Remaining True and Relevant

The following is a paper I submitted to the Western Territorial Theological Symposium that was held at Crestmont in May 2003. The title of the paper is "Remaining True and Relevant."

It was written at the time when I was the administrator of the Kroc Center in San Diego. My wife and I had the responsibility of starting its operation and gave oversight to its maintenance for five years.

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Introduction

So exactly how is it that we, The Salvation Army, are to do ministry in the 21st century? Do we have a road map to follow? Is there a simple formula that we can easily adopt to bring us instant success? Is there a pattern, a sign, an easy procedure that will enable us to do mission? Is there a church growth kit we can purchase off the shelf? Do simple solutions exist in defining what we do in such a complex time as this?

It should be noted right from the start that the purpose of this paper is not to set out some simplified boxed up ready to sell straightforward solution to these questions. I will not even begin to pretend that I have the answers for remaining true to our mission and relevant to the culture that surrounds us. Rather it is an attempt to lay out some grounds for discussion and food for thought as this generation of The Salvation Army continues to march forth in the Western Territory.

As with any paper it must be read in its context. I am writing these thoughts after nearly completing 21 years experience as a commissioned officer in the Western Territory. Also, my current appointment at the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in San Diego, California, has challenged my heart, shaped my thinking, has forced me to take risks, and has given me a platform in which to lay out my thoughts with some real life experience connection. That context will be reflected in these written words.


Making a way through the wilderness

The buzzword over the last decade that has been bantered about is that we have entered the “Post-Modern” era. It has some how crept up on us. A great majority of us have been operating unaware of exactly what it is and how significant this era will effect our ministry in the future. We have continued on as we have in the past, knowing that something has been changing but we weren’t exactly sure what it was.

Post- modernism is complex in its origins and cannot be simply wrapped up in the limited confines of this paper. It has its critics, scholars and a cornucopia of written books and articles. The attempt here is to come up with a condensed definition in which we can work with.[i] In researching, I found an interesting and concise definition on the Cal State Northridge web site devoted to the topic, “Seminar in Postmodern Rhetoric”.[ii]

One student wrote, “Postmodernism is the ideology that steps away from traditional views and destructuralizes a dominating and authoritative social order. It promotes free thought, whether it be abstract or ingenious, while basing itself on the idea that there is no universal right, wrong, or absolute truth, but rather focusing on individual or situational occurrences in any of the many facets of life.”[iii]

The Post- Modern term was first adopted sometime in the mid 1930’s as a significant historical transformation began to occur throughout the world. It was in the early 1970’s that this era began to become more widespread in discussions and research. “Whatever else it might be, as the name suggests, postmodernism signifies the quest to move beyond modernism. Specifically, it involves a rejection of the modern mind-set, but launched under the conditions of modernity.”[iv] Charles Jencks writes, “Post-modernism is fundamentally the eclectic mixture of any tradition with that of the immediate past: it is both the continuation of Modernism and its transcendence. Its best works are characteristically doubly-coed and ironic, making a feature of the wide choice, conflict and discontinuity of traditions, because of the heterogeneity most clearly captures our pluralism”[v]

We are operating in a time where the rules and the traditional processes we have come to know and operate from are thrown out. Those who attempt to adhere to those dated values are viewed as outcasts, hostile to transition and are at great risk alienating entire segments of their communities. Recent history in the Salvation Army Western Territory is proof enough that we are not immune to this growing trend in the cultures in which we roam. Pressure from both the left and right political and church alliances, the gay community and the donor base has left us scratching our heads, drawing lines in the sand and creating an atmosphere of knee jerk reactions, division in the ranks, instant decisions that have been rescinded, and a sense of general uneasiness, as if we are waiting for the other shoe to drop.

In my short time at the Kroc Center, we have already seen this close up. The decisions to allow certain groups not to access to our “community center” has created tensions, accusations of discrimination along with confusion in the publics eye to understand exactly what our mission is. I have also become more aware and sensitive to the fact that in our world the growing trends of those who preach tolerance quickly become intolerant of anyone who doesn’t see the issue in the same way they do. Being politically correct works if you fit within the parameters of postmodern thought. It is as if the church is being asked to construct a golden calf all over again. The standards of God’s word are for another by gone era and a less informed generation.

That sort of attitude of no rules, no lines, no standards, is not confined to the limits of the major urban settings, but is rapidly making in roads in the rural settings as well. Thanks in a large part to the information superhighway roaring through a town near you, television and other media forms. The large and small Corps alike can no longer turn its head and ignore these philosophies. The issue of domestic partners is no longer stuck within the limits of major cities on the west coast. It has branched out. It is in all parts of this country and is having an effect on funding sources and programs. These trends are here to stay and we must begin the process of wrestling with how we can best handle them without compromising our mission.

Robert Nash writes in his penetrating book, “An 8-Track Church in a CD World”: “In the last twenty years we Americans have witnessed dramatic changes in the wider culture. We have moved from record albums and 8-track tapes to compact discs, from electric typewriters to Pentium computers, and from board games to Super Nintendo. America’s towns and cities have become global communities, with Muslim mosques, Buddhist temples, and New Age bookstores competing with Christian churches for the faith loyalties of the American people. Yet local churches have hardly changed. The most advanced piece of technology in most children’s Sunday school classes is a flannel board. Church bulletins in the 1990’s look surprisingly similar to those of the 1950’s. Worship is stagnant and the endless litany of hymn after sermon after choral anthem after offering after prayer after hymn after welcome and announcements. Preachers drone on to half-empty sanctuaries, mistakenly assuming that their congregants are even listening at all…”[vi]

He continues, “And we continue to ‘do church’ as if people will endure this kind of tedium forever…We pretend that people want the same things from church in (1990’s) that they wanted in the 1950’s. We pretend that the majority of Americans are churchgoing Christians who believe in the God of the Bible and who order their lives to reflect this reality.”[vii]

This is a present reality that I have witnessed in our beloved Army. As sense of apathy and holding on to the old and trusted ways is slowly entombing many of our operations. Crippling our effectiveness and closing us off to a world in great need of what we have to offer. Both from administrative and field operations combined are affected. Though some attempts have been made in recent days, new lines of thinking may be termed faddish and will not work, so why even bother.

A disturbing trend I saw when I served as a Divisional Youth Secretary was the steady decline of Sunday school attendance and in Christian education programming as a whole, not only in our division but also in the territory and the church world. One Corps in which my family soldiered during that time made the decision not to conduct Sunday school anymore, due to lack of teachers to teach and no one in attendance. The removing of standards for Corps that has been developed in the last few years in our territory has had some interesting outcome measures. Instead of innovation and inspiration, the opposite has occurred in some places. More and more Corps have less programs because they are not “forced” to do so. The sense of accountability is removed. Priorities are shifted. In some places, Christian education (Sunday School) and discipleship (Corps Cadets) are non-existent. Old school models are thrown out but, unfortunately, in some instances, are not replaced with anything.

Stopping a program may not be the solution. Starting something new for the sake of attempting to look bright and fresh is not the answer either. Bringing new life into old programs should be viewed as a positive alternative. The simple point being is that it is time for us not to simply rehash mission and vision, but to get about doing what we should be doing. Finding a better way to communicate the solid truths of God’s word to a society that does not welcome it nor is interested in is indeed one of the greatest challenges now resting at our Corps doorsteps.

That and better will do

One of the unique historical foundations of the Salvation Army has always been based in innovation. The Founder would continue to encourage his officers and soldiers of finding a better way of spreading the gospel of God’s love. Being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and understanding the culture in which the Army was working developed that spirit of innovation.

Ministries in America that pay tribute to our historical roots surround us. They go to great lengths to devour the writings of the Founder and to take his methods, update them and put them into action. Yet at the same time the trend affecting us is that many of us are more interested in becoming like that church down the street while leaving both our methods and passion for evangelism to fade away.

Though there is great value in studying the effective methods of the Willow Creek and the Saddleback Community Church models, perhaps it is time for us to once again dust off our history books and look to the models that our forebears preached and lived. To see how they can be stripped down, modified and adapted for this generation. God certainly had a specific task in mind when The Salvation Army was raised. That task still continues in the present age, we just must become more in tune with it once again.

Phil Needham writes, “…the missionary Church is flexible enough to follow its Lord into the new territories which he is opening up for mission. The ‘new territory’ may be in the form of fresh opportunities for evangelism; a new socio-economic situation in which previous ways of ministering are no longer meaningful; a change in the racial or cultural character of the community, calling for adaptation of the ministry of the new gospel to the new constituency; the opportunity and need for a specialized kind of ministry…It will require a willingness to risk leaving familiar territory and entering new terrain. Every Christian missionary must learn to abandon what is no longer promising.”[viii]

It is my belief that that same sense of innovation needs to repossess us once again. The idea here is that for us to be effective in ministry once again we need to create touch points of entry; remain flexible in our ministry formats; and pursue excellence in any innovation we may attempt. Pursuing that may cost us in terms of money, status quo and convenience. It may even become a stumbling block to those who aspire to “bigger and better” things.

Touch Points

By touch points, I am referring to ways in which we enter a culture to find a way to build their trust, evaluate and understand their needs. Engaging an unbelieving world takes a committed effort to both study the culture and communicate the gospel in such a way that people can relate and understand what it is we are saying.

The Salvation Army in America has some natural inroads in this particular area. For ten years in a row, the Chronicle of Philanthropy has considered the Army “America’s Favorite Charity.” This is not due to some creative marketing or public relations campaign on our part. This is the result of being committed to being who we should be and who we are: servants of God. There is a deep sense of appreciation from both the secular and spiritual community for what we do across the nation. We value integrity in our fiscal responsibility. We continue to meet the needs at the point of need. And we continue to extend a hand to all in need. All mission based. None of that goes unnoticed by the skeptical eye of today donor.

Times of recent national disasters have shown the Army in its best light. How the services were handled to the thousands of people affected by the September 11th tragedy is a testimony to the strength of our values and our commitment. Fires, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes have proven to be opportunities for service that shines for God’s glory and comfort to an afflicted people.

People continue to come to us for assistance. For food, clothing, or rent, they come. What we do during the Christmas season is a testimony of our witness. With the economic downturn our nation is in at the present time that need for assistance will continue to grow. Municipal budget cut backs in our local schools, arts and recreation program, will give us the new opportunity to reach out to assist these organizations and individuals. The burden placed on us is how we harvest those contacts for sake of the kingdom.

In my current appointment, since we have opened in June 2002, we have averaged a little over 1700 people a day coming onto our property, accessing our programs, coming in contact with our staff and volunteers. This multi faceted facility is fast becoming a gathering point in East San Diego. A variety of services are offered from theatrical arts to furniture painting to reading to riding a skateboard to learning how to ice skate are all done under the Army banner. People are learning fast that we are not just an ordinary community center with pretty buildings. There is a purpose for our existence. The staff is aware of and is casting our vision to be a safe, fun and holy place. That is being pounded out by customer service and personal interaction on a daily basis. The challenge will be to find ways to give these individuals an opportunity to hear and experience the good news of the gospel.

Flexibility

The days of “we have never done it that way before” have to be put behind us once and for all or we will wilt away at our post. Placing new wine into old wine skins always is a dangerous venture. There is a form of destruction that occurs when we enter into that process. Scared cows and the status quo are shown the door. The old way of doing business is not just thrown out for the sake of making waves, but it must be integrated into new ways that culture is clamoring for.

Robert Nash writes, “As the culture has changed its notions about community and family in a technological age, the church has continued to insist upon old patterns of community relationships. It has incorrectly assumed that children who are raised in its walls will adopt the Christian faith for themselves. It has refused to search out new patterns of community that might enhance its ability to minister in its context. It has failed to reflect the kind of community that will exist in the future kingdom of God.”[ix]

It is time for officers and soldiers alike to come to grips that 1950’s are over and the standard worship times and styles need a fresh renovation. Not everyone is interested in coming to our sanctuaries at 11 am on a Sunday morning. But they may be interested in a Thursday night or early Sunday morning or a Saturday night or whatever new and creative venture we may present. Offering more of a selection of service opportunities and styles is a must as we move forward.

Children growing up in this generation are the most abused, the most sensitive, the most challenged and the most biblically illiterate that has ever been raised. The technologies that now exist have indeed made our lives more convenient and blessed. But the negative outcome is that the technology both isolates us from each other and even from our own families, as the hours of viewing TV, Internet and video games are on the rise. There is also the sense that it has begun to overload and inundate us at the same time. The cry for high touch in a high tech age still exists. The need for the church to be flexible continues to mount. Realigning ourselves is part of the historical process that the church has been involved in since its inception. Getting back to proclaiming the essentials of God’s word should become one of our top priorities in these times.

Innovation

Rick Warren writes, ‘Never confuse methods with the message. The message must never change, but the methods must change with each generation.”[x] The history of the Salvation Army is rich with methods of doing things in a different way to get the attention of the lost world. Space limitations of this paper do not allow a complete listing of cutting edge sorts of methods we have tried. We are all familiar with William Booths ways of taking popular drinking tunes of the day and turning them into heart warming hymns that the people can relate to. Why indeed should the Devil have all the best music?

Officers need to step out and attempt new ventures without fear of repercussion. Maintaining our theological basis as the foundation, we can begin to seek a new in filling of God’s spirit to find ways in pursuing excellence and pushing aside our personal pride and agenda’s in reaching this generation for Christ. Settling for mediocrity and losing focus of what our purpose is, can all be overcome.

Summation

Several months ago I had to replace of my daughters closet doors. It was a mirrored door that reached from the floor to the ceiling. For lack of a better place to store the defective doors until I could properly dispose of them, I placed them in front of the woodpile on the side of our house.

We began to hear a funny pecking noise coming from that side of the house a few weeks later. We noticed that one bird in particular was enamored with the mirrored door and kept coming back, spending its entire waking moments in front of that mirror. Hopping around on the wood, the bird would peck at his reflection in the mirror. Thinking that the bird was poking its beak at its enemy, day after day that bird entered into battle with itself, getting no where fast. Only when it was hungry or startled would that bird flee. In a way, this free bird seeks to be caged each day as it ventures back to the woodpile and pecks away at its reflection, thinking it was accomplishing a great and mighty task.

I often wonder if that is what we are doing in our Army and in the church as a whole. Engaged in a battle with us. Stuck in a rut, day after day, fighting a pointless battle with an enemy who we think is unknown, but is really just ourselves. We become bound and caged in by the constant objections we peck away at ourselves with: lack of money; lack of time; a sense of overload; not willing to take a risk; DHQ won’t let me, etc.

We keep seeking the comfort of our routine of fighting a mock battle so to speak. Never branching past our reflection, of who we are and where we have come from. Trapped. Paralyzed. Not able or willing to be moved.

It is time for us to fly above the distractions and begin to focus once again on what it is we are called to do. I am convinced that God still has His hand on our organization. The blessing remains. We are challenged to remain sensitive to His heartbeat, make the most of each opportunity that comes our way. As we continue to seek ways to be true to our missional roots, to be relevant to our present and future culture, God will allow us to move in the climate of renewal and revival, as our hearts turn towards what matters to Him the most: that the whosoever will may still come.

[i] For further study, I would highly recommend the book, “A Primer on Postmodernism” Stanley J. Grenz Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing. 1996

[ii] http://hyper.vcsun.org/HyperNews/battias/get/coms633/f2001/pomodef/5.html

[iii] ibid: Christopher Aston

[iv] ibid: Grenz p. 2

[v] Jencks, Charles, What is Post-Modernism? 3d. ed. New York: St. Martin’s Press. 1989 p.7

[vi] Nash, Robert An 8-Track Church in a CD World, The Modern Church in a Postmodern World Smyth & Hewlys Publishing, Inc. Macon, Georgia 1997 p. 3

[vii] ibid: Nash, p. 3

[viii] Needham, Phil Community in Action: A Salvationist Ecclesiology

[ix] ibid: Nash, p. 3

[x] Warren, Rick Purpose Driven Church
Zondervan Publishing. Grand Rapids, Michigan 1995 p. 61










Submitted by Major Tim Foley
San Diego, CA February 2003