Salvation Army

Larry Ashcraft

Lieutenant Colonel Larry Ashcraft retired on July 31, 2025.

Lt. Colonel Larry Ashcraft
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Session	Proclaimers of Salvation
Relations	Lt. Colonel Janet Ashcraft (wife)
	Ashcraft Family

Appointments

Appointment	Rank	From	Until
Corps Officer - Montclair, New Jersey	Major
Divisional Commander - Southwest Ohio and Northeast Kentucky Division	Major	January 1, 2014	2019
Divisional Commander - Pendel Division	Lt. Colonel	2019	July 31, 2025

SWONEKY Divisional Commanders Recount Time at Ground Zero

SWONEKY Divisional Commanders recount The Salvation Army’s work at Ground Zero.

The Divisional Commanders for the SWONEKY Division, Majors Larry and Janet Ashcraft recounted their experiences to multiple news outlets concerning their time at Ground Zero and The Salvation Army’s work 15 years ago. Majors Ashcraft were on the scene in NY within hours of the attacks doing the most good despite a hectic and traumatic scene. Major Larry Ashcraft worked distributing food and water as well as emotional and spiritual care. Major Ashcraft stated, “People just stood as the remains came out. My job that day was not to dig in the pile or remove remains, it was to put my arm around people who were suffering as they pulled out colleagues who had died. Major Janet Ashcraft served as a chaplain in the morgue. According to WLWT Channel 5 News, the lesson the Ashcraft’s say they learned on that day was despite the death and chaos, people came together as a nation. Mrs. Ashcraft added, “In the crisis of 9/11, people pulled together; it didn’t matter what race they were, it didn’t matter their religion or belief system, what mattered was that they drew together.”

The Salvation Army continued to serve at ground zero with a multitude of resources for over a year, and still continues to care for the people of New York City as they have for the past 136 years.

Lt. Colonels Ashcraft Appointed as Pendel Divisional Commanders

The Salvation Army of Eastern Pennsylvania is proud to announce Lt. Colonels Janet and Larry Ashcraft as its new Divisional Leaders. The Ashcrafts take over the reins held by Lt. Colonels Stephen and Janet Banfield, who retired in the Spring of 2019.

The Ashcrafts are responsible for the administrative oversight for all personnel, financial and program components of 51 Salvation Army Corps Community Centers, 163 volunteer service centers, residential programs and The Salvation Army Camp Ladore Retreat and Conference Center. In all, they manage more than 122 commissioned Salvation Army officers and nearly 1,200 employees.

Lt. Colonels Ashcraft have been Salvation Army officers for nearly 40 years. Both hold degrees from Nyack College. Lt. Colonel Janet also earned a Master’s degree in Counseling from the Alliance Graduate School of Counseling.

Most recently, the Ashcrafts spent five years as the Divisional Leaders for the Southwest Ohio/Northeast Kentucky Division, with headquarters in Cincinnati.

Lt. Col. Larry is a runner and avid sports fan who lives and dies with the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Reds. He jokes that when he is cut he bleeds scarlet and gray, the colors of his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes. Lt. Col. Janet is a voracious reader. She enjoys walking, crafting and spending time by the ocean, especially in Maine.

The Ashcrafts are the children of Salvation Army officers. They have two sons. Joel and his wife, Kathleen, are Salvation Army officers in Cleveland, Ohio. Christopher is with the U.S. Department of State and currently is posted in Sao Paolo, Brazil. They also have three grandchildren. Matthew, Evelyn and Audrey are the joys of their lives.

“Our deepest desire is to see emerging generations engaged in the mission of The Salvation Army,” said Lt. Col. Larry Ashcraft. “Save souls, produce saints and serve suffering humankind without discrimination.”

Lt. Colonels Larry & Janet Ashcraft To Retire After 45 Years of Service With The Salvation Army

Lt. Colonels Larry and Janet Ashcraft, divisional leaders of The Salvation Army Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Division, will retire at the end of July following 45 years of ministry.

The Ashcrafts have led the division since 2019, overseeing 42 corps, 94 officers and more than 1,200 employees who work to deliver programs that address poverty, hunger, homelessness, addiction recovery and disaster relief across 39 counties.

“Any good we’ve done, that’s not about us,” Lt. Colonel Larry Ashcraft said. “That’s God working through us. And my wife, Janet, she’s really been the brains of the outfit. We’ve served as a team, and I’m grateful we get to close this chapter together.”

Both children of Salvation Army officers, the Ashcrafts began their ministry in 1980 after hearing a personal calling to serve. Over four decades, they held corps appointments in New York and New Jersey and served as divisional and territorial youth leaders across the Eastern Territory, helping develop youth programs and officer training efforts that shaped future Salvation Army leaders. Before their current roles, the Ashcrafts spent five years as the divisional leaders for the Southwest Ohio and Northeast Kentucky Divisions.

Their tenure in Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware included leading the division’s emergency response during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time Lt. Colonel Larry Ashcraft calls one of the most defining of his career.

“I remember standing in our parking lot during those early days of COVID, watching a line of cars stretch for blocks as people came looking for help,” he said. “What mattered most in that moment wasn’t protocol, it was compassion. That’s what The Salvation Army is called to be: open-hearted and present.” Under their leadership, the division continued to expand critical services, including shelter, food assistance, after-school programs and anti-trafficking outreach. Each year, these programs support tens of thousands of individuals and families across Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware.

In retirement, the Ashcrafts plan to relocate to a community close to longtime friends and fellow officers.

“I still feel like there’s more to give,” he said. “But we trust God’s timing, and we’re grateful to have been part of this ministry.”

Lt. Colonels Larry and Janet Ashcraft will officially retire on July 31.