Ken and Sina Locke celebrate years of service with the Salvation Army at their retirement party Tuesday, June 17.

Text and Photos
By Elizabeth Hershberger
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Friends, family and the community gathered to congratulate Ken and Sina Locke for their years of service in the Salvation Army Tuesday, June 27.

The party was held from 3-6 p.m. at the Zimmer-Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw, with visitors coming and going steadily, showing how the Lockes value relationships.

From members of the local Warsaw Salvation Army church to beneficiaries of the Salvation Army ministries and fellow workers in the Salvation Army, people wanted to share how the Lockes positively impacted everyone around them.

“Ken’s overall service to the community for the last … 35 years has just been quite extraordinary,” said their son, Josh Saylor. His daughter, Alexa Collins, agreed, “His impact on the community has been huge.” Saylor mentioned that Sina Locke’s service in the Salvation Army has been beneficial for her, too.

Some of Ken Locke’s session mates from the Salvation Army Training College came to congratulate the couple. “”We’re happy to be here (for) Ken and Sina and celebrate a milestone in their life — not the ending of their service, they’ll remain active, but it will change,” said Vicki Steinsland, major in the Salvation Army.

Teresa (Locke) Tolley said, “(Ken) and Sina have done a great job.”

Tara Conn came to the party full of stories about Locke’s support and generosity. “(Ken) has always found a way to help me when nobody else in my life would help me,” she said.

Rob Stiles, senior donor relations director for the Salvation Army of Indiana, had glowing words for the Lockes as well. “It was an honor to work with (Ken) … Sina is wonderful. They are both very loving people,” he said.

The outpouring of love continued as folks came in wave after wave to give the Lockes hugs and well-wishes, with visitors enjoying cake and other refreshments and leaving gifts and cards for the couple.

Serving The Community

The Lockes served the community faithfully in the Salvation Army. Their official joint date of retirement will be Friday, June 27.

Ken “Hawkeye” Locke served as a camp lifeguard in the Salvation Army in 1975 and then enrolled in the U.S. Army, serving from 1975-1979. Locke was honorably discharged and served as a women’s shelter assistant with the Salvation Army from 1977-1979. He attended the Salvation Army School for Officers Training in Chicago and became a Salvation Army officer in 1981, serving around the country until he came to Warsaw. Locke earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1990. He served as the Community Ministries Director of the Salvation Army from 1997-2019 and as the Salvation Army Corps Administrator, or Envoy, from 2019-2025.

Jensiina “Sina” Locke volunteered at the Salvation Army in Warsaw from 1997-2019, earning a Bachelor of Science in counseling from Grace College in 2013. She became a senior soldier with the Salvation Army in 2019 and obtained a distance learning certificate from the SFOT in 2021. Locke served as the Salvation Army Corps Administrator, or Envoy, from 2019-2025.

As for their future plans, the Lockes said, “(We want to) rest for a little bit and then do a couple trips.” They plan to continue volunteering in the community through the Salvation Army, and continue investing in relationships with people around them.

“I could stand here and tell tons of stories, but … it’s about relationships. We don’t see that changing. For us, ministry is being connected to people, even in retirement,” said the Lockes.