Tarrawanna Salvation Army
In Tarrawanna, the Army began due to the fact that there were no facilities for children in the Fernhill area to attend Sunday school, so in 1950 Mr & Mrs Fred & Lela Read decided to hold an Open-Air Sunday School in the Park at the Corner of Ross Street and Douglas Road.
The numbers soon grew to 60 or more children and even on wet days 30-40 children crammed into the Read’s very small lounge room in Bruce Road. By 1956, there were 85 children and the Reads were finding it more difficult to fit all the children into the lounge room on the frequent wet days. They tried to raise finance to build a hall and approached their own church to take the Sunday School over but it was unable to at that time.
Mrs Alma Seaton, a Salvationist from Wollongong who also lived in Bruce Road and had just started to help out, approached her corps officers and they jumped at the opportunity. And so began The Salvation Army's official presence. Since that time a Salvation Army hall had been built and the ministry continues to this day. One of the children who was just three years old when attending that first meeting is still an active member of the Tarrawanna Salvos today!
Since the early days there have been many people from Tarrawanna Salvation Army go on to other ministries across the world. A number of people have become Salvation Army officers. Others have gone to serve as long-term missionaries in Papua New Guinea and Russia. Others have been involved in short-term mission trips to South Aftrica, India, Hungary, Malaysia, Russia and more recently Vanuatu.
In recent years a number of young people, members of the drama group, travelled to small country and coastal towns to spread the gospel via drama and music. And a late soldier of Tarrawanna Corps, Jim Moisidis, was the driving force behind the commencement of the work of the Salvation Army in Greece.
This is his story which appeared in a 2008 edition of Pipeline:
In 2007, The Salvation Army appointed its first Salvation Army officers in Greece. More than 15,000km away, on the South Coast of NSW, a Greek-born Salvationist’s heart leapt for joy at the culmination of a 20-year campaign. BILL 
SIMPSON reports on a remarkable story of passion and perseverance.
It was like a cry from the pages of the Bible itself. The irony was not lost on at least one Salvation Army General. St Paul’s “man of Macedonia” – mentioned in Acts 16:9 – begging the apostle to “come over to Macedonia and help us” has inspired a descendant living in Australia to re-issue the appeal 2000 years later.
This time, however, the plea has been to persuade The Salvation Army. “Come over to Greece (Macedonia) and help us” is the appeal that went out to the Army.
The modern-day Macedonian man is Jim Moisidis, a Salvationist soldier of Tarrawanna Corps, near Wollongong, on the NSW South Coast.
Born Dimitrios Moisidis, near the Greek city of Katerini (not far from Thessalonika), more than 70 years ago, Jim had early family links to the Greek Orthodox Church and later the Presbyterian Church, as a young man in Greece. He was unaware of The Salvation Army in his youth.
When he came to Australia in 1966 with his wife and son, they settled at Tarrawanna – within walking distance of the local Salvation Army corps. It was his first sight of The Salvation Army. He was attracted to the Army’s practical care of people with needs – the alcoholic and drug addict, people without a home or in need of food.
Stories of the Army founder, William Booth, and how Booth took his mission to the streets of London – and then the world – convinced Jim to join Booth’s Army. He was enrolled as a soldier at Tarrawanna
in 1978.
As he served initially through music in his new corps and for the past 30 years collecting for the needy at suburban shopping centres, his thoughts often turned to people in his homeland. It troubled him that they did not have The Salvation Army to help them.
He would discuss his concerns with his corps officers and anybody who would listen. Generals and Commissioners were on his frequent mailing list.
Written Plea
The letters began in 1989 when his corps officer, now Major David Palmer, encouraged Jim to write to Salvation Army leaders.
“I remember Jim being very passionate about this,” Major Palmer told Pipeline.
“Every time we talked, he would mention it. He was convinced that The Salvation Army needed to go to his homeland. He wanted to do something. I advised him to write. We helped him with his letters.”
Other officers helped Jim over the following years. Corps secretary Lyn Mather was Jim’s chief writer and interpreter.
“Jim’s English deteriorated as he got older,” Lyn says. “Our corps supported what he was trying to do. The corps people also prayed a lot for Jim and his dream.”
The first letter of appeal was sent to General Eva Burrows. In October 1989, Jim received a reply from International Headquarters signed by Lieutenant- Colonel Bramwell Booth, Under-Secretary.
His response was on behalf of the General. Lieut-Colonel Booth explained that it was usual in The Salvation Army for somebody to start the work in their own country and, once established, seek official recognition. Greece was a dream that would have to wait, Lieut-Colonel Booth wrote.
Undaunted, Jim pressed on, writing letters and talking up his dream at every opportunity.
“Our requests and begging are not any less than those of the Macedonian man to Paul,” he told Pipeline. He went to Greece in 1992 to attend to family matters and investigate for himself the need of the people.
“I went to market places and other common places. My spirit was upset within me because the interest of most people there was not for God or their eternal life.
“My thought was that Greece is a needy field. Please Lord, I prayed, we need mercy and grace.”
In Greece, Jim contacted an old friend, Nick Ziogas, who had seen The Salvation Army at work in Germany. They held a few worship meetings in local homes.
Jim and Nick arranged a meeting in London in January 1993 with senior international officers. They took with them Haris Giannaros, who was interested in becoming a Salvation Army officer. Haris also spoke better English than Jim and Nick.
Haris and his wife, Anna Giannaroy, returned to London to train as Salvation Army officers. They are currently serving in Britain with the rank of Captain.
Gowans inspiration
In January 1996, Jim wrote to General Paul Rader. He received a reply, on the General’s behalf, from Lieut-Colonel Michael Pressland, Under Secretary, Europe South and the United Kingdom.
“Your arguments for the commencement of the work of The Salvation Army in Greece are valid and convincing,” Lieut-Colonel Pressland replied.
“Be patient. I am absolutely sure that when the time is right, when it is God’s time, the doors will be opened. Be assured that your Macedonian cry is not in vain...”
Also in 1996, Jim received three encouraging responses from General John Gowans, who, at the time, was Territorial Commander of the Australia Eastern Territory.
“John Gowans was my inspiration,” Jim says. “He kept giving me positive thoughts. He kept saying: ‘My friend, no worries, it will happen’. He always gave me hope.”
In one letter, the then Commissioner Gowans wrote: “Whilst nothing can be taken for granted, it does seem as if the possibility of your dream coming true is
gathering strength. The important thing at the moment it seems to me is that you not lose heart.
“If this project is in the will of God, and I believe that it is, then it will come
to pass.”
In another response, Commissioner Gowans wrote: “The mounting interest in your project suggests that your hopes will some day be realised.”
And in another: “It really looks as if your prayers and dreams are all going to be answered and come true. You must keep on believing, though I know myself how hard it is to be patient.”
In March 1996, Commissioner Lennart Hedberg, International Secretary, wrote: “I have read your letter with great joy and interest, as I have done with all the letters you have sent this department during a long time. I admire your faith and your zeal for the people of Greece and your hope that The Salvation Army some time will open fire in your homeland.”
The following year, Commissioner Birgitta Nilson, International Secretary (Europe) wrote: “Over the past few years, we have received many requests from you for The Salvation Army to be officially
opened in Greece. We have been inspired by your faith, prayers and belief that this is in God’s will. You have never faltered, even when we have not felt able to answer your appeal.”
She advised Jim that “experienced Salvation Army officers” Commissioners John and Mrs Ord were to be sent to Greece to assess the situation. Jim was asked to meet them in Greece, show them around and introduce them to appropriate people.
Jim went to Greece again and did as he had been requested. But, again, International Headquarters said “not yet” regarding the work in Jim’s homeland.
Meantime, Greek husband and wife Polis Pantelidis and Maria Konti-Galinou heard about The Salvation Army from Haris and Anna, and in 1997 moved to London to also train as Salvation Army officers. After college, they were appointed to a hostel at Bristol and corps work.
In January 2000, John Gowans – by now the General – wrote to Jim: “My dear friend ... I have pondered upon your Macedonian call to The Salvation Army to come over and help us.” However, lack of resources remained the problem.
The following month, Colonel Laurence Hay, Executive Secretary to the General (John Gowans), responded to another letter from Jim. The answer was still no, but: “The sincerity of your faith is appreciated and your perseverance is admired. Do not feel that the General and other leaders are unmindful of
your pleas.”
In December 2004, Jim met the new General, John Larsson, in Sydney, and immediately put his thoughts in yet another letter.
A few weeks later, he received a personal response: “I am so glad you came to the congress and that we had the opportunity to meet. Thank you for your passionate desire to see The Salvation Army established in your country of Greece.” General Larsson assured Jim that Greece was now high on a priority list.
A year later, Colonel Hay, on behalf of the General, said the answer was still “not yet”, but encouraged Jim to remain patient.
In May 2006, Major Alison Cowling, Under Secretary for South Pacific and East Asia Department, advised Jim: “You will be pleased to know that a research team
here in the UK Territory has been formed to explore the possibilities of commencing the work of The Salvation Army in Greece.”
First officers
On 1 October 2007, Captains Polis Pantelidis and Maria Konti-Galinou were appointed the first Salvation Army officers in Greece. Their appointment was to Thessalonika, the city that St Paul visited 2000 years ago.
Captain Polis has no doubt that Jim Moisidis’ faithfulness to the task inspired the decision. “Praise the Lord for Jim,” Captain Polis told Pipeline from Thessalonika.
“He was at the beginning of the long journey. It was Jim’s dream and initiative which made all this possible.
“Nothing would have happened if Jim had stayed in Australia.
“It seems from what Jim says that it was not only his corps officers but the corps people, as well (who provided support). We owe them a big thank you, as with their support the dream has been materialised.”
On 13 September 2008, husband and wife Neofytos Totsios and Anastasia
Arpatzi were enrolled as the first Salvation Army soldiers in Greece.
With Captains Polis and Maria, they meet each week, under The Salvation Army’s Greek flag, in a house fellowship. Their next step is to form an official corps. Jim Moisidis wants to be there for the occasion.
“Two thousand years ago, God did a great work through Paul in Greece,” Jim says in now faltering English. “I always believed that God wanted The Salvation Army in Greece. He was saying: ‘Come over and help’.
“I think God used Tarrawanna Corps to open the door. I can’t prove it, but when I stand before God I will ask him and he will tell me.
“I think he will say: ‘Yes Jim; I did.”