Getting to know Colonel Howard Russell and Colonel Janet Robson

Colonel Janet Robson and Colonel Howard Russell talk about stepping into their new appointments as territorial secretary for leader development and chief secretary. 

Recently appointed to key leadership roles at Territorial Headquarters, Colonel Janet Robson and Colonel Howard Russell are stepping into new chapters of service and responsibility. We sit down to get to know the people behind the appointments, talking about everything from their ideal days off to their faith journeys and what we can pray for them.

Read on and get to know Howard and Janet a little better, and follow Salvationist on Facebook and Instagram to watch our exclusive video interviews with them.

Where is home for you?

Howard I was born and raised in south London, but ‘home’ is an interesting concept in that I generally settle and feel at home wherever I am appointed.

Janet My family home is the northeast of England, and I was born in Sunderland. As a Salvation Army officer, home is always wherever I’m living and serving, so home is currently London!

Describe yourself in three words.

Howard Positive, committed, fun.

Janet This is a hard question! Child of God.

How do you take your tea or coffee?

Howard A double-shot latte every time.

Janet Coffee with milk – but no instant coffee! Or a strong Yorkshire Tea with a drop of milk.

What would your ideal day off look like?

Howard A day spent pottering. It’s the art of keeping busy, but doing nothing in particular.

Janet Being outdoors – a long walk with good friends, and a coffee shop or two.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Howard The advice that was given to me by a wise Salvation Army officer: ‘Pick your battles!’ and ‘Is this the hill you want to die on?’

Janet Two things. First, relax! I like to plan well and be organised, and possibly put too much pressure on myself. Second, I’d say not to take ‘ordinary’ days for granted, and don’t take the extraordinary people around me for granted, either. Be fully present to the wonder of all this!

You’ve both just started new appointments. What are you expecting the day-to-day to look like?

Howard I am quickly discovering that The Salvation Army is a highly complex organisation. A bit like a mechanical watch, there are hundreds of cogs all working away. Some are obvious, others less so, but are still necessary to keep everything moving smoothly. I see a major part of the day-to-day role of the chief secretary as helping to bring all these cogs together and ensure they are working in harmony, and understanding what the ultimate purpose is – not to tell the time, but to lift up the name of Jesus and help The Salvation Army have the greatest possible impact for the Kingdom.

Janet In these early days as territorial secretary for leader development, I’ll be listening a lot! I have lots to learn. I want to remain people-focused, and supportive of the team I am part of.

How did your officership journey start?

Howard Although I grew up in The Salvation Army, I would say I was 28 before I truly became a Christian. A few years later, God took me from a place of contentment to bringing me to my knees. My calling was to full-time ministry and officership was the door I tried that stayed open. I’ve never looked back!

Janet I became a Christian in the spring of 1985 at a corps cadet rally at the Royal Albert Hall. I first felt called to officership a couple of years later, while working at The Salvation Army’s Camp Ladore in the USA in the summer of 1987.

What's your favourite Bible verse?

Howard ‘Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow’ (Isaiah 1:17). This is probably the verse that has shaped the outworking of my ministry up to this point.

Janet ‘See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!’ (1 John 3:1). I just love what it tells me about who God is, and the nature and the generosity of his love. And I love what it tells me – what it tells us – about who we are as children of God.

Do you have a favourite hymn or worship song?

Howard Far too many to mention, but ‘I Then Shall Live As One Who's Been Forgiven’ to the tune of ‘Finlandia’ is a favourite. The final verse is such a powerful and potentially life-changing prayer: ‘Your Kingdom come around and through and in me.’

Janet ‘How Great Thou Art’. I’m currently listening to Bethel Music’s arrangement of it... a lot! It’s really slow, it’s fantastic. I love how the verses get us to think about who God is, and then we sing out our response in the chorus.

Give your testimony using only one word.

Howard Redeemed.

Janet Held!

What can we pray for you?

Howard I believe God is leading The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom and Ireland Territory away from a place of stability and contentment to a place of challenge and transformation. I’m genuinely excited, but that does mean we probably all need to strap in for a bumpy ride. So, my obvious prayer would be for wisdom and discernment. Knowing my own character, I would add patience, endurance and a daily reminder that ‘God is enough’.

Janet That I will serve people well in my new role, and that I will have an undivided heart. I love that David prayed for an ‘undivided heart’ in Psalm 86:11. I think that would cover so many things, wouldn’t it? I want to be so obedient and so focused on God – on his will, plans and purposes – that I don’t get distracted.