By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
DEC. 17, 2019 | A recent story concerning the Salvation Army, Chick-fil-A and the LGBTQ community raised some concerns. The recent news story involving the Salvation Army and Chick-fil-A was disturbing for all entities. Chick-fil-A’s Foundation had announced that it was no longer funding some Salvation Army programs.
But the story soon turned when the Salvation Army was asked how many members of the LGBTQ community it served. The short answer was: “We serve all who come to us. We don’t keep numbers that way by asking people which communities they identify with.”
The chicken sandwich chain’s foundation recently dropped the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes — two groups that have been criticized by LGBTQ advocates — from its list of charitable recipients.
All this may seem confusing, for in reality, the Metro Atlanta Salvation Army continues to get funding from Chick-fil-A’s home office in Atlanta.
Leading the Metro Atlanta Command is Major Bob and Captain Kathy Parker, who began their leadership in the Metro Atlanta Area Command in June 2017. They also serve as the General Secretary and Assistant of Officer Development for the Georgia Division.
Major Parker says that the Salvation Army serves all people to come to its doors. “We do not ask people questions before we serve them. We have no idea how many people of the LGBTQ community we serve. We simply don’t count people that way. We serve whoever comes to our door.” The metro Atlanta offices are at 100 Center Place in Norcross, adjacent to Fire Station No. 11, east of Interstate 85, at 5885 Live Oak Parkway.
There are eight Salvation Arm community and worship centers in the Metro area, including Atlanta International Corps in Doraville; Atlanta Temple Corps on Druid Hills Road in Decatur; Cobb/Douglas Corps on Waterman Street in Marietta; Atlanta Peachcrest Corps on Sherrydale Lane in Decatur; Clayton/Fayette Corps at 130 Spring Street in Jonesboro; Atlanta Red Shield Corps on Marietta Street in Atlanta; Ray and Joan Kroc Center on Dewey Street in Atlanta; and Gwinnett County Corps on Sugarloaf Center in Lawrenceville.
Three Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club are open in Atlanta; five emergency service centers operate in the area; and service centers operate in Jackson, Newnan, Canton and McDonough.
Evangeline Booth College of the Salvation Army is located on Metropolitan Avenue in South Atlanta. It is the Southern Territory’s officer training college, where 42 cadets are studying to become Salvation Army officers. Altogether, that campus houses about 100 people.
Major Bob and Captain Kathy represent fourth/third generation Salvation Army families respectively. Major Bob was born in Canton, Ohio and raised in Durham, N.C. Captain Kathy was born in New Albany, Ind. and raised in central and south Florida.
Most recently, the Parkers have served in Bradenton, Florida and Birmingham, Alabama. They have four children and five grandchildren living in Florida and Texas.
Major Parker continues: “The Salvation Army and Chick-fil-A have a great relationship and have been partners for a long time. The Salvation Army holds Chick-fil-A in high regard with deep appreciation for all they’ve done and will continue to do to help those less fortunate.”
(Editor’s Note: In the interest of transparency, GwinnettForum’s editor and publisher has been a member of the board of advisers of the Metropolitan Atlanta Salvation Army since 2002. –eeb)
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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