Part 251. Belonging and Believing:The Big Conversation

This weekend The Salvation Army is holding a conference at Warwick University to consider inter alia the results of a survey that asked what it means to belong and believe as members or supporters of the Army and what needs to change. The event is fully subscribed.

A large section of this week's Salvationist is taken up with information concerning the event and issues raised by the survey.

What is striking in the Salvationist articles is the strength of support for LBGTQ+ inclusion. This has given great encouragement to those within the Army who have long campaigned for full inclusion.

Will the discussions at the conference reinforce the quest for full inclusion or will conservative fundamentalist evangelicals hold sway? In some ways the arguments reflect the current division within the Church of England.

The Membership Working Party will take on board the results of the survey, what is said at the conference,  as well many other representations it has received, and then draw up its recommendations to be put to the territorial leadership this summer. Will the recommendations and the reasoning behind them be in the public domain? They should be as the need for accountability and tranparency has been promoted by the General. 

TSA is an international organisation. Any move towards full inclusion in the United Kingdom and Ireland Territory will be viewed unfavourably in many Salvationists in the USA and West Africa. However doing what is right for the UK&I Territory should be implemented for that territory alone.