My resignation as a SA Officer

I share here with family, friends and colleagues news of my resignation from officership. Amid complex factors, the essential causes are gradual changes in belief over several years, such that I now find myself outside even the most generous interpretations of Salvation Army doctrine. With no prospect of a return in sight, integrity requires that I give up the privileges of a ministry I can no longer fulfil. Detailing the perspectives I now hold would need a large book, but I ought to be brief in an unsolicited message. I share as much as I do here for two reasons. First, I am conscious of how resignation from officership is commonly interpreted. Second, and more importantly, I believe my cherished relationships across the Salvation Army world deserve the courtesy of a clear, open account.

For those who can have known little or nothing of my journey in recent years, this news will likely be startling and in conflict with your impressions of me. What has been gradual for me comes suddenly to you. The problem is that such matters are too sensitive and private for everyday conversation. If we have had contact recently and, in concealing the full scale of my predicament, I came across as less than genuine, I can only apologise and ask for your understanding.

Resignation from officership has always been difficult. It has meant stagnation or liberation, depending on the circumstances. It may induce searing regret at having turned one’s back on a sacred calling. For others, leaving has been an act of courage and truthfulness to one’s self unmatched earlier in life. The Booth children Kate and Herbert come to mind, as do some close friends. I have them to thank for helping me prepare for such personal upheaval. This is a lacerating moment in my life, involving loss of belonging, reputation, security and opportunity. But when it comes to the question of why I must leave and the influences upon me, I know this to be the most independent decision I have ever made. No one advised or encouraged me to resign – very much the opposite. There is no seductive offer of alternative work. Bereavement is also not a cause. Neither is there any shadow: some secret immorality or unconfessed turning away from God. The pursuits of truth and personal integrity have been the only guiding lights.

Any resignation must face up to the officer’s covenant. I have mine before me as I write. On signing it in May 2001, I had good reason to assume the beliefs I was binding myself to for life were fixed and final. My finest role-models were living, or had lived, fruitful lifetimes as Protestant Evangelicals. But, of course, I am not them. The hidden difficulty lay in the assumption that future learning and experience will affirm a Salvationist worldview. This is intrinsic to making the covenant. Aged twenty-eight, I could not foresee the challenging impact of future discoveries. Lifelong Salvationists have been able to reconcile their life experience with a commitment of belief made in early years, often reinforcing it, but I have been incapable of that. Eleven years later, the insight and hindsight of midlife reveal how provisional my beliefs and identity were. I understand now that, as a way of being, I bring enlarging knowledge and life experience to bear confrontationally on all my core convictions. This illuminates lesser eruptions of doubt earlier in life. Energising as the covenant was while evangelical belief could be sustained, I have the wrong kind of personality to have foreclosed enquiry by binding myself to religious truth-claims.

While offering no less depth and authenticity than that enjoyed by lifelong believers, this habit of the heart and mind has not lent itself to a stable, linear spirituality. It proved painfully disruptive to Salvationist ministry. I am neither proud nor ashamed of how I proceed in the formation of belief, but I am at peace with my nature and must seek a future consistent with who I am. Despite my loss and heartbreak, I can foresee redemptive fruits borne of these years of struggle. I am certainly not without hope.The covenant obliges an officer to ‘maintain the doctrines and principles of The Salvation Army’. Entrusted with the care of those under my ministry, I sought always to fulfil this promise. The price has been a widening disjunction between public and private identity. While the kindness of a low-profile appointment ameliorated the tension, the attempt to live for so long with this has proved debilitating. It is as if the fabric of my identity is being torn apart. For this reason, the formal ‘breaking’ of the covenant yields hope of a healed integrity: the reuniting of my private and public self. In this context, the reflexive assumption that resignation spells disobedience, weakness and failure is not meaningful, let alone pastorally helpful.

None of this implies regret at having become an officer in the first place. Any commitment risks future loss; officership was a risk worth taking. Among countless enriching experiences, I only have to think of the privilege of being entrusted to walk alongside people at their most burdened, broken and vulnerable.

Many thoughts will turn to my family: my wife, children, dad, sister and brother in particular. I became an officer free from parental expectation and I leave with my decision rightly tested, but ultimately respected. With Mum no longer here, I find Dad's love amplified in compensation: always welcoming, always supportive. It is the same magnificent devotion I saw in Mum's final months last year.

Lynne continues as an officer with my steadfast support. She is an amazing person to be with at such a time. I have tried to engage my family with sensitivity, and have doubtless done this imperfectly. I reason that, while having to act disruptively, I do them a greater disservice if I fail to be myself. But, however turbulent the times, they are all people of unwavering, extraordinary love. I see it, know it, and feel safe and strong because of it.

Vast kindness has come to me from Salvation Army leaders, to a degree I do not expect to find in any secular environment. I find also, to my joy, that true friendship is not conditional on shared vocation or belief. The movement has always been a loving world to me; a bottomless well of goodness. Though formally detached, I hope never to be severed from the people who embody those qualities.

Thank you for reading this, but more, for such goodness as you have shown me during this treasured season of my life called officership.

With esteem, Matt Clifton

THE SACRAMENTS: an alternative

I start with a few cautions for us to consider.

1. The "Prophetic" calling of The Salvation Army - Of late there has been a particular emphasis on our "Testimonial" role on the possibility of a Christian life lived "without sacramental ritual". The big questions for any prophet are (a) are you really saying what God wants you to say, and is that supported by Scripture, and (b) what evidence do you have to support such claims. In response to (a) there is probably more support for an observant position than a non-observant one, and for (b) there have not been any other denominations adopt a stance. Sure, they respect us and admire us, but no one's joining us. Our prophetic role is either ineffectual, or needs closer scrutiny.
2. Who's decision was this? James Pedlar has closely compared Salvation Story (1998) with the latest Handbook of Doctrine through a couple of posts, including a very interesting table. All of these can be accessed through his blog here. One significant shift has been the change in language at one particular point. In Salvation Story it reads: “Early in our history, The Salvation Army chose not to observe specific sacraments as prescribed rituals.” In theHandbook of Doctrine it reads: "Early in our history, The Salvation Army was led of God not to observe specific sacraments, that is baptism and the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion, as prescribed rituals." Again, is there support in Scripture for this claim? I join with James on this particular point and suggest that a little more reticence should be displayed here before jumping to such a conclusion.
3. Let's be careful about our "sacramental songs" - Whenever this topic comes up in Salvation Army circles inevitably someone says "My life must be Christ's broken bread, my love his outpoured wine." I'm actually a little sick of it. For two reasons; (a) it normally stops the conversation and so stops people from actually "thinking" about what they're saying and (b) what have we done with Christ's words here? He was the one who said "this is my body" and we go and say "actually 'No' Lord, my life is your broken bread, thank you very much." Is there not just a tinge bit of arrogance in those words? I certainly respect General Albert Osborne and his genuine attempt to encourage Salvationists to live a life that demonstrates Christ's love for others, but when we use these lyrics as the crux of our sacramental theology, we have a significant exegetical problem. The astute might notice that I said "songs", too. I always wonder why "O Boundless Salvation" doesn't get more mileage when we discuss this? "My sins they are many, the stains are so deep... Thy waters can cleanse me, come roll over me." Sounds a little like baptism to me.

To conclude this series I would like to propose an alternative policy for The Salvation Army. I want to suggest that the intention behind the original decision was indeed the Gospel. This was William Booth's talent; the ability to focus all of his attention on the Gospel and getting it through to the people who needed it the most in whatever way that worked. He was a pragmatist, not a theologian. If it worked, he adopted it. But if it didn't he also was quite prepared to drop it. It concerns me that our present position seems more concerned with maintaining the position itself, rather than getting the gospel to those who need it the most by whatever means necessary. 

The positive aspect of The Salvation Army's current position is it's emphasis upon the potentiality of every moment in life being sacramental. This we refer to as the "immediacy of grace" and was particularly well captured in Salvation Story appendix nine. The negative aspect is that our position now explicitly states that every moment in life can be sacramental, except for those two ceremonies. They are banned in Salvation Army worship. The problem is (and this is the "contradiction" highlighted in Post Four) is that most Salvationists read their Scriptures (Luke 22 and 1 Cor 11 in particular) and see Christ's words of institution - "Do this", but then are told by The Salvation Army, in no uncertain terms, "Actually, don't do this." This, I would argue, is a cause for significant angst in many quarters, and requires either editorial exegesis, or at the very least some exegetical gymnastics  something we do almost nowhere else in the Scriptures.

My suggested policy is taken from Commissioner Phil Needham's Community in Mission (pg 8)

What the immediacy of grace does imply is that no ritual can be seen as somehow necessary in order for someone to receive grace and that any ritual which faithfully conveys the gospel and adequately allows for response is appropriate.

This, I suggest, keeps the Gospel as our focal point, not the preservation of a position that was adopted for the purpose of the Gospel. In practical terms this means that if, for example, it serves our Gospel purposes to hand out bread and grape juice for someone to understand that God loves them, Christ died and rose again for them, and they can have life in his name, then we do it. Alternatively, if it's not going to work because that would communicate something completely different, then so be it - try something that works. The priority, though, is the Gospel.

Wouldn't it be better if, rather than worrying, for example, whether I have water too close to a dedication (which is explicitly stated in the dedication ceremony by the way) and refocussed our attention back onto the Gospel? What would that mean in countries that are crying out for the reintroduction of the sacraments for the sake of the Gospel? Would it mean more people actually hearing the gospel message? I think it would. Conversely, what would that mean in countries that are saying "please don't" reintroduce them? I think it would similarly mean that more people would actual hear the gospel, because those people know that our policy is "do whatever is necessary for the gospel to be received by those who need it the most." They would be given permission to do whatever it takes for the sake of the Gospel.

Isn't that what we're about?

Isn't that the core of The Salvation Army's mission? The Gospel of Jesus Christ for the whosever, in whatever means necessary?

I conclude with a length quote. It is my genuine hope that this series has been beneficial in at least generating discussion. I would certainly welcome feedback of all kinds. I don't profess to be the expert in these matters, but just hope that I may shed a little of that light that William Booth spoke of when he made his decision.

Where the life of the Church is exhausted in self-serving, it smacks of death; the decisive thing has been forgotten, that this whole life is lived only in the exercise of what we called the Church's service as ambassador, proclamation, kerygma. A Church that recognises its commission will neither desire nor be able to petrify in any of its functions, to be the Church for its own sake. There is the 'Christ-believing group'; but this group is sent out: 'Go and preach the Gospel!' It does not say, 'Go and celebrate services!' 'Go and edify yourselves with the sermon!' 'Go and celebrate the Sacraments!' 'Go and present yourselves in a liturgy, which perhaps repeats the heavenly liturgy!' 'Go and devise a theology which may gloriously unfold like the Summa of St Thomas!' Of course, there is nothing to forbid all this; there may exist very good cause to do it all; but nothing, nothing at all for its own sake! In it all the one thing must prevail: 'Proclaim the Gospel to every creature!' The Church runs like a herald to deliver the message. It is not a snail that carries its little house on its back and is so well off in it, that only now and then it sticks out its feelers, and then thinks that the 'claim of publicity' has been satisfied. No, the Church lives by its commission as herald; it is la compagnie de Dieu (the company of God). Where the Church is living, it must ask itself whether it is serving this commission or whether it is a purpose in itself? If the second is the case, then as a rule it begins to smack of the 'sacred', to affect piety, to play the priest and to mumble. Anyone with a keen nose will smell it and find it dreadful! Christianity is not 'sacred'; rather there breathes in it the fresh air of the Spirit. Otherwise it is not Christianity. For it is an out-an-out 'wordly' thing open to all humanity: 'Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.' (Karl Barth,Dogmatics in Outline, trans. G.T. Thomson, (London: SCM Press, 1958), 146-147).

ADAM COUCHMAN, Major

Australia

Salvation Army Sacramental Theology

Jennifer, a 22 year-old university graduate has been calling The Salvation Army her church home for 3 years. She grew up in a Christian home, but only in this time has she been "serious" about her faith. She's part of a small group and sings in the worship team. Jenny is also on the roster to teach Sunday School. Jenny decides it's time to consider her commitment to the church and so approaches the Corps Officer about being baptised. When she asks her about it she is informed that the Army doesn't baptise people. Intrigued by this she asks why and is informed that there are a number of factors contributing to this, but by and large the Army professes the sacramentality of all of life. Grace is not limited to two or seven ceremonies but rather is received when we approach God in faith. The Officer even quotes the Handbook of Doctrine (pg 271) and Called to be God's People (pg 109) which affirm the Army's position that "no particular outward observance is necessary to inward grace" and that "God's grace is freely and readily accessible at all times and in all places."
"Oh" replies Jenny. "So how do I affirm my place in The Salvation Army?"
"Well, I would encourage you to consider Soldiership."
"Is that just wearing uniform?"
"No, it's much more than that. We believe that a soldier is a person who has "professed salvation through faith in Christ", "studied the doctrines, principles and evangelistic witness of the Army", have been accepted for soldiership by the local leaders of this Corps, and they've signed the Articles of War, known as "A Soldier's Covenant" (see Called to be God's People, pg 44.) Here's a copy of the Articles of War for you to consider. Once you've attended some classes, have applied and been accepted for Soldiership, you would then go through a ceremony known as "Swearing-In" or "Enrolment" by which you would become a soldier."
Jenny takes the Soldier's Covenant away and considers it.

______________
It's a made up story, but I'm sure it's not very far from reality on many occasions. The Army's position regarding the sacrament of baptism has been affirmed, and soldiership has been promoted by the Corps Officer, as they are expected to do so. So what's the problem?

The problem is that the Officer has actually (most likely unknowingly) contradicted herself. 

What do I mean by that?

Well soldiership itself is a grace-based covenantal relationship with God himself. I know that we want to suggest that the Swearing-In of a soldier is a "public response and witness to a life-changing encounter with Christ which has already taken place, as is the water baptism practised by some other Christians" (Called to be God's People, pg 127). In suggesting that, we are placing the reception of grace firmly in the past. That is, here we suggest that the Swearing-In ceremony is in fact a testimony to a past event. In doing so, we're applying a Zwinglian sacramental theology upon our Swearing-In ceremony. There is a significant memorial element here, but it is so much more than this. Here is the wording of the Soldier's Covenant which is critical here.

Having accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Lord, and desiring to fulfil my membership of His Church on earth as a soldier of The Salvation Army, I now by God's grace enter into a sacred covenant.

Something is happening now. Grace is being communicated between God and the new soldier now. The first part of this paragraph is memorial; remembering and testifying to the past event of conversion. That much is true. But here and now as the person stands before congregation, having been catechised (trained in the faith), accepted by the local elders (Pastoral Care Council or the old Census Board), in the presence of fellow believers and other soldiers, this person is entering into a sacred covenant with God. Again, it's a grace-based covenantal relationship. So, where's the contradiction I referred to earlier?

It's here... Is the grace required for soldiership "freely and readily accessible at all times and in all places." No, it's not. Certainly the grace required for conversion is freely available, but no one can just say by faith alone "I'm a soldier of The Salvation Army", begin wearing uniform and be affirmed as such officially. Soldiers must sign the Soldier's Covenant. They must be affirmed by the Pastoral Care Council, they must go through the ceremony and whilst there is no official requirement for this, more often than not it is an officer who performs the Swearing-In ceremony (which says something about our interpretation of the "priesthood of all believers"... another day).

Let's be frank here. This ceremony is a sacrament. Historically it's a new kind of sacrament, but a sacrament no less. This is where I've applied the term "neo-sacramental". Furthermore, a Zwinglian sacramental theology is insufficient to describe how this is a sacrament, because it's more than a memorial event. A much more realist interpretation of the relationship between "grace" and "sign" is required. In fact, at this point we're much closer to Wesley than we would think. 
We're not non-sacramental, we're certainly not anti-sacramental, we're neo-sacramental. It's not that we don't practice the sacraments, it's just that we've discarded what was used before (Eucharist and Baptism) in place of new ceremonies and rituals of our own. Henry Gariepy has stated this very clearly in his last publication Christianity in Action (pg 72).

In reality, The Salvation Army substituted its own rituals. Infants were no longer baptised; they were dedicated, with parents vowing to raise them according to Christian practice. The public enrollment of senior soldiers (lay members) and the signing of the "Articles of War" became a ritual within the Army. In the end, the Army came to lean upon its own external symbols and rituals, including its uniform, flag, songbook, and mode of worship. These were looked upon as aids, not to be espoused as a medium or requisite of salvation, or of the spiritual life.

Whether we like it or not, this is the position we're in, and it is a contradiction. The reasons we put forward against two ceremonies (Eucharist and Baptism) contradict the very practices that we continue to use and affirm.
So what's a possible way ahead? Well, that's the topic of the next post. 

ADAM COUCHMAN, Major

Australia

SATURDAY DEVOTIONS

At the beginning of this new day together I wanted us to focus our thoughts on God.  Giving Him His rightful place.  Acknowledging His presence in our midst.  Inviting Him to come and be our honoured guest, central to all we think and say and do.

Eugene Peterson is one of my favourite writers and over the years I have learned so much from him.  I love the Message Paraphrase of the Bible although I do struggle with some of the Americanisms in it.  However, what I love about this parpaphrase is that it helps make Scripture, personal, relational and draws me into it and often demands a response from me.

In his introduction to the book of Genesis Eugene Peterson helps us put things into their right perspective when he writes:

‘First, God.  God is the subject of life.  God is foundational for living.  If we don’t have a sense of the primacy of God, we will never get it right, get life right, get our lives right.  Not God at the margins; not God as an option; not God on the weekends.  God at centre and circumference; God first and last; God, God, God.’

Eugene Peterson

If we were to turn to Psalm 90: 1-2 we would read:

‘God it seems you’ve been our home forever; long before the mountains were born, long before you brought earth itself to birth, from ‘once upon a time’ to ‘kingdom come’ – you are God’

Psalm 90: 1-2 MSG Para

I don’t know about you, but for me, the older I get, the more I realize the less I know. BUT, the older I get the more I realize God is faithful and just, an ever present God.  For most, if not all of us life at times turns out to be very different to what we had expected.  I had been a single Officer for twenty three years prior to me meeting Sven.  My officership had taken me to a number of places and different types of appointments.  For the most of the time I was very happy and fulfilled in my ministry as a single officer and by that stage I think had given up any thoughts of getting married.  Life was good and I was happy.  Then, completely out of the blue, I met Sven, fell in love, we had hoped and planned to be officers together, but then a week after our engagement Sven had a massive stroke and the result of which left him disabled.  Things turned out to be very different to what we had expected and now I find myself to be a single spouse officer and a fulltime carer.   However, through it all I can sincerely testify to the faithfulness of God.  He has been there with us and for us every single step of the way and I have found myself being able to say:  ‘For where I cannot see I’ll trust, for then I know Thou surely must be still my all in all.’  I know now more than ever God is faithful in His promise and His word to us.

I had hoped at this point we would be able to sing the chorus: ‘Faithful God’ together, however, we had not got the music and nobody seemed to know it, so we didn’t sing it but simply reflected on the words for a moment.

 ‘Faithful God, Faithful God,

All Sufficient One, I worship You.

Shalom my Peace,

My Strong Deliverer,

I lift You up,

Faithful God’

Chris Bowater

Having acknowledged something of the faithfulness of God, our response so often is to tell Him we love Him and so we did just that as we sang together:

I love You, Lord,

And I lift my voice to worship You,

O my soul rejoice.

Take joy, my King, in what You hear.

May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.

Laurie Klein

Which was followed by voluntary

Heart felt prayers …

I guess in many ways none of us really knew what to expect this weekend.  I certainly didn’t.  I thought I was coming to New York for the weekend.  I knew we were staying in a Salvation Army Conference Centre but for some reason I had imagined it to be hidden somewhere in the centre of New York, away from what I imagine is the hustle, bustle and noise of the city.  And in my mind I had visions of us accepting the invitation we find from God in Psalm 46: 10

‘Step out of the traffic!  Take a long, loving look at Me, your High God’

Psalm 46: 10 MSG Para

It wasn’t long before I realized we were to be staying nowhere near New York and I found myself in the beautiful countryside of the Pennsylvanian mountains.  Before we had even arrived here I felt I was beginning to respond to God’s invitation:  ‘To step out of the traffic and take a long, loving look at Him.’  As we drove through the gates into the grounds of this place immediately I sensed the presence of God and sensed it was a place that had been soaked in prayers down through the years.  No doubt some of those prayers were prayers of the people gathered in our group and this morning we had come to add even more prayers into the walls, the DNA of that place. 

All of us had come as wounded people.  All of us had come in need of God’s healing touch upon our hearts and lives for some reason or other.  And I believed the answer to the question General Albert Osborn’s song asks:  ‘When shall I come unto the healing waters?’  Was now …  I explained how I love the second verse of this song in particular and how there have been many significant moments in my life when I have really prayed these words:

Wash from my hands the dust of earthly striving;

Take from my mind the stress of secret fear;

Cleanse Thou the wounds from all but Thee far hidden.

And when the waters flow let my healing appear.

Sensitively and prayerfully we sang the song together.

When shall I come unto the healing waters?

Lifting my heart, I cry to Thee my prayer.

Spirit of peace, my Comforter and healer,

In whom my springs are found, let my soul meet Thee there.

From a hill I know,

Healing waters flow;

O rise, Immanuel’s tide,

And my soul overflow.

Wash from my hands the dust of earthly striving;

Take from my mind the stress of secret fear;

Cleanse Thou the wounds from all but Thee far hidden.

And when the waters flow let my healing appear.

Light, life and love are in that healing fountain,

All I require to cleanse me and restore.

Flow through my soul, redeem its desert places,

And make a garden there for the Lord I adore.

Albert Osborn

(SASB 647 – SATB 613)

I asked if the Pearl, the pianist could continue to play the music from this song quietly in the background as we made our silent, personal prayers to God asking Him to do in our hearts and lives what we needed Him to do this day.  As we did so I suggested if people would like me to I would go around the group with oil that I had bought in The Holy Land, simply make the sign of the cross on the palm of their hand and pray a blessing over them.  Personally I found this to be a very moving and humbling experience as I moved around the group and prayed:

‘May the Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face to shine upon you

And be gracious unto you.

The Lord lift up the light of Hs countenance upon you

And give you peace.’

Personal Prayers …

This was followed by the singing of a verse of a song that was our joint prayer for us as individuals, for us as a group and for The Salvation Army.

O let me hear Thee speaking

In accents clear and still,

Above the storms of passion,

The murmurs of self-will.

O speak to reassure me,

To chasten or control;

O speak and make me listen,

Thou Guardian of my soul.

John Ernest Bode

(SASB 862 – SATB 246)

And our benediction was taken from the final verse of the Psalm we commenced our morning devotions with:

‘Let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,

confirming the work we do.

Oh yes.  Affirm the work we do!’

Psalm 90: 18 MSG Para

‘Let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,

confirming the work we do.

Oh yes.  Affirm the work we do, today!’

Amen!

Major Glad Ljungholm

Liverpool

A CONVERSATION -2-

I was among the group of formers who met with personnel secretary Colonel Mark Tillsley.  I understood that the purpose of the meeting was more a reconciliation of fellowship than recruitment; and the goal was to find a way to improve communication with former officers.  However, I honestly felt loved and appreciated after years of not being able to find my own niche in the Army’s divine ministry and precious fellowship.

I first met Mark Tillsley when he was a senior in high school.  Now he is a doctoral candidate whose dissertation focuses on the role of the corps officer.  He does this while working day and night to fill positions, care for officers, and establish standards and discipline.  During the weekend Mark was pleasant, personable, and impressively open.  He spoke for himself while being true to the Army.  For example, when speaking of “calling,” he stated that the organization should not use an individual’s declaration of calling as a pressure point for manipulation.  Also, he acknowledged that in view of the fact that the Army “celebrates when a person leaves another church to join us,” then its members should not question the character of a person who perceives a change in his or her own understanding of the personal call.

Each delegate to this meeting was free to express personal ouches, hurts, feelings, and successes.  We spoke of the “crisis” of leaving the ranks; the struggle to find a new identity; and of course the frenzy of seeking to survive socially, emotionally, and economically while negotiating a new social engagement.  Affective expression is part of emotional catharsis.  Experiencing and seeking to understand each other’s experiences and burdens—however briefly—was part of a healing process.  Mark bore burdens and asked for forgiveness as freely as he gave forgiveness and agreed to make right that which was in his power to change.

Many of us expressed having felt rejected, shunned, ostracized, or misunderstood following our departure from the ranks.  Mark asked us to recall that many of our active officer peers often were “consumed by the people in their spheres,” or overwhelmed with the burdens of their own ministries and the individuals who clamored for their attention; such that the omission of reaching out to us was less intentional than one might perceive.  However, then he said that the Army was taking steps to “add intentionality” to contact with former officers and ministry to persons who left the ranks.  He stated that in the case of pastoral care to active officers, in the past two years retired officers were sent to provide supportive rather than official contact with active officers and that this has at least provisionally shown a positive coefficient of correlation with officer retention.

There were many practical recommendations.  These included reassessing the tangible support offered to parting officers as well as improving pastoral care and emotional support.  These also included possible unpaid leave during times of crisis and a re-examination of the way in which married couples are treated during marital crisis.  The Army of course must balance the care of soldiers, corps centers, and communities with the needs of officers in crisis.

Bob Chase
satisfecho@aol.com

A CONVERSATION -1-

My husband and I (Dan and Misty Simco) really enjoyed the opportunity to come and fellowship with other former officers at the small conference this weekend held at Ladore Conference Center in Waymart, PA. The first day was pretty emotional for several of us. Colonel Mark Tillsley represented the Army at this event and he got our conversations started by using for key words: Calling, Crisis, Care, and Conciliation. The calling, at least for Dan and I, was not much of an issue. We knew that we were called by God to serve and that the Army was only a tool. So when we left, we did not feel like we were “uncalled”. Some, however, in our group did struggle with this whole idea that when leaving the Army, you are leaving your call. 

Perhaps the most emotional time for the group was the crisis conversation. In fact, this is all the further we really got to on the first day because of all the hurts being expressed. I must say, that this is where I struggled the most. My husband and I were so hurt by our former D.C. that those words and feelings said by our leader is still haunting us today. I personally still struggle today with watching the dream God gave to me be taken away by a power hungry leader who forgot to ask the Holy Spirit which way to go. In fact, I felt the need to confess this hurt to the group in hopes of bringing on a quicker healing.

On Saturday, Mark asked us about what we would like from the Army. Dan mentioned that he would like to be contacted once in awhile and that he is willing to even do pulpit supply for the Army during kettle season. I dittoed that thought and added that the friendships are what I miss the most and would love to feel that kindred spirit once again.

After all was said and done and the last good-bye was expressed, Dan and I talked all the way home (3 hour trip) about our experience. We both felt the experience was enlightening and helpful in our journey toward healing; But perhaps more importantly, we felt this experience was a great expression of the Army’s desire to lessen the disconnect with its former officers. We both appreciated Mark’s heart in this whole matter. This event actually made us miss a bit of the Army’s comradery. We are both hopeful that this event will lead to greater things in the future

Misty Gatchell Simco
Former
USA East

Complex Church, Uncomplicated Faith

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Raymond Finger

As much as I love the Church for what it represents as a redemption centre, it has also become an industry from which, literally thousands of people have walked away. In doing so, many have thrown the baby out with the bath water.

Throughout the centuries, in an attempt to bring form and order to its theology, it has also brought significant misunderstanding and confusion, which was never what God intended.

The Church at its best and richest is a community of people who are saved and growing in their faith in God, coming together to worship Him and enjoy the company of each other.

The structure, form and order of the Church has the potential to obscure God. The seeming ’importance’ of form and order can often loom larger than the importance of God.

Keep it simple. See the Church for what it is, but know that God is above and beyond the institution. People ask me from time to time, “don’t you get frustrated by the politics of the Army?” and I tell them, “I sure do.” But I also tell them that the Church and God are not one, because I see the Church as a weak reflection of ourselves.

My relationship with God is not dependant in any way on the Church. I love worship and I enjoy the company of those with whom I worship, but I love God more.

When the ‘rich young ruler’ asked Jesus, “what must I do to gain eternal life,” Jesus reply in its simplest form was this, ‘love God and love others.’

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbour as yourself.”    Luke 10:27

I don’t think it gets any better than that. I don’t think it needs to be any more complicated than that. I can live and serve in the framework of a complex Church with a very uncomplicated faith, trust and belief in God – so can you.

Commissioner Raymond Finger