The Great Commission(ing)

At last, Tracey is a fully commissioned and ordained (never quit understood that bit?) Officer in The Salvation Army.

Can there be a higher calling than this - to be a covenanted leader of men and women in a holy war against sin and injustice?

I know that Tracey will (by God's grace) continue to be a fruitful evangelist and pastor and much needed brake to my own somewhat reckless and impulsive approach to leadership.

If I could have custom designed a wife, mother, mission partner and soul-mate to share my life with I could not have improved on the one that God has provided.

20 years ago this November we went out for the first time (to see Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in 'Ghost') when I got back to my little one-bedroom flat I knelt down at the side of my bed and asked God if Tracey could be my wife. A week later she was going to say she didn't want to see me again but before she had the chance to tell me I handed her a poem I'd written – on the strength of the poem she decided to give the relationship a bit more time – six weeks later I proposed and she said yes!

Sure, we've had our tough times (usually due to my stupidity) but 20 years on we are more in love and enamoured with each other than we've ever been.

If there are any youngsters out there reading this who want to know the secret of happiness then find the right person and marry them, stick with them whatever happens (richer, poorer, sickness, health etc)

Then ask yourself if God is calling you to be a Salvation Army Officer (he almost certainly is if you listen hard enough) and then immediately 'leave everything and follow him'. Again – stick it out – there is nothing glamorous or pleasant about war and Officership will certainly be extremely tough and demanding (if you do it right!)

What's the secret of happiness? Get married (to the right person) then answer the call to full time covenanted leadership in The Salvation Army.

It worked for me – I think I am one of the happiest and most fulfilled men alive :-)

Grace and peace, A

The legal status of SA Officers :-)

I found out something recently that struck me as quite refrshing and liberating!

In the UK Salvation Army Officers are not ‘employees’ nor are they ‘volunteers’ the correct legal term for our function is ‘office holder’.

When we signed our declaration and our Covenant accepting that we have no legal relationship with the Army we were accepting our role as ‘officer holders’.

'Office holders' do not have a contract of employment and are not protected by employment law including the national minimum wage rules or the working time regulations.

Anglican priests (working as Parish Priests) are also ‘Office Holders’ and this status is something that the CoE recently decided to retain (the following quote is from their official webpage)

“The review of clergy terms of service concluded that the ministry of the Church was best enabled through the retention of the officer holder status of clergy. Whilst there are benefits to the integration of the majority of employee rights into the life of the Church, the classification of parochial clergy as employees would entail too significant an alteration to the basis on which ministry is provided. The key feature of an employer/employee relationship is the ability of the employer to direct the work of the employee. The nature of the parochial ministry of the Church of England makes such a relationship impossible without a radical change in how clergy are deployed.”

The police are also ‘office holders’ and are not entitled to the rights provided by employment law – for example a police officer can have their leave cancelled at the last moment or even be called back from their holiday, they can’t form a union or strike, they are not protected by the working time directive and they can be appointed to any location in their area without consultation. ‘Office Holders’ can take their ‘employers’ to employment tribunals BUT on the grounds of discrimination alone.

Any agreement that an ‘office holder’ enters into with his ‘employer’ is legally binding - in our case this would include adherence to O&R’s for Officers, not accepting a second income without consent and signing over publication rights. The only way we could gain access to the protection and rights afforded by employment law would be to have our status changed from ‘office holder’ to employee and I don’t think that is about to happen.

I relish the idea that I have no legal rights - it throws me onto the mercy of God rather than the mercy of the courts! I am covenanted warrior who has voluntarily surrendered his human rights to the Salvation Army and it feels great!

Love and prayers

A

The wonder of it all

Although only back in Officership for a few months I am consistently amazed at how tasks, which in my previous incarnation, I would have seen as a duty or even a right are now seen as an immense privilege.

Yesterday I went to LSE Youth Councils and at the end of the day was asked by the DC to go forward and pray for some of those kneeling at the Mercy Seat. 25 years ago I would have approached such a request in the same way I would have approached any request associated with my ‘job’. However, yesterday I felt tremendously privileged and at the same time humbled by the enormity of what I was about to do. I prayed for Jason and Gordon (who they are and where they come from I’ll probably never know) but I do know that God moved in their hearts yesterday enough to motivate them to make it to the Mercy Seat. I also know that God will have heard theirs and my prayers and the dear, ever present Holy Spirit would have touched them.

It was also good to take 5 young people from Dartford who'd never been to such an event before (although I did feel a little bit sorry for John the only boy among the 5!)

What a wonderful honour and to think I get paid for this!

Hallelujah!

A

Stuck record...

I don't want to sound like a stuck record but...

It’s the end of week one and I can honestly say that I cannot think of anything else I would have rather do or anywhere else I would rather be than the Corps Officer of Dartford Corps.

To say I have thoroughly enjoyed my first at Dartford would be an enormous understatement!
The excitement, variety, challenge and optimism that covenanted Officership delivers cannot be equalled anywhere in the world. This week...

• I met a confused elderly lady who wants a fridge


• a recovering alcoholic who wants more than just food (hallelujah!)


• delivered a business plan to DHQ for much needed hall improvements (not just aesthetics but improvements that will increase our mission capabilities)


• came up with a strategy to make the Corps financially self sufficient by Spring 2008


• led a two hour roller coaster Corps Council meeting,


• did two much needed pastoral visits,


• chased up THQ about IT,


• collected for an hour at ASDA (Wal-Mart for those over the pond!)


• Spoke to a lady whose husband wants to trace his lost Father,


• shredded about a ton of obsolete filing


• and introduced myself (via email) to the other ministers in the area.

I am so happy, so certain that I am in the right place and that God is here and I am only just starting to warm up.

We are going to have revival at Dartford (not just the SA but all the churches), I know it, and I feel it in every fibre of my body and every pulse of my soul. Am I making myself a hostage to fortune by saying that? No! I’m simply expecting God to deliver – and he will!

Watch this space.

Yours set apart by Christ, for the lost, in the Army.

For blessings which he gives me now!

My body is recovering quite well following my recent surgery. My external wound has healed exceptionally well but the internal ones will take a few more months. I go to see my surgeon a week today and hopefully he will permit me to return to light duties.

In the meantime, yesterday was a Bank Holiday and somehow it just didn’t seem right to do no work today and so I dealt with the Corps’s outstanding administration.

• A letter to Reliance Bank Ltd
• An email to THQ
• 4 emails to DHQ
• A polite letter to the Rotary Club declining their invitation to join
• The processing of two soldier transfers
• Asking payroll to sort out an error in my pay (I got paid £-20 – i.e. according to my payslip I owe them £20!)
• Calculating telephone refunds

Nothing amazing here, no one got saved, no one received the blessing of holiness, the naked weren’t clothed nor the hungry fed but it felt so good.

I am actually an Officer again and the joy I feel is genuinely beyond words!

These little tasks were completed with real care and devotion and a sense of excitement and anticipation.

Can there be a better or more fulfilling occupation other than Salvation Army Officership?

Yours set apart by Christ, for the lost, in the Army – Forever!

A

Corps Officers - essential requirements

If there was a job description for Salvation Army Corps Officers I’d like to think the following would be listed under ‘essential requirements’

• Leadership skills (how to make awkward decisions)
  
• Administrative skills (how to organise your time rather than allowing it to organise you!)
  
• Soul winning (how to close the deal)


• Practical holiness (how to experience daily victory over the world, the flesh and the devil)


• Spiritual gifts (how to acquire and use them)
  
• Spiritual warfare (How to attack and defend!)

Corps Officers today have immense autonomy and are largely unmonitored – this lack of accountability and increased independence is a dangerous mix which can result in incompetent leadership.

When it comes to Officers shouldn’t quality matter more than quantity because quantity without quality equals decay whereas quality will always reproduce itself.

Love and prayers

A

Joshua the reinstated priest... The video!

The following link will take you to a video recording of the sermon, I preached at my reinstatement as an Officer. Have a quick look because it took ages to work out how to do this.

The sermon was based on the following reading from Zechariah 3:1-7

"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not his man a burning stick snatched from the fire?" Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you." Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by. The angel of the LORD gave this charge to Joshua: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here. "

Love and prayers

A

Officers and soldiers who 'grieve' God...

'Have I grieved thee with an ill kept vow?'

Every Salvationist publicly states at the time of their enrolment that they ‘believe and will live by the truths of the word of God expressed in The Salvation Army's eleven articles of faith.’ In addition every soldier solemnly declares that they “will be true to the principles and practices of The Salvation Army, loyal to its leaders, they will show the spirit of Salvationism whether in times of popularity or persecution.”

In his well known song “I renew my covenant with thee’ Will Brand asks the question – ‘have I grieved thee with an ill-kept vow?’

TSA in the UK has a hardcore clique of Officers and soldiers who are openly dismissing (in both practice and public preaching) the following Army beliefs:

• Doctrine 5 – Original sin
• Doctrine 9 – The possibility of back sliding
• Doctrine 10 – Holiness
• Doctrine 11 – The general judgment and eternal punishment of the wicked

In addition we have:

• Officers who baptise new converts
• Corps that regularly hold what can only be described as communion services,
• Officers who question our commitment to total abstinence from tobacco and alcohol,
• Officers who only ever wear their uniform when compelled to
• Officers and soldiers who openly rebel against the instructions of their leaders in these particular areas,

Under the guise of post modernism, cultural relevance, free expression and intellectual freedom these Officers and soldiers are all attempting to serve God ‘with an ill kept vow’ for they are living lives completely at odds with the two covenants mentioned above.

Anyone who disagrees with TSA's beliefs and practices to such a degree should feel morally obligated to resign their Officership and ask for their soldiership to be cancelled. Once they are not in disagreement with the covenants they voluntarily made they are then free to fight their revolution. To be so at odds with one (and for Officers two) sacred covenants is deliberate sin and dishonours themselves, the Army and most of all God.

Broken covenants are a serious business – either keep your covenants or cancel them but please don’t compromise them – such sin in the camp merely withholds God’s blessing from the Army.

“Have I ceased from walking close beside thee?
Have I grieved thee with a well kept vow?
In my heart of hearts have I denied thee?
Speak oh speak dear Lord and tell me know.”

Yours set apart by God, for the Lost, IN THE ARMY!

AJB

PS - the photo is a 'stock image' from IHQ and not a renegade Lieut-Colonel weeping over a broken covenant (at least not as far as I know!)

Make a date... Now!

I have recently encountered quite a few people who have heard the call to become Salvation Army Officers. Some of them have even gone so far as to contact their local Candidate's department. They have announced their intent by way of testimony, some have even blogged it on the internet.

However (with the exception of one of them) they have all failed to specify a date! If God has called you to full time covenanted ministry as a Salvation Army Oficer then don't delay make a date today. Get your calendar off the wall, get your diary off the shelf, get your IPAQ out of your briefcase and make a date!!!

If you don't make a date now then before you know where you are you'll be surrounded by a whole host of attractice and logical reasons why becoming an Officer is impossible.

'Come join our Army and make no delay the time for enlisting is passing away'

'Not called' did you say? 'Not heard the call', I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible and hear him bid you go.' William Booth.

Yours set apart for the lost, in the Army

A

'Tis done the great transaction's done!

Today I was reinstated as a Captain in The Salvation Army by my Divisional Commander Major Anthony Cotterill.

Our little hall was full to capacity.

We sang the following songs:

Army of Salvation, Army of the Lord!

I have no claim on grace.

All my work is for the Master.

I believe we shall win!

By the love that never ceased to hold me.

I'll go in the strength of the Lord!

Anthony presented me with a new Commission signed by John Matear (TC) and a new covenant which I signed at the penitent form. My Father in law offered a prayer, as did Paul du Plessis and Carol Young shared a bible reading.

My 8 year old daughter Bethany prayed the prayer that everybody else wanted to (but didn't have the courage to) when she said "Dear God please make sure my Daddy doesn't walk away from you again!"

I preached on Zechariah 3:1-7 - the reinstatement of the fallen priest Joshua.

Commissioner Denis Hunter (British Commissioner when I was a Cadet 25 years ago) was the first to come to the penitent form in reconsecration, then Majors Alan & Carol Young (sessional mates of mine) followed by my eldest daughter Caitlin (20). Then our Corps Secretary came forward, then my older sister, then my two sister-in-laws (who were reconciled at the conclusion of the meeting after two years of not speaking to each other).

God was glorified and the angels rejoiced in heaven!

We had 60 people stay for dinner after the meeting.

On the way out of the hall Comissioner Hunter said "Sock it to 'em when you get to Dartford Andrew!" - By God's grace we will.

Tomorrow I'm off to Sunbury Court for a 4 day conference and then next Sunday (Pentecost!) my first duty as a new Captain will be to enroll two new soldiers (and their not transfers from the YP Corps!)

God bless The Salvation Army!

Sneak Preview!

Although Steve Court has already graciously endowed me with the title Captain I am not officially reinstated until Sunday May 20th.

However, today I went to Salvationist Publishing & Supplies to order my new uniform. It's now gone off to be trimmed and will be back in time for the big day. The summer epaulets were on the 'take away' menu so for anyone who wants a sneak preview...

Yours set apart, for the lost, IN THE ARMY!

A