Special Forces #4 Salisbury, MD

Jim Van GelderenSpecial Forces Updates

This was the first time the War of Special Forces team was ever at Faith Baptist in Salisbury, MD. We were very encouraged with the good spirit and attendance on Sunday.  We enjoyed working with the teens there and the leadership.  Pastor Tim Binkley was the youth pastor and was a blessing to our team!


On Monday the team had a rare opportunity to recruit teens at a football game. Because of excessive rain the week before, the game had been postponed from Friday to Monday.  At the game several teens were invited and a good number ended up coming to the War of Special Forces.  One of our female team members recruited 12 young ladies at the game.  Several came and brought friends and several of them got saved.  The Navy Seals captain recruited several teens that came.


On Wednesday evening, a young man came to War of Special Forces who the Army Ranger captain had invited. After the message a couple of our team members approached him about his salvation.  He clearly revealed to one of the team captains that he was trusting good works to get him to heaven.  The next night he came back with his brother.  His brother listened intently to the message and responded to the invitation and was wondrously saved.  After the service, the younger brother who brought him was approached by one of our team captains.  The team captain asked, “Can I ask you a question?  If you were to die right now, where would you go?”  The teenager replied, “Heaven, you know.” The team captain countered with this question, “What are you depending on to get you to Heaven?”  “You know, good works…um…Jesus,” the teenager responded.  The captain realized the boy was not saved so he asked, “Would you mind if I just showed you from the Bible how you can be 100% sure that you’re on your way to Heaven?”  The captain later testified that he could tell when he said, “Yes” God was telling him to give him the Gospel and he’s ready to be saved.   The team captain took him step by step through the Gospel and the young man wondrously asked Jesus to be his Savior. Well, right then his brother, who had just gotten saved, came up with the Army team captain.  This young man walked up to the Army captain and gave him a huge hug and was so excited that God had saved him.


On Wednesday evening after the first rally night was over, a young man in the Christian school asked me if the next night was going to be like the one tonight. I told him that we would have different games and things, but it would be the same format concluding with a Gospel message.  He told me he was bringing a friend the next night.  Well, his friend came and listened intently to the message and responded during the invitation.  She told her personal worker that she had been an atheist.  The personal worker did not get distracted with that, but continued on with the Gospel message.  The young lady got saved and when I questioned her later, she testified that she had gotten saved!  The young man that brought her was spiritually impacted and gave a substantive helpful testimony on Friday evening!


On Thursday, we have team meetings where our team captains preach to their team. One of the team captains later testified, “The Lord was really burdening me about my team. . . Thursday during the team meeting, I preached about young people not being satisfied with defeat.  One of the things that I’ve come to learn while traveling with this ministry is that a number of young people live in defeat and they’re shocked by victory. . . One of the young guys at the end was weeping during the invitation and went to the back. . . When I sat down with him and began to talk with him, I showed him Psalm 119:9 where the Bible says, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.”  I began to show him that God wanted to cleanse him. . . I’ll never forget sitting there as he began to weep even more as he realized that this sin held him in bondage for far too long. . . I’ll never forget sitting across from him as he talked about some of the viewing issues that he had in the privacy of his room. . . Friday night during the testimony service of the campfire, he stood up and gave a testimony about how God had delivered him from that sin and how that he was ready for God to use his life in a far greater way than he ever imagined. . . I’ll never forget talking to him before we left, and encouraging him that God was going to use his life. For the first time that week I saw a smile that was on his face that was genuine for he realized that God had a plan for his life.”


There were not a lot of testimonies at the campfire on Friday evening, but there were some encouraging ones! Below are some of the testimonies.

I lost my aunt in a car accident last summer and there had been anger and bitterness towards the young man that made a wrong decision the night before. And I couldn’t forgive him for that. And it was weighing on my heart. And this week I got it right with God and … he’s a person that needs Jesus just like the rest of us. And I’d like to say it’s been lifted off my conscience and off my heart and … I really do hope he receives Jesus Christ as his Savior.

I want to talk today about how I got saved this week … I talked to Jesus and I believed Him in my heart. And He cleansed all my sins and not just one, ALL.

I struggled with anger towards younger siblings, friends, But on Tuesday he talked about the anger and bitterness. And it really hit me. I never realized it, but I blow up at my little brother and I never realize it til it’s over. And the only person that can help me with that problem is Jesus. So if He can help me, He can definitely help you guys.


I also enjoyed seeing Frank Sansone. Frank traveled on one of our The War teams led by Mark Kittrell in the early 1990’s.  Frank’s daughter attended the War of Special Forces and it is her picture that is above wearing her dad’s old The War sweatshirt!

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Well, it was a great week. We were encouraged that five teens who had been saved came to the youth meeting that next Sunday.  May the Lord continue to bless the follow up in Salisbury!

About the Author

Jim Van Gelderen

Dr. Jim Van Gelderen is president of Minutemen Ministries, vice-president of Baptist College of Ministry, and evangelist out of Falls Baptist Church. He and his wife, Rhonda, travel the country in evangelism. They have three daughters.