By: Laura Poff

For 26 years, Major Sally Broughton has served as resource officer and gospel arts coordinator at Evangeline Booth College, working alongside seven training principles and teaching 1,172 commissioned cadets. She has assisted with chapel services, taught the history of The Salvation Army, led brigades and planned commissioning programs alongside Captain Ken Chapman.

After a lifetime of service to The Salvation Army and others, she will retire at a private service held in June. Just prior to retirement, a new album titled "Take Time to Be Holy" will be released in conjunction with the Territorial Music Department and available for sale through Trade South Commissioning weekend.

The album will feature 20 acoustic piano and string guitar tracks which can be listened to or used as accompaniment in a corps setting.

"I've really appreciated the people in the music department who have been so supportive," she said. "I've been the lucky one."

Broughton has had a unique career and lifelong relationship with The Salvation Army and with music.  The daughter of officers, she began playing the piano when she was just 8 years old, and learned other instruments as well, participating in corps programming with her family.

"I remember realizing that it wasn't just for me," she said. "I've had opportunities that are unbelievable in the Army because of music."

As a young woman, she earned a degree in music therapy. She took on her current role at the training school in 1990, when then Chief Secretary Colonel Kenneth Hodder asked her to join the EBC staff.

"Every day has been absolutely fabulous," she said of her time at the EBC. "To be a part of the cadets' lives on a daily basis is incredible. There's no other job in The Salvation Army where you get to have an impact on so many Salvationists."

In fact, there are few Salvationists whose lives she has not touched with her passionate teaching, supportive counseling and the spirit of joy that she carries around the campus. Many officers who were taught by her have sent their children off to training to be taught by her as well. Her goal, she said, is "to encourage and challenge them."

"Officership isn't a 9 to 5 job," she said. "We've all got a job to do and we'd better do it."