SSO and KOMPROMISS

In 1992, when appointed to re-open the SA work in Moscow, Russia, TSA been absent from the country for almost seven decades, and my Swedish SA officer grandfather having been one of the last to be sent home. The political climate following the Russian revolution had proved altogether dangerous with Salvationist being arrested and some threatened with being sentenced to death by a firing squad.

Shortly after our arrival there we witnessed a similar political storm as Boris Yeltsin’s followers staged a coup, stormed Russia’s White House and took control. It was a troublesome period and SA employees and supporters alike distanced themselves from us. Some though, not necessarily ‘believers’, the Russian term for the Christian-faithful stuck close. Without them we’d have been forced to reconsider our every move.

Some months subsequent to Yeltsin’s election, and following meetings with Kremlin bosses, our SA office was transferred from our tiny flat, termed ‘reprehensible living conditions’, by our TC during a visit - IHQ insisted we live AND work there as the one bedroom flat was provided free for the SA’s use by a Russian living in comfort in London, (another story for another time)

The newly formed government made every possible gesture of friendship and support, The Army was, with the assistance of our friend, USA Ambassador Robert Strauss, airlifting more than one hundred thousand tons of food and humanitarian aid to Russia. The media, Russian and ‘western’ followed our every move as we negotiated delivery to the remotest parts of the world’s largest geographical country while also opening scores of SA soup kitchen in Moscow. We had yet to enroll our very first soldier with all assistance coming from mostly new and non-believers.

Boris Yeltsin went on to become the president of the new Russian Federation. And as our presence became more widely known I was called to the White House and with my interpreter escorted to the buildings most protected offices and there met with an assistant Prime Minister. He’d been assigned to meet with me and to offer the goverrnment’s support in whatever way possible. And, at the request of the the Minister of Social Protection, Madam Ella Pomfilova had asked the Kremlin to assist in providing our fledgling Army (two officers and a hundred or so supporters) with office space. The first suggestion was that we could ‘take over’ the enormous and recently vacated KGB headquarters. I remarked that the building was not unfamiliar to the SA, as many early 20th century SA pioneers had been arrested and grilled there, some to never be seen again. I said the building and its historic significance made it inappropriate for our use. Other sites were offered up to us. I finally said, “we are most grateful to the Russian Federation for your kindness, but I wonder if there isn’t room for a compromise”?

His reaction was swift and he angrily responded, “the word compromise doesn’t exist in the Russian language”! I knew enough Russian to know that the word ‘kompromiss’ did indeed exist, as I'd heard the word used often when being asked to settle many financial matters out of sight and hearing of others. (a common occurrence known to and approved verbally by IHQ)

I explained that what I mistakenly called a ‘kompromiss’ was in fact a slight variation- tempers calmed and I said simply that we need office space (to conduct our social work) and a place for public worship to seat several hundred. We bid farewell and on being escorted to the very private elevator were told, ‘consider it done!’

A few days later we opened our official SA offices just three doors from the Minister’s office, with immediate access to the Minister should we need it, and the Foreign Ministry’s Press Centre auditorium as our worship hall.

Is there a point to be made here that has any similarity to the SSO Provision you ask…  

There are in fact at least two to be made.

In their early deliberation on the suitability of the non-officer spouse, their credentials and expectant support roles, the initial considerations stipulated that they be SA soldiers (Canada) I’m not aware of the UKT’s initial expectations, but know that regardless of what was black and white, a great many compromises were and continue to be made and that they need to be re-addressed. There’s no coup brewing but rumblings are being heard.

And the other similarity?

Our advances in Russia could not have come about without the constant support of a very large crowd of committed ‘SA’ groupies, in love with our mission and form of evangelism. And, yes, many came to faith and some of those agnostic humanists are now serving as SA officers.

Our non-officer spouses represent a broad group, some being Salvationists and others not; independent thinkers, yet supportive in varying degrees to our mission and format. What if anything can move the non-officers to a greater commitment? Nothing less than a full understanding of the love of God and the reconciliation of all His children with Him through the saving power of Christ’s shed blood. There is no compromise!

A first step in furthering this initiative was taken this week in creating this blog and also through a new FB site committed to the private concerns of those serving under the SSO provision.

May God continue to bless our Army!


Dr. Sven Ljungholm
SSO Non-Officer
Birkenhead Corps