Local Heroes: Stella Green
From little things, big things grow
Retired officer Major Stella Green tells how she has seen The Salvation Army’s Chinese ministry grow from small beginnings to become a vibrant outreach bringing freedom to many.
Recommencing a life in Western culture to serve in The Salvation Army was extremely difficult. After spending 21 years as a missionary in Asia I felt alienated in Australia. I was a stranger in my own country, and deep within me was a longing for the Chinese people. I felt more Chinese than Australian.
Within a week of my return, in 1980, God’s plan began to unfold. I was standing at Campsie Railway Station in Sydney’s inner-west when I overheard a conversation between four refugees from Vietnam. They carried the same sense of despair and loneliness as the refugees I had encountered in China.
Something stirred within me and I spoke to them in Cantonese, offered them hospitality, love and friendship. They immediately accepted.
They were the first of many to be welcomed into our home, and they became a part of our family. Each morning we met for prayer, Bible study and fasting.
In 1982, I was able to enrol Donni Khuu, a Chinese/Vietnamese Christian, as our first senior soldier at Campsie Corps. Donni has gone on to become an officer and now holds the rank of lieutenant-colonel. With her husband, Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Pho, they now serve in the Australia Southern Territory, having been the leaders of the Army’s Hong Kong and Macau Command from 2009-2013.
In 1983, as the Chinese ministry developed, Canterbury Council granted us use of the old Orion Theatre rent-free and with no electricity charges, for 18 months. The theatre required extensive repairs but generous donations were given and the Chinese members and local businessmen were willing to fulfil our needs. Over four weeks we completed renovations of the upstairs section of the theatre.
The programs we ran in the building included English classes and social activities. We also had a kitchen, a counselling room, mothers’ facilities and a worship centre. In a special ceremony celebrating the building’s opening, there was a spectacular Chinese lion dance down Beamish St to music provided by The Salvation Army band.
The Salvation Army’s then-field secretary, Lieutenant-Colonel Ian Cutmore, gave a speech and dedicated the building to the glory of God. The following day, 70 Chinese people dedicated their lives to Jesus. In 1984, under the service of Envoys Thomas and Amy Chan, from Hong Kong, the new Chinese ministry grew. The Campsie youth hall was used for English classes and fellowship, while local works surged ahead through prayer, fasting and Bible study.
God has continued to honour his work with many more multicultural corps across Sydney and the rest of Australia.
Major Green is now 88 but continues to be active in serving Chinese people. She recently returned from three weeks in Hong Kong; one of the many trips she has made there since returning to Australia in 1980. “For me, going back is like going home. I am more Chinese than Australian. I praise God for the privileges he has given me in this ministry.”
* Edited extract of an article that first appeared in The Salvation Army’s Pipeline magazine.