Spiritual Life Committee – keeping the territory’s fire burning
In a spiritual movement as large and complex as The Salvation Army, we hear of many groups and departments, as well as the Australia Territory Board and its committees. Most of us have little knowledge of these groups or what happens within them – which is why we might not know a lot about the Spiritual Life Committee (formerly the Pastoral Committee). Salvos Online journalist SIMONE WORTHING spoke with two frontline mission leaders who are also members of the committee – Captains Kate Baudinette (Area Officer for Metro East, Victoria) and Captain Scott Frame (Bayside Corps Officer, Brisbane).
Purpose
The Spiritual Life Committee of the Board is chaired by the Territorial Commander, who is appointed by the General to provide spiritual leadership of the territory and who is also Chair of the Board.
Its purpose is to:
Improve the depth and breadth of the spiritual life of The Salvation Army in Australia.
Guide the movement so that it operates in accordance with its God-given mission to ‘Share the love of Jesus by caring for people, creating faith pathways, building healthy communities and working for justice’.
Scott explains: “Guiding the movement towards these things requires leadership that is more around trust and inspiration than command and control – because this body doesn't have, in and of itself, a great deal of power. This body is there to advise and consult with the Board.”
How did the committee come about?
The idea for the Spiritual Life Committee came out of the establishment of Australia One [the process of merging the two former Australian territories into one territory] and the change in the whole model of governance.
“There was this idea that there needed to be a group which was holding fast to our spiritual principles and our spiritual foundations in all that we did, and seeking to keep that on the agenda in all the minutiae of operations and management and governance,” Scott says.
“It’s the Matthew 6:33 principle – seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you as well. If we, as leaders, say we’re seeking the Kingdom first, the Kingdom will potentially have a beautiful place for the ongoing role of The Salvation Army.”
Who is on the Committee?
The Committee is made up of senior leaders in the Australia Territory – all divisional commanders, an area officer, a corps officer and an associate corps leader who represent those on the frontline and can speak from that perspective.
“These leaders wanted to make certain that the ideas they were talking about, and the visions and dreams that they could see for where the movement might go, were grounded in the reality of what we’re doing out on the ground in the frontline,” Scott says.
How often does the Committee meet?
“They’ve planned four meetings for this year,” says Scott. “The first one was quite long, in that it was six days. Normally, they only gather for two days at a time, maybe three.”
The Committee recently gathered at the Collaroy Centre on Sydney’s northern beaches.
What was it like for you personally being part of the meetings at Collaroy, and what did you find encouraging and or inspiring/motivating/hopeful?
Kate: “It was thrilling to be involved. I was so encouraged by the sense of God’s Spirit and the unity in the room. There was an acknowledgement from everyone that we really need to seek God. The world has changed so much, and it’s becoming increasingly obvious that our old methods are not working. While that is scary, it puts us in a position where we have no choice but to humbly seek God and his ways - and that’s a very good place to be. We have reached that point. God’s bringing us to where he wants us to be.”
Scott: “What I first gathered probably was the enormity of the task – that The Salvation Army is a very, very large organisation now across the country, engaging in a whole bunch of disparate activities. I’m really heartened by the fact that this is being taken so seriously by leadership across the country.
“But probably at the heart of my hope was the sense that we are going back to God for all the hope here. We are gathering under God’s direction and looking to him for all of this. Think about the origins of our movement. They were all in a Spirit-led wildfire where Catherine and William just offered themselves up and said, ‘Lord, tell us what to do, and we will follow you’, and I think that's again this pivotal moment for the movement.
“We’re going to have to deeply gather around what the Lord is saying and [Territorial Commander] Commissioner Miriam Gluyas’ phraseology that she’s carrying everywhere she goes at the moment; we want to be Jesus-centred, we want to be Spirit-led, and that will see hope revealed.”
What changes in The Salvation Army will come about because of these meetings?
Kate: “I sensed a renewed commitment to honour the name of Jesus. We’re called to do everything in his name, aren’t we? Jesus needs to be at the centre of everything that we do, but he also needs to be at the front – he’s ‘front and centre’. That means that, as The Salvation Army, we are following him. For that reason, I believe that there will be an increased desire to seek him, to enquire of him, to ask him what we should do across all our mission expressions and The Salvation Army as a whole.”
Scott: “There wasn’t panic in that gathering, but there is a sense of the deep urgency of this moment. We need to make certain that the fire burns bright, that the fire does not burn out, and the only way we can do that is by going deeper and deeper into our spiritual roots. That’s where the fire is ignited. You know the fire is the fire of the Holy Spirit. It’s not the fire of lots of activity or the next best management strategy.
In what areas do you think there is still room for growth, discussion and ongoing work in this committee?
Kate: “There is still a lot of work to be done in clarifying how the Spiritual Life Committee interacts with [the Board], but there is overall acknowledgement that we are one Army and a real desire that our love for Jesus Christ and his mission are in all and through all. And that is so encouraging.”
Scott: “We are hope-filled because we have this sense that if Jesus leads us and the Spirit directs us, we have a great, great future. Those of us who deeply care about being led by Jesus through the Spirit can say, so what can I do (both in myself and as a gift to others) to deepen and broaden my spiritual life and passion?
“God still has great plans for Spirit-led activities within the world and in the Kingdom. And I still believe The Salvation Army is a brilliant vehicle for that.
“We’re actually trying to draw closer once more to that vision. And when we do, God will do the rest. That’s all he’s asking us to do. He’s just saying come and gather around the fire, feel the fire, and see it burn in a world that is longing for warmth and light.”
Comments