“Part of the Army’s God-given genius is to move
with the times. We were born out of a specific time and specific culture in
English history, but God has moved Salvationism on and outward through many
generation and into countless cultures ever since”. (Shaw Clifton)
‘If the future is to be improved, the present
must be disturbed.’
Catherine Booth.
The Army’s Salvationism does indeed appear to
move with the times. However, at times we appear to be our own enemy by not
having our Army’s troop strength move in keeping up with the demands of time!
Our ‘present’ is disturbed!
George Bernard Shaw, himself both an ardent
critic and admirer of our movement since our fledgling days, wrote: ‘You
see things and say ‘why?’ But I dream things that never were, and I say ’why
not?’ The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and
look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.’
Although his musings were not directed at the Army, we would do well to take
them to heart today. Could it be we need to change our circumstances;
change our thinking; change our ways of operating?
My father, a SA officer and CPA was promoted to
glory while the Territorial Financial Secretary in the USA Central Territory.
He said to me when I was promoted to District Sales Manager of a large
transatlantic airline, “If you want your sales people
to remember key points, shock them with memorable
statistics – percentages, whether positive or negative!”
Here’s a look at both ends of the scale:
The International Salvation Army
1910; 34 Territories* 30,000
active officers 1,600,000 SA
Soldiers (not confirmed)
2010; 121 Territories 17,145
active officers 1,124,760 SA Soldiers
Using the simplest of equations: 100 years ago
there was an officer corps of approximately 1,000 officers per country/territory.
Today the officer strength has been reduced by
approximately 80% and the soldiers’ strength halved as it pertains to
territories/commands.
(The Army’s explosive growth a century ago
resulted mainly through the Junior War. The Training College curricula required
to be taught cadets in Training Garrisons in 1894 had already (and much more)
been taught in the SA junior schools. Cadets in 1910 understood as much of Army
spirit, method and teaching as the staff officers did in 1894. Booth’s
principles of self-sacrifice and love for souls were the spirits that increased
as the years rolled on. Had General Booth not undertaken the Junior War that
world won by the SA might have been lost forever!)
Is it time to revamp our Junior War programs?
What are they and their effectiveness?
Here’s what General Eva Burrows said about Army activities and our organization at The Salvation Army USA Eastern Territorial Congress 25 years ago: ‘The Salvation Army has become more task orientated than vision orientated – we are spending too much time in our various tasks and not enough time seeking God’s will for the future of our movement … We must change our priorities!’
Have we become too ‘organizational’ and less ‘visionary’? The writer of Proverbs warns us in no uncertain terms as you well know: ‘Without a vision the people perish.’ Was ever a Biblical warning more relevant!
Dwindling membership is not unique to the Army. Other church leaders struggling to find answers concur with our own leader’s assessment that our priorities need to be reconsidered. Oswald Chambers shares his insight in ‘Shadows of Agony’ as it relates to organizations like ours: ‘God has no concern about our organizations (in themselves). Organization is a great necessity, but not an end in itself; and to live for any organization is a spiritual disaster.’ Could it be that we have become too busy living for the organization and that we haven’t given ample time seeking the leading of God, the Holy Spirit?
What’s needed to turn the tide on the widening gulf between enlistments and resignations, retreats and retirements is a vision for the future. John Stott says: ‘Vision is the result of a deep dissatisfaction with the status quo’. I believe our ‘present’ is sufficiently disturbed: our dissatisfaction with the status quo deep enough that our indignation is already moving us to shape and focus visions for our future.
Blood and fire evangelism has never consisted simply of maintenance. Our evangelistic stewardship as Salvationists lies not in ‘maintaining’ what we already have, our status quo, but in visualizing, allowing God, the Holy Spirit to project for us what we can become. Evangelism translates as ‘progression’, never ‘caretaking’. Army evangelism by its very definition speaks of conversion; sinners being saved, sworn in as soldiers, and sent to serve. There’s nothing stagnant about evangelism.
The FSAOF has in the last 12 months met with SA leaders/representatives in two USA territories. And our mission will soon be known in the Canada and Bermuda Territory as our host at the USA East seminar takes on the mantle of CS in Toronto.
Tomorrow a senior administrator of the FSAOF USA West, Tony Hussey will meet with a THQ representative from the USA Western territory who’ll travel to their private fact finding meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. We are grateful to Commissioner James Knaggs, the Territorial Commander for responding to Tony Hussey’s initiative.
Commissioner Knaggs is known as an especially creative, energetic and effective visionary. His interest and concern in ‘former’ officers has been demonstrated in private email exchanges with me, through his endorsement of our blog initiative, in meeting privately with ‘formers’ and in a public apology on behalf of the SA in 2011.
And what’s the status in the USA West?
1994 727 officers 93 Cadets 238 corps
2013 652 officers 105 Cadets 247 corps
In an era where most western world territories and commands are witnessing attrition rates that must make Booth shake both his head and fist, the USA West with its largest session of officer potential ever provides both a standard and vision for the future.
What then is a vision?
Vision perceives God’s will in the ongoing life of His Church. It is the act of seeking to translate God’s will in the progressive life of His body. Vision occurs as we earnestly focus on God’s ‘alternative’ to our status quo. And the vision must never be confined to present circumstances or the ‘vision’ will forever be small. Elton Trueblood stated, when speaking of the Church in an interview 30 years ago: ‘Christ did not seek to build a little thing. The chief way you and I are disloyal to Him is when we make small what He intended to make large.’
Glad and Sven LjungholmBirkenhead Corps UKTI
4 comments:
These last two articles are very interesting, Sven. Whenever we talk about changing, everyone seems to get all bent out of shape. It's so frustrating. It's almost as if the things that make us unique have become the reason d'être of our organization, almost like idols.
Even in the call by our general to be "available" and its all about our "mobility" show a lack of willingness to engage the culture and how it has changed. People today are more aware of what is healthy, mentally and emotionally for themselves and their families. They're not willing to sacrifice the well being of their children to a cause that clings to the past and has no vision for the future. Personal sacrifice is always a good thing, but we need to be realistic about what we ask from families.
Also, our leadership style is something out of the last century. Most organizations have discarded the authoritarian method of leadership as ineffective for our current era and culture. Yet, still we cling to the old way as if we couldn't manage without it, as if we wouldn't "be" the SA without it. We also don't afford our officers the rights and respect we give our employees in my territory. As office holders we've just come out with a new policy for officers - women officers now get three months maternity leave, as if this is some kind of new concept. However, all our employees receive a year according to the law. Is there something wrong here? And they wonder why they can't get people to sign on.
I'm not saying anything I haven't heard people say - many young people don't like the set up for officers. They'd rather be employees where they can be protected by the law from an unfair practice or abusive supervisor. They'd rather receive a decent salary, fair payment for hard work. They want healthy families and know what it takes to raise them. I'm only repeating what I hear from them.
And I'd rather say it anonymously because people have been reprimanded for saying these things online where anyone can see them. We don't reward for hard work and fruitful ministry, we reward people by giving them more responsibility when they say yes all the time.
I pray we'll wake up and see what needs to be done to actually get to the future. We're in desperate need of brave and visionary leaders who aren't afraid to let go of the past and move into the future.
Signed frustrated and praying!
Dear frustrated, my little series is focused specifically on and revealing certain very troubling factors that I hope will serve as a wake up call - time will tell. There's nothing new in my articles; hopefully saying it in a new and more dramatic fashion will attract a bit of attention!
The next two articles (will be written today and tomorrow) are focused on additional stats and the FSAOF's intent to serve alongside the SA leaders in the USA West. The TC is known as a 'mover and shaker' and an effective innovator. I pray that we, the FSAOF, can together with their territory introduce some new thinking to thwart attrition and indeed, to effect a return of some 'formers'.
Today's stats will speak to the quality of our formers. They're SA trained, and the additional education, experience, professionalism and maturity added since their resignation, makes them the ideal resource to bring on board in order to put in motion some of the Commissioner's plans.
The re-hiring of professionals who's skills have been further honed elsewhere is one of the most effective means of moving an organization that's settled into complacency vibrant and moving forward again. Look at what happened right down your street, USA West, when Apple brought back Steve Jobs!
Thanks for weighing in and blessings, sven
Sven,
I have been thinking about what the loss of officers means for us and it must be admitted that there are positive aspects to officers realising they are in the 'wrong place' and moving on to more suitable ministries.
I also wonder if there is any Scriptural warrant for promising to do something for the rest of your life. Jesus taught us to avoid vows and to let our 'yes be yes'. Most of Booths children realised they had made a mistake in promising to be officers for life. Officership has been a great training experience for many people who then use that preparation to advance our mission in other churches... not such a bad thing!
There is also the question of mobilising our soldiers. Too many officers 'hog' the platform and do not allow their soldiers to discover and exercise their spiritual gift/s as evangelists, preachers, teachers, etc. The shortage of officers might just provide the opportunity to rectify this Church wide problem.
I can't remember the source, but I recall reading that Booth deliberately kept officers appointments short (3 months!) so that the soldiers would not develop an unhealthy dependence, and would retain 'ownership' of their responsibility to be Gods eyes, ears and mouth, and hands in the respective corps district. Local officership was much more important that officership.
Officers also bring a lot of 'baggage' to an appointment; Successes or failures elsewhere that colour their thinking and approach. They also take time to settle into a corps and learn the dynamics, strengths, weaknesses, culture, not to mention all the people!
Perhaps we are being forced to reassess our dependence on officers. If they are not available and mobile to meet organisational needs, it may mean we turn back to the Lord in prayer; that we hand responsibility and responsibility for change back to corps...
These are only provisional thoughts but I they may be a part of the solution both to our officer shortage and the empowerment of corps.
Joseph.
Thank you Joseph, valid thoughts and suggestions all !
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