Your Battle is Our Battle -Part Four Intro to Retention Methods-

IHQ with St. Paul's Cathedral in the background Lector, si monumentum requiris circumspice

In the previous article (part three) I shared that Sir Christopher Wren was the architect and driving force in the resurrection of St. Paul’s Cathedral following the great fire of London in 1666. Should you decide to visit St. Paul’s it’s only natural that you seek out the statues and plaques erected as tributes to Sir Christopher. As a warning to what might be frustrating searches, I’ll tell you up front that you won’t find anything celebrating his achievements except in the cathedral crypt, mosaic-floored, bright and welcoming. The sheer number of memorials makes finding individual graves a bit difficult; the crypt is packed wall-to-wall with plaques and tombs of great Britons with Nelson’s tributes being the most grandiose and numerous. The graves are crowded around the starkly simple black slab concealing the body of Sir Christopher Wren. Inscribed on the wall above is his famous epitaph: Lector, si monumentum requiris circumspice . “Reader, if you seek his monument, look around”.
General Shaw Clifton shared the following in the Oct-Dec. 2009 editorial page of All the World, the 125th year tribute edition: “… As I looked through the 125 years of material it was as if I was touching history itself and the realization that in another 125 years my work may be looked at in a similar vein brought goose-bumps that had nothing to do with the document store’s air-conditioning”. IHQ, where the General’s legacy will be added to those of Booth, Orsborne, Coutts, and others, is being plotted in the shadows of St. Paul’s Cathedral. We can already point to milestones in the General's history. One must wonder though, if the decrease in the number of cadets, and active officers internationally, and a non-efficient resignation intervention and exit support strategy might not be a millstone passed on to his successor! The FSAOF are prepared and committed to assist the General and the army saying; "If you seek a monument to General Clifton, look at the large numbers brought to Christ through an ever increasing number of active Salvation Army officers." In fact, I wonder how many souls were brought 'home' by the combined 3,000 year history represented by our fellowship? Talk about goose bumps!

General Shaw Clifton lifted the spirits of Italian Salvationists during a weekend visit to Rome that he termed a ‘tour of encouragement’ as new soldiers were enrolled.

The General's encouragement and concern are needed and called upon on many fronts! The FSAOF is a worldwide fellowship with almost 300 members, and an extended network of several hundred lifting the army and our General to God 24/7.

General Shaw Clifton shared in his, “If Crosses Come”. The Officer, 2009. ‘Each year I receive the global annual statistics for officer resignations and dismissals. Those for the calendar year of 2007 show that fewer colleagues left officership than in 2006. Of approximately 16,500 active officers, 257 or 1.6% left in 2007 (274 or 1.9% in 2006).’

A cursory reading would see the report as encouraging. However, when examined more closely and in relation to overall Cadet and active officer stats, a more dire reality emerges.General Shaw Clifton shared the REASONS for officer resignations:
Domestics, marital or family: 65 (25.29 %)
Dissatisfaction, for example, appointment/remuneration: 54 (21.01) %
Misconduct: 49 (19.06) %
Unsuited for further service: 25 (9.7 %)
Transfer to another church:16 (6.23 %)
Marriage to non-officer: 15 (5.8 %)
Feeling discouraged: 14 (5.4 %)
Health issues:14 (5.4 %)
Health of spouse: 1 (.4 %)
Doctrinal issues:4 ( 1.55 %)
(Many of those who left had no choice due the army's position on marriage/divorce. FSAOF Editor)

It’s too simplistic to proffer successful retention methods across all lines. However, one certainty is that success in ministry is being obedient to God.

I realize that many of my former colleagues are no longer officers and like me, left their SA "calling". Also, reflecting on my friends who used to be officers, I realize, sadly, that they are now a majority. The attrition rate has been high and the cost to souls is heart wrenching. For some, leaving officership resulted from assuming that God’s calling was permanent and ‘divinely’ protected. And consequently, many neglected the spiritual disciplines or spiritual integrity needed in giving the necessary attention to their own Christian development.

However, in reviewing our history and structure, could it be that the army is in some way complicit in fostering dissatisfaction, particularly as it relates to well-suited appointments (21%) or denying promised appointments? Should the army have foreseen and been pro-active in an effort to stem the domestic, marital or family issues (25.29 %)? For the majority though, it was simply encountering situational conflicts that were no longer worth battling; they could not continue. And too often, they had no friend or accountability group with whom to share their pain and provide emotional or spiritual support.

A sampling of comments on resigning…

“I have to say it: much of my motive for resigning issued from pride. Pride prevented me from talking to others, from considering options, from taking time off, from exercising, or from just falling apart in the arms of a brother who might have cared. Pride kept me from saying, "I don't know what to do," as opposed to saying, "I'm going to quit—end of discussion!"
I wish I'd known how hard ministry really is.” USA

“It took me many years to cut through the cliches that ministry is one big joy. A few years back, I reread Paul's letters to Timothy. I circled the verbs in those letters—endure, persevere, work hard, train, study, take pains. These words of commitment and sacrifice frequently produce joy as a byproduct. But often ministry is simply hard. That is normal. My experience was normal. I wish I'd known there is no perfect place.” USA

“Many problems in ministry are common to every church, because people are basically the same wherever you go. If I'd known then what I know now, I most likely would have fertilized and cultivated where I was, rather than uprooted and replanted somewhere else. I no longer ask if my resignation was a mistake. That's not the best question. Instead I ask, Have I learned from that experience?” Canada

“I wish I'd known there were alternatives to resigning.” UKT

“They tried to tell me there were other ways of handling my frustration. They brought up three alternatives I should have considered:
Take a leave of absence
Talk with other pastors; become more open to colleagues in ministry
Work maintenance into the weekly routine.” USA

“Occasional feelings of failure is inevitable in ministry, and dealing with failure demands a complete re-assessment!” Former who returned to active service UKT

“For years, I thought I couldn't afford conferences and books. I now know I cannot afford to go without them. I wish I had known what a difference sharpening my mental ax could have made.” USA

“I wish I'd known what God had accomplished through me. “ Russia

“…I recently re-read the letter from THQ accepting our resignation. In it we were told of the Army’s appreciation for our 20+ years of service, immediately followed by the perfunctory reminders that our healthcare would cease at the end of the month, to turn in our identification cards and not to in any way represent ourselves as SA Officers. Sadly there was nothing encouraging us to stay connected with the Army as potential soldiers, no offer of counsel or advice to assist in the financial, emotional, practical, and spiritual transition…

If the Army says that it loves a person at the beginning of their officership, that love if genuine must follow them out of officership, or one must question its authenticity.

The Army’s espoused values speak of the redemptive work of the Church, and as such must make a genuine commitment to this ideal, beginning with every Officer. This has nothing to do with benefits, appointments or position, rather the true worth of those who are charged with the privilege to further the redemptive work of the Church.
The final goal must be genuine love for the individual. This true love will indeed begin the healing, help stem the tide of those leaving, and bring blessing from God. It may not change the course for those leaving but it will ultimately bring God’s blessing upon the Army! This is what we all want, and this is what God wants to give.” USA


______________________________________

Tomorrow - Part 4B MENTORING

Oswald Sanders classic book, Spiritual Leadership, although it is over forty years old, still offers valuable insight on leadership from a Christian perspective. Sanders strikes a fitting balance between the qualities of leadership that can be learned and those that are God-given. Mentoring is such a quality and not all officers have been granted this gift.


Are we truly walking in the Spirit if we side-step those He 'called' along side us, and the ones we once called comrades under the flag?

Sven Ljungholm
Former USA East, Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova
Exeter Temple Corps

Your Battle is Our Battle -Part Three-

USE A CRISIS TO KICK-START THE SOLUTION

Today I write not because I have answers, because life in ministry as I’ve known it, is no longer. Instead, I have musings and questions…

There are an estimated 600,000 Pastors, with an average age of 56, serving in the USA. Some 1,600 of them resign or are dismissed each month, totaling 19,200 or 3.12% per year. Why do 1,600 hundred Pastors leave their ministry each month in the USA? Why is there a website dedicated to, and named: How to Resign as Pastor of your Church ?

Does my church, TSA, have an equally disappointing resignation factor similar to other denomination? What is or ought to be done in stemming the spill? The number of active Salvation Army officer has remained largely unchanged the last several decades. (I completed a comparison of all territories; 1950-1980, some years ago, and the major stats are mostly unchanged except as they pertain to specific territories)




The above statistics reveal that the army has maintained a steady number of active officers, however, while there has been some loss in certain ‘western’ territories, African and Indian territories and the Korean Territory have more than made up for those losses.

General Shaw Clifton shared in his “If Crosses Come”, The Officer, March-April,2009, that ‘Each year I receive the global annual statistics for officer resignations and dismissals. Those for the calendar year of 2007 show that fewer colleagues left officership than in 2006. Of approximately 16,500 active officers, 257 or 1.6% left in 2007 (274 or 1.9% in 2006). Each resignation or dismissal is a cause for sorrow, but we give thanks that the trend is downward and that the numbers and percentages are so low compared with other religious bodies.

REASONS:
Domestics, marital or family: 65 (25.29 %)
Dissatisfaction, for example, appointment/remuneration: 54 (21.01) %
Misconduct: 49 (19.06) %
Unsuited for further service: 25 (9.7 %)
Transfer to another church:16 (6.23 %)
Marriage to non-officer: 15 (5.8 %)
Feeling discouraged: 14 (5.4 %)
Health issues:14 (5.4 %)
Health of spouse: 1 (.4 %)
Doctrinal issues:4 ( 1.55 %)

(Many of those who left had no choice due the army's position on marriage/divorce. FSAOF Editor)

In the private FB FSAOF site many comments were shared, including several questioning the General’s accuracy, and some maintaining that some UK denominations had a lower percentage of resignations. Some mentioned that the lower resignation rate could be attributed to various intervention efforts. While we might, as a denomination, breathe a slight sigh of relief recognizing that TSA’s loss is lower percentage wise, internationally, than the USA statistics, the world’s most ‘Christian Western country’, it’s a concern that must be addressed. This particularly in western Europe where polls consistently reveal that levels of belief and religious activity in the UK are consistently lower than in most of the other countries polled. The highest levels of belief are found in the poorer nations of Nigeria, India and Indonesia and consequently reflect the growth in the number of people willing to serve.
“Those willing to die for their God, or their beliefs, included more than 90% in Indonesia and Nigeria, and 71% in Lebanon and the USA”. (Jackson Carroll’s God’s Potters: Pastoral Leadership and the Shaping of Congregations, W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2006)

“The Lord says ‘Do not cling to the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already you can see it now!’…”-Isaiah 43:18-19

Analysis and Comments provided by non-SA sources

According to estimates by the Alban Institute in Washington, D.C., at least 17 percent of clergy suffer from stress or burnout, "The Charlotte Observer" reported. About 1,400 ministers a year call a toll-free hot line of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), which counsels ministers through its LeaderCare program. Brooks Faulkner, a LeaderCare counselor, estimates that nearly 100 SBC pastors leave their ministry every month.
Sunscape Ministries of Colorado, which serves clergy in crises, reported that in all denominations nationwide, 1,600 ministers per month vacate their pulpit, "The Abilene Reporter-News" reported. Although a sense of hurt is unavoidable for both pastor and congregation, it is particularly traumatic for a minister who steps down, Ross said.
"I think evangelical pastors struggle the most when they leave the ministry because they feel like the calling was for life," Ross told "The Tennessean."
Ross runs the nonprofit Pastors Institute in Indianapolis, which is conducting a nationwide study on the reasons disillusioned pastors leave the pulpit in such alarming numbers. Besides the Pastors Institute, displaced pastors can also get help elsewhere. Woundedshepherds.com is an online community for former pastors and their families, featuring a chat room and message board and confidential prayer requests. The Onesimus Project, a partnership between the Pastors Institute and Grace Ministries, an independent congregation in Indianapolis, is a study in how congregations can effectively minister to former pastors and their families.
The Church of Refuge, a SBC program in Texas, offers terminated pastors and their family a rent-free home for up to one year. Like the Pastors Institute, another group -- sponsored by 12 denominations -- is also conducting a pastor dropout study.

By Dr. Richard J. Krejcir

Here are some startling statistics on pastors; FASICLD (Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development). This quest started in 1989 as a Fuller Institute project that was picked up by FASICLD in 1998.
After over 18 years of researching pastoral trends and many of us being a pastor, we have found (this data is backed up by other studies) that pastors are in a dangerous occupation! We are perhaps the single most stressful and frustrating working profession, more than medical doctors, lawyers, politicians or cat groomers (hey they have claws).
• We found that over 70% of pastors are so stressed out and burned out that they regularly consider leaving the ministry.
• Thirty-five to forty percent of pastors actually do leave the ministry, most after only five years.
• Of the one thousand fifty (or 100%) pastors we surveyed, every one of them had a close associate or seminary buddy who had left the ministry because of burnout, conflict in their church, or from a moral failure.
• Nine hundred forty-eight (or 90%) of pastors stated they are frequently fatigued, and worn out on a weekly and even daily basis (did not say burned out).
• Nine hundred thirty-five, (or 89%) of the pastors we surveyed also considered leaving the ministry at one time. Five hundred ninety, (57%) said they would leave if they had a better place to go—including secular work.
• Eighty- one percent (81%) of the pastors said there was no regular discipleship program or effective effort of mentoring their people.
• Eight hundred eight (77%) of the pastors we surveyed felt they did not have a good marriage!
• Three hundred ninety-nine (or 38%) of pastors said they were divorced or currently in a divorce process.
• Three hundred fifteen (30%) said they had either been in an ongoing affair or a one-time sexual encounter with a parishioner.
• Two hundred forty-one (or 23%) of the pastors we surveyed said they felt happy and content on a regular basis with who they are in Christ, in their church, and in their home!

Here is research from Barna, Focus on the Family, and Fuller Seminary, all of which backed up Schaeffer findings, and additional information from reviewing others’ research:
• Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
• Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
• Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
• Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
• Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.

Most statistics say that 60% to 80% of those who enter the ministry will not still be in it 10 years later, and only a fraction will stay in it as a lifetime career.
Focus on the Family has reported that we in the United States lose a pastor a day because he seeks an immoral path instead of God’s, seeking intimacy where it must not be found. F.O.F. statistics state that 70% of pastors do not have close personal friends, and no one in whom to confide. They also said about 35% of pastors personally deal with sexual sin. In addition, that 25% of pastors are divorced. (© 2007 (research from 1989 to 2006) R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development)





Sven Ljungholm
Open-Air Service Ukraine

Part Four; RETENTION - Holding on to Our very Best...

Your Battle is Our Battle -Part two-

Citizens of the Soviet Union--COMRADESHIP IS ESSENTIAL IN SUSTAINING GROWTH











SALVATIONISTS, FELLOWSHIP IS ESSENTIAL IN SUSTAINING SPIRITUAL VITALITY AND GROWTH

In 1993, shortly after my then wife and I ‘opened fire’ in Moscow, we were the only 2 uniformed Salvationists in Russia's capitol, with a population exceeding 8 million, for almost 8 months, until our first enrollment of new soldiers.

I had been invited to bring the keynote address at the annual Rotary Club Convention in Sweden where we had served for 3 years. The return visit was scheduled some 6 months subsequent to our Moscow arrival, and Donne’s famous line, No man is an Island, entire of itself, first applied to a people in 1624 in his Meditation XVII. was the assigned subject on which I was to speak. In the months leading up to the annual meeting I spent a fair amount of time familiarizing myself with Donne and his famous line, and often used it in my sermon preperation and in speaking to the Soviet officials when attempting to secure assistance in expanding the army’s social services network. It was a challenging period.; no internet, no direct telephone dial-up to the 'west', no CNN, no USA Today, no "you name it"! And then there was the revolution with tanks rolling into the city center. To battle the oft sensed remoteness I took on John Donne’s famous line; ‘no person is an island’ as an existentialist truism.

On a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral in the early 1980s I saw a statue
built in Donne's memory by Nicholas Stone based on a drawing commissioned by Donne himself as he lay dying. It was one of the few to survive the Great Fire of London (1666). I also learned that Sir Christopher Wren, commissioned to rebuild St. Paul’s following that devastating inferno, selected as his motto, the Latin word, RESURGAM, 'I shall rise again'.

As a result of secretly marrying ‘the bosses daughter’ Donne lost his position as private secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton and struggled for the next 14 years, which included a prison stint, before finding a path for his life and in 1615 he entered the church and in 1621 he was made Dean of St. Paul's by King James. He preached his last sermon - Death's Duel - on the 1st Friday of Lent 1631 in the presence of King Charles I and died on 31st March.

RESURGAM

His famous lines: 'No man is an island' was a Christian sentiment, a challenge pure and simple. And I took both the Donne and Wren lines as my own as we sought to reestablish the army with our imposing presence; a suite of offices in the Kremlin complex in the Ministry of Social Protection. We soon became a type of 'information center' for other 'western' Christian groups seeking to establish their presence in Russia and beyond. And no one could have prepared me for the time when the Minister for Social Protection asked me to join with her in hosting the party of 8 Cardinals and Bishops from Vatican City.
I honestly believe they sensed a similar spiritual exuberance and joy to mine, realizing we were united in fellowship through Christ's presence in a room of some 40 card-carrying Soviet Union communists !

We were blessed to have a steady stream of Lutheran, Methodist, Charismatic, and other groups visit our offices. Many expressed gratitude to us in assisting, "these ‘western’ churches struggling 'islands' to find their way in entering the former Soviet Union". They named our offices the Kremlin oasis, the place where they found like spirits sharing and fulfilling their need for spiritual fellowship, albeit too often too brief.

We learned that human beings do not thrive when isolated from others, culturally. And this applies perhaps most especially in the context of a spiritual arena as communities of faith struggled to engage in spiritual practices addressing those who hitherto had been robbed of their faith; pockets, no islands of 'secret' believers ready to once again hang an icon on the wall and rebuild churches razed by Stalin's henchmen.

It was a time of rising up again, and doing so in the strength that our combined numbers represented.

Salvation Army officers are active Christian servants who come together in the same spirit to act in a pre-designed and conducive environment. As the spiritual community multiplies, it empowers and reinforces the efforts of the individual. ‘Meditation, prayer and other practices, when pursued in a group or community, qualitatively and quantitatively magnify what each person can offer and experience. The coalescence of the group into a shared will and shared consciousness in communal practice creates a greater spiritual whole that enhances individual possibilities. The vehicle of the spiritual group or community carries all its individual participants to far greater spiritual depths than they could typically reach on their own… 'No man is an island!' ‘Each person in the group or community helps all the others by their very presence.’ (Naft)

Officership consists of a group culture, built and sustained on emotions in a closed and unique spiritual setting. Looking at the SA Doctrines, religious attitudes, behavior and (Officer) practices reveals clearly how emotions mediate or reinforce one’s religious experience; unique to SA officer cognitive behavior, one that fosters community cohesion and one consistent with a belongingness hypothesis; one seeks and forms strong spiritual and social attachments readily while serving as officers. This ‘belongingness’ provides multiple and strong effects on emotional patterns and on cognitive processes.

Most FSAOF members have shared that they found the dissolution of these existing bonds very troubling. And, the lack of these formerly strong attachments subsequent to resignation is linked to a variety of ill effects on all areas of health, adjustment, and general well being.

The most common comment and words of disappointment shared by those in our fellowship is the army’s inadequate and inefficient exit policy. I would add that what many find most striking is the lack of any discernible, distinct and defining retention program, a substantive effort put into ‘retaining officers or easing their transition to a different way of life’. (active officer) And, perhaps the candidate screening process should be examined. While serving in Russia soldiers were recruited, trained and enrolled in impressive numbers, dozens at a time. Many thought it natural that the next step by the SFOT. In that all was so new to them AND us, each person applying to be a Cadet was employed by TSA and ‘moved’ through various roles to test their skills but also their resolve. Not all who applied were found to be qualified for Officership although many became excellent lay employees.

We believe wholeheartedly in the soul-saving mission of the army and want to do all possible to advance that divine assignment. However, to serve the present age and to march steadily onward can best be achieved, we believe, by calling on the resources that in some part brought the advances the army, through God the Holy Spirit, has achieved. The Former Salvation Army Officers Fellowship members represent a significant factor, a formidable earlier resource willing to become one once again.

The resignation process is never without private pain. Most troubling is the alienation experienced, this on several levels for the majority of officers. Many of the FSAOF blog articles and comments in the private FSAOF site highlight that much of the pain is self -inflicted in some form or other. Nonetheless, we are asking for The Army’s support in recognizing this; sharing remedies to lessen this destructive thought process in the pre-resignation counseling.

The separation experience will include phases of regret, sadness, anger, frustration, confusion, occasional exhaustion, and even severe depression. For most, there will be anxiety about the future. Reactions like these will lessen over time, none-the-less venturing into the unknown, even when convinced it’s God’s leading, can be daunting. And it’s likely that at those time the resigning officer functions at a less than optimal level for varying periods of time. Pride moves many to dismiss or consider the need for fellowship.

No one ought to go through this experience alone, and the FSAOF is seeking to fill a void as a multi-need support group where ‘formers’ can share openly with others contemplating moving into similar situations.

WHEN MY HEART WAS SO BROKEN THAT I COULD NOT PRAY,
WHEN LOVE WASN'T EASY TO SEE.
SOMEONE WAS THERE, SOMEBODY CARED,
SOMEBODY PRAYED FOR ME.
SOMEBODY WENT TO THE THRONE OF HEAVEN,
SOMEBODY LIFTED MY NAME.
BRINGING ME INTO HIS HOLY PRESENCE,
SAYING WHAT I COULD NOT SAY.
SOMEBODY SHOWED ME THE FACE OF HIS MERCY,
WHEN DARKNESS WAS ALL I COULD SEE.
SOMEBODY PLEADED THE BLOOD OF JESUS,
SOMEBODY PRAYED FOR ME.





Sven Ljungholm
Open-Air Service Ukraine

Your battle is our battle, and the victory His! (part 1)

In General Shaw Clifton's New Year 2010 Pastoral letter he writes, ... “This season of new beginnings allows us to place before the Lord also the hopes we have in our hearts concerning our daily work. Many of you reading this are Salvation Army officers making plans for the spiritual advancement of those you lead and those you serve in Christ's name. I say to you, 'May God bless those plans, those sacred ambitions for the souls of others.'

There are also several hundred ‘former’ officers to whom I’m certain he’d say the very same words, that God will bless our plans as well. Many continue in our consecrated, ordained roles as pastors , teachers and shepherds, while others live out their calling in other areas of service. No matter where our vocation is lived out, and as we faithfully serve in this New Year, we are also mindful of a corporate mission as ‘former’ officers as our plans too continue to be 'sacred ambitions for the souls of others.' However, we have other urgent matters too that the Lord has placed on us, as a spiritual body; the reformation of THE SA Officer retention and resignation process- to thwart the steady departure of well-qualified, committed officers. We are concerned...

The first and key step in formulating a sucessful strategy is acknowledging that reform is necessary. One need only take a cursory look at the alarmingly high percentage of officers resigning from active service each year to recognize both the immediate and long-term negative implications. General Shaw Clifton shared in his, “If Crosses Come”. The Officer, 2009. ‘Each year I receive the global annual statistics for officer resignations and dismissals. Those for the calendar year of 2007 show that fewer colleagues left officership than in 2006. Of approximately 16,500 active officers, 257 or 1.6% left in 2007 (274 or 1.9% in 2006).’

While there may indeed be cause for minimal optimism, the overall statistics relative to resignations are cause for very real concern, and addressing them is tantamount. Assuming the resignations remain at a percentage level of between 1.5 and 2 %, one must also remember that each departing officer often represents a significant number of years of active service; experience and commitment.
The average number of years of service represented in the FSAOF is approximately 10, or a combined 2,700 years (275 members worldwide). Further, at the current rate of departure, this represents a staggering 2,500 experienced and tested officers ‘leaving the work’ every decade.

The official reasons given for resigning were:
Domestics, marital or family: 65 (25.29 %)
Dissatisfaction, for example, appointment/remuneration: 54 (21.01) %
Misconduct: 49 (19.06) %
Unsuited for further service: 25 (9.7 %)
Transfer to another church:16 (6.23 %)
Marriage to non-officer: 15 (5.8 %)
Feeling discouraged: 14 (5.4 %)
Health issues:14 (5.4 %)
Health of spouse: 1 (.4 %)
Doctrinal issues:4 ( 1.55 %)

It's unlikely that anyone knows for certain the exact numbers of those who have resigned, it's surely in the several thousands, and perhaps it's to everyone’s advantage to keep the count private. Nonetheless, there's little doubt that the count exceeds the number of those still in active service. FSAOF members share that typically, fewer than 50% of their session mates remain in active service. And, it must certainly cause constant consternation, concern, and cause for contemplation among SA leaders in many territories. And it must grieve God's heart to see the number of steady resignations; scores who promised a lifetime of loyalty to ‘the cross and the colours’ are departing, many leaving to serve elsewhere. While some loss is inevitable, one must question why there is such a seemingly steady flow. The above list of ‘reasons’ suggest that there is no unique or single common motivating factor, the resignations stem from a multitude of factors.

Those still active tell us they're 'too busy within their own commands' to give attention to additional concerns, no matter the urgency. And for those in a position of leadership the question of officer retention appears to be far removed from the list of daily demands; 'left to the handful at the top'. What then, if anything, can and is being done to thwart the loss of present day and future officer leaders? More specifically, is there a role for the FSAOF to provide in turning the tide?

As a spiritual body nearing 300 members, the FSAOF is very concerned about the army’s future, the organization that trained us for the ministry and in the roles where we serve today. The spiritual body we represent was grounded and formed in response to a ‘call’ each of us heard, accepting our vocation in accordance with Paul’s description in Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV) ‘It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up’.


Your battle is our battle...

















END PART ONE

Dr. Sven Ljungholm
Former USA East
Active Soldier, Exeter Temple UKT

New Life Brings Cheer to Salvation Army Emergency Response Team in Haiti

Celina, the first of three babies born so far in the Salvation Army clinic, with her mother, Linda Daumond

FOR more than a week the people of Haiti have been trying to cope with the pain and suffering caused by a devastating earthquake. As often in such circumstances, local Salvation Army personnel were immediately on hand to assist people, despite experiencing agonies, bereavements and losses of their own. The more than 700 Salvation Army workers are now being supported by international team members who have experience of working in disaster relief situations.

The international personnel deployed to the scene are based in the capital, Port-au-Prince, at The Salvation Army compound in St Martin.

Lieut-Colonel Lindsay Rowe (Chief Secretary, Caribbean Territory) says the area The Salvation Army is working in is considered to be one of the most dangerous in Port-au-Prince. For security reasons the press have been warned by local authorities to keep clear but this has meant that The Salvation Army has had little coverage in the international media reports from Haiti.

Captain Jean Laurore Clenat, District Officer for South Haiti, translates as a doctor examines a patient at the clinic in Delmas, Port-au-Prince





The Salvation Army has had a ministry in St Martin for 60 years and the movement is well respected and appreciated. The compound includes administration buildings, worship halls, a school, children’s home, a feeding programme and a medical clinic. Many of the buildings were badly damaged and some rendered completely unusable by the earthquake. Nevertheless, the area is being well used to coordinate the emergency response, food distribution, medical services and general care and support of local people.

The Salvation Army clinic is at full stretch due to the many people in need of medical attention and aftercare. The clinic is on the same compound as the distribution and feeding centre.

Lieut-Colonel Rowe says: 'It is amazing how well things were organised in such a short time. Immediately after the earthquake the clinic began functioning as a triage station, with victims showing up immediately for treatment. A medical team from the USA was able to set up two surgical rooms for major injuries. There are eight doctors working at the clinic and the team treated more than 200 patients on Monday (18 January) and approximately 300 patients on Tuesday. Unfortunately they are running short on supplies.'

In the midst of all the chaos and confusion of a disaster area, the clinic staff are rejoicing in the birth of three babies this week. Lieut-Colonel Mike Caffull, The Salvation Army's International Emergency Services Coordinator from International Headquarters, London, is on site assisting with the organisation of the Salvation Army response.'In a place where there has been so much death and pain,' he says, 'it is wonderful to see the evidence of new life.'


THE SALVATION ARMY, HAITI UPDATES

PASTORAL LETTER SEVENTEEN

BEGINNINGS

Dear Fellow Salvationists,

Through this first Pastoral Letter of 2010 I greet you warmly in the sacred name of Jesus. In these opening weeks of the New Year I lift you up to God in prayer. May the Divine Presence be very real to each one of you at this time of new beginnings. May you sense the Lord's nearness day by day, moment by moment.

The theme of this 17th Pastoral Letter is 'Beginnings'.

Another year is a gift from God to each of us. The very newness of it causes us to pause and take stock of our lives. It is good to do this from time to time.

We can, first of all, cast a backward glance over our shoulders to review the year that has just closed. Can you see the gracious hand of the Lord in it: in the things that have happened in your life, and in the events impacting the lives of your loved ones and friends? It is a time to pause and give thanks to Almighty God for his promised presence with us through all the days of 2009. He has been there in the good and in the bad times. He has seen us through. He has been faithful.

Next we look ahead. It is a very great mercy that the future is veiled. This prompts our hearts to reach out still further to God as consciously we put our trust in him for the unknown days ahead. A time of new beginnings is a time also for new trust.

Let us find a quiet moment in which to tell the Lord that we do indeed love and trust him. It is a very great help to our souls to do this deliberately, with full intentionality. This quiet moment of rededication will become perhaps a source of great strength, of great grace, in the days ahead. Let it be a renewing of your love for God, a renewing of your devotion, a renewing of your willingness to serve him and to be seen and known by all as his disciple.

Then having placed our lives afresh before him in this manner, we can place our loved ones again into his loving care and protection.

For example, how good it is to pray for one's spouse, to speak aloud the name of a husband or a wife in prayer. The best marriages, marriages that endure, are built on such foundations. How helpful it is when a husband and wife can sit quietly together to pray aloud for each other and for the whole family circle. It is especially important to do this at a time of new beginnings and before the gentle, calm blessedness of Christmas has faded.

How good it is also to pray for one's children, naming them aloud before the Throne of Grace. God hears these prayers. They are never wasted. God's ear is inclined toward those who seek his guidance and protection for their children. Christian parents often make such prayers, as do Christian grandparents and Christian aunts and uncles. I say again: these prayers are never wasted.

This season of new beginnings allows us to place before the Lord also the hopes we have in our hearts concerning our daily work. Many of you reading this are Salvation Army officers making plans for the spiritual advancement of those you lead and those you serve in Christ's name. I say to you, 'May God bless those plans, those sacred ambitions for the souls of others.'

Many of you are local officers in the Army, holding sacred hopes that 2010 will see your service more fruitful for God than ever before. I join you in that good hope and I share the Spirit-prompted ambitions for your Kingdom-work.

I know also that many of you have influence over our young people in the Army. God bless you for that! I pray that you will be guided in all things by the Holy Spirit and that you will be given wisdom to lead many a young person into a new beginning with God.

Finally, I request that you continue to pray for me as we enter 2010. I need your prayers. Please pray for wisdom from God to be my portion, and also for physical strength to be granted day by day.

Commissioner Helen Clifton joins me in greeting you as we commend you each one to the matchless love of the Saviour.

God be with you.

Yours in Christ

Shaw Clifton
General

We Sit, Knit and Pray...

It’s midnight and beyond, yet I can’t tear myself away from the television as the haunting images from Haiti flicker across the screen. I’ve seen the same ten-year-old girl pulled from the rubble every hour, yet still I sit and watch, horrified and heartbroken. It’s too much, yet I can’t turn it off.

Anderson Cooper, the intrepid CNN reporter of disaster, spoke of his work in Haiti: "The thing that's difficult about this is that the camera lens is too small to capture what is really happening here. It's too small to capture the scale, the size, the horror of what's happening here. It's a very tiny little camera lens, and no matter where you point it something is happening."
The magnitude is beyond belief, yet over time it is the stories, one by one, that touch and break our hearts. The hotel owner, pulled from the rubble days after the quake hit. The college kids on a mission trip, a dozen now safe while four are still missing. The head of the United Methodist Committee on Relief, killed by the quake’s destruction. The birth of a new baby surrounded by the rubble of a decimated orphanage. Stories of heroism and sacrifice, of hope in the midst of horror.

In searching the web, I ran across a video entitled, “Has the World Failed Haiti?” Set amidst reports of search and rescue teams en route from the UK, Taiwan and Venezuela, I had to shake my head and wonder what more “the world” could be doing. Haiti’s airport has one runway, the docks have been badly damaged, and the logistics of getting help to this Caribbean island are mind-boggling. Yet the transport planes are landing hour after hour, and people from around the world are opening their hearts and their wallets to the people of Haiti.

These relief workers are coming to an impoverished country with an infrastructure that was crumbling long before the earthquake. I know some of the people working within The Salvation Army who are on the ground now in Haiti, and they are only a handful of thousands of people who have come, often at their own expense and safety, to help a people they have never met. While it is easy to criticize what appears to be a slow response in the midst of so much suffering, I am staggered by the overwhelming response given the extreme barriers to providing aid. Let’s be realistic here – preparation for disaster relief work can only go so far – natural disasters don’t get on the calendar or map a year in advance.

Perhaps that’s what so amazing about what happens in the face of a disaster. Katrina. Hurricane Andrew. The Boxing Day Tsunami. 9-11. A house fire down the block. In each instance, strangers immediately come to the aid of their brothers and sisters around the world and across the street, doing whatever they can to respond with compassion.

I recently watched the film Lars and the Real Girl with a group of friends. As Bianca is dying, women from the church come to the home and are in the living room, knitting. Sally tells Lars, “W came over to sit.” Hazel adds, “That’s what people do when tragedy strikes.” Then Sally again: “They come over, and sit. That’s what people do. They sit.”

While some are able to travel to Haiti to distribute food and water or to provide medical care as my doctor friend Cindy-Lou is doing, most of us are unable to do that. Some may be able to open their homes to Haitian orphans or refugees, but most of us are unable to do that. We can give money to support the relief efforts, and many of us will do that. But beyond that, we can sit with the people of Haiti. We watch CNN for hours. We knit and pray. We weep for the people of Haiti. We allow the images of suffering and hope to be seared into our memories. Because that’s what people do when tragedy strikes.






Major JoAnn Shade ministers with her husband Larry as the corps officers and Directors of the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center. She received a B.A. in sociology from S.U.N.Y. at Binghamton, a M.A. in Pastoral Counseling, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Ashland Theological Seminary in June, 2006. She is a prolific writer, lecturer, and busy counselor and has been a valued contributor to this blog since its inception.

I Had A Dream!

Last night I dreamt that Jesus changed his plans with another “coming” before the final one, in order to give us second chance at getting it right. The denomination he chose to identify with was a bit obscured in the dream, but it was definitely hierarchical in form with clearly defined ecclesiastically ordained levels of authority, identified by rank and position.

He started at the bottom, following protocol, purposefully working within the system, conforming where necessary and inching up through the layered chain of command, obtaining each coveted title along the way until at long last, in his waning days (3 years before retirement, no extensions), the crowning moment came: “Head Honcho,” be it Pope, General, Archbishop, General Superintendent, Whatever?

Upon reaching that long sought after, hard fought for position, He used this authority to begin leveling the playing field, thereby flattening the hierarchy (Priesthood of believers, et al), thus bringing a semblance of equality and oneness to the Body. His work completed, and while ascending the second time, he said, “You won’t know the time of my next coming, that’s the Father’s business. Be my witnesses in Honolulu, all over America, even to the ends of the world.” In that Spirit the Church began to multiply and prosper, comparably to the period following his first ascension.

Those who followed, several Head Honchos later, began to carefully restructure the hierarchy as it had once been. With ordination, increasing levels, titles and infrastructure there came, also comparably, an ever-decreasing number in followers.

At this point I woke up drenched in sweat, not a dream, a veritable nightmare! In those waking moments of reality, the thought came to me, Were he here, would Jesus even entertain the thought of ordination or taking on a title: General Jesus or Pope Jesus or Archbishop Jesus?
Kind of a scary thought, isn’t it?

Remember the time when James and John, jockeying for position, approached Jesus asking, “Arrange it so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory-one of us at your right, the other at your left?”

Jesus’ response in effect was, “Better think this through, boys. You have no idea what you’re asking.” When the other disciples heard this they lost their temper and became indignant, maybe even a teensy weensy bit jealous.

Then we hear Jesus’ great discourse about “rulers who lord it over them and high officials who exercise authority over them,” saying, “It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave” (Mark 35-45).

Easy for you to say, Commissioner! I hear you thinking. Hey, I was just as surprised as the rest of you, perhaps more so. And besides didn’t Jesus also say something about the first being last?

Now that’s really scary!

Writer: Commissioner Joe Noland’s ministry can be summed up in three words: chaos, creativity and controversy - three elements implicit in any successful innovative endeavor. Cecil B. DeMille, renowned producer of Biblical epics, once wrote, “Creativity is a drug I cannot live without.” Joe’s mantra reads, “Creativity is my drug of choice.” Access Joe Noland’s complete bio, among other things, by clicking into his website.

Top Ten TSA Decisions of the Decade?

There was a time, many moons ago, when I thought that I might have a chance at making a difference in some of the areas where I felt we were lacking in the Army. As a very new Officer (by months) I met with a few fellow ‘newbie’s’ and we would of course put the Army right. Most of you know what that is and over the years I have seen this as a ‘sacred’ part of our culture and believe that it is one of the areas where officers can begin to make changes in some of the areas that need to improve. After one of these ‘newbie’ sessions where we all agreed that something needed to be done and so being young, possibly arrogant, ignorant and full of my own importance, I drafted a letter to the Commissioner, and in no uncertain terms laid out what my, or I should say ‘our’, concerns were. Posted it off and waited. I did get a one line note back saying that my concerns ‘had been noted’, and nothing else ever eventuated. However I was surprised that when I told my fellow newbie officers at our next meeting and told than what I had done; their biggest concern was ‘You didn’t mention our names did you?” Such is life.

I also remember at an Officer’s fellowship once where we were playing cards and talking about our Corps locals and it degenerated into a very holy realignment of our various Corps Locals. “I will ‘bet’ one miserable Bandmaster in exchange for two good Home Leaguers” said I, “and I will raise you one mean and incompetent Corps Treasurer for a Songster Leader who is sympathetic to the message;” etc, etc, you get the drift, and I am in no doubt that our local corps soldiers do the same thing about the officers that had been dropped on them from a great height. It still happens and last week I was asked if an officer going to a new Corps had any skeletons in their closet. This was from a soldier at a Corps where I was CO for two years and without doubt it was two of the worst years of my life. (Read; ‘People of the Lie’ by M. Scott Peck)

Over the years I have learned a few things, but still feel that I have so much to learn that I now feel that there is not enough time left, you know the old heads on young shoulders syndrome; however one of the things that I have learned is that when I became a ‘former’ all those things that I hoped to change when, and if, I was promoted to a place where I could have possibly made a difference, had to be left to others who might feel the same and continue working for improvement. It is one of the most painful feelings leaving things undone in any area of life.

I read with interest Commissioner Joe’s list of the ‘Top Ten Decisions of the Decade’ as far as the Salvation Army is concerned; or should we add in his view. I was greatly troubled from what I read and it was nothing to do with the actual decisions as he states they are “(Good or bad, right or wrong, will depend upon the reader’s perspective). Except for #4, I remain noncommittal, at least until the (my) next book is written.” However there does seem to be a hint of negativity from just putting together this list, and circulating it in this forum. It is human nature that in a group with very dramatic hurts and possible ongoing trauma from the way people have been treated by individuals in positions of power within the Army that it might have a resonance that will confirm very negative emotions in many people. I want to ask the question ‘What difference is this going to make to the future of the Army?’ If we believe that the Army was raised up by God and he continues to call people to follow him through it, then it surely is fair to assume that there are still people left in Authority in our great movement who feel the same and that they will pick up the ‘fight’ to rectify what we perceive as wrong. I would probably agree with Commissioner Joe about all the issues that he raises and be just as angry and crying out for justice as well, but not being part of the establishment any more as a ‘former’ (or retired), then if I were to raise these issues it could possibly be seen as a version of ‘Sour Grapes’ on my part.

I have recently been in contact with a CEO of a Not for Profit organisation whose mantra is ‘I am not here to develop your strengths but to improve your weaknesses’, when all current management theory is about developing strengths and managing the weaknesses. In the church over many years I have observed that we are such a caring group of people’ we are all about improving weaknesses wherever we find them and this by definition often puts us in the position of ignoring our strengths.

I was recently at the 80th birthday celebrations for General Eva Burrows, who was my Commissioner for a few years, and among the things that struck me as significant was that there were so many positives that emerged from her life and ministry.I was again struck by what I had missed out on as a ‘former’ and while that is so very painful, I believe that it is a far better feeling than spending available energy on replaying the negative like a cracked record that just will not stop.

I have counselled and coached many people who have been damaged by the Army and other organisations, let us not think that we are unique in the way that people have been dealt with by a minority of our leaders, and I personally recognise the pain of what could have been if..... However I want to move on and concentrate on what are our strengths, be they as an Army or as individuals like our formers who are doing great things despite how they have been dealt with. I continue to recognise the sacred responsibility that we all have of ‘putting the Army right’ but let’s not leave at just that. I believe that we have a responsibility to now focus on the positives so that the future will be bright for the Army; and for us as individuals.

Tell me what you think; am I alone in feeling this way?

Fletch
Peter Fletcher
Former
Australia

God’s not dead: How LA fills the pews ... and we don’t !

January 26, 2010

It’s not that I am especially pious. Believe me, I was mostly praying for cashmere this Christmas. As the old joke goes: Am I religious? No, I’m Church of England. But I have a confession to make: I do go to church, and not just at Christmas either. I go all the time. Even on weekdays sometimes.

I’m aware that such an admission is rather like owning up to being a trainspotter these days, but then I don’t have to put up with the desolate aisles and empty pews that most of you have become familiar with in Britain — where the best that can be hoped for on a Sunday is a faint whiff of incense and three old ladies and a homeless person singing watery hymns.

According to a report published tomorrow there is a sharp decline in religious belief in Britain. Half the population now calls itself Christian, down from two thirds in 1983. At the same time, the proportion who confess to “no religion” has increased from just under a third to more than four in ten. If Jews and Muslims are included, non-Christians now represent 7 per cent of the population, up from 2 per cent 25 years ago.

I hate to sound as if I’m boasting, but at the Anglican church my family attends in Los Angeles, you have to go early if you want a seat. Rather like being at a football match when your team has just won, the sheer numbers alone leave you with a spring in your step and a song on your lips.

St James Church, which sits at the intersection of an affluent middle-class neighbourhood, and many poorer communities in LA, is an Episcopal Church, that is the American equivalent of the Church of England.
But, unlike its British cousins, it is packed because it goes out of its way to create a community in a big, sprawling city. There’s a supper club on Wednesday nights, set up with the intention of giving mums a night off, and a chance for families to make friends.

There is also an elementary school, a nursery school and a reasonably priced child-care centre for working families. Then there’s the aerobics classes in the church hall — always popular; boy scout meetings — my son won’t miss one; and a soup kitchen for the homeless. Sometimes, if you are trying to raise a family, it’s hard to stay away from the place.

When I moved to LA a dozen or so years ago, religion was incidental to my life. Unless on a turbulent aircraft, indifference beckoned. There were a few childhood memories of Sunday school and sitting in a pew with a children’s Bible. But religion had slipped into cobwebbed disuse as soon as the teen years took over. Spirituality? Well, I listened to reggae music at parties. If I’d stayed in Britain, I’d probably have become another of the lost Christians.

But the combination of having children and moving to the US changed everything. It led to finding a school for my boys that happened to be attached to an Episcopal church, which meant there were all-school chapel services, and care for the spiritual well being of a child, not just academic achievement — something with which we were familiar from our own childhoods. Subconsciously, my husband and I were probably seduced by the similarities the school had with memories of England.

We started attending the church. Our eldest joined the choir. The hymns were the same, even if they got the tunes wrong, and the words of the service were as I remembered them growing up in a village in Hertfordshire 40-odd years before.

While churches in England have, for the most part, modernised their services in an attempt to attract bigger crowds — some of them becoming painfully evangelical and happy clappy — the Episcopal church in the US still uses the older, traditional liturgies, the ones that I remember nostalgically. It was these superficial trappings that appealed to us originally. My husband, who writes music for a living, is a sucker for a choir — but it is the values that we found there that has really kept us coming back.

At our church, it is not unusual to see children with two mums or two dads, sitting next to Koreans, African-Americans, Hispanics, as well as many white middle-class families. There are monied people from Beverly Hills, rubbing shoulders with artists from downtown. Gay people next to straight. It’s jolly, social and somehow has a relevance to everyone’s life. It reflects an acceptance of all, the kind of value I’d like my children to have. And it is a community. Spirituality, I believe, comes from acknowledging that we are part of something greater than just ourselves.

My father, who lives in London and used to take me to church as a child, no longer attends church. He compares sitting in an empty church with being a sole diner in a restaurant — miserable. What’s on offer in church has no connection to his life any more. Instead he goes to a business networking group to find community and carries his own ideas of spirituality inside his head. My mother (now separated from my father) still attends church, but she is one of only seven who attend regularly in her village. There are so few in the congregation, they all sit in the choir stalls.

I am now largely embarrassed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who took it upon himself to advise the bishops of the diocese of LA against electing the Rev Canon Mary D. Glasspool to be a bishop, because she happens to be openly gay.

I asked our rector, the Rev Paul Kowalewski, why his church was always full. “We are part of a community,” he says.
“In a big city like Los Angeles, people are looking for a community. We give them the welcome they are looking for.”

Hope in SW London

Tomorrow’s report will make grim reading on the decline of faith in Britain. The analysis by Professor David Voas, for the National Centre for Social Research of the 4,486 interviews in the 2008 British Social Attitudes survey, points to the steepest fall being among those who attend worship ceremonies in the Church of England.

Average Sunday attendance in 2007 fell to 978,000 compared with 1.2 million in 1983.

Voas says: “The declining Christian share is largely attributable to a drift away from the Church of England.” In church circles the accepted wisdom is that the decline can be linked to a move in liberal congregations away from biblical orthodoxy.

Figures from organisations such as Christian Research support the widely accepted thesis that all the growth is at the evangelical end.

But closer examination of thriving churches, such as the Los Angeles church profiled here by Lucy Broadbent, show that this need not be the case.

Canon Giles Fraser, Chancellor of St Paul’s, was until recently vicar of St Mary’s, Putney, in which there is hardly enough space in the church to hold the 350 Sunday worshippers, including 100 children.

What marks this church and many others in southwest London is that they are far from evangelical, unless that is taken in its original Greek and, ironically, biblical sense of being messengers of good news.

Canon Fraser’s “gospel” for success was a book by Dr Jeffrey John on how to do church well. Dr John is now Dean of St Albans having been forced to resign as Bishop of Reading because of his sexuality.

The Anglican Communion’s first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, preached at St Mary’s at the start of the 2008 Lambeth Conference in Canterbury. The Inclusive Church movement that campaigns for equality for gays in the church was started there by Canon Fraser. And the motion that eventually saw the General Synod agree in 1992 that women could be ordained to the priesthood began life with a motion from the parochial church council at St Mary’s.

St Mary’s has a café on the premises and a heavily oversubscribed church school near by. Just a dozen or so children from the congregation are admitted there each year — so the school does not explain the overflowing pews, or why so many families stay even when their children don’t make it through the admissions process.

What St Mary’s and its other local thriving churches do prove is that it is possible to be inclusive as a church in England, and not only survive but thrive.

Canon Fraser says: “It is just a question of doing the basics and doing them well. It is caring for people, preaching good sermons, making sure to be organised. There is a huge children’s programme with Sunday school teachers trained in what is called Godly Play. A lot of churches in that area are not evangelical but they are full.”

Holy Trinity Brompton, in Knightsbridge, southwest London, is packed with thousands of young Christians each Sunday and is the church where the successful Alpha course began. It is another example of a growing church.

From the opposite end of the evangelical spectrum to St Mary’s Putney, HTB has a more conventional approach to church growth, which includes “planting” or founding dozens of new congregations in London, many of which also flourish and to go on to plant yet more churches.

Since the 1960s it has been part of the secular creed that “God is dead”. But in spite of surveys such as tomorrow’s, the evidence is that belief in God is anything but dead. Churches and other religions across the spectrum have continued to defy prophecies of their imminent demise and, against the statistics, the signs are that they will continue to do so.


Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent