Salvation Army

The corps in West Pittston, Pennsylvania is located within the PenDel Division. It's final service was held June 27, 2021, before closing after 109 years of operation. It's operations were taken over by the Wilkes-Barre Corps.

After a year of speculation, the West Pittston Salvation Army will dissolve after 109 years of service in The Garden Village, to be absorbed into the Wilkes-Barre Salvation Army Corps starting on July 1, 2021.

“The decision to change the way we provide service in West Pittston is not about a lack of leadership, nor effort,” said Lt. Col. Larry Ashcraft, Divisional Commander, The Salvation Army Pennsylvania and Delaware Division. “Our Corps officers have done a remarkable job doing the most they could with the resources available. Rather, this change is necessary due to a need to reduce operational costs.

“By shifting oversight for operations to the Wilkes-Barre Corps, we are able to continue serving the West Pittston community as we’ve done for 109 years.”

Lt. Col. Ashcraft said social services such as food, clothing and emergency assistance programs will continue without interruption under a slightly different service model. Seasonal and holiday assistance will continue to be available, as will opportunities for children and senior citizens to attend camp.

Over the last year, the West Pittston location, commanded by Lt. Gavin and his wife, Lt. Holly Yeatts, provided food and critical support to some 11,495 individuals and brightened an uncertain Christmas Season by providing more than 3,095 toys to children in need.

Lt. Gavin said, the Salvation Army in West Pittston raised $29,083 in its annual 2020 Red Kettle Campaign. That money will stay in the West Pittston community and continue to benefit area residents in need who are served by The Salvation Army.

The Lts. Yeatts both agree, it hasn’t be one single item that has caused the West Pittston branch to close its doors, but overall agree, businesses all over have felt the financial pinch even before the pandemic hit over a year ago.

“It’s not just happening to us,” Lt. Gavin said. “If you look at the Greater Pittston YMCA, they had to merge with Wilkes-Barre, because of budget needs. Perkins closed in Pittston, PNC Bank in West Pittston moved out and many other businesses are having a tough go at it.”

Lts. Gavin and Holly, who have been overseeing the West Pittston branch for the last three-years, made many friends in West Pittston and the surrounding communities they serve in Greater Pittston.

While stationed in here, Lt. Holly gave birth to couple’s first child, Paisley, 18 months ago.

“We’ve done a lot of great things here in West Pittston,” Lt. Gavin admitted. “But to be fiscally responsible, it’s just not manageable anymore. Change is never easy, but we will transition to Wilkes-Barre and it may be hard for the first year.”

Lt. Holly said leaving West Pittston will not be easy, but she said they have to follow God’s plan.

“I’ve been through many other Salvation Armies and here it has been different because the community has been very welcoming,” Lt. Holly said. “They knew the Salvation Army very well and they accepted any officer that came in to command in West Pittston. We grew to become family and it’s going to be difficult for Gavin and I to move on from here because we love it here, but we know God has a plan for here and for us.”

“When we were first stationed in West Pittston over three years ago, Lt. Holly and I were warmly welcomed by the community.” Lt. Gavin Yeatts, Commanding Corps Officer at West Pittston, said. “We made lifelong friends and were honored to serve such a loving community. While this is a difficult decision for everyone involved, it’s times like this that we remember we serve a God that is always moving, always blessing, and always redeeming.”

The spiritual transformation has been underway for nearly a year when the Salvation Army building was condemned and a temporary church was set up on North Main Street, Pittston. The congregation (soldiers) will slowly migrate to the Wilkes-Barre Salvation Army if they choose to do so. Lt. Gavin said Sunday services would be available to congregants at The Salvation Army’s Wilkes-Barre location, 17 S Pennsylvania Ave.

The faithful are also invited to continue sharing the gospel via Facebook pages or SAConnects from the safety of their homes during COVID-19.

“We’d like to thank the Insalaco family that have supported the Salvation Army of West Pittston for decades as well as all of our board members,” Lt. Gavin said. “Some of our board members will have the chance to sit on the Wilkes-Barre board to represent Greater Pittston.”

Lts. Gavin and Holly said they currently don’t know where their next assignment will be, but should get their reassignment notification in next the next few weeks.

“We are hoping it will be within a two-hour radius of here,” Lt. Gavin said.

An era has finally come to a close when the West Pittston branch of the Salvation Army held a closing service on Sunday, June 27, after 109 years of operation.

Lts. Gavin and Holly Yeatts performed the official service as friends of the Salvation Army as well as board members and congregants attended the ceremony at the branch’s temporary facility on Main Street, Pittston.

It was determined the West Pittston facility had fallen into disrepair, in 2020, after structural damage was detected. National headquarters decided the building had to be razed and a new facility would not replace it.

The Yeatts held a Departure Service out of West Pittston on Aug. 30, 2020, and moved into a temporary office and chapel on Main Street, Pittston.

Over the next several months, the Yeatts did not know the future of the West Pittston Salvation Army, but conducted business as usual until a decision was made in April 2021.

It was decided the West Pittston branch would be dissolved and absorbed into the Wilkes-Barre branch and the official closing date was June 27, 2021.

“The decision to change the way we provide service in West Pittston is not about a lack of leadership, nor effort,” Lt. Col. Larry Ashcraft, divisional commander, The Salvation Army Pennsylvania and Delaware Division, said. “Our Corps officers have done a remarkable job doing the most they could with the resources available. Rather, this change is necessary due to a need to reduce operational costs. By shifting oversight for operations to the Wilkes-Barre Corps, we are able to continue serving the West Pittston community as we’ve done for 109 years.”

Ashcraft went on to say social services such as food, clothing and emergency assistance programs would continue without interruption under a slightly different service model. Seasonal and holiday assistance will continue to be available, as will opportunities for children and senior citizens to attend camp.

The closing ceremony was held during the usual Sunday Service conducted by Gavin and assisted by his wife, Holly.

The service was upbeat and positive with Gavin choosing the theme of his service, “God is in Control.”

“Even though the Salvation Army is closing here we have faith in God and God always has a bigger plan, a bigger purpose and even on a human level, we can’t understand what God does,” Gavin said. “What might be sad to us; might be beneficial to others.”

Gavin said he wanted to emphasis the celebration because of all the good things the West Pittston branch had done since 1912.

“Sometimes it’s hard to put emotions into words,” Gavin said, on how he felt prior to the final service. “There’s a sense of sadness because there are a lot of memories here, not only for Holly and I, but for the congregation, but there’s also a sense of joy and celebration. We planned this worship service around celebrating.”

Gavin, a Florida native, and Wyoming Valley native Holly are expecting their second child this fall. Their daughter, Paisley, will be celebrating her second birthday soon.

“We really enjoyed it here,” Holly said, of their post in West Pittston for the past three years. “It is going to be a little bit harder with me expecting our second child. I’ll be leaving family behind, but we are really excited to go. I had grown a lot here, and I know I’m going to continue to grow with my next assignment.”

Patricia Bechtold, 32-years-old of Pittston, has been a member of the West Pittston Salvation Army since she was 6 years old and was very emotional during the closing ceremony service.

“I’m going to miss them and I’m going to miss the church,” Bechtold said. “They brought a lot here, they brought a lot of youth around, the new officers did, not only are we losing our church, we are losing really good people as well. It’s hard.”

Bechtold said that there has always been a connection with each officer that has served the West Pittston Salvation Army in her experience.

“Every officer that passes through get a connection with and not only are we losing our officer, which we adapt to, but now there’s no church either.”

Bechtold admitted she is not good with change but she will take her time to find a new ministry to follow in the future.

The day after the closing ceremony, the Yeatts, along with their daughter, relocated to Pottsville to take on their new assignment.

The 109-year-old West Pittston Salvation Army flag will be retired and displayed at the Divisional Headquarters in perpetuity.

Effective June 30, 2021, The Salvation Army in West Pittston will be undergoing a transition. Operations currently conducted out of the existing Corps Community Center will move under the supervision of the Wilkes-Barre Corps.

The Salvation Army released the following:

“When we were first stationed in West Pittston over three years ago, Lt. Holly and I were warmly welcomed by the community.” Said Lieutenant Gavin Yeatts, Commanding Corps Officer at West Pittston. “We made lifelong friends and were honored to serve such a loving community. While this is a difficult decision for everyone involved, it’s times like this that we remember we serve a God that is always moving, always blessing, and always redeeming.”

Social services such as food, clothing and emergency assistance programs will continue without interruption, albeit under a slightly different service model. Seasonal and holiday assistance will continue to be available, as will opportunities for children and senior citizens to attend camp.

“The decision to change the way we provide service in West Pittston is not about a lack of leadership, nor effort. Our Corps Officers have done a remarkable job doing the most they could with the resources available. Rather, this change is necessary due to a need to reduce operational costs.” said Lt. Col. Larry Ashcraft, Divisional Commander, The Salvation Army Pennsylvania and Delaware Division. “Change is never easy. It brings with it an uncertainty that can be very unsettling. The financial ramifications of keeping things status quo were just not feasible in the long term. By shifting oversight for operations to the Wilke-Barre Corps, we are able to continue serving the West Pittston community as we’ve done for 109 years.”

Over the last year, the West Pittston location provided food and critical support to some 11,495 individuals and brightened an uncertain Christmas Season by providing more than 3,095 toys to children in need.

The Salvation Army in West Pittston has done its utmost to meet the extraordinary needs brought about because of the pandemic. Locally the Army raised $29,083 in its annual 2020 Red Kettle Campaign. That money will stay in the West Pittston community and continue to benefit area residents in need who are served by The Salvation Army.

The spiritual needs of individuals will continue to be met. Sunday services will be available to congregants at The Salvation Army’s Wilkes-Barre location, 17 S Pennsylvania Ave, Wilkes Barre, PA 18701. The faithful are also invited to continue sharing the gospel via Facebook pages or SAConnects from the safety of their homes.

Lieutenant Yeatts continued, “Our greatest aim as The Salvation Army is to walk in step with Him and participate with Him in those good works.”

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