Benjamin Deuel and his wife, Wendy, have long family histories of service in the Salvation Army.
Benjamin Deuel’s grandparents, James and Evelyn Deuel, served as Salvation Army captains in Greenwood from 1966 to 1968 and later became majors. His parents, Lts. James and Jean Deuel, served in Greenwood from 1982 to 1984 and also became majors.
Wendy Deuel, 35, a native of Mexico and a former radio and television reporter, traces her Salvation Army roots to her grandfather, Antonio Rodriguez, who served at a time when there were no ranks, and to her parents, Majs. Fabian and Raquel Flores.
Since mid-June, Benjamin, 30, and Wendy, 35, have been making friends and spreading God’s word in Greenwood. Both lieutenants with the Salvation Army, they serve as pastors of the Salvation Army Church and as commanding officers with the Salvation Army’s social services and outreach efforts in Greenwood.
Asked if his parents and grandparents had any advice for him about their assignment in Greenwood, Benjamin Deuel replied, “They just reminded me to, in all things, trust God and to love the people. If we do that, the rest of the Lord’s work will follow.”
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As the children of Salvation Army workers, the Deuels moved around a lot. For Benjamin, it was in the southern United States; for Wendy, it was in Mexico.
They have been married for eight years and have three sons, Isaac, 6, Josiah, 2, and Jonathan, 8 months. In the 1960s, Benjamin Deuel’s father attended Bankston Elementary; now his oldest son goes there.
The Deuels were ordained two years ago at the Salvation Army seminary in Atlanta and have served in several areas including Texarkana, Texas, Jackson and Huntsville, Ala.
For Wendy Deuel, Greenwood is a nice fit.
“I love this town. Coming from Mexico, Mexico is really a family environment. Everybody knows each other; everybody loves each other and cares for each other,” she said.
“Being in this smaller town than we are used to, I feel at home,” she said.
Greenwood hospitality was evident when the Deuels went to Walmart one night and were warmly greeted by someone they had met earlier in a restaurant, she said.
“It is refreshing,” said Ben Deuel. “It’s a small town. It doesn’t have all the attractions of a bigger town, but it is definitely a wonderful place, and we love it here. We love the environment, and we love the people. It’s very hospitable. We’re hoping to spend many years here.”
The Deuels have gone out and knocked on the doors of catfish workers in Itta Bena, many of whom are Hispanic, and introduced themselves. They even brought small gifts as they made their rounds, almost as if they were Santa Claus, Wendy Deuel said.
The Deuels also are connected with is the Salvation Army’s thrift store. Just this past week, the local Goody’s store, which is going out of business, donated more than $5,000 in store fixtures, such as shelves, racks and mannequins, Benjamin Deuel said.
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At their first church service, there were 16 people in attendance, and five of those were family members, Benjamin Deuel said. Last Sunday, 44 people attended the church service.
Other outreach efforts are picking up as well, he said.
“Just this past week, we restarted our youth program, our character building program for the community kids,” he said.
The effort, known as Club 316, drew 35 kids out the first night to the church.
Wendy Deuel said that started when the couple came to look Greenwood over, before they agreed to come here. She said she noted large numbers of youngsters loitering around a service station with nothing to do.
“My passion is kids. I love kids because I grew up in a children’s home,” she said.
The Salvation Army sent 26 kids to summer camp in Lexington. The effort cost about $200 per child, Benjamin Deuel said. Next summer, he hopes to have a summer camp set up in Greenwood if he can obtain the necessary funds.
He said a colleague of his in Jackson had a saying to rally the team: “Jackson for Jesus.” The Deuels’ equivalent will be “Greenwood for God.”
“We want to reach Greenwood. We want to love them like God loves us. Anything we can do to build on that is what our goal is,” he said.
