The 125 old non-trenchable marriage policy was strangling us!

The steady decline in the number of active officers has adversely affected the army’s evangelistic outreach to such a degree that the 125 old non-trenchable marriage policy was abandoned in 2000; the Single Spouse Officership provision was introduced in the UKT. Was it too late?

The USA territories have not enacted the SSO provision, yet they, and the UK territory are researching the degree of effectiveness that the Single Spouse Officership provision has brought since its introduction twelve years ago. And can its adoption by other territories impact their attrition rate in the loss of active SA officers. The key concern, of course, is retaining maximum effectiveness of TSA’s soul saving mission

Single Spouse Officership (SSO) refers to an active officer of The Salvation Army who is married to a non-officer. Leaders recognized that if they wanted soldiers to come forward and offer for full time service as SA officers they needed a change in the regulations and their approach. The Army could no longer remain static, no longer defined by century old dictates, while being called to serve the present age. This while most ‘western’ territories grappled with the challenge of effectively sharing our life transforming salvation message with a diminishing numbers of soldiers, cadets and officers.

For the first time, the Canada and Bermuda Territory is faced with the reality of fewer active officers than there are retired officers. This means they may soon have more ministry units than officer personnel to serve them. Unless there is an increase in cadets entering the training college, the gap between the number of available officers and the number of ministry units requiring leadership will only grow. Other territories sharing a similar threat include Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

The Single spouse Officership provision has afforded many territories the opportunity to implement initiatives to thwart the loss of active officers (attrition) that would otherwise be denied. Equally important; it acknowledges and celebrates individual calling to ministry as officers in TSA while also seeking to quell the fundamental problem of the diminishing number of active officers in many ‘western’ country territories. This problem did not affect all territories as broadly or significantly as others. The reduction in the number of officers serving in non-pastoral roles was less affected in the USA for instance, as their resources were sufficient in hiring lay personnel to fill many roles previously held by officer personnel.

The SSO programme was designed initially to solely attract SA soldiers as the non-officer spouse, from a world wide pool of 1,122,236 (2010 Year Book) a substantial number of persons sworn to abide by SA regulations and lifestyles, and to become partners in ministry with their officer spouse. 

The SA International Commission on Officership (2000) seeking to remedy the significant reductions in the number of officers in many developed countries opened the door for Christian ministry and spiritual leadership for those called by God, but whose spouse does not share the same calling to ministry. It broadens access to officership for those who are married to non-officer spouses.

Does the Single Spouse Officership provision in its present form represent a possible solution in seeking a turn-around?

Throughout Salvation Army history our unique position on married officer ministry, i.e. both spouses equally called, trained, ordained and commissioned, has been a great strength. It would seem though, that for many potential candidates, a lifelong commitment is not something they are no longer prepared to make. The model of service where an officer is married to an officer will continue to be encouraged and endorsed. However, although there are great advantages in having both husband and wife in ministry team leadership, this should not impede couples where only one wishes to become an officer.

THE PROVISION CHALLENGES

Although the SSO provision was designed initially to attract and recruit only SA soldiers to partner in ministry with their officer spouse, many territories have fallen far short of their intent. They have been unable or unwilling to closely scrutinize and restrict the approval of many non-officer spouse candidates. The non-officer candidates have too often not been SA soldiers, nor did they understand the nature of officership as a spiritual covenant, rather than as a contract with TSA, such as the one the non-officer spouse was required to commit to. TSA found within a short time of the provision’s introduction that non-Salvationists too, and those committed to other denominations, and even non-believers, had become a part of the mix. Some pointed to the threat of potential legal battles and others to the small number of applicants as the motivating factor forcing the army to lessen their expectations and to compromise minimum standards.

Forcing every facet of the non-officer spouse’s life to fit into a Salvationist framework was seen as being untenable, and to expect that all non-officer spouses would adopt an attitude of religiosity would be hypocritical.

Consequently, this significant regulation change, introduced over a decade ago in several territories to combat the attrition rates, has met with only modest success at best, relative to an increase in the number of active officers; approximately 100 worldwide. And, it has and continues to suffer from what should have been easily predictable issues; the demand that the non-officer be required to reside in the SA provided quarters, vacate and move to the officer spouse’s appointment, etc. Instead SSO in the UKT have been allowed to vacate the SA provided quarters and purchase their own homes, with TSA assisting by paying towards the mortgage and other monthly payments. What happens when it comes time to take on a new appointment in a distant place and the real estate market bottoms out? Is the couple prepared to take loss when selling their home or will TSA step in, as is the case with many corporations. And will TSA insist that the house be of a standard and in a neighbourhood in keeping with what soldiers, employees and the general public perceive suitable? Would it not be more practical for TSA to improve the quality or buy new quarters to avoid the obvious battle when the ‘marching orders, are received.

  

THE NON-OFFICER SPOUSE

The non-officer spouse represents an often un-tapped resource. And the pool of candidates and their suitability needs to be further explored by The Salvation Army in order to determine from where the non-officer spouse might be recruited, how they might be trained, keep their commitment current, and how they might best ‘serve’.

The International Commission on Officership, in seeking to broaden access to officership erred in not recruiting from among at least one significant, well-trained, experienced, and spiritually charged pool already, one well known to individual SA commands and territories; former SA officers.

FSAOF

In a survey conducted among 400+ former SA officers it was revealed that;

·      10% of those who resigned did so to marry a non-officer partner.

·      11% pointed to the ambiguity and God’s leading in their life; the ‘call’ was not recognized as authentic

·      24%  (USA) resigned because there was no SSO provision option available to them

·      11% spouse’s disillusionment with officership as a vocation

·      19% (USA) would return to officership if SSO provision was an option

If this ratio is a fair representation, or even remotely close, it suggests that thousands of officers would not have felt obliged or forced to resign if the SSO provision had been in place a decade or two earlier and an option in the USA territories.

Further, 30% (135) of the FSAOF members responded that they would have been ready to return to officership if TSA had sent a fair-minded SA officer representative to meet with them to review an eventual return. Recognizing that our membership is but a small percentage of the world-wide former officer numbers, the number of returned officers might be in the thousands.

The theological truth and concept of the priesthood of all believers have never been of any greater importance to the Salvation Army than it is today. The original shape and dynamic of our Movement is based in the priesthood of all believers, and the believers referenced then and now are SA soldiers.  The army’s loss in effectiveness will be significantly reduced, and the negative mission impact will be far less affected on officers’ resignation by training and instructing non-officer spouses to become soldiers and to fill some of the many vacant roles.

THE POSITION OF THE 450+ FSAOF MEMBERS

Many of those in the Former Salvation Army Officers Fellowship continue serving in consecrated, ordained roles as pastors, teachers and shepherds, while others live out their calling in other areas of service. Dozens serve faithfully in SA corps as soldiers, LOs, and many are SA employees. And, a steady number return to substantive rank annually, pointing to the FSAOF as the key motivator.

No matter where our vocation is lived out, and as we faithfully serve, we are also mindful of a key corporate mission as ‘former’ officers; the reformation of The SA Officer recruitment, retention and resignation process- to thwart the steady departure of well-qualified, committed officers.

Potentially the army’s shift in policy may prove to be the single most important provision in the army’s effort to stave off closing more doors in more towns and cities and reigniting and refocusing our movement’s evangelistic zeal in accordance with the General Linda Bond’s; One message – One mission proclamation.

Sven Ljungholm