Coshocton Salvation Army welcomes Gary and Corina Stein

The Coshocton Salvation Army recently welcomed Gary and Corina Stein as the new corps officers-envoy in charge.

For more than 14 years, the Steins have served The Salvation Army in several areas of Ohio including Mansfield, Wood County and East Liverpool. They needed to pull away from full-time service for a while, due to life circumstances.

During their part-time service, Gary Stein worked for a local YMCA, and Corina worked for the Community Action Agency in Columbiana County.

“A tugging at our hearts and much prayer led to an opportunity to return to full-time service as envoys,” they said.

Both Gary and Corina Stein said they were called by God to serve in full-time ministry in The Salvation Army.

“It has been in response to our faith that we can trust God with our very lives, right down to where we will live. There is nothing that compares to the feeling that you are right where you are meant to be,” the couple said.

The Steins said serving has stretched their faith and has given them an opportunity to meet many people. “Helping others, collaborating within communities and loving people with God’s love are incredibly rewarding.”

Although neither of them had ever been to Coshocton, they both grew up in Tuscarawas County. Gary Stein graduated from Strasburg-Franklin High School and the Buckeye Joint Vocational School in the masonry class. Corina graduated from Dover High School and Kent State University. They were married in The Dover Salvation Army and served through lay leadership for almost 10 years before starting full-time service.

“This is the closest we have been to home since we left our jobs, sold our house and moved to New York for training in 1996. It already feels like home,” the couple said.

They have been married almost 38 years and have three children and six grandchildren.

“Changes in leadership are always challenging as you try to honor those who came before while also looking to the future. We are trying hard to get an understanding of the whole history of The Salvation Army in Coshocton, the community of Coshocton and where we fit within it all. This takes time,” Gary and Corina Stein said.

The Steins said there is a part-time case worker and a large group of dedicated volunteers who work hard to manage all the donations The Salvation Army receives, such as clothing, food and household items.

“Our experience has led to a focus on youth programming and community partnership. We are very sensitive to the fact that we depend on the community for financial support and that the community expects that we will serve the community with everything we have,” Gary and Corina Stein said.

The Salvation Army began in Coshocton in 1904. The Steins hope to be part of the 125th anniversary celebration, and they are looking to the future to serve the needs of the community. “We need to be relevant,” they said.

The Steins said the mission of The International Salvation Army doesn’t change, but how that mission is carried out needs to fit the community they are serving in.

“We will be eagerly listening to those who know this place best for ways we can serve and contribute to the quality of life here,” they said.

Corina Stein said, “We want people to sense God’s love when they encounter The Salvation Army, whether as a client, member, donor or community partner. An older motto of The Salvation Army still resonates with us: ‘Heart to God, Hand to Man.’ Our desire is to live that out during our time here.”

The community can support The Salvation Army in many ways. Right now its biggest needs are clothing and shoes for children and household items. Nonperishable food items are always needed as well, and financial donations help keep the doors open.

Gary Stein said, “Of course, Christmastime is a key time of service and fundraising for us. We always need volunteers for bell-ringing and holiday assistance programs.”

The Steins said, “We already love the community, even though we are only beginning to understand all the things that make Coshocton and the county special. People have been very kind. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to serve here and to call it home for a season.”