In the 'Hotseat' with the National Commander.
In the 'Hotseat' with the National Commander.
17 January 2018
"If this National Vision is owned across the entire nation there will be no stopping its momentum", says National Commander Floyd Tidd.
Others: Will social program staff be expected to share the gospel and pray with people? And will the quality of social work standards be compromised by imposing religion on clients?
Floyd Tidd: The Salvation Army is and always has been a Christian organisation, dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus. All Army expressions of faith and social justice are aligned to transforming lives: meeting the ‘whole’ needs of individuals – physical, mental, moral and spiritual. Will all social program staff be required to pray for people and share the gospel? No. But all staff will play a role in creating faith pathways. This might mean referring clients to a chaplain who can talk with them about their faith journey. We will remain committed to serving all people, regardless of who they are or what they believe and employing the best people to get the best outcome possible.
O: Why is ‘With the love of Jesus’ at the end of the Vision Statement? If it is so important, why isn't it at the top?
FT: The words ‘with the love of Jesus’ do more than round out our National Vision Statement; they are the defining difference in our work as Salvos. They form every declaration and inform every decision of The Salvation Army in Australia. Jesus Christ is the foundation of our movement. His love is the infrastructure of everything and anything that we do as we seek to transform Australia one life at a time. The Vision Statement stands alongside our Mission Statement. When you put the Mission Statement and the Vision Statement together, they bookend each other. We start with the love of Jesus, we end with the love of Jesus.
O: Our corps is growing and people are finding Jesus. Why do we have to surrender our corps vision?
FT: If this National Vision is owned across the entire nation there will be no stopping its momentum. It will be an unstoppable force. That’s the process that we’re on now to live out our vision. When there’s ownership at the local level, people will see how The Salvation Army in Australia is not a combine of independent units, but a movement that is connected to each other. And that’s what makes us strong.
O: How will we protect our holiness movement identity if we let everyone and anyone say they're a ‘Salvo’? What will happen to our reputation? How can we control good behaviour?
FT: Throughout Australia people know The Salvation Army as the organisation that is committed to sharing the love of Jesus by caring for people, creating faith pathways, building healthy communities and working for justice. This is our mission and a ‘Salvo’ is anyone who lives this out. I believe that our reputation will be strengthened as we work together like never before, having even great impact, seeing Australia transformed one life at a time with the love of Jesus. Every employee and volunteer subscribes to our values by signing a code of conduct when they join our ranks. Some might say this is a move away from soldiership or officership. In fact, I expect that we will see even more Salvos enlisting to live out the vision through soldier and officer covenants in the days and years ahead. If they haven’t already, I pray that every Salvo would experience the transforming love of the Jesus for themselves.
O: We’re tired of all of this 1+1 = new stuff. I’m a retired officer who faithfully served and saw growth. How will this validate our ministry?
FT: We’re certainly proud of our rich history and we thank God for the people who have faithfully served God and sacrificed their lives for others. I am grateful for the faithful and sacrificial service of generations of officers and soldiers who have established the strength and reputation of The Salvation Army in communities across Australia. This new vision births a fresh validation of our history of walking alongside others, whilst demonstrating our commitment to the future. If we are to transform Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus in the decades to come, we must heed the call of God to become a transformed movement. We are committed to improving the future. This generation of Salvation Army officers, soldiers, employees and volunteers must be prepared to continue the tradition established by those who have gone before: a tradition of sacrifice and willingness to have our present disturbed for the sake of the Kingdom.
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