Why The Salvation Army is in Decline and What We Can Do About it!

This may well be my most provocative blog yet. Sometimes things are just painful. If you don't like pain, please turn away now. And this blog comes with a warning; these are my thoughts and my musings, not that of The Salvation Army, nor those of my wife. My children are only 2, 5 and 7, so it sure ain't theirs either. You can blame me if you disagree.

The Salvation Army is in decline.

The quicker we acknowledge the truth, the better.

Stephen Court highlights some sobering statistics in a blog back on January 20th at Army Barmy. Let's look at the facts:

1. Number of Corps
2015 - 15636

2016 – 13826
Decline of 1810 in one year.

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2. Junior Soldiers  

2015 - 385994

2016 – 378881

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3. Senior Soldiers

2015 – 1174913

2016 – 1056722

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4. Soldiers (combined)
2015 – 1560607

2016 – 1435533

Decline – 125074

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5. Officers.

2015 – 26497

2016 – 26675

Before I highlight why I believe The Salvation Army is in decline, we might as well admit that it is. One does not deal with their alcoholism until they admit they're an alcoholic. 

Let me suggest some reasons WHY I think The Salvation Army is in decline and this is the bit that gets controversial:

• We have promoted music over mission
• We have placed the Holy Spirit into the pentecostal don't-dare-go-there basket
• We have created an unnecessary divide between evangelism and social work
• We have failed to call people to follow Jesus
• We have relied on our Public Image, more than our Image-giver
• We have taken our eyes off the radical mission God calls us to, and watered it down to a pew-warming, lovey-dovey envrionment that celebrates mediocority. And yes, I spelt mediocrity wrong, because I couldn't be bothered fixing it. Call me apathetic.
• Hmm... Should I go on?
• We lost sight of the identity of the Army, within the trappings of the Army, and are only now seeking to reclaim the identity that we so quickly dismissed.
• We call people to less than full salvation in Christ.

Maybe I've said too much and maybe the list is incomplete. Maybe we don't need to focus on such things? Maybe I'm being too pessimistic for once. Well, it's difficult to fix a problem you don't believe exists. 

Have a read of this:

Major Darren Elkington offers these provocative, yet insightful words, 'Sociologists would tell us that we are now living in a new age … that the old is gone … replaced by a new reality … that we are no longer living in the age of Christendom … but rather a new era … the post Christian era where every area of life is steadily being divorced from Christian ideals and re-interpreted in humanistic terms. Meaning that for many today, that the things that we cherish: God, Christ, grace, the cross, Easter … the church … is considered meaningless, irrelevant, and for some they would even go as far as saying to believe in that stuff is just strange or bizarre.

Now, like all new ideas … this is all debatable … and it’s certainly not my intention to debate whether or not this is indeed our new reality  … except to say … if it is true … then surely it requires a newness, a freshness, a new way of thinking and doing … Because if we simply continue operating under an old premise … or that this new division becomes no more than just the old division re-badged as new … then my prediction is that this new division will go the way of the old … each year producing less Soldiers, smaller congregations, fewer conversions, less ministry and more closures of corps.   

And so we need to embrace the new … new leadership, a new way of doing, new ideas, news initiatives, new possibilities, and as we do, I don’t believe it means that we have to re-invent ourselves.  This time last year, I arrived in back in Australia after being out of the country for the last 6 years … and what I’ve encountered on my return is a busy army, a diverse army, a social army, a uniformed army, a caring army, a fundraising army, a compliant army … and these are all good things in themselves to be … But God raised us up to be a Salvation Army … William Booth said it best.  This is our speciality: Getting saved, keeping saved, and getting someone else saved, and then getting ourselves mightily saved again and again.' 

 
So what can we do about it?

We need to be The Salvation Army. We don't need more facebook groups celebrating old Salvation Army buildings that have closed down, brass bands that had glory days in the 1970s and social media communities that are designed to have a whinge about the past, the present and anything worthy of trying to better the future. 

Fix your eyes upon Jesus, Salvation Army. God raised us up for more than good music, good social work and a comfortable Sunday morning. We are called to win the world for Jesus. Anything less is an insult to William Booth and a kick in the guts to Catherine. Re-embrace a radical, passionate, courageous faith in Christ, that causes you to substitute what is good, for what is great. Seek first the Kingdom of God. Pray like Jesus is coming back tomorrow. Live like you only have days left on the earth. Commit to sacrificial giving, disciplined obedience and compassionate gospel work.

Come on. Let's change the world.

Repent. Pray. Believe. Radically respond.

If you Want to Change the World, you Have to Get Off the Couch.

If you want to change the world, you have to get off the couch.

The problem is, life itself drags you to the couch.

We have a hard day at work, we sit on the couch. We buy new technology and we sit on the couch. We hear of a new show on T.V. and we sit on the couch. We have an argument at work and we slump on the couch. We get discouraged from seeing a lack of success and we find ourselves on the couch.

Life pulls us toward the metaphorical couch of mediocrity. When we fail, it seems easier to give up than to try again. When circumstances run contrary to our desires we can pull the pin.

Success doesn't involve a couch. Unless you were an entrepreneur who built the couch. And let me tell you, whoever did that, didn't build it by sitting on it.

The world is yearning for world changers. We crave leadership in an age seemingly bereft of courageous, visionary types who motivate and inspire. It is easier to slip into the background, not make a fuss, and wait for someone else to do the job.

And guess what? When we get kicked in the guts, one could well be excused from trying again.

Though I sense something is happening in these days. From a spiritual perspective something is stirring that I have not sensed before.

I see a bunch of followers of Jesus who want to change the world. Now, it's not that believers didn't want to change the world before, in fact, they've been good at it. The problem has been, some years went by and we went quiet and found ourselves snoozing on the recliner.

Though, God is raising up a generation who are characterised by tenacity and integrity, a relentless attitude underpinned by Godly character. A generation that won't give up. A generation that understands it won't be easy, but laughs in the devil's face nonetheless. Jesus won the victory through his death and resurrection.

God is raising up world changers who are Kingdom-minded and Kingdom-focused. These world changers don't sit on the couch while potential passes on by. They grab Godly opportunities by the horns and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to drag them through.

At the end the Lord will say, 'Well done good and faithful servant.' You took what I gave you and did something with it.

So, jump on board to all that God is doing and embrace the highs and lows of life, but remember, life can find a way to suck you back to mediocrity and couch-sitting.

If you want to change the world, you have to get off the couch.

25 Reasons Why Every Christian Should have FAITH!

Faith is dynamic, that is something that is characterised by energy and effective action. That's how the dictionary defines faith. From the scriptures, the definition of faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you can't see (Hebrews 11:1).

The disciples cried out to Jesus, 'Lord, increase our faith!' Jesus replied that all they needed was simply faith the size of a mustard seed.

It's time right now, to allow your faith to be stretched. To grow a little. We want to allow God, the Holy Spirit to move in us and ignite a spark of a dream that will revolutionize our world.

So here's a list of 25 reasons why every Christian should have faith. Add your own reasons. Create the story God wants to write:

1. I once had a Anglican Priest look me in the eye on many occasions and say to me, 'You will be a minister one day.' God spoke something into my life, even as a young boy. I have faith that God still speaks to people today.
2. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death. He pleased the Lord (Hebrews 11:5).
3. I heard a story of a man who had his stomach completely rotted away. He spent many months praying, and one moment, God healed him. Completely. He is probably unknown to you, but Warwick Marsh is his name.
4. By faith Noah built an ark. (Hebrews 11:7). He witnessed God re-establish the people of the earth.
5. By faith, Billy Graham has preached the Gospel to millions upon millions of people around the world.
6. By faith, Abraham left the place he was living, into the promised land (Hebrews 11:8).
7. Out of complete self-less ambition and a deep-seated faith, Corrie Ten Boon helped persecuted Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust in World War II.
8. Faith was the main reason that William Booth believed he could bring social change to a wider audience with his strategy of 'In Darkest England and the Way Out.' 
9. By faith, Sarah, who was past child-bearing age, gave birth to a son (Hebrews 11:11).
10. With absolute conviction to serve the broken and forgotten of society, The Salvation Army started the first Prison Gate Ministry in Australia. Salvationists would meet prisoners and help them as soon as they were released from prison.
11. By faith, Abraham became the father of nations, with descendants as numerous as the stars (Hebrews 11:12).
12. By faith, Robert Raikes proposed educating children while teaching them the Bible. It began in the late 1700s. We call them Sunday Schools.
13. By faith, when God tested him, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son (Hebrews 11:17).
14. The week just gone, I prayed for a woman to be healed of a strong migraine. I laid hands on her head and prayed. Yes, it was healed. What did you expect? God still heals today.
15. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future (Hebrews 11:20).
16. A worldwide ministry of any sort does not come about without some faith - World Vision, Compassion International, Scripture Union...
17. By faith, Joseph held on to the dreams he had about his future. Even when thrown in jail and wrongfully accused of sexual assault, he held true to the Lord.
18. With faith I hold on to the promises God has spoken over my life. By faith, I hope you will do the same.
19. By faith, Moses left the mountain areas, went back to Egypt and declared to Pharaoh, to 'Let my people go.'
20. With prayer and faith, demonic spirits can be cast out. 
21. By faith, we give generously to the work of the Kingdom of God. Have you ever given so much financially, that you now had to trust in God to provide for your needs?
22. By faith, Moses led the people of Israel through the Red Sea (Hebrews 11:29).
23. By faith, the walls of Jericho came down! (Hebrews 11:30).
24. By faith, the prostitute Rahab was not killed, as she helped the spies in the promised land (Hebrews 11:31).
25. By faith we can change the world. By faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, we can be world changers, for his glory and honour. Let's not settle for mediocrity. Let's not settle for less than what God wants to do in us and through us. 

Having faith that is dynamic is not for a select few. Having faith that moves mountains is for every follower of Jesus. These examples of faith, are reasons why you should have faith. God has moved amongst believers for years (and those who are yet-to-be believers), and their stories inspire US to have faith! Faith for greater things!

So... this is my challenge:

Grow your faith. Stretch yourself. Believe bigger. Risk more. Try again. Give it a shot. Change the world.

God bless.