October 2025
Official Engagements
Commissioner Janine Donaldson (Territorial Commander)
October 2: Rotoroa Island visit, Hauraki Gulf
October 5: Chief Secretary Colonel Gerry Walker Retirement Ceremony, Porirua Corps, Porirua
October 10–12: Thought Matters Conference, Melbourne
October 16: 10-year Review Messengers of Light, Fiji—online
October 16: Hutt Valley Area Leadership Team meeting and Petone Family Store visit
October 23: Aspire 10-year celebration, Westgate, Auckland
October 28: Woolworths Open Doors, Royal Oak, Auckland
Colonel Gerry Walker (Chief Secretary)
October 5: Retirement Ceremony, Porirua Corps, Porirua
Lt-Colonel Liz Gainsford (Territorial Secretary for Spiritual Life Development)
October 7: Territorial Online Praying Together
October 10: National Dialogue for Christian Unity, St Joseph’s Catholic Church Wellington
October 24: Combined Fiji and BCM Spiritual Day, Booth College of Mission, Upper Hutt
October 28–31: 15 Year Officer Review, Booth College of Mission, Upper Hutt
Gazette
Annual General Change: The Annual General change was published on Thursday 11 September, and can be read at salvationarmy.org.nz/news/annual-general-change-2026
Appointment in Retirement: Effective 3 September 2025, Major Marilyn Tremain will take up an appointment in retirement
as interim mission officer, Epsom Lodge Supportive Housing. Please pray for Major Marilyn as she prepares to take up this appointment in retirement.
Appointments—International College for Officers 2027: Captain Jordan Westrupp, Major Limaina Turaga and Captain Sarah Healey have been appointed to the International College for Officers. May God bless these officers as they begin preparations for attending the International College for Officers in 2027. We pray that the experience will enrich them spiritually and give them encouragement.
Bereavement: David Gower, the brother of Colonel Ross Gower, passed away from Christchurch Hospital, on 26 August 2025. We ask you to uphold Colonels Ross and Annette Gower, along with other family members, in your prayers during this time of grief and loss.
Atonina Tuvotua, the mother of Captain Ponipate Bacaivalu, passed away from Lautoka, Fiji, aged 73 years, on 5 September 2025. We ask you to uphold Captains Ponipate and Mereyani Bacaivalu and other family members in your prayers during this time of grief and loss.
Promotion to Glory: Lt-Colonel Faye Rive was promoted to Glory from Auckland, aged 84 years, on 27 August 2025.
Faye Levett was born on 24 March 1941 in Auckland. Faye married Lance Rive on 5 January 1963, and together they entered The Salvation Army Training College from Auckland Congress Hall in February 1965 as cadets in the ‘Defenders of the Faith’ session. They were commissioned on 21 January 1967 and were appointed assistant officers at Hamilton Corps, with responsibility for Cambridge Outpost. In April 1967 they were transferred to the Mazoe Secondary School, Rhodesia.
During the next ten years Lt Colonels Faye and Lance Rive served in various educational institutes in Rhodesia with appointments at Howard Teacher Training College, where she was appointed as a Commercial Course Teacher in 1969 and in 1973 as Corps Officer, Howard Institute Corps.
Lt Colonels Faye and Lance Rive returned to New Zealand in 1977 and Faye was appointed Corps Officer, Rotorua Corps, followed by appointments as Secretary to the Territorial Home League Secretary, THQ (1979); Teacher, Officer Training College (1982); Corps Officer, Newton Corps (1986); before embarking on another ‘overseas’ appointment as Fiji Regional Leaders (1987).
In 1990 International Headquarters appointed Lt Colonel Faye Rive as Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries, and Lt Colonel Lance Rive as Chief Secretary, Nigeria Territory, and it was here on 13 July 1992 when they were involved in a tragic accident that seriously injured them both. There were many lifestyle changes that they needed to face, which they accepted with strength and resolve to continue as active officers. In 1994 Faye was appointed Divisional Assistant, Northern Division, followed by an appointment in 1997 as Assistant Director, Services for Older People, Northern Division, with an additional appointment as Divisional Secretary, Northern Division Missionary Fellowship, and a further additional appointment in 2000 as Chaplain, Auckland Resthaven Eventide.
Lt Colonel Faye Rive, along with her husband Lance, were awarded the Order of the Founder on 22 February 2004 with the citation:
“Throughout their thirty six years of officership, Lt Colonels Lance and Faye Rive have rendered sacrificial service of far-reaching influence. As a result of a tragic accident in 1992 while on active service in Nigeria, Lt Colonel Lance Rive became a tetraplegic. However, with determination and courage, Lt Colonels Lance and Faye Rive have pursued a remarkable spiritual ministry, at home and through the internet, which has been a world-wide inspiration.”
Lt Colonels Faye and Lance Rive worked together sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to many people in many different cultures. They were an example to many people in the Territory of their faithfulness, their love for the Lord and entered retirement on 1 October 2003.
Lt Colonel Lance Rive was promoted to Glory on 24 June 2006.
We give thanks and praise to God for Lt Colonel Faye Rive’s 39 years of active service and her continued ministry in retirement. Faye’s resilience and courage were evident throughout her officership, along with her ability to work cross-culturally and her passion for education.
Please uphold in prayer Lt Colonel Faye’s children Elizabeth, Susan and Vernon and other family members at this time of grief and loss.
