IDAHO FALLS – Jon-Marc and Brianna Lamb are beginning a new ministry in Idaho Falls.
The couple, both 24, graduated from The Salvation Army College for Officer Training in California last month. The newly ordained pastors have been serving in this capacity since July 2, overseeing the congregation at The Salvation Army Idaho Falls Corps at 605 North Boulevard. Worship services begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Sunday School is held at 9:30 a.m.
Although they have never been to Idaho Falls, they’re excited about this new assignment.
“We’re really loving it,” Jon-Marc tells EastIdahoNews.com. “We’re from Grand Junction, Colorado. We love the small-town feel here. It’s a perfect medium for us.”
The Lambs replace Steve and Daylene Staneart, who accepted an assignment to serve as pastors in southern California.
Although there isn’t a specific amount of time pastors are called to serve, the Lambs say the average assignment lasts anywhere from three to five years. They anticipate serving in Idaho Falls for at least that long.
Jon-Marc and his wife oversee a congregation of about 30 people, and he said they’re looking forward to continuing the work their predecessors started.
“Capt. Staneart really got the ball rolling. When they arrived, it was a much smaller congregation than it is now. We just want to continue to bring the corps back to life there and make sure it’s a place people feel welcomed,” Jon-Marc says.
The Idaho Falls congregation is one of about 7,500 Salvation Army worship and service centers nationwide. The Idaho Falls church celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2023, according to an article from Post Register.
William Booth founded the Salvation Army in 1865 with the idea of abandoning the concept of “the traditional church pulpit in favor of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ directly to the people.”
“Thieves, prostitutes, gamblers, and drunkards were among his first converts to Christianity, and as his ministry grew, the gospel of Jesus Christ was spread far and wide to the poor, the vulnerable, and the destitute,” according to its website.
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Today, the Salvation Army is widely recognized for its holiday fundraising initiatives, such as the Red Kettle campaign.
Jon-Marc grew up attending the Salvation Army church in Coeur d’Alene. Going into the ministry is something he’s wanted to do since he was in middle school.
“I got to see what church was and what it looked like and I knew that I wanted to be a minister,” says Jon-Marc. “I fell in love with the mission of the Salvation Army to preach the gospel and to meet human needs without discrimination.”
He met Brianna working at a summer church camp years ago, which is where she first heard the call to go into ministry.
“I attended a youth retreat, and God told me that the Salvation Army is where he wanted me to pursue my ministry goals,” Brianna recalls. “It became more clear to me (later on) that God wanted me to reach the people that need to hear the truth.”
The Salvation Army helped her family through difficult circumstances, Brianna says, and she wanted to help others do the same.
As they begin their ministry in Idaho Falls, the couple says they’re excited to serve and “love on the people” in this area.
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