The Salvation Army Bermuda has welcomed its first Bermudian Area Commander.

Captain Alfred Esdaille has stepped into the role and also leads the charity’s North Street Citadel with his wife, Captain Cathy Esdaille.

A charity spokesman said: “Returning to Bermuda marks not only a homecoming but a new chapter of ministry rooted in faith, experience and love for their island community.”

The couple worked at the Bermuda Land Development Company before being commissioned as Salvation Army officers in 2016.

They worked with the Vancouver and New Westminster Salvation Army Corps in Canada before returning to Bermuda.

Captain Alfred said: “Coming home gives us the opportunity to apply what we’ve learnt abroad in ways that speak directly to the needs of our people.

“We want to help create spaces of hope, inclusion and renewal across the island.”

He added that Bermuda has changed since the couple were last on the island, but the kindness, faith and resilience of its people has not.

Captain Cathy, who first heard the call to ministry at the organisation’s St George’s Corps, said: “It’s an incredible blessing to serve in the very place where my faith journey began.

“Our prayer is that people will not only see The Salvation Army as a place of worship but as a community where love and hope are lived out daily.”

Captain Alfred spoke during a gathering at Emmanuel Baptist Church, feet from where 37-year-old Janae Minors was fatally shot in a beauty shop, last month.

He said at the time: “We cannot surrender, we will not surrender, we need to take Bermuda back — if you have cousins, nephews, sons, daughters that are involved in violence, expose them.”

He added: “We’re going to just let our island fall because of a few individuals?

“No, we cannot, and we cannot keep blaming the Government, we cannot keep blaming the police, we have to blame ourselves.”

The spokesman said: “For the Esdailles, returning home isn’t just about familiarity, it’s about purpose.

“With their international experience and deep local roots, they bring renewed energy to The Salvation Army’s mission of serving others with faith, integrity and love.”

He added: “As captains Alfred and Cathy lead North Street Citadel into a new season, their message is clear: the best ministry begins at home, and Bermuda’s future is brightest when its sons and daughters return to serve.”