Like most couples in their mid-50s, Majors Alan and Cheryl Phillips of the Columbus Salvation Army have been casting one eye on retirement and all the things they might do.
One of those things — the Phillipses call them “ministries” — includes writing a book about their almost 30 years with the Salvation Army, a service punctuated dramatically by Alan’s struggle and recovery from opioid addiction.
“God called us a long time ago to write our story, when (we) can, when (we) have the time,” Cheryl said.
So the Phillipses were looking forward to retirement, although they could not have foreseen the timing and circumstances that led that day.
Monday, Alan Phillips announced he and his wife will retire in June after two years in Columbus. The move will allow the couple to focus their energies on another great struggle: Alan has second-stage leukemia. The couple will move to LaGrange, Georgia, to be near a cancer treatment center where he will receive treatments.
“It just seems like the right thing to do,” Alan said. “Fatigue has been a real problem, and with the stresses of the job on top of fighting this, it was really becoming too much. We talked to our leaders and our divisional commander, and they put retirement on the table. We’re so grateful to them for that. It will allow us to focus on treatment and going into full remission. That’s the approach we’re taking.”
Alan said his health began to decline in mid-November.
“I kept getting the flu and strep-throat, and finally I went to the urgent care center and they did some blood work. My white blood cell count was 69,000. They referred me to an oncologist who took one look at my blood work and said he was 99 percent sure it was leukemia.”
That diagnosis was confirmed shortly after Christmas, and after several months of battling fatigue and receiving treatment at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, the demands of both the job and the more intensive treatment required to successfully battle the disease, the couple decided to retire.
Making their mark
Alan and Cheryl came to Columbus in June 2015, their sixth assignment in 29 years with the Salvation Army.
Salvation Army spearheads several aid-based programs throughout the year, most of which depend on volunteers, donations and fundraising. The organization distributes boxes of food to area residents two days per week and regularly offers utility bill assistance. Each Christmas, the organization hosts an Angel Tree program, asking citizens to purchase presents and clothing for children in needy families, and it raises money for gifts, food and winter relief during the holiday season through its Red Kettle Campaign.
The local chapter serves Lowndes, Clay, Monroe and Noxubee counties.
Although their time in Columbus brief, the Phillipses put their own mark on the Columbus Salvation Army, said board member Todd Davis.
“It’s been a tough few weeks for them, so I’m glad they have this option but sorry to see them go,” Davis said. “Alan, because of his own story, had a real heart for people with addictions. He understands. I think his ministry among those people is what stands out most for me.”
Alan said he became addicted to opioid pain medicines after suffering an injury. He struggled on-and-off with addiction for years before receiving treatment. He has been opioid-free for 4 1/2 years, he said.
“It wasn’t just Alan’s addiction,” Cheryl noted. “Addiction is a family disease. As a family, we struggled with it off-and-on for years and it ended when Alan got treatment. I had to have treatment, too. We did it together.”
They will fight this new challenge together as well.
“The way I see it, I’ve had to face two terminal illnesses,” Alan said. “The first was addiction. I heard the other night that someone dies of opioid overdoses every hour. It gets hold of you and it’s powerful. I think, in a way, maybe that struggle will help me in this new one. We’re positive. Someone said the survival rate for my leukemia is 90 percent for five years. But we’re hoping for a lot more than five years.”
Cheryl and Alan have been married for 36 years. They have three children and four grandchildren.
They have much to look forward to and are confident Alan will win his fight with cancer.
“We don’t plan on just sitting around,” Cheryl said. “We’re looking forward to the new ministries that God has in store for us.”
Davis figures whatever those new ministries entail, it will include helping children, especially where Cheryl is concerned.
“She really has a heart for families, especially families with children,” Davis said. “It was very emotional for her. Sometimes she would tear up just talking about the children they were ministering to. It was something Cheryl really poured her heart into.”
Both Alan and Cheryl said they will miss Columbus.
“The people here have been amazing,” Cheryl said.
The Phillipses say they will leave their post in good hands.
Lieutenants Damon and Jennifer Graham will take over command on June 19.
“We’ve known the Grahams for years,” Alan said. “Cheryl and I have great respect for them and we know they’ll do a great job.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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