Jamaicans to lead Salvation Army Caribbean territory

For the first time in its 131-year history, the Salvation Army Caribbean territory will be led by Jamaican nationals.

Lieutenant Colonel Devon and Veronica Haughton, currently serving as chief secretary and territorial secretary for women's ministries, respectively, in The Salvation Army Caribbean terri-tory with offices located in Kingston, have been appoined to take leadership of the territory with both receiving a promo-tion to the rank of commissioner. Lt Colonel Devon Haughton has been appointed as territorial commander (chief director of the work) and Lt Colonel Verona Haughton as territorial president of women's ministries (chief director of women's movements) in the 16 countries that comprise the Caribbean territory.

A public installation service for the Haughtons was held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel yesterday.

The Haughtons have been part of the Salvation Army for almost all their lives and have served as officers.

Early life

Born in Portland, Lt Colonel Devon Haughton is a graduate of Portland High School and entered the Salvation Army Training College in 1979 as a member of the 'God's Soldiers' session. A delegate of the 145th session of the International College for Officers, he also participated in training courses for training principals in Santiago and London. He completed studies in management at William and Catherine Booth Theological College and is now pursuing a Master of Arts Degree in global urban leadership at BAKKE Graduate University in the USA. His active preaching and teaching ministry has been evident in several of the islands of the Caribbean.

Lt Colonel Verona Haughton was born in St Catherine, but all her formative years were spent in Buff Bay, Portland. She entered the Salvation Army Training College in 1974 as a member of the 'Overcomers' session and was a delegate at the Administrative Leadership Training Course in Australia and Training Principal's conference in London. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in pastoral psychology and counselling and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in guidance and counselling. She also has certificates in supervisory management and public speaking from Training and Development Services, a branch of human resource development. Lt Colonel Verona has passionately devoted time to the training and development of officers and steered the territorial training college to be recognised as an educational institution under the Independent Schools of Jamaica.

The couple served in Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica in various appointments, including corps officers, divisional leaders for Eastern and Western Jamaica Divisions, and training principals at different periods for the territory's training college. Similarly, Lt Colonel Devon has served as secretary for programme and territorial evangelist, while Lt Colonel Verona has served as secretary for leader development and secretary for spiritual life development

Above everything else, the Haughtons love the Lord, His people and His work, and are completely committed to the mission of 'saving souls, growing saints and serving suffering humanity'.

They have been married for 36 years and are the parents of an adult daughter, Tephanie Olivia.