Future Army

Hello everyone, this is probably one of the strangest places I have written a blog post, sat in my car at work in the pouring rain waiting to go into the dentist! 

This week there has been lots and lots of talk on Facebook about uniforms and what the real Salvation Army is and what real Soldiers are like. I have also been reading "Founding Vision For A Future Army" By Alan Burns.

I really do think the Army needs to change, these changes do not mean that the people making them or Corps where change is taking place are any less "Army" than those Soldiers or Corps which remain more traditional. If anything I would say that in those areas Salvationists and Corps are being more in line with what early Salvationist did, they were not afraid to adapt and change and do what ever was necessary to save souls.

In the First World War Generals thought they could fight a war in the same way as they did 50 years earlier, with cavalry charges and set infantry attacks. But with the advances in technology they found out these tactics no longer worked and the Western Front  ended up in the blood bath where so many people died. 

I feel this is the position the Salvation Army is in today. We need to adapt and change our tactics to suit these modern times, whilst still trying to maintain the original aim and spirit of the Army. We seem in so many ways to be stuck behind the times. In areas where that works then that is fine; but in areas where these tactics  no longer work we need to change, or quite simply the Army will continue its decline until we die.

I must also add that as far as I am concerned, although I do like our uniform and I enjoy playing in the band I feel these two things do not make the Army. They are both weapons to be used in spiritual warfare. But like all weapons they need to be deployed where they are suited best and where they  are effective. For example In many areas where a traditional open air style meeting would not be effective why can't we try a more busking style of ministry? 

I hope people understand what I mean by that, I am not saying scrap bands and uniform, what I am saying is that they are not the only options to ministry and we need to adapt and use all the weapons available in our armoury for warfare; be that Bands, guitars, uniforms or army branded clothing. 

I really do feel we need to come together as one as an Army and try to understand this. There is so much talk of if people or Corps are traditional or not and this almost always usually judged upon their rules on uniform and style of worship. I really do feel this is wrong.  

The tradition of the Salvation Army is the will and passion of its Soldiers to go out and save souls by any means necessary. Thats what a traditional corps looks like, it should be a place  where outward things are not as important as the Corps mission of saving souls. This will differer from Corps to Corps and each one will look  vastly different. However this does not mean any of them will be any less "Army" than the next. Provided their aim fits the founders aim. To go out and spread the Gospel and save souls.

The Sailing Salvationist