. They have been in the southeast region since 2015, first serving as the officers for Estevan and later serving in both Estevan and Weyburn.
Weyburn will not be receiving new Salvation Army officers, but that doesn’t mean the ministry is leaving the city. In fact, Heather expects the Salvation Army will continue to have a strong presence in the southeast.
Ronza Reynard, who is the family services manager for Estevan, will move into the role of ministry director for both cities.
“Ronza is going to be the lead for everything,” said Heather. “She’s been here for a long time. She knows what’s happening, so she’s a great person to take our place.”
The difference between a ministry director and the officers is that the officers are ordained ministers.
Weyburn’s Salvation Army church has been listed as inactive for some time, while the Estevan church has recently been moved to the inactive list. The last Sunday service for the Estevan church was May 26.
Heather said the decision to not have new officers in Estevan and Weyburn was made because there are 40 officers retiring at the end of this month and only 12 are being commissioned.
“There’s just not enough of us, and so the smaller places – it’s not just us, it’s in every province in Canada … are just not getting officers because there’s none to send in,” said Harbin.
Heather said she and her husband have been busy trying to finish up their work at the Salvation Army. They have not yet decided what they’re going to do next.
She said she has been looking forward to retirement for a while, but she is going to miss the job.
“As it draws closer, I’ve been doing this for 41 years, so it’s an ending to a big part of my life, and for both of us,” said Heather.
While they wonder what they’re going to do all day, Harbin said she knows of people who have retired who find they were busier after retirement than when they were working.
Harbin and her husband believe they are leaving the Salvation Army in Estevan and Weyburn in good hands as they enter this time of transition.
