THE SALVATION ARMY INTHE BODY OF CHRIST

AN ECCLESIOLOGICAL STATEMENT

A statement issued by the International Headquartersof The Salvation Army by authority of the General,

in consultation with the International Doctrine Counciland the International Management Council

THE SALVATION ARMYIN THE BODY OF

CHRIST

An Ecclesiological Statement

Salvation BooksThe Salvation Army International Headquarters

London, United Kingdom

First published 2008

Copyright © 2008The General of The Salvation Army

ISBN 978-0-85412-774-0

Published by Salvation BooksThe Salvation Army International Headquarters101 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4EH

United Kingdom

Printed by UK Territory Print & Design Unit

CONTENTS

Page

Foreword by General Shaw Clifton viiSummary statement 1Amplified statement 3The Salvation Army’s Articles of Faith 17Junior Soldier’s Promise 19Soldier’s Covenant 21Officer’s Covenant 27

Préface 33Sommaire de la déclaration 35Déclaration générale 37Engagement de jeunne soldat 51Engagement de soldat 53Alliance d’officier 59

Prefacio 65Resumen de la declaración 67Declaración detallada 69Joven Soldado – Mi Promesa 83Pacto del Soldado 85Escuela de Entrenamiento para Oficiales 91

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FOREWORD

I am pleased and privileged to introduce toSalvationists everywhere this Statement of whereThe Salvation Army stands within the Body ofChrist. It has been through multiple stages ofpreparation and I record deep thanks to the manywho have contributed to it, not least the members ofthe International Doctrine Council under theirChairperson, Commissioner William Francis, andthe members of the International ManagementCouncil at International Headquarters in London.Both of these Councils, by reason of their multi-ethnic memberships, represent attitudes and insightsof a global nature.

The Statement is intended to be useful to allSalvationists in understanding our place among themany churches, denominations, para-church bodies,church councils and other Christian groups thatexist around the world. It will be especially useful tothose of us who are actively engaged in ecumenicalrelations and can readily be shared with othersbeyond our ranks if this will be an aid to mutualunderstanding. The Statement is not intended to saynew things, but its purpose is to clarify andconsolidate present global thinking on our identitywithin the wider Body of Christ.

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May God bless and use this short publication tohis lasting glory and may the Army always be readyto obey his leadings, remaining a permanent missionto the unconverted as well as a modern, evenunique, expression of church life.

Shaw CliftonGeneral

April 2008

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SUMMARY STATEMENT1. The Body of Christ on earth (also referred to in

this paper as the Church universal) comprises allbelievers in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.

2. Believers stand in a spiritual relationship to oneanother, which is not dependent upon anyparticular church structure.

3. The Salvation Army, under the one Triune God,belongs to and is an expression of the Body ofChrist on earth, the Church universal, and is aChristian denomination in permanent missionto the unconverted, called into and sustained inbeing by God.

4. Denominational diversity is not self-evidentlycontrary to God’s will for his people.

5. Inter-denominational harmony and co-operationare to be actively pursued for they are valuablefor the enriching of the life and witness of theBody of Christ in the world and therefore of eachdenomination.

6. The Salvation Army welcomes involvement withother Christians in the many lands where theArmy is privileged to witness and serve.

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AMPLIFIED STATEMENTThe Body of Christ on Earth

1. WE BELIEVE that the Church, the Body ofChrist on earth, often referred to in the NewTestament as ‘the saints’ (hoi hagioi – Ephesians1:23), comprises all who are born not of naturaldescent, nor of human decision, or a husband’swill, but born of God (John 1:13). The Churchuniversal includes all who believe in the LordJesus Christ, confessing him as Saviour andLord, and witnessing to that sacredcommitment through loving mutualsubmission (Matthew 18:15-20; John 13:34-35; Ephesians 5:21) and sacrificial service(Mark 8:34; Matthew 20:25-28; John 13:1-17).

WE DO NOT BELIEVE that the Churchuniversal depends for its existence or validityupon any particular ecclesiastical structure, anyparticular form of worship, or any particularobservance of ritual.

2. WE BELIEVE that the Church universal is thewhole of the worshipping, witnessing Christiancommunity throughout the centuries

comprised of whatever groupings, large orsmall, accepted or persecuted, wealthy or poor,into which her members may have beengathered in the past or in the present.

WE DO NOT BELIEVE that an adequatedefinition of the Body of Christ on earth, theChurch universal, can be confined in terms ofecclesiastical structure, but must rather bestated in terms of a spiritual relationship ofgrace that must find expression in allecclesiastical structures. Members of the Bodyare those who are incorporate in Christ Jesus(Ephesians 1:1) and therefore reconciled toGod through his Son. All such are in a spiritualrelationship one with the other, which beginsand continues regardless of externals, accordingto the prayer of Jesus that those who are his maybe one (John 17:23). These words of Jesus askfor a oneness as is found in the oneness ofFather, Son and Holy Spirit. This oneness isspiritual, not organizational.

3. WE BELIEVE that The Salvation Army belongsto, and is a particular communion of, theChurch universal and a representative of theBody of Christ. Christ is the True Vine (John15:1) and all believers are his living, fruit-bearing branches, exhorted by Scripture to livein Christlike unity (1 Corinthians 12:12).

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WE DO NOT BELIEVE that any communitymade up of true followers of Christ can rightlybe regarded as outside the Church universal,whatever their history, customs or practiceswhen compared with those of other Christiancommunities. God alone knows those who aretruly his (2 Timothy 2:19).

Denominational Variety

4. WE BELIEVE that God’s dealings with hispeople are perfect according to his will, but thathuman responses are imperfect and prone toerror. It may be God’s dealings or falliblehuman responses to those dealings which havebrought about the rich and varied denomi -national tapestry discernible today.

WE DO NOT BELIEVE that denominationalor organizational variety can automatically andin every case be said to be contrary to God’s willfor his people.

5. WE BELIEVE that God raised up The SalvationArmy according to his purposes for his gloryand for the proclamation and demonstration ofthe gospel.

WE DO NOT BELIEVE that The SalvationArmy’s existence as an independent and

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distinctive Christian church, having no formal,structural ties with other Christian churches, isan affront to the gospel of Jesus Christ or self-evidently contrary to God’s will for the whole ofhis Body on earth.

6. WE BELIEVE that the practices of TheSalvation Army have much in common withthe practices of other churches, but that beingraised up by God for a distinctive work, theArmy has been led of God to adopt thefollowing combination of characteristics:

a) its emphasis upon personal religion andindividual spiritual regeneration throughfaith in Christ leading in turn to acommitment in mission to seek to winothers to Christ;

b) its commitment to the unceasingproclamation of the gospel and itsinsistence that this gospel is for thewhosoever;

c) its teaching concerning sanctification andholy living;

d) its teaching that the receiving of inwardspiritual grace is not dependent upon anyparticular outward observance;

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e) its worldwide tradition of service (arisingout of the compassionate love of Christ forall persons) without discrimination orpreconditions, to the distressed, needy andmarginalised, together with appropriateadvocacy in the public domain on mattersof social justice;

f ) its willingness to obey the ‘greatcommission’ of Jesus Christ, under theguidance of the Holy Spirit, by ongoingexpansion of Salvationist witness andservice into new countries, with a con -sequential celebration, with thanksgivingto God, of its internationalism;

g) its preference for non-liturgical and flexibleforms of worship, seeking to encouragespontaneity, for example in prayer and inspoken personal witness and testimony;

h) its tradition of inviting public response tothe presentation of the gospel message, andits use of the mercy seat for this and otherspiritual purposes;

i) its focus, in self-expression, on the biblicalmilitary metaphor of living in the worldand of serving God as soldiers of JesusChrist (2 Timothy 2:3; Ephesians 6:11-17);

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j) its requirement that adults and childrenwishing to become full members (soldiersand junior soldiers), and thereby wishingto make a commitment to formalmembership of the Body of Christ onearth, should publicly confess their faith inJesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, thechildren making a simple statement offaith with promises as to lifestyle and theprimary spiritual disciplines (see page 19),and the adults entering into formaldoctrinal and ethical commitments, thelatter focusing on the sacredness of humanrelationships, but including also thepersonal disciplines of abstention fromalcohol, tobacco, and non-medical use ofaddictive drugs (see page 21);

k) its wearing of distinctive uniforms as awitness to belonging to Christ and as asignal of availability to others;

l) its encouragement into Salvation Armyfellowship of those who do not wish toenter into the full commitment ofsoldiership (see j above), but are willing tobecome adherent members as a step in thejourney of faith;

m) its recognition of the equal place withinthe Body of Christ of men and women in

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all aspects of Christian service, ministryand leadership including the holding ofecclesiological authority;

n) its readiness to use all forms of musicalexpression in worship and evangelism, andits encouragement in many cultures of theindigenisation of worship expressions andstyles.

WE DO NOT BELIEVE it to be self-evidentlyGod’s will for his people in the Army that theycast aside in haste the leadings of God or theblessings of the years, but rather, in humility, tovalue them, learn from them, and harness andadapt them for ongoing relevance in futurewitness and service.

The Local Church

7. WE BELIEVE that just as the true Churchuniversal comprises all who believe on the LordJesus Christ, so each denominational churchcomprises a community of believers who havein common the way the Lord, through the HolySpirit, has dealt with them as a community. Inturn, each denominational church compriseslocal congregations regularly meeting togetherfor worship, fellowship and service in arelatively confined geographical location.

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WE DO NOT BELIEVE that the validity of adenomination or its local congregationsdepends upon any particular ecclesiasticaltradition, structure, hierarchy, form of worship,or ritual. Where even two or three gather inChrist’s name there he is present (Matthew18:20) with a presence no less real than thatdiscerned in larger, more formal, ceremonial orliturgical settings.

The Army’s Identity

8. WE BELIEVE that The Salvation Army is aninternational Christian church in permanentmission to the unconverted, and is an integralpart of the Body of Christ like other Christianchurches, and that the Army’s local corps arelocal congregations like the local congregationsof other Christian churches. The Army springsfrom the Methodist Revival and has remainedunassimilated by any other denomination. Likeother reformers before him, William Booth didnot intentionally set out to found a newdenomination. However, through the yearsSalvationism has moved on in its emerging self-perception, and in the perceptions of others,from being a para-church evangelistic revivalmovement (at first known as The ChristianMission) to being a Christian church with a

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permanent mission to the unsaved and themarginalised. Salvationists remain comfortablein being known simply as ‘the Army’, or a‘mission’, or a ‘movement’, or for certainpurposes as a ‘charity’. All of these descriptorscan be used alongside ‘church’. With this multi-faceted identity the Army is welcomed to, andtakes its place at, the ecumenical table at local,national and international levels.

WE DO NOT BELIEVE that The SalvationArmy’s history, structures, practices or beliefspermit it to be understood as anything otherthan a distinct Christian denomination with apurpose to fulfil and a calling to dischargeunder God. Similarly, its local corps cannotproperly be understood unless seen primarily aslocal church congregations meeting regularly bygrace and in Christ’s name for worship,fellowship and service. Typically a local Armycongregation will offer an integrated andholistic ministry, with both spiritual and socialservice dimensions, to the local population.Commissioned officers (both men and women)of The Salvation Army are duly ordainedChristian leaders and ministers of the Christiangospel, called by God and empowered by theHoly Spirit to preach and teach biblical,apostolic truth (Acts 2:42), and to serve othersin the name of Christ and for his sake.

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The Army and Other Churches

9. WE BELIEVE that it is God’s will thatharmonious relations are built up andsustained, by divine grace, between Christianseverywhere and between all Christiandenominations including their localcongregations. The Army’s numerous andwidespread contacts with other Christiancommunities around the world serve to enrichthe Army and to enhance its understanding ofthe work of the Holy Spirit. For this reason theArmy welcomes such contacts and seekscordially to extend and deepen them.

WE DO NOT BELIEVE that narrowness orexclusiveness are consistent with God’s will forhis people, or that God has nothing to teach usby our sharing and co-operating with his peoplein other denominations. As in humility welearn from others, also we come to theecumenical table ready to share whatever Godin his wisdom has graciously bestowed upon theArmy.

10. WE BELIEVE that every visible expression ofthe Church universal is endowed with its ownblessings and strengths as gifts from God. Werespect and admire those strengths, recognisingtoo that because of human frailty every such

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expression, including The Salvation Army, hasits imperfections.

WE DO NOT BELIEVE it is our task tocomment negatively upon, or to undermine,the traditions of other denominations, andcertainly not in relation to the sacraments (onwhich our distinctive, though not unique,position sees the whole of life as a sacramentwith a calling from God to Salvationists towitness to a life of sanctity without formalsacraments). It is contrary to our practices tooffer adverse comment upon the life of anydenomination or local congregation. We seek tobe careful not to belittle the doctrines orpractices of any other Christian group. TheArmy places emphasis in its teaching not uponexternals but upon the need for each believerpersonally to experience that inward spiritualgrace to which an external observance testifies.We maintain that no external observance canrightly be said to be essential to salvation or tothe receiving of divine grace and that thebiblical truth is that we can meet with God andreceive his grace anywhere at any time throughfaith. We recognise that external observancessuch as baptism and eucharist are used in manydenominations as a means of grace. We believethat our calling into sanctity withoutsacraments is not a contradiction of the ways of

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other churches, but is something beautiful forChrist, to be held in creative tension with theequally beautiful, but very different, practices ofother denominations. In the overall economy ofGod there are no inherent contradictions, butthere are creative paradoxes.

11. WE BELIEVE that The Salvation Army wascalled into being by the will of God, is sustainedin being by God’s grace, and is empowered forobedience by the Holy Spirit. Its overridingpurpose as encapsulated in the name God hasgiven us – The Salvation Army – is therefore tostrive to lead men and women and boys andgirls into saving faith in Jesus Christ, workingtirelessly and for Christ’s sake, to develop themin holy living, that they might better servesuffering humanity while remaining unpollutedby the world (James 1:26, 27).

WE DO NOT BELIEVE that we alone arecalled to these sacred and awesome tasks, andtherefore we rejoice exceedingly because inother Christian churches we find co-workers forGod.

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NOTE:

For Salvationist acceptance of the historicChristian creeds (The Apostles’ Creed, TheNicene Creed, The Athanasian Creed) seeSalvation Story – Salvationist Handbook ofDoctrine (The Salvation Army, London, 1998).

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APPENDIX

THE SALVATION ARMY’SARTICLES OF FAITH

We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and NewTestaments were given by inspiration of God, andthat they only constitute the Divine rule ofChristian faith and practice.

We believe that there is only one God, who isinfinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, andGovernor of all things, and who is the only properobject of religious worship.

We believe that there are three persons in theGodhead – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,undivided in essence and co-equal in power andglory.

We believe that in the person of Jesus Christ theDivine and human natures are united, so that he istruly and properly God and truly and properly man.

We believe that our first parents were created in astate of innocency, but by their disobedience, theylost their purity and happiness, and that in

consequence of their fall, all men have becomesinners, totally depraved, and as such are justlyexposed to the wrath of God.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by hissuffering and death made an atonement for thewhole world so that whosoever will may be saved.

We believe that repentance toward God, faith in ourLord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the HolySpirit are necessary to salvation.

We believe that we are justified by grace throughfaith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he thatbelieveth hath the witness in himself.

We believe that continuance in a state of salvationdepends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.

We believe that it is the privilege of all believers tobe wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit andsoul and body may be preserved blameless unto thecoming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We believe in the immortality of the soul, theresurrection of the body, in the general judgment atthe end of the world, in the eternal happiness of therighteous, and in the endless punishment of thewicked.

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JUNIOR SOLDIER’S PROMISE

Having asked God for forgiveness, I will be hisloving and obedient child. Because Jesus is mySaviour from sin, I will trust him to keep me good,and will try to help others to follow him. I promiseto pray, to read my Bible and, by his help, to lead alife that is clean in thought, word and deed. I willnot smoke, take harmful drugs or drink alcoholicdrinks.

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SOLDIER’S COVENANT

Promises made when becoming a soldier inThe Salvation Army

HAVING accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour andLord, and desiring to fulfil my membership of hisChurch on earth as a soldier of The Salvation Army,I now by God’s grace enter into a sacred covenant.

I believe and will live by the truths of the word ofGod expressed in The Salvation Army’s elevenarticles of faith:

We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and NewTestaments were given by inspiration of God: andthat they only constitute the Divine rule ofChristian faith and practice.

We believe that there is only one God, who isinfinitely perfect, the Creator. Preserver, andGovernor of all things, and who is the only properobject of religious worship.

We believe that there are three persons in theGodhead – the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost,undivided in essence and co-equal in power andglory.

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We believe that in the person of Jesus Christ theDivine and human natures are united, so that he istruly and properly God and truly and properly man.

We believe that our first parents were created in astate of innocency, but by their disobedience theylost their purity and happiness; and that inconsequence of their fall all men have becomesinners, totally depraved. and as such are justlyexposed to the wrath of God.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has, by hissuffering and death, made an atonement for thewhole world so that whosoever will may be saved.

We believe that repentance towards God, faith inour Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the HolySpirit are necessary to salvation.

We believe that we are justified by grace, throughfaith in our Lord Jesus Christ; and that he thatbelieveth hath the witness in himself.

We believe that continuance in a state of salvationdepends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.

We believe that it is the privilege of all believers tobe wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit andsoul and body may be preserved blameless unto thecoming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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We believe in the immortality of the soul; in theresurrection of the body; in the general judgment atthe end of the world; in the eternal happiness of therighteous; and in the endless punishment of thewicked.

THEREFORE

I will be responsive to the Holy Spirit’s work andobedient to his leading in my life, growing in gracethrough worship, prayer, service and the reading ofthe Bible.

I will make the values of the Kingdom of God andnot the values of the world the standard for my life.

I will uphold Christian integrity in every area of mylife, allowing nothing in thought, word or deed thatis unworthy, unclean, untrue, profane, dishonest orimmoral.

I will maintain Christian ideals in all myrelationships with others: my family andneighbours, my colleagues and fellow Salvationists,those to whom and for whom I am responsible, andthe wider community.

I will uphold the sanctity of marriage and of familylife.

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I will be a faithful steward of my time and gifts, mymoney and possessions, my body, my mind and myspirit, knowing that I am accountable to God.

I will abstain from alcoholic drink, tobacco, thenon-medical use of addictive drugs, gambling,pornography, the occult, and all else that couldenslave the body or spirit.

I will be faithful to the purposes for which Godraised up The Salvation Army, sharing the goodnews of Jesus Christ, endeavouring to win others tohim, and in his name caring for the needy and thedisadvantaged.

I will be actively involved, as l am able, in the life,work, worship and witness of the corps, giving aslarge a proportion of my income as possible tosupport its ministries and the worldwide work of theArmy.

I will be true to the principles and practices of TheSalvation Army, loyal to its leaders, and I will showthe spirit of Salvationism whether in times ofpopularity or persecution.

I now call upon all present to witness that I enterinto this covenant and sign these articles of war ofmy own free will, convinced that the love of Christ,who died and now lives to save me, requires from me

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this devotion of my life to his service for thesalvation of the whole world; and therefore do heredeclare my full determination, by God’s help, to bea true soldier of The Salvation Army.

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OFFICER’S COVENANT

MY COVENANT

Called by God to proclaim the gospel of our Lordand Saviour Jesus Christ as an officer of TheSalvation Army, I bind myself to him in this solemncovenant: to love and serve him supremely all mydays, to live to win souls and make their salvationthe first purpose of my life, to care for the poor, feedthe hungry, clothe the naked, love the unlovable,and befriend those who have no friends, to maintainthe doctrines and principles of The Salvation Army,and, by God’s grace, to prove myself a worthyofficer.

Done in the strength of my Lord and Saviour, andin the presence of [the following wording to beadapted to local circumstances] the TerritorialCommander, training college officers and fellowcadets.

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