GOSHEN — Exciting changes are coming to The Salvation Army of Goshen as Lt. Aurelia Pettit and Maj. Bill Welch will be married on June 13 before Welch officially joins the Goshen Corps team on June 25.
Welch brings with him 29 years of ministry experience as a Salvation Army officer. His previous appointments include Pontiac, Michigan; St. Louis Harbor Light; Marinette, Wisconsin; Ottawa, Illinois; Galesburg, Illinois; Warsaw, Indiana; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Richmond, Indiana. Throughout his years of service, Welch has learned the importance of relying on God’s strength to meet the needs of the communities he has been privileged to serve, the organization said in announcing the developments.
“The appointment that has stood out to me the most has been St. Louis Harbor Light – watching families come together during Sunday services while their loved ones received life-saving drug and alcohol rehabilitation was truly beautiful,” Welch said. “Even when it was hard, God was working.”
Pettit and Welch said they are looking forward to this next chapter in Goshen.
“In Goshen, I look forward to getting to know the people of the community,” Welch said. “I am excited to see how I can become part of the ministry and help grow the work of The Salvation Army. I hope to learn what the community is needing, where we can fill in the gaps, and where we can build relationships and meet needs in His name – without discrimination.”
Pettit said the addition of a second officer would be a tremendous blessing for the church.
“Having a second officer, after serving as a single person in this ministry, will open not only myself but Major Bill up to being more relational with the community, our donors, and those who are clients,” she said. “This partnership will allow us to better serve the spiritual and physical needs of those around us.”
When asked about the most rewarding moment of her time so far in Goshen, Pettis recalled her first Christmas season.
“We were short on adopters for our Christmas assistance program, and I remember sitting in my office, almost in tears, as the community stepped up,” she said. “We ended up overflowing with the number of adopters we needed for Christmas 2024. So many children and parents were assisted – families forever impacted because of the beautiful community we get to serve.”
Pettit and Welch are eager to bring their families together as they begin this new chapter. Welch has two daughters, Sam and Mykayla, a son-in-law, Nick, and two grandchildren, Michael and Haley. Pettit has one daughter, BreAyna.
“Family is important to us,” they said. “We enjoy eating Mexican food, spending time near water, and being with our kids and grandkids.”
They plan to celebrate their honeymoon with a cruise to Mexico in early August.
They describe their shared vision for ministry as “relational.”
“We believe that ministry is all about relationships – with Christ and with the neighbors around us,” they said in the release. “In order to see what the needs of the community are, we have to first build relationships with those in the community – both donors and clients alike. Relationships are number one.”
As Pettit enters her second year in ministry and Welch enters his 29th, they are excited to discover how their strengths will complement one another in serving the Goshen community. With a shared heart for ministry and a deep love for people, they look forward to continuing The Salvation Army’s mission of meeting human needs in Jesus’ name without discrimination.
And they offer a warm invitation to the community they serve:
“Our door is always open – whether you need a listening ear, a partner in prayer, or a place to connect. Let’s build something meaningful together.