MRS. MAJOR N.O. ALLOWANCE - PART 3-

It t is unlikely that the above statement regarding status would be repeated publicly, as it is not one that current leadership would be able to defend. Yet this foundational position, built upon an unequal view of officers based simply on the marital status of a woman, leads to a sense of cognitive dissonance (an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviors), so that something must change to eliminate the dissonance. To resolve this dissonance, a woman can decide to ignore the lack of compensation, accepting it as ‘just the way it is,’ one of the quirks of the organization that simply has to be accepted. Or, she can receive the message that she is not equal to her husband, and begin to live that out as a self-fulfilling prophecy that keeps her from reaching her full potential in ministry.

While transcribing interviews done with women clergy in a variety of settings, a young woman noted her reaction:
I was struck most by the oppressive silence of the promising, bright voices who had left local church ministry. I thought of the gifts and graces the church was losing out on because of its fear of change. One phrase kept coming to my mind when I would think of women leaving: the gifts of God for the people of God are being rejected.

Because of the dual clergy requirement, the Salvation Army may not see an exodus of women as a result of this factor, but it is likely that their commitment to the ministry may not be as whole-hearted and healthy as possible. The Salvation Army is sending a message to its married women officers through this policy, and, at least in some cases, the church is losing out on the gifts and graces they bring to the table.

Implications for the Future

In regards to the growing emphasis on social justice within the Army, it is difficult to fathom that organizationally the Salvation Army would work for the rights of women, and yet within its own camp, this unjust policy continues to be practiced. Is this one of the “sin in the camp” concerns that General Clifton alluded to in his comments early in his role as General?

Change
So how to address this? Changing a policy that has seemingly served the organization well for many years is difficult, but not impossible. It begins with an understanding of how the policy affects the families of married officers. This matters far beyond the issue of money.

It starts with an acknowledgement that both the husband and wife are officers. They both sign the Undertakings of an Officer, with its language about an allowance that is provided to officers. They both are subject to assignment, and they both are expected to fulfill certain obligations in regards to their appointments. Although the woman is theoretically a volunteer (IRS), she is expected to abide by the regulation that forbids remunerative employment. As such, they both should receive an allowance as compensation for their service.

It appears as though the financial differential of having the allowance in one name, versus being distributed between the spouses, is minimal upon retirement (one example indicates, less than $30 per month). If the largest financial loss is at the time of the death of one spouse, is that simply reflective of what people in the United States face? If the Salvation Army has a married couple who works for the organization as employees, that is what they would experience. And, within the mindset that what is being provided is a living allowance, it would seem as though a single person would need less income than two people. Currently, it appears as though compensation in retirement is more than adequate in the US, and if it is not, provision could be made in individual situations in the same way that this has been done in the past for those who were receiving less than a minimum standard.

As a personal response, I have been an officer for thirty years. I work at least 60 hours a week. I handle our family’s finances. Yet I report no income on our income tax form, and receive a statement from the Social Security Administration yearly indicating that I haven’t worked over the last thirty years. I am a strong, confident woman who is fully involved in ministry, and I haven’t allowed the lack of financial compensation or the perceived stained glass ceiling to keep me from doing what I feel called to do.

Yet I also listen to the voices of women officers across the county, and this topic is seen again and again as one large piece in the puzzle of their role within the Army that needs to be solved and resolved. While women have not (yet) followed in the footsteps of the suffragettes and chained themselves to the gates of the Centennial Memorial Temple in New York, the undercurrent of restlessness and sorrow is stirring among many officer women. The compensation issue is seen as symbolic of the lack of leadership opportunity, and a sense of being second-class citizens within the Army. These women are products of their culture. They have been raised in a world that has been changed by the work of civil rights and feminism, and they see themselves as equal partners in ministry, only to bump up against this policy.

Upon entering SFOT in 1976, I was aware of this policy to some extent, but I thought, perhaps naively, that it was only a matter of time until it was corrected. I had no idea that more than thirty years later, it would still be in place. We cannot allow this to be a money decision. We cannot allow this to be a legal decision or one of personal preference. It is time to do what is right, what is ethical, and what reflects the biblical call to social justice.

Postscript: Since this essay was written, I have had personal conversation with Salvation Army leadership that indicates that this policy is being reviewed and will be changed at some time in the future. However, I’ve seen no verification of that information in writing or how it will be accomplished.

Major JoAnn Shade ministers with her husband Larry as the corps officers and Directors of the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center. She received a B.A. in sociology from S.U.N.Y. at Binghamton, a M.A. in Pastoral Counseling, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Ashland Theological Seminary in June, 2006. She is a prolific writer, lecturer, and busy counselor and has contributed to this blog since its inception.