Tributes have been paid to a member of The Salvation Army church in Shoeburyness for his 50 years of service after he stepped down as a leader recently.
John Wilcockson has been attending the church for more than 60 years since he was a teenager. He served as corps sergeant major, advising leaders Captain Rob and Captain Clare Davis, from 2017 until last month. He also held the role for an eight year period until he was forced to retire through ill health.
Born in the old Shoeburyness Military Hospital, John has played an active role in church life over the years. He was in the church singing company for 25 years and was songster leader for 12.
John said he has a lot of memories from more than six decades with the church.
He said: “I remember moving to the new hall 26 years ago. We stood on the piece of land where the church is now and prayed. We were gifted with the price of the land at a minimum fee as long as it was used for community work and as a worship hall.”
John, who has six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, will still be helping out at the weekly mum and tots group. He and his wife Celia were surprised recently when past corps officers he had worked with over the years returned to the church on Frobisher Way for a special thanksgiving service.
He said: “My wife and I wondered what was going on. When we saw other corps officers we had worked with in the past were there as well as all our family, it was such a lovely surprise. I was presented with a retirement certificate, there was a folder of written tributes and it all ended up with a delicious cake. I think they had been planning it since November.”
Captain Rob Davis leads the church with his wife Clare. He said the couple were thankful for all John’s help and guidance over the years.
Rob said: “His was an extra voice into the situation, and he was someone we could trust and seek guidance and advice from. We had to celebrate 50 years of John’s ministry.”
