Your Battle is Our Battle -Part Four Intro to Retention Methods-

IHQ with St. Paul's Cathedral in the background Lector, si monumentum requiris circumspice

In the previous article (part three) I shared that Sir Christopher Wren was the architect and driving force in the resurrection of St. Paul’s Cathedral following the great fire of London in 1666. Should you decide to visit St. Paul’s it’s only natural that you seek out the statues and plaques erected as tributes to Sir Christopher. As a warning to what might be frustrating searches, I’ll tell you up front that you won’t find anything celebrating his achievements except in the cathedral crypt, mosaic-floored, bright and welcoming. The sheer number of memorials makes finding individual graves a bit difficult; the crypt is packed wall-to-wall with plaques and tombs of great Britons with Nelson’s tributes being the most grandiose and numerous. The graves are crowded around the starkly simple black slab concealing the body of Sir Christopher Wren. Inscribed on the wall above is his famous epitaph: Lector, si monumentum requiris circumspice . “Reader, if you seek his monument, look around”.
General Shaw Clifton shared the following in the Oct-Dec. 2009 editorial page of All the World, the 125th year tribute edition: “… As I looked through the 125 years of material it was as if I was touching history itself and the realization that in another 125 years my work may be looked at in a similar vein brought goose-bumps that had nothing to do with the document store’s air-conditioning”. IHQ, where the General’s legacy will be added to those of Booth, Orsborne, Coutts, and others, is being plotted in the shadows of St. Paul’s Cathedral. We can already point to milestones in the General's history. One must wonder though, if the decrease in the number of cadets, and active officers internationally, and a non-efficient resignation intervention and exit support strategy might not be a millstone passed on to his successor! The FSAOF are prepared and committed to assist the General and the army saying; "If you seek a monument to General Clifton, look at the large numbers brought to Christ through an ever increasing number of active Salvation Army officers." In fact, I wonder how many souls were brought 'home' by the combined 3,000 year history represented by our fellowship? Talk about goose bumps!

General Shaw Clifton lifted the spirits of Italian Salvationists during a weekend visit to Rome that he termed a ‘tour of encouragement’ as new soldiers were enrolled.

The General's encouragement and concern are needed and called upon on many fronts! The FSAOF is a worldwide fellowship with almost 300 members, and an extended network of several hundred lifting the army and our General to God 24/7.

General Shaw Clifton shared in his, “If Crosses Come”. The Officer, 2009. ‘Each year I receive the global annual statistics for officer resignations and dismissals. Those for the calendar year of 2007 show that fewer colleagues left officership than in 2006. Of approximately 16,500 active officers, 257 or 1.6% left in 2007 (274 or 1.9% in 2006).’

A cursory reading would see the report as encouraging. However, when examined more closely and in relation to overall Cadet and active officer stats, a more dire reality emerges.General Shaw Clifton shared the REASONS for officer resignations:
Domestics, marital or family: 65 (25.29 %)
Dissatisfaction, for example, appointment/remuneration: 54 (21.01) %
Misconduct: 49 (19.06) %
Unsuited for further service: 25 (9.7 %)
Transfer to another church:16 (6.23 %)
Marriage to non-officer: 15 (5.8 %)
Feeling discouraged: 14 (5.4 %)
Health issues:14 (5.4 %)
Health of spouse: 1 (.4 %)
Doctrinal issues:4 ( 1.55 %)
(Many of those who left had no choice due the army's position on marriage/divorce. FSAOF Editor)

It’s too simplistic to proffer successful retention methods across all lines. However, one certainty is that success in ministry is being obedient to God.

I realize that many of my former colleagues are no longer officers and like me, left their SA "calling". Also, reflecting on my friends who used to be officers, I realize, sadly, that they are now a majority. The attrition rate has been high and the cost to souls is heart wrenching. For some, leaving officership resulted from assuming that God’s calling was permanent and ‘divinely’ protected. And consequently, many neglected the spiritual disciplines or spiritual integrity needed in giving the necessary attention to their own Christian development.

However, in reviewing our history and structure, could it be that the army is in some way complicit in fostering dissatisfaction, particularly as it relates to well-suited appointments (21%) or denying promised appointments? Should the army have foreseen and been pro-active in an effort to stem the domestic, marital or family issues (25.29 %)? For the majority though, it was simply encountering situational conflicts that were no longer worth battling; they could not continue. And too often, they had no friend or accountability group with whom to share their pain and provide emotional or spiritual support.

A sampling of comments on resigning…

“I have to say it: much of my motive for resigning issued from pride. Pride prevented me from talking to others, from considering options, from taking time off, from exercising, or from just falling apart in the arms of a brother who might have cared. Pride kept me from saying, "I don't know what to do," as opposed to saying, "I'm going to quit—end of discussion!"
I wish I'd known how hard ministry really is.” USA

“It took me many years to cut through the cliches that ministry is one big joy. A few years back, I reread Paul's letters to Timothy. I circled the verbs in those letters—endure, persevere, work hard, train, study, take pains. These words of commitment and sacrifice frequently produce joy as a byproduct. But often ministry is simply hard. That is normal. My experience was normal. I wish I'd known there is no perfect place.” USA

“Many problems in ministry are common to every church, because people are basically the same wherever you go. If I'd known then what I know now, I most likely would have fertilized and cultivated where I was, rather than uprooted and replanted somewhere else. I no longer ask if my resignation was a mistake. That's not the best question. Instead I ask, Have I learned from that experience?” Canada

“I wish I'd known there were alternatives to resigning.” UKT

“They tried to tell me there were other ways of handling my frustration. They brought up three alternatives I should have considered:
Take a leave of absence
Talk with other pastors; become more open to colleagues in ministry
Work maintenance into the weekly routine.” USA

“Occasional feelings of failure is inevitable in ministry, and dealing with failure demands a complete re-assessment!” Former who returned to active service UKT

“For years, I thought I couldn't afford conferences and books. I now know I cannot afford to go without them. I wish I had known what a difference sharpening my mental ax could have made.” USA

“I wish I'd known what God had accomplished through me. “ Russia

“…I recently re-read the letter from THQ accepting our resignation. In it we were told of the Army’s appreciation for our 20+ years of service, immediately followed by the perfunctory reminders that our healthcare would cease at the end of the month, to turn in our identification cards and not to in any way represent ourselves as SA Officers. Sadly there was nothing encouraging us to stay connected with the Army as potential soldiers, no offer of counsel or advice to assist in the financial, emotional, practical, and spiritual transition…

If the Army says that it loves a person at the beginning of their officership, that love if genuine must follow them out of officership, or one must question its authenticity.

The Army’s espoused values speak of the redemptive work of the Church, and as such must make a genuine commitment to this ideal, beginning with every Officer. This has nothing to do with benefits, appointments or position, rather the true worth of those who are charged with the privilege to further the redemptive work of the Church.
The final goal must be genuine love for the individual. This true love will indeed begin the healing, help stem the tide of those leaving, and bring blessing from God. It may not change the course for those leaving but it will ultimately bring God’s blessing upon the Army! This is what we all want, and this is what God wants to give.” USA


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Tomorrow - Part 4B MENTORING

Oswald Sanders classic book, Spiritual Leadership, although it is over forty years old, still offers valuable insight on leadership from a Christian perspective. Sanders strikes a fitting balance between the qualities of leadership that can be learned and those that are God-given. Mentoring is such a quality and not all officers have been granted this gift.


Are we truly walking in the Spirit if we side-step those He 'called' along side us, and the ones we once called comrades under the flag?

Sven Ljungholm
Former USA East, Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova
Exeter Temple Corps