In August, the Bethlehem Salvation Army welcomed two new full-time leaders, who are responsible for maintaining the local corps’ community center and its many ministries. Major Scott Peabody and his wife Major Karen Peabody, both ministers, transferred to Bethlehem from Greenfield, Mass., where they served the Salvation Army for the past five years.

In Greenfield, the Peabodys were involved with the homeless, and are credited with raising awareness of the issue. In 2018, there were plans to shut down a homeless encampment on the Town Common that had grown to more than a dozen tents. Peabody and Greenfield residents met with people to talk about housing options.

“There was a huge amount of need, and some expansion and good news came out of it,” Peabody told the Bethlehem Press. Local officials were looking at a number of housing options, including some with jobs.

In Bethlehem, Peabody said he and his wife will oversee many of the same kind of services as in Greenfield, in addition to a senior program and transitional housing for individuals recovering from crises. While he is still researching needs and resources, Peabody said he is already aware of the many different churches and agencies that are working together and caring for each other in the area. He called it a “really good safety net.”

The Peabodys have been married 25 years and have three children-Brendon, 24; Joel, 19; and Kylee, 12, who now attends classes two days a week in the Nazareth School District. How the couple met is not what you would expect.

“Karen was born and raised in the Salvation Army, attending church services with her parents in Haverhill, Mass.” Peabody explained. “I didn’t know anything about the Salvation Army until I met her, and got involved with a kids’ program on Friday nights to keep them out of trouble. I liked the ‘boots on the ground’ approach.”

At the time, Peabody was a production manager for a tech company in New Hampshire. “It was all I had known for 20 years from high school.” He kept his day job until 2002, when he took on the Salvation Army full time. Having now spent 15 years with the corps, the couple came to Bethlehem each with the new rank of Major.

Besides conducting senior feeding and rental assistance programs, the Peabodys will conduct Sunday services and oversee the 50-65-member foundation. “We don’t want to duplicate services, but I am working to raise funding to provide more virtual and interactive programming.”

Speaking of fundraising, Peabody said the iconic Red Kettles would be out at 15 locations in Bethlehem starting Nov. 17 and continuing six weeks until Christmas Eve. Santa got a head start at the Moravian Book Shop in historic downtown Bethlehem Nov. 13.

Peabody said his first impression of Bethlehem is that it “is a very special place with special people. I’m very excited to be in Pennsylvania because I’ve been in New England all my life. The communities here are very supportive, and I look forward to working with them.”

Having now been officers with the Salvation Army for 15 years, the Peabodys will carry the title of “major” at the Bethlehem. branch, which is their fourth appointment.

The Salvation Army had its beginnings in England in the 1850s when minister William Booth abandoned the conventional church pulpit to walk the streets of London to care for the needy. Today, The Salvation Army is active in virtually every corner of the world and serves in over 100 countries.