“Another one bites the dust.”
Just today, I heard of another couple who is “without appointment,” the euphemistic label placed upon officers who, for a variety of reasons, are unwilling or unable to remain in or move to a Salvation Army appointment. While I’ve been told that the officer resignations and terminations in my territory are within the normal numbers for departure, it sure seems as though an epidemic is raging throughout my corner of the Salvation Army.
While marital struggles do play a role in this attrition (single spouse officership not being an option in the US), many others are leaving for a myriad of reasons, and others are not far behind. Many of my colleagues are hanging on by a thread, and if other job options become available, they too will be out the door, even with the tough economic times. Some will choose early retirement, still a financially challenging route in the US, while most will grudgingly resign their officers’ commission, giving up their ordination in order to meet the needs of their families and their own hearts.
Does it have to be this way? As an organization, as a ministry, we are only as strong as the people who provide leadership, both in the pews and in the corps offices around the world. We are losing good people at a rate that sure seems to be accelerating, and we are asking senior leadership to remain past their scheduled retirement years to fill in the gaps.
I’m concerned. Yet am I the boy crying wolf? We’ve certainly survived officer resignations in the past. But my gut is telling me that we are at a tipping point in our history, at least in North America and Europe.
What can stem the tide? Short answer: flexibility.
Life isn’t the same as it was in the 60’s and 70’s, when many of our senior leaders began their service. Blind obedience isn’t working on any level of our lives, and isn’t working in the Army. We’ve got to find ways to allow for a level of self-determination in appointments, respect for family needs and wishes, single-spouse officership options, and respectful and informed conversations about the needs of the Army versus the hopes and desires of its officers.
While I sound like a broken record, “I cannot leave the dear old flag, ‘twere better for to die” just doesn’t make it anymore (and I’m not sure that it was ever biblically sound). It’s hard enough for my baby-boomer generation to remain as officers, and that mentality will not keep the next generations. They live in a world that offers many, many options for ministry, and even a golden handcuff will not be enough to keep them if they don’t sense that they have a voice in their – and the Army’s – future.
Is anybody listening?
JoAnn Shade
Major JoAnn Shade is a retired SA Pastor and lives in Ohio, USA
12 comments:
I sense some apathy in US Territorial and Divisional leadership. Maybe the Army should stay the way it is and perhaps become a smaller organization. Maybe it should just shut down in some areas and certain countries. That is what will happen if a few changes do not take place.The exodus will only continue and will get worse.US Commissioners need to make some bold decisions and have more forward thinking before it is too late.
Thank you Joann for your insight.
USA East Former
There are over 90 cadets this year at the Western CFOT, but I wonder how many of them will last past their first appointment? Right now, my belief is that we are so desperate for numbers that we are pushing anything that breathes in! i know some of the cadets personally and the ones I know are solid in their faith and have enough experience, both Army and secular to succeed, but the others. I am praying for the best, but U doagree, the "march or die"philosophy does not fly with the Gen X'er and Y'ers! There needs to be change -real change!
I once heard a Commissioner at an Officers Councils comment on people leaving officership. He said that the majority of resignations that come across his desk site 'doctrinal differences' as reasons for resignation. He then went on to say that he didn't believe that - that it was because of things like lack of commitment, focus, inability to sacrifice etc etc etc. I think he was quite wrong in his assessment.
In this blogsite we hear so much of things like conditions within TSA (spouse, lifestyle, lack of support/love etc etc etc) which lead to people resigning.
My oppinion is that both views are wrong but come close to the reason. Whilst it is true that there are a lot of things within TSA that need 'fixing', I personally think that the lists we keep coming up with are just distractions. I think the Commissioner I heard at Officers Councils had the answer staring him in the face. I think it is doctrinal issues - but a lot of us are afraid to admit it for fear of the consequences for our own lives, our theology, and the life and theology of TSA and the church.
I certainly left due to Doctrinal differences. The expression of a lack of love exhibited by leaders within TSA can have its roots in doctrinal differences. The structure and ministry style of TSA can have profound doctrinal implications.
What is really required is a major overhaul of doctrine and theology. The rest is just window-dressing. I know I would have stayed regardless of all the other stuff if I didn't have such doctrinal differences.
Just my thoughts.
Yours in Christ,
Graeme Randall
Former Australian East.
Graeme,
I think that doctrinal issues are minor compared to the lack of love and care issues for officers in the Army. Above all I saw the "control" of life and limitations put upon officers as a key factor for my wife and I leaving after several years of officership.
USA East former
This is a string that needs expanding and airing dramatically because as Graeme says there are a lot of lists that are distractions. I agree that there are doctrinal issues and there are issues of 'lack of .. whatever' in our leadership, and there are ... here we go again another list. This week I spent a very pleasurable hour over a coffee with an old session mate who is now a DC; yes we talked briefly over some of the College days and what has happened since but I felt compelled to congratulate him on his status and I was very proud and genuine but he replied that he just hung around long enough; I am sure that is not entirely true but it is an indication.
I did not say that I was dramatically jealous and not a day goes by that I do not pine for the days when I wore the red. At times the what if's do have the potential to take over but I seem to have developed the ability to put it in perspective and no matter how much I valued my time as an officer, I now have a new life and new responsibilities and a great future to live out.
After my coffee with my good mate, I had a look through the Archives on the next floor down and lived out again what is a continuing passion for all things army and as I looked round the display took a little pride in remembering so many of the stories and the memories that the old Mercy Seat, badges, uniforms and pictures evoked in me. But they had something that I had forgotten about there was a Key Ring that immediately rang bells from my early Officership. Emblazoned on it in Big letters were 'I.A.D.O.M.' I am sure that many readers will remember it. and round the outside 'It all depends on me'.
What so many people have failed to live out is what I would call the most important life lesson of taking personal responsibility for my life.
You can make all the lists and revise the doctrine book to make it what you feel it should be but take responsibility for your life; and if I was writing for actives, I would also say, your Officership. If you feel strongly about the lack of love from your DC, tell them and find out if there is something that you can do to sort it, if it is a doctrinal issue talk about it and if it is something that can be changed well you may be a pioneer or you may just be the person that verbalises what many other people feel and change might just happen.
Take responsibility for you, there is no mileage in just talking about our impending doom. Would it be harsh to say that those who are predicting it have already started to cause it.
I think that there is a need to have some more key rings or badges made with IADOM printed and circulated.
'Fletch'
Former Australia
Fletch,
Sometiimes speaking out about matters makes no difference because no one is willing to listen.
The current policy of "consultation" as stated by the Australian Southern Territory Commissioner on his blog and also practiced by the Eastern Territory is for officers to complete a few questions about their future and sent that in. Later in the year your head of department asks if there is any reason you cannot move? Or move interstate? And then a few weeks before appointment announcements you are told of your appointment.
There is no real contribution to the process let alone the thought of having some real say in how you might best be placed.
My brother who is an ex also put it bluntly. Many of the older officers just were nasty. I think there was a generation gap and the older worn out majors and Brigadiers just did not want to accept us younger officers and try anything new. The reason I left , my own personal reason was soon I felt the Army did not give a dam about me I was just one more who could sit at a switch board, answer the phone, or fill in some other job that they would have to pay a salaried employee to do. And I did not mind doing the menial jobs at all. But when I sat at the switch board on Christmas day and no one relieved me for 8hours and no one even came to relieve me for a lunch break or a bathroom break. Now that is just out right showing someonbe you don't give a crap about them. Then when I finally left I was told to burn my bridges. Who has the authority to say that to someone who was brought up inthe Church since a small child and had Salvation Army blood and fire in their being were told leave and don't come back.
The first poster senses some apathy in US Territorial and Divisional leadership. Sadly, this apathy extends to other territories as well. Our entire SA leadership is made up of those who are wedded to the organisation first, and then to matters spiritual. It is rare to find a leader who thinks outside the SA 'box' and finds it possible to inspire the rank and file. We are fast losing the fire which set the world aflame for God at the outset.
I speak as one who has had a decision affecting my corps reversed by DHQ after a quarter of a century, with reasons that would be laughable if they didn't have such serious consequences for its viability. We are going backward, not forward, and there needs to be a huge change by our leaders if we are going to start to stop the rot.
There are those who would say this is negative thinking, but it is reality, and shows more care about our future as a spiritual force than those who see nothing wrong.
I am struggling with major doctrinal issues at the moment in TSA, and I agree that there needs to be a basic rethink. I am disgruntled about the over-emphasis on the trivia in the Army to the detriment of the more important. Spiritual struggles are never mentioned, nor are there requests for prayer when difficulties arise. I find this bizarre in a christian church.
Some will suggest I leave, as my issues are with the basic structure of TSA, but, like Fletch, I love serving in the ranks of the 'dear old Army'. I'm afraid though, that the 'old' has overtaken the present and the future.
I went to church on Sunday evening as there was no meeting at the Army – cancelled because of Christmas. The pastor spoke about a Scottish preacher called Robert Murray M'Cheyne, who died at the age of 29. Some of his more memorable quotes are these:
"The greatest need of my people is my personal holiness."
"Study universal holiness of life. Your whole usefulness depends on this, for your sermons last but an hour or two; your life preaches all the week. If Satan can only make a minister covetous, a lover of praise, of pleasure, of good eating, he has ruined your ministry.
Give yourself to prayer, and get your texts, your thoughts, your words from God.
"You will never find Jesus so precious as when the world is one vast howling wilderness. Then He is like a rose blooming in the midst of the desolation, a rock rising above the storm."
How many Army officers have time for such a commitment as this? They are required to multi-task – to cope with endless paperwork and many non-pastoral necessities. How can they possibly meet the spiritual needs of the flock? If officers were pastors only, what a difference we’d see in the ranks and in the leadership. The present structure is all wrong.
Dear, "I speak as one who has had a decision affecting my corps reversed by DHQ after a quarter of a century, with reasons that would be laughable if they didn't have such serious consequences for its viability. We are going backward, not forward, and there needs to be a huge change by our leaders if we are going to start to stop the rot."
Please contact me- I'd like to develop wour frustration into a blog article to kick-start a discussion- Perfect for the new year! Blessings -
Sven Ljungholm
selmoscow@aol.com
I'd like to see some constructive comment on how the loss of officers can best be handled. In the meantime:
I'm not sure that the flexibility JoAnn calls for is a radical solution. My impression is that a number of Western territories are adapting the measures being advocated, but is there actually any evidence that this results in a lower rate of attrition?
Secondly, revising doctrine will change very little. Every change that keeps someone from leaving could potentially cause someone else to leave. In my opinion, there is actually nothing major wrong with our theology....whether we live it out is another matter, but that is spirituality, not theology!
David Cavanagh
Major
Italy
If there is nothing major wrong with our theology, why is the General looking at closer links with the Roman Catholics (his recent visit refers)? Their theology on the major spiritual issues are different to ours.
I don't know where you got that idea from.
The General isn't looking at closer links with the Roman Catholic Church in any institutional sense.
We are simply looking for areas where we can act together - as we often do at local level - and perhaps also for areas of common concern in social ministries where we could speak with a united voice and advocate for those we serve.
David Cavanagh
Major
Italy
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