Set Apart In Christ

Check out the new Booth College Website Enjoy!

There's been a lot of discussion going on this week over at theRubicon on the place of ordination in The Salvation Army. Some very challenging and thoughtprovoking stuff... At the heart of the issue is (again? still?) is the question "Who are we?". As such, it's an ecclesiological problem. I'd like to focus my comments today on the recent changes in language that have occurred. Firstly, we need to recognise that the language of ordination was introduced into the commissioning of Salvation Army Officers in 1978 under the leadership of General Arnold Brown. General Brown was considered an expert in Public Relations, and so it's no surprise that generally it's considered the decision to introduce this language was for the purpose of ensuring Officers (particularly in the USA) were seen as ministers of religion like any other denomination. "We're just like them - we're ordained as well". It was a pragmatic and practical decision. I can l...