SIDNEY — After four years in Sidney, which capped their 26-year career, Maj. Sharon and Maj. David K. Payne, pastors of the Sidney Salvation Army, will retire today and leave town Monday for their new residence in Massillon.

They’ll miss the caring, giving community that Sidney is, they told the Daily News, Wednesday.

“This is a great, great community,” Sharon said.

“Most of the community loves the Lord. You don’t find that a lot in some places,” David added. Lt. Cassidy and Lt. Joseph Hansen will take the reins in Sidney beginning Wednesday.

The Paynes began their ministry in Bucyrus but moved at the will of church administrators to centers in Marietta, Columbus, Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, and then into training for an ARC ministry, which prepared them to manage adult rehab centers.

They did that in Cincinnati for two years and then went to Concord, New Hampshire, before they were sent to the Sidney center.

“We’ve been able to leave each corps better, either fiscally or programmatically,” David said.

Here he’s proud of establishing a strong advisory board.

“We built the best advisory board I’ve ever seen for a town this size. It is phenomenal,” David said. “I have such a dichotomy of different views coming in. They’re leaders in the community; they’re well known in the community. They come from all walks of life. They’re young; they want to work. They’re enthusiastic. They believe in what we do.”

He was also pleased to present a life membership to Advisory Board member Doug Millhoff.

“It’s the first one I’ve seen in my 26 years,” David said of the framed certificate. “And my wife’s done very well with our after-school program.”

Sharon was quick to credit the United Way for its help with that project, which had existed before the Paynes arrived, but has been significantly changed through their input.

“We split the elementary school from the middle school. Then the middle school kids get classes in life skills,” Sharon said. “The elementary had classes, too. We stressed education and out of the 15, we had seven on the honor roll. That wasn’t bad.”

“These are tough kids,” David noted.

Both of them have enjoyed Wednesday chapel, when children attend a service and then have dinner at the center.

“Wednesday was a fun night,” David said.

Sharon is pleased that children in the after-school program have twice gone to a Salvation Army Star Search competition. They won second place in their first year and first place in their second year.

“That was a big deal,” she said. “It put Sidney on the Salvation Army map.”

The Paynes also have overseen a Bridging the Gap program, funded by a United Way grant. It’s a court-ordered, 12-week program for youthful offenders. Young people spend three hours per day, two days per week at the center learning life skills.

“We’ve had more than 100 kids graduate that program,” David said.

The couple think the biggest challenge facing the Salvation Army now is church membership numbers.

“Most churches are struggling. People just don’t want to go to church anymore,” Sharon said. “We have a wonderful nucleus in the church. They’re on fire for the Lord. We’ve had the privilege of watching them grow in faith.”

If there’s a regret, it’s that Hope House has not yet come to fruition. The Paynes worked throughout their four years in Sidney to get the shelter off the ground. It is designed to be a single-family home to accommodate a down-on-its-luck family for a short time until the family can get back on their feet.

“I think it’s going to remain a priority. The community is behind it,” David said.

The couple look forward in retirement to a rocking chair on their front porch and having time to babysit their grandchildren. Married 45 years, they have three children, one grandchild, six stepgrandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

“Now I’ll get a chance to really get to know them,” Sharon said.

In another six months, though, they’ll be ready for another Army assignment. Perhaps they will play a mentoring role, helping young pastors. Perhaps they will serve as interim pastors in centers going through transitions.

“You never retire from ministry,” Sharon said, and then she quoted the Bible: Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”