Pilgrim Soldier

Does The Salvation Army need to change in order to better meet the challenges of today’s society?

This seems to be the question that everyone seems to be asking in one way or another at the moment. Whether it be in terms of leadership style, mission style or the emphasis of holiness in our teaching, many bloggers (including myself) want the Army to change in some way or another!

Some embark on searches for the Salvationist DNA! Some insist that the Army will die in the West if our leadership style stays the same.

My thoughts at the moment are turning to the complex nature of The Salvation Army worldwide. If changes are made in the Western world how will that affect the growth of the Army in other areas of the world?

Do the demands of the post-modern, post-christendom culture we find in Europe mean that change has to be forced upon other areas of the world that have not yet come under the influence of these societal changes? If we change what happens when society changes when there is yet another paradigm shift in society?

Can The Salvation Army ever change enough to satisfy the disgruntled within our ranks?

The questions that are raised by the issue of change are many and varied. It is likely that unless any change happens in a way that takes account of all areas of the Army, and in a way that keeps God central to the question, then the Army will undergo a schism that will ultimately destroy rather than change. Is this really what we want?