Welcome to the Boomtown
Lts. Joseph and Rachel Irvine are primed to pump lots of good into North Dakota’s biggest oil boomtown – Williston.
The young couple took over the Williston Salvation Army in June, after leading The Salvation Army in Beatrice, Neb. for four years.
“We feel blessed to have been appointed to this amazing and unique community – even if we are not excited about the coming winter,” joked Lt. Rachel.
A unique community indeed: The Williston area is one of the busiest and most interesting places in America. The local population has more than doubled since the oil boom began about 10 years ago, with six-figure jobs aplenty, low unemployment, and sky-high housing prices.
“People expect that Williston will keep up this pace for the next couple of decades,” Lt. Rachel said.
One would think that Williston’s economic prosperity would make the local Salvation Army’s presence obsolete. But that is not so. The Williston Salvation Army remains as busy as ever, proving food shelf services for about 200 families per month, rent and utility assistance for up to 50 families per month, along with transportation assistance, clothing vouchers, and other critical services.
These services are mainly called upon by transients who arrive to town and cannot land a job quickly, and longtime locals struggling to make ends meet due to the soaring cost of living.
“I enjoy the multiple opportunities for ministry that exist to help so many different people,” Lt. Joseph said. “There is no day that is exactly like the one before.”
Lt. Rachel loves the variety, too. Example: One day, she spent the morning meeting with a donor who owns an oil company, then spent the afternoon at a hospital with a woman who was alone and needed support.
“In this job I never know what is going to happen from day to day, and that makes it fun,” Lt. Rachel said.
Lts. Irvine are excited to lead the Williston Salvation Army and feel honored to carry on its 111-year legacy.
“I look at the multitude of officers who have served at the Williston Salvation Army ever since it was founded in 1908, and I see that this job is not about me,” Lt. Joseph said. “This job is about having an opportunity to join the Williston Salvation Army’s heritage, point back to God, and bring all the glory and honor to Him.”
Runs in the family
Lts. Irvine know much about the value of heritage: Their parents were Salvation Army officers, and so were Lt. Joseph’s grandparents.
From what Lt. Joseph understands, his great-grandparents were also involved with The Salvation Army, way back when the organization’s founder, William Booth (pictured), was still alive and living in England.
“I have been told that my ancestors hail from England and through (one of Booth’s initiatives) they immigrated from the U.K. to Canada,” Lt. Joseph said.
Lt. Joseph’s parents and grandparents went on to become officers and served throughout the Midwest for many decades, along with several other members of his extended family.
“I am the third Joseph Irvine in my family to serve as an officer,” Lt. Joseph said.
As for Lt. Rachel, her parents served as officers for many years. Her mother, Major Elaine Medlock, grew up attending youth programs at a Salvation Army next to her childhood home in Wichita, Kan.
“My mom accepted Christ as a teenager,” Lt. Rachel said. “When she began dating my dad, he decided to join The Salvation Army and get involved. They became officers later in life.”
Lts. Irvine, too, were brought together by The Salvation Army. As children they met briefly at a Salvation Army in Kansas, then met again in their late teens at The Salvation Army in Arnold, MO.
“The rest is history,” said Lt. Rachel, who went on to marry Lt. Joseph in October 2010.
Now, nearly 10 years later, the couple is ever-committed to spreading the gospel and serving others through the work of The Salvation Army.
“Our vision is for The Salvation Army to be a partner in the community,” Lt. Rachel said. “We want to work together to build God’s kingdom.”
The Salvation Army Northern Division pledges to do the most good with your gifts of time and money, with 81 cents of every dollar going directly to services. Join us by volunteering or making a donation to support your local community.