For years André Cox fought against joining his parents in the Salvation Army.

Both were officers in the charitable Christian organisation and they raised him on that path, but he wasn’t convinced.

“In my teen years I harboured plans and ambitions for my life and was reluctant to follow in my parents’ footsteps,” the 61-year-old said. “It was in my late teens, however, when in a Salvation Army meeting I was confronted with the reality of the cross and that Christ had sacrificed His life for me that I made a conscious decision to become a Christian and follow Christ.”

He then had a vision of himself dressed as a Salvation Army officer, stationed in Africa.

“From that moment I knew I’d become an officer and return to Africa, where I was born,” he said, from his home in London, England. “It was a clear calling. I’ve faced many challenges along the way but that calling has remained an anchor.”

General Cox is the international leader of the Salvation Army, now celebrating its 150th anniversary.

He and his wife Silvia will be on the Island next week for the Boundless Bermuda Congress, organised in honour of that milestone.

“When we look at the world situation today there is little time for us to sit back as we are called to fight poverty, injustice and to be engaged in God’s rescue mission in the world,” he said.

“I hope that people will go away from the congress energised, mobilised and committed to the mission that God has entrusted to The Salvation Army.”

The message is similar to one he shared in London this year at an event attended by more than 15,000 Salvationists from 127 countries.

“It will be an opportunity for us to reflect on the boundless love of God for each one of us, but also an opportunity for us to reflect on the great task that God calls us to in reaching out to this world with a message of his love,” he said.

One of the greatest lessons he’s learnt since becoming a Christian is that God’s timing is always right.

“God doesn’t always respond as rapidly as I would like and certainly not always in the way I would anticipate,” he said. “My circumstances are not always changed, but He always gets it right and changes me, enabling me to face the challenges of life.”

One of those challenges came from “out of the blue”, when he was diagnosed with lung cancer a year ago.

“Fortunately it was at a stage where doctors were confident it could be dealt with, but it required me to undergo lung surgery,” he said.

“Thankfully I’ve made a full recovery. I did not at any point feel challenged or shaken in my faith despite the serious situation I was facing. I cannot say that I ever asked the question ‘Why me?’ because in the end why should it not be me when so many people face similar diagnoses on a daily basis?

“The challenge in some ways came as ‘Why now?’

“Despite everything I never felt abandoned and alone. On the contrary I had a sense of peace and felt that God was with me in this difficult, unknown and sometimes risky journey.”

It comforted him to know there were thousands of people around the world praying for him, he said. He also received numerous confirmations through Scripture, that God was in the midst of the battle with him.

“While I did, of course, have to undergo surgery my recovery has been truly remarkable and while a lot of credit must be given to the outstanding medical care I received and the doctors who treated me, the recovery, I believe, can only be attributed to God’s intervention and healing.

“Therefore my faith is stronger than ever and I fear nothing in life or death.”

• The opening ceremony for Boundless: Bermuda Congress takes place at 12pm at City Hall on Thursday. For more information call 292-0601