Narrative Summary
Interview with Claire Grainger by Maddie Sellers
Claire Grainger is currently a Major in the Salvation Army, Springfield Corps. Born and
raised in England, Claire’s spiritual and vocational journey has prepared her to be international
missionary for Christ.
Claire explained her experience as a child growing up in the Anglican Church. Her
description of her parent’s faith is quite different than that of her own spirituality as an adult. In
England, Claire remembers spending much of her time at the local Anglican Church. Many of
the community’s social events occurred there. She continued by describing the cultural setting in
which she was raised. There were no malls, and the few restaurants and businesses there were
closed by 6:00 P.M. The local youth did not have many places to spend their time outside the
church, even the local Girl Scout troops met on the church premises. Claire, however, was
unable to develop her spiritually during her time in there. Even as a church choir member, it was
difficult to get outside the social aspect of her church’s services and community events. Claire
mentions not having an assurance of her salvation until she entered the seminary for the
Salvation Army.
When Claire was 18, she remembers having an argument with her 17-year-old sister over
a babysitting opportunity. Having won the job, Claire left and was unable to speak with her sister
again that night. The next evening while walking, her sister was hit by a car and did not survive
the accident. This experience was devastating and had harmful effects on Claire as a young adult.
She mentions that had she been living a life of faith, she would have coped more positively with
the heartbreak and pain she experienced after her sister’s death.
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When Claire was 21, she met her current husband. At the time, she comments, neither of
them was saved. While both had good parental role models for marriage, they soon realized what
a huge responsibility it would be to raise a child. This brought the young couple back to the
Anglican Church where Claire had been working with youth as a Brownie leader.
The next stage of Claire’s journey occurred when her husband’s job brought them to the
Bahamas. Claire describes this stage of life as a “smorgasbord set by God.” They had every
convenience a family would want—money and a beautiful location to reside in. On the surface,
life looked good, but, as Claire describes, their lives were unraveling underneath the facade. This
was one of the hardest times in their marriage.
A few months later, Claire took an opportunity to work with a Salvation Army summer
ministry camp; her husband contributed as well. This was a very influential period in their lives,
mainly because of an American couple they met and grew to respect who were Salvation Army
officers. Claire remembers noticing a spirit of peace and calm around the couple, and they soon
became great friends. Claire felt a call, not long after, to become more involved with the
Salvation Army. Most of the roles within the Salvation Army are for married couples. So, Claire
prayed and decided that if she was meant to work for the Salvation Army, then her husband
would have to ask her to do it. She did not want to force him into this role simply as an
opportunity to save their marriage. He was an extremely introverted man and Claire knew that if
he pursued an officer position he would become an ordained minister. She feared his introversion
would prevent him from wanting such a position. Within three days of Claire’s prayer, he came
to her. He had also felt a call to become more involved with the Salvation Army as an officer.
This was one of several experiences that helped Claire develop her faith and trust in God.
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The next step for Claire was a move to Illinois with her two children and her husband.
They began the seminary together, and it took two years to complete their training. Claire
remembers being in an evangelism class and realizing she had never intentionally given her life
to Christ. It was through this class, and her experiences in seminary, that she finally felt she had
gained the assurance of her salvation. Claire also learned in a very real way during her time there
that God was truly able to answer prayers. She also gained a sense of peace in her life that has
never left her since.
While stationed in Jamaica, they had an experience in which they made a decision
another officer did not approve of. The turmoil that came from this conflict caused Claire to
briefly doubt her vocation. It was difficult for both of them, as adults in their 30s, to admit they
were not sure they had made the right decision in their career choice. She learned a lot about
what she calls “heart intention” from this experience. This idea is that if you take action with a
kind heart and pure intentions, even if the decision does not turn out as expected, God can still
bless the situation.
Another experience Claire describes involved another tragedy within her family. While
stationed in Wisconsin, Claire received news from her brother that her older sister and nephew
had been killed in a car accident. Claire commented how differently she was able to react to this
news than when her younger sister had passed away. She remembers walking up and down a
long hallway saying, “I trust God.” She was able to handle the situation with more grace than she
had in the past, she even commented, “Now I trust God, and I don’t know why.”
When asked if she had ever felt limited in the role of Major as a woman or because she
was in co-ministry with her husband, Claire said, “No.” She describes how she came to be an
officer at the age of 35, and her age demanded respect. Claire continues to explain that she was
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not limited in her role as Major and describes the many varying roles the Salvation Army
provides for people. She also feels that her gifts are being used often, especially in mentoring and
discipleship. She admits that it took many years for her to develop the skill of delegation,
allowing others to work on projects she helped develop. One hardship she commented on was
moving from one place to another. Her husband could often jump right into working with the
business end of the ministry, while it would often take her a little more time to find what her new
role would involve.
One concluding remark Claire made is her belief in “redemption and lift.” Giving one’s
life to Christ, according to Claire, allows people the opportunity for salvation and to live life
abundantly. This is not a “prosperity teaching,” but rather the idea that when people feel loved
and have the assurance of salvation, they look at their lives and realize they no longer want to
continue to live as they had been.
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Religious Lives of Ozarks Women