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.

For more information about The Salvation Army’s ongoing work in Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware, visit https://easternusa.salvationarmy.org/eastern-pennsylvania/.

Photo: Submitted