SALVATIONIST MISSION RECREATED IN THE HARD PLACES

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1 1 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course DM Supervised Reading Course SALVATIONIST MISSION RECREATED IN THE HARD PLACES Page No. Introduction 2 1. Sensing a vision for mission on the margins Sensing a vision for the poor Sensing a vision for the church Sensing a vision for the community 6 2. Articulating a mission theology Who is Jesus for us today? Why are the poor so important? What does salvation look like? Boundless Salvation Exploring Boundless Salvation in the Army today Case studies of Booth-Tucker and Eden Openshaw Re-orientating Salvationists amongst the poor Submerging ourselves amongst the poor Where to go - finding the hard places The shape of mission Living in the hard places God s yes to the world The source of transformation Prophetic dialogue Towards transformation 36 Conclusion 38 Appendix 39 Bibliography 44

2 2 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course Introduction The history of the Salvation Army tells stories of radical engagement on the margins. These stories inspire, motivate and inform a mission theology of salvation for the poor. The present day tells a different story with a more mainstream approach and heavy reliance on service provision to reach the most difficult people and places in society. This project aims to rediscover and recreate a Salvationist missional identity that is responsive to the current situation and also the growing need in our communities. It is an attempt to articulate a mission theology that is not only relevant in a post-christian culture but is informed by engagement in the hard places. It is both call and challenge to fellow Salvationists to reconsider the alternative lifestyle call of Salvationism and the need for longterm incarnational commitment within our poorest neighbourhoods.

3 3 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course 1. Sensing a vision for mission on the margins 1.1 Sensing a vision for the poor I want to begin with a simple statement. Things are not the way they are meant to be. This realisation has become very evident to me during the 10 years I have spent living, praying and journeying with the isolated and lonely in my community. Many of those days I have suffered from frustration and helplessness; at times the harshness of what others are confronted by has sucked every last bit of energy and enthusiasm from my body. In essence this project is a response to poverty. Poverty that disconnects us from each other, from family, from community and most critically, from God. The move towards social justice (especially amongst young people) within the Salvation Army is a positive one, but it is yet to be fleshed out in a lifelong commitment with and amongst the poor. I will argue in this essay that poverty can be addressed through an alternative lifestyle; and indeed that lifestyle is the call of Salvationism. I hope through this work others will join me on this journey with the poor. David Bosch believes that confronting poverty is essential for the missional church. He writes, We increasingly find ourselves in a truly apocalyptic situation where the rich get richer and the poor poorer... The church-in-mission cannot possibly close its eyes to these realities, since the pattern of the church in the chaos of our time is political through and through. 1 In Australia today the gap between the richest and poorest households is growing. 2 In a publication by the Australian Government entitled A Stronger, Fairer Australia we learn that, On average, Australians have a high standard of living compared to other countries. However, the benefits of our national prosperity are not being shared by the entire population. 3 According to the document one in five Australians are at risk of poverty and that within our cities we have concentrated locational disadvantage. 4 1 David Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission, (New York: Orbis Books, 1991) p10 2 Australian Government, A Stronger, Fairer Australia < Date of Material: 2009, p6 3 Australian Government, A Stronger, Fairer Australia, p6 4 Australian Government, A Stronger, Fairer Australia, p6

4 4 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course The emphasis on social inclusion 5 permeates the government response to poverty but remains a long way from recognising the personal sacrifice required to bring justice to the poor. I believe the call of mission, of Salvationism, demands a deeper response to poverty. Radical discipleship demands alignment with the poor as a way of partnering with Christ and discovering God s desire for community. There are many features that distinguish radical mission on the margins from other groups or agencies who aim to assist the poor. One of the most important is the change that can be anticipated not just in the receiving community but in those who intentionally minister to others. The Kingdom of God occurs amongst community, in partnership between rich and poor. Authentic application of the Gospel requires both giving and receiving; the power of mission is that it has the potential to impact each participant equally. My conviction is that the poor have a power to change how we think. Engagement with the poor reframes how we consider life: our expectations, our goals, our understanding of success. I am convinced that Jesus call to share life with those on the margins is far more about how the poor radically reshape our thinking than just a call to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Reverberating through Scripture, from the story of the people of Israel to Christ s incarnation in the Gospel story, is God s alternative plan for society marked by justice for the poor. Sensing a vision for mission on the margins starts with sensing our call to the poor. Our partnership with the poor is not just a good idea or a moral requirement; it is partnership with Christ Himself and invitation to discover something of the very nature of God. 1.2 Sensing a vision for the church A vital aspect of this discussion will be to question and consider the most appropriate missional strategy to join with God in His work on the margins. It is therefore natural that debates around the function of the traditional church will come under the microscope. While not wanting to linger on the pros and cons of the traditional church, some initial comments 5 The Australian Government has set up a Social Inclusion Unit and Social Inclusion Board to counter disadvantage. See, Australian Government, <

5 5 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course are required to set the foundation for the specific work required in ministering on the margins. Modern day mission scholars 6 generally agree that we have come to the end of Christendom ( a place and philosophy where the church and society or church and state are inextricably connected 7 ). I think it is widely accepted that the church in the Western world is in decline and requires some kind of re-working in order to engage with the fast-paced change we see in society today. Derek Engdahl and Jean-Luc Krieg of Servant Partners have identified that even where the church is growing numerically there is not necessarily a subsequent positive impact in the community. They comment, While the church worldwide has done a commendable job of doing what she set out to do evangelize, save souls for heaven and plant churches the slogan change people, change society has not always proven to be true. Data show that higher percentages of Christians in a country do not necessarily translate into more just and moral societies. 8 The gap between church participation and community impact is worrying. Any honest assessment of the church has to consider if the Christianity being modelled in these places promotes a religious belief system or an alternative way of life that radically reshapes our worldview. Dave Andrews, following this line of thought remarks, Religion which was meant to make things better has often made things worse. We do not suffer from the lack of religion, but from the lack of love. 9 I believe it is now vital to consider if the traditional church is capable of meeting the needs of those on the margins. In saying this I want to emphasise my agenda is not to oppose traditional church in fact one idea that we will explore later is the possibility that mission on the margins is best done in partnership with the local church. I do recognise, though, that extreme measures and sacrifices are required to be made if we are to connect with the poor. Founding Director of Urban Neighbours of Hope (UNOH) Ashley Barker records that, 6 An example of this can be found in, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. The shaping of things to come: Innovation and mission for the 21st-century church. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003) p8 7 Ashley Barker. Surrender all: Sub-merging with Christ. (Springvale, Vic.: Urban Neighbours of Hope, 2005) p6 8 Derek Engdahl and Jean-Luc King, chapter 4, Missional in Living Mission: The Vision and Voices of New Friars, ed. Scott Bessenecker (InterVarsity Press: Illinois, 2010) p59 9 Dave Andrews. Not Religion, But Love: Practicing a Radical Spirituality of Compassion. (Oxford, UK: Lion Publishing, 2001) p20

6 6 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course society and culture are changing so rapidly that they call into question many of the church s traditional responses in particular towards the poor... The ground has moved beneath the church s feet and for the most part we were asleep while it happened. 10 The complexity of neighbourhood struggle (especially in marginal communities) demands radical and creative responses. For most of society the days of natural engagement with the church are gone; it is not on their radar and does not sit comfortably in their worldview. The context and setting we find ourselves in demands attention. Even those of us who find meaning in the traditional aspects of the church may have to hold loosely to those practices as we consider mission amongst the people. Barker comments again, Christian workers... will have to think and act more like the apostolic workers of the New Testament times, willing to go out to the lost and poor in their neighbourhoods rather than trying to socialise them into the church s empire. 11 The vision being sensed is not for the establishment of buildings and congregations it is a call to a radical spirituality of life shared with our most needy neighbours. 1.3 Sensing a vision for the community Promoting relocation to the hard places sharpens the debate around the mission imperative of reaching the poor. Put simply many people don t want to live in the hard places, don t want difficult and dirty people to be their neighbours and don t want their children going to under-resourced schools. The church s position of safety and comfort allows mission to be focussed on strengths and talents. Mission in community amongst the poor requires exposure of weakness and vulnerability. Church-goers have the option for church to be just one of many aspects of their life; relocation in the hard places demands a whole-of-life commitment. The evidence found in our churches overwhelmingly points to the attractiveness of secular society prevailing over a counter-cultural move to the margins. 10 Ashley Barker, Surrender All, p4 11 Ashley Barker, Surrender All, p6

7 7 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course Movements such as InnerCHANGE, Servant Partners, Servants to Asia s Urban Poor, UNOH and Word Made Flesh (WMF) provide outstanding examples of sacrificial involvement on the margins. So much so that I would say their missional creativity has far surpassed that of the Salvation Army, even with its reputation for helping others. These movements are described by Scott Bessenecker as New Friars, following in the footsteps of mission orders and devotional communities that have prioritised the poor throughout church history. Bessenecker argues that it has been these types of communities that have moved to the fringe and pressed the church into the social and geographic edges. 12 I think it is worth considering the five essential ingredients 13 which are the hallmarks of these movements. outlined by Bessenecker Incarnational Using the incarnation of Jesus Christ as the foundational missiology and modus operandi, 14 these movements aim to be the gospel by living with and amongst the communities they seek to serve. Devotional Committed to a common rule to enhance their walk with God, each other and the community. Communal Living together and sharing belongings. Missional Being prepared to move to the edge or geographic fringe 15 (in many cases the New Friars have moved into slums in the developing world). Marginal Not only on the fringes or edges of society, but also on the fringe of the mainstream church. There is no easy option. Seeking transformation in marginal communities demands relocation and a willingness to forgo the comforts and privileges many of us have become accustomed too. 12 Scott Bessenecker. The New Friars. (Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2006) p19 13 Ibid. 14 Scott Bessenecker, The New Friars, p20 15 Scott Bessenecker, The New Friars, p21

8 8 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course It also demands recalibration in our thinking and in our expectations. Rowland Croucher, quoting Evelyn Underhill records, We spend most of our lives conjugating three verbs: to want, to have and to do. But none of these verbs has any ultimate significance until it is transcended by and included in the fundamental verb, to be. 16 It is in this place of being that we meet our neighbours with the gift of God s grace. As we sense God s desire for transformation in community we are brought to ask, how do we best position ourselves alongside the poor? Mission is therefore not so much what we do, but who we are. It is about presence, relationship and journey; it is about being there. Mission workers seek to bring depth and meaning to everyday life. Genuine relationship with the poor is transformation in and of itself. 16 Rowland Croucher (ed). Still Waters, Deep Waters. (Sutherland, NSW: Albatross Books, 1987) p11

9 9 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course 2. Articulating a mission theology I want to discover if the vision being sensed fits with a theological framework supporting mission on the margins. I believe this is important for two reasons. Firstly, it is my experience of the Salvation Army that we struggle to harness the tools required to reflect theologically. Secondly, mission amongst the poor requires great patience and perseverance; only when we have developed a strong theological base are we able to engage long-term on the margins. For these reasons I think it is a worthwhile endeavor to consider some of the key theological issues impacting our involvement on the margins. I recognize the articulation of a mission theology is an ongoing process; therefore this articulation is intended to kick-start the conversation for mission workers rather than provide a comprehensive evaluation. There are three critical questions pertinent to a developing theology that I want consider. 1. Who is Jesus for us today? What does it mean to join with Jesus in his incarnation amongst the poor? 2. Why are the poor so important? Should we prioritise mission to the poor and how do they shape our understanding of mission? 3. What does salvation look like? What is the scope of salvation and how do we experience salvation amongst the poor? 2.1 Who Is Jesus for us today? It is important to recognise where missiology fits within the theological task. The framework outlined by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch asserts that it is only through developing an understanding of who Jesus is that we can begin to consider the missiological imperative. I agree with Frost and Hirsch that, Christology (the person and work of Jesus), determines Missiology (the purpose of God and his people), determines Ecclesiology (the form and function of the church). 17 This identification requires that consideration of how we will be and do church comes primarily from our connection with God through the person of Jesus. 17 Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, The shaping of things to come: Innovation and mission for the 21st-century church. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003) p209, adapted from Figure 18.

10 10 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course In his letter to Eberhard Bethge 18 from the Tegel military prison in Nazi Germany, Dietrich Bonhoeffer asked the question, Who is Jesus for us today?. Bonhoeffer posed his question in the present tense, seeking God s revelation to meet the need of that particular point in time. This is counter to the social construct that has been created by the search for the historical Jesus. Bonhoeffer considered what it would mean to know God in a religionless way, sensing participation in the life of Jesus offered hope in the midst of oppression. Bonhoeffer s search prompts us to consider more deeply the incarnation of Jesus and the possibility for our engagement in incarnational mission. This consideration reflects the current trend in mission to describe any shared experience as incarnational and challenges us to question the scope of incarnational mission. Ross Langmead provides us with three statements outlining the use of the word incarnation in mission. Incarnational mission can be seen as (1) following Jesus as the pattern for mission, (2) participating in Christ s risen presence as the power for mission, and (3) joining God s cosmic mission of enfleshment in which God s self-embodying dynamic is evident from the beginning of creation. 19 In many ways the first statement offers the potential for an almost limitless expression of Christ s incarnation in mission, but this is tempered by the necessary application of the subsequent statements. Langmead makes us aware of this distinction, arguing that there, is a necessary corrective to incarnational mission as merely following the pattern of Jesus, for the Christian life is not so much a life like that of Jesus as a life in Christ... The strongest way of expressing this understanding of incarnational mission is to see the church as the continuing incarnation. 20 So if we are to express the incarnational Jesus in our missional endeavours what are the distinguishing features of our involvement? Firstly we need to reconsider our participation in the resurrection story, as the power for mission 21. Theories abound as to the historical facts relating to the resurrection of Jesus. But our striving for knowledge about the resurrection of Jesus teaches us that it is a living 18 Notes provided by Frank Rees, Lecture 1, Who Is Jesus, Whitley College, 27/7/ Ross Langmead, The Word made flesh: Towards an incarnational missiology, (Lanham, MD: University Press of America/American Society of Missiology, 2004) p.xii. 20 Langmead, The Word made flesh, p66.

11 11 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course Word; it is an embodied promise, it is ensouled living 22 Resurrection becomes a reality in our own lives when it is lived and experienced within community. We have to be careful not to drive Jesus out of the world and onto the cross, but rather experience life beyond the power of death. The Gospel of Mark takes us on this journey. Instead of lingering on the death of Jesus we are invited to return to Galilee (16:7), to meet Jesus again and discover new ways in which the life and ministry of Jesus can bring salvation and restoration in community. Secondly, we join in God s cosmic mission of enfleshment. 23 The self-emptying of God in the life of Jesus offers the ultimate revelation of the nature of God and his desire for justice. We learn in Scripture that Jesus became poor, taking on the form of a slave (Philippians 2:6) and lived among the poor (John 1:14). The incarnational Christ did not just become human, but he shared in the poverty confronting the poor and oppressed. Ash Barker writes, The risen Christ invites us to follow, join and participate with him in enfleshing his kingdom on earth as in heaven. 24 The responsibility of incarnational mission therefore is to seek God s transformation in neighbourhoods confronted by poverty and oppression. Life with Jesus is life with the poor, discovering who Jesus is for us today. 2.2 Why are the poor so important? Walter Brueggemann s summary of the Exodus story provides a captivating and persuasive portrayal of God s pre-occupation with the marginalised. 25 He says, From the outset, Yahweh is known to be a God committed to the establishment of concrete, socio-political justice. 26 The Spirit motivating and inspiring this concern for the poor is evident throughout the entirety of Biblical literature. From the Exodus story through to the message of the Gospel writers we find continuity in the desire of God for justice in the world, especially for the suffering and voiceless. 21 Langmead, The Word made flesh, p.xii. 22 Notes provided by Frank Rees, Lecture 9, Who Is Jesus, Whitley College, 21/9/ Langmead, The Word made flesh, p.xii. 24 Ash Barker, Epilogue: Challenges and Possibilities for a New Generation of Mission Workers, in Living Mission: The Vision and Voices of New Friars, ed. Scott Bessenecker (InterVarsity Press: Illinois, 2010) p Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament Theology: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1997) p Brueggemann. Old Testament Theology, p736.

12 12 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course But what should we make of this? What happens when we partner with God amongst the poor? Should our mission be limited to those on the margins and what about the non-poor, does God care about them? I want to return to the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and consider how, with such clarity and confidence, he describes the nature of God revealed amidst such despair and injustice. Bonhoeffer s developing missiology paralleled his engagement with the suffering community and led him to consider The Cost of Discipleship. The invitation to join Christ in his suffering is also an invitation to understand something of God s grace for our world. Jesus is the very unity of God and the world. What is most valuable from Bonhoeffer s teaching is his insight into how to engage with the injustice around us. His advocacy for the poor emerges from his search for Christ and his journey of becoming a Christian. The irreconcilable conflict between what is and what should be is reconciled in Christ, that is to say, in the ultimate reality. Participation in this reality is the true sense and purpose of the enquiry concerning good. 27 Through Bonhoeffer s experience we are connected to a missiology wrapped up in the encounter with Jesus. Bonhoeffer knows that, God is there haveable, graspable in his Word within the church. 28 This relationship is the starting point and continuing goal for all who want to see God at work in community. Life amongst the poor is not just a good idea, a moral requirement for so-called good people. It engages us with the mystery of God and the kingdom building of Jesus. God s self revelation is an accessible mystery. Should we become complacent we will miss what God is doing. But, if we join with Jesus in journeying with the marginalized we will enter into the great mystery of God s grace for this world. Jurgen Moltmann also passionately articulates a Christology that welcomes the poor into a new reality, but also helps us to discover the place of the non-poor. In chapter 3 of The Way of Jesus Christ Moltmann provides many examples of the contact Jesus had with the poor, but even more importantly he identifies the ways in which this contact brings about transformation on a deeper level, bringing justice to the whole of society. 29 He writes, God 27 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Ethics, (London: SCM Press, 1955) p Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Act and Being, (London: Collins, 1962) p Jurgen Moltmann, The Way of Jesus Christ: Christology in Messianic Dimensions (London: SCM Press, 1990) p

13 13 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course is on their side and God s future belongs to them The poor and the powerless are not offered some utopia or other, to console them for the lives they live in the present. On the contrary, through them the future of God comes into the present, because this future is already theirs. 30 Moltmann is outlining God s priority for the poor as revealed in the life and ministry of Jesus. This is not a free ticket out of poverty, but a way for both rich and poor to find transformation together within the kingdom of God. The gospel brings dignity to the poor and an opportunity to get out of the dust and help themselves. 31 For those of us not considered poor Jesus invites us to participate with the poor to meet with God in a new and revolutionary way. The life and ministry of Jesus demands that we encounter the poor, and subsequently our own poverty and brokenness. In this sense the gospel is remarkably fair. It is here, in the midst of relationship with the incarnational God and the poor that mission is recreated. I have been brought to consider that my project would be more suitably titled Salvationist Mission recreated in the Hard Places, rather than Recreating Salvationist Mission in the Hard Places. The poor help us discover something of God s nature and his desire for justice in our world. It is in this place our mission is shaped and brought to life. 2.3 What does salvation look like? We ve looked at who is at the centre of mission and why it is important. A further dimension to this developing mission theology is to ask for what purpose we engage missiologically. What outcomes do we expect from our mission activity and more specifically what does salvation look like in the hard places? I have to confess my consideration of soteriological issues is hindered by what I have seen growing up in the Salvation Army. My experience has challenged me to consider that the idea of an individual or spiritual conversion has led to a consumerist style gospel acting more as a religious requirement than a life transforming reality. I think the Salvation Army has to seriously ask itself if our aim is to fill buildings and programs or to seek God s grace amidst the daily grind found in relationship with our neighbours. 30 Moltmann, The Way of Jesus Christ, p Moltmann, The Way of Jesus Christ, p101

14 14 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course Of course this is very much a pertinent issue for a Salvation Army. Expectation of the breadth of salvation impacts consideration of the temporal aspects of salvation, leading some to dismiss the value of the social work of The Salvation Army. While this is something that will be looked at more closely later in this work, I believe it is helpful at this stage to attempt to identify something of the nature of salvation. I have been challenged by Hebrew Bible studies informing a communal understanding of salvation. Donald Gowan agrees that, Old Testament eschatology emphasises human society more than personal salvation... We have noticed that concern for the fate of the individual after death, which has tended to dominate Christian eschatology, is almost completely missing from the Old Testament. 32 While some will be happy to contend that this is only the out-working of that particular cultural setting, I think it leads helpfully to exploration of the scope of salvation throughout the biblical text. In doing so Jonathan Cornford considers that, The Bible is a salvation story. Within its pages, the theme of salvation has enormous breadth: it is applied to immediate circumstances of peril and need, to communal deliverance from oppression, to the ultimate destination of human souls, and even to the cosmic renewal of all salvation. 33 If we consider again the incarnational Christ, present amongst the poor, our soteriology is radically transformed. If we are to share the suffering and oppression confronting the poor, we are more likely to want to consider a holistic view of salvation. David Bosch comments, in a world in which people are dependent on each other and every individual exists within a web of inter-human relationships, it is totally untenable to limit salvation to the individual and his or her personal relationship with God. 34 My own engagement with the poor has brought me to an appreciation of salvation as both personal and communal. My inclination is that the church generally has told us a half-truth, emphasising the priority of personal salvation. This in many ways is understandable, as our Western individualism has created within us a natural tendency to ensure we look after ourselves. But it has also led to simplistic understandings of salvation and inaction within the 32 Donald E. Gowan, Eschatology in the Old Testament, (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1987) p Jonathan Cornford, From death to life: The economy of salvation, Manna Matters: Newsletter of Manna Gum (November 2010): p David Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission, (New York: Orbis Books, 1991) p397.

15 15 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course community. The problem with salvation in community is that it demands more, requiring transparency and personal cost. Of course while the invitation to join with Jesus in a personal relationship is an incredible gift, it is in the context of the community that our salvation is fully worked out. If we limit the work of the church to saving souls, we have missed the point of the story... We must believe that transformation is possible not only on an individual level but also on a societal level. 35 Describing God or Jesus as Saviour implies something of God s nature. It helps us understand God does not want us to be struggling physically, spiritually and emotionally. He desires that we are saved from all the things that distance us from relationship with Him. Salvation therefore, also pre-supposes outcomes that lead to this right relationship. Words like shalom, restoration and reconciliation are natural out-workings of participation in the saving grace of Christ. As I consider my involvement with the Salvation Army, I have been brought to contend that we would be more suitably named the restoration army or the reconciliation army. For it is in these outcomes that we recognize the full and comprehensive salvation offered by God. Moving Forward Our developing mission theology informs us that a covenanted community centered around Jesus participates in the salvation that he brings. 36 We are invited to join in the life of God through relationship with the incarnational Christ. In this way we recognise the centrality of the poor in mission and the possibility of salvation expressed in the resurrection of Jesus. Moltmann tells us that, the Gospel assures the poor of God s life-giving, newly creating activity. The Gospel is realistic, not idealistic. It does not bring new teaching; it brings a new reality. 37 This new reality is consistent in the desire we see in the life of William Booth to bring salvation and restoration to the poor through relationship with Christ. His contextual 35 Derek Engdahl and Jean-Luc King, Missional, in Living Mission: The Vision and Voices of New Friars, ed. Scott Bessenecker (InterVarsity Press: Illinois, 2010) p Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways, (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2006) p Moltmann, The Way of Jesus Christ, p99

16 16 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course theology, emerging from a shared life with the poor, is filled with expectation assuring the poor of God s life-giving, newly creating activity. Our theological reflection, and developing mission theology, connects us with the Army s founder and his vision for the poor. Booth s mission should inspire a new wave of activity expressing the reality of participation with the incarnational Christ amongst the poor. The invitation is open to each one. Jesus asks us to follow him, to live into his Kingdom, to discover who he is for us today.

17 17 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course 3. Boundless Salvation O Boundless Salvation, deep ocean of love, O fullness of mercy, Christ brought from above The whole world redeeming so rich and so free, Now flowing for all men, come roll over me. 38 (William Booth) William Booth s great anthem, Boundless Salvation is a regular starting point for consideration of The Salvation Army and its mission. It expresses an understanding of the vast nature of God s salvation and also belief in the redemption of the world both for now and for eternity. But how do we experience Boundless Salvation today? What in our current situation can motivate and inspire missional activity expressing such a rich vision? The task of this section is to move towards a plan for a dynamic return to the missional emphasis expressed by Booth s Boundless Salvation. It is not intended as an historical reflection and assumes some knowledge of The Salvation Army and its history. In the ensuing work I will use the term apostolic genius coined by Alan Hirsch in his book The Forgotten Ways. 39 Although Hirsch is not a Salvationist his description of apostolic genius very much connects us to the beginnings of the Salvation Army and the radical nature of Booth and his followers. The brief case studies of Booth-Tucker and Eden Openshaw will explore how this genius exists in our past and present and inspires us to consider the apostolic genius required to be the people of God in our world today. 3.1 Exploring Boundless Salvation in the Army today On the 8 th of December 1883, under the leadership of James Barker, the Salvation Army opened its first official social service, the Prison Gate Home in Carlton, Melbourne. Today, the Melbourne Central Division is regarded as having the most social programs of any 38 The Song Book of The Salvation Army, 1986, number Hirsch defines Apostolic Genius as, the phrase I developed to conceive and articulate that unique energy and force that imbues phenomenal Jesus movements in history. Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways, (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2006) p274.

18 18 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course Salvation Army Division in the world, hosting more than 100 programs aimed at the alleviation of social problems across the city. Ironically, this culture of service to the poor, deeply rooted in the theology of The Salvation Army, now stands as the dominant issue calling into question the ability of the Army to be true to its calling as a missional movement responsive to the deep need in society. The separation, both practically and theologically, of Corps life and social welfare activity is one of the primary reasons we struggle to experience Booth s vision of Boundless Salvation. In his recent studies Melbourne Salvationist Major Jason Davies-Kildea has identified dualism as a major stumbling block impeding our mission. He writes, The Salvation Army, through a multitude of social services right across the world, is involved daily in saving people from the devastating impacts of poverty, homelessness, addictions, unemployment and a wide range of other predicaments. However, the dominant internal rhetoric about salvation would appear to suggest that theologically these efforts are at best secondary to an evangelical mission of conversion. What good is it to save people s bodies if their souls are damned to hell? 40 This dichotomy has been created by a diminished understanding of the value of both the temporal and eternal aspects of the church s mission. On one hand the move of many of our Corps to follow Church Growth Principles has created a narrow focus and what Davies- Kildea describes as soteriological shrinkage. 41 On the other hand the professionalization of our social programs has led many Salvationists to consider that these programs have become irrelevant to our mission. 42 More recently moves to integrate the two poles of Army activity have in many ways reemphasized this dualism. Seeing them as two distinct aspects of the one mission reinforces this divide. I would like to suggest a somewhat more radical proposal, closely tied to the apostolic genius of William Booth, and most importantly grounded in our discussion of the opportunity to partner with the incarnational Christ. I believe it is essential to see the essence of the missional God in both elements and to seize the opportunities created in partnership with our social programs. 40 Jason Davies-Kildea, What is the Meaning of Salvation in the Salvation Army Today? Exploring a Theology of Social Service and Holistic Mission, (Koln: Lambert Academic Publishing, 2009) p2. 41 Jason Davies-Kildea, Unwrapping Our Bounded Salvation, (A paper prepared for the Salvation Army Tri- Territorial Theological Forum, Wellington, New Zealand, 2-4 September 2011) p2.

19 19 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course The problems we have created are a betrayal of our history. Our Wesleyan roots remind us that Salvationist missiology emphasizes human dignity, where there is no holiness but social holiness. 43 Army historian John Cleary suggests that, The developments that led to William Booth s great social venture and opus, In Darkest England and the Way Out, are both a response to the appalling social conditions which Booth and his soldiers confronted, and a consistent expression of the theological tradition which shaped him. 44 This tradition is brilliantly expressed by Phil Needham as part of a major work entitled Creed and Deed, which sought to express a theology of social service in the Salvation Army. Needham explores the developing theology of early Salvationists which he believes was shaped by a Wesleyan influence and a grappling with the poor and oppressed. This context brought Salvationists to understand that, Man was an embodied soul profoundly related to other persons in a distinct social context. One could not minister to the soul and ignore either the health of the body or the effects and relationships of the social environment. To do so would be to ignore dimensions of life that God Himself had created Salvationist service is a total ministry, each aspect of which contributes to the overall redemptive experience and process. 45 Today s reductionist approach to mission reflects how the Salvation Army has positioned itself in modern day society. We have ceased to do theology from the context of the poor, 46 resulting in a gradual distancing from the original mission of The Salvation Army. It is necessary that we reconnect with the poor to rediscover God s intention for The Salvation Army. It is my belief that an obvious and natural way to do this is to join with the social programs that already exist amongst the struggling and dispossessed in our city. 42 The lack of Salvation Army personnel in our social programs testifies to this. 43 Bruce Brydges, Toward a Theology of Social Holiness, in John D. Waldron (ed), Creed and Deed: Toward a Christian Theology of Social Services in the Salvation Army, (Ontario: The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory, 1986) p John Cleary, Boundless Salvation: An Historical Perspective on the Theology of Salvationist Mission, (Unpublished document available from The Salvation Army Training College library, Melbourne, 6th Draft. 2003) p Phil Needham, Toward a Re-integration of The Salvationist Mission, in John D. Waldron (ed), Creed and Deed: Toward a Christian Theology of Social Services in the Salvation Army, (Ontario: The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory, 1986) p132, Reflected in the location of our Training College, Territorial Headquarters and largest Corps.

20 20 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course 3.2 Case studies of Booth-Tucker and Eden Openshaw I want to take a step back from the discussion to look at a past and present expression of Salvationist mission. I believe both Booth-Tucker and Eden Openshaw contain apostolic genius and can inform and inspire our engagement. Frederick Booth-Tucker On the 19 th of September 1882 Major Frederick Booth-Tucker stepped off a boat in Bombay, India and in doing so became Fakir Singh. This date also signified the start of The Salvation Army s work in India. His change of name was only the beginning of a complete reorientation of his life amongst the poor in India. In becoming a Fakir, Booth-Tucker took on the name traditionally used to describe a Muslim ascetic; derived from the Arabic word for poverty it is now most commonly used to describe a beggar. The book written by Booth-Tucker 47 displays the remarkable extent to which he submerged himself within the culture. MacKenzie records, The idea dominating Tucker s mind was that his colleagues should approach the Indians, not as Europeans, but from an Indian standpoint, and should preach an Indian Christ To approach them in their own way, it would be necessary to abandon European habits and to live as the people did, in homes like theirs, eating food such as they ate, and dressing like them. 48 Interestingly this approach was regarded by Booth-Tucker as one that would also meet the financial restraints being placed upon the mission to India. 49 Similarly we could contend that a return to life with rather than life for our communities could have those same positive financial implications today. Booth-Tucker challenged the barriers dividing rich and poor and also white man and native Indian he used pictures and parables to portray Christ s message of reconciliation to the uneducated low caste and outcast people. This radical mission inevitably also led to suffering, including persecution, illness and imprisonment. The self-sacrifice of Booth-Tucker resonated with the Indian people who regarded that level of sacrifice as the essential element in real religion. One day as he slept beneath a tree after 47 Frederick Booth-Tucker, Muktifauj or Forty Years With the Salvation Army in India and Ceylon, (London: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies Ltd, 1923). 48 F.A. MacKenzie, Booth-Tucker: Sadhu and Saint, (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1930) p MacKenzie, Booth-Tucker, p50.

21 21 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course a long day of walking a group of local people noticed the sores and blisters on his feet. In recognizing his commitment the local people became intrigued as to the message he offered. Booth-Tucker reflected that, The best sermon I ever preached was with my feet. 50 In reflection on Booth-Tucker I regard the apostolic genius as An ability to fully submerge within the Indian culture (specifically the low caste) Not being limited or hindered by the lack of financial support Transference of the essence of the Salvation Army into a new context Taking on the role of a religious man in a religious culture Participation in both the giving and receiving of hospitality Eden Openshaw Launched in August 2000 Eden Openshaw began simply with the move of a group of young Christians into the Toxeth Street Estate. The estate in Openshaw, Manchester is in the top 1% of areas of most deprivation in the UK. 51 The Openshaw project is a partnership between the Message Trust and The Salvation Army and is one of 10 teams in the Manchester area and surrounds. 52 Founder of the work Gary Bishop believes the ministry continues the cause of Booth s great scheme, In Darkest England and the Way Out supporting Booth s belief in a twodimensional salvation. 53 Bishop also makes the observation that the reason the Salvation Army was best placed to deliver the incredible plan that he laid out is because many earlyday Salvationists were from those places. 54 In his book, Darkest England and the Way Back In, Bishop calls Salvationists to go home, 55 recognising the need for Salvationists to relocate themselves in communities where the poor are found in great numbers. In my discussion with Bishop, via , he portrayed a sense of what it means to live in Openshaw. With hindsight I know that intensive program is probably not the best place to start when it comes to urban mission. We have actually ended up where we should have started, embedded in the community, doing things with the 50 Harry Williams, Booth-Tucker: William Booth s First Gentleman, (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1980) p Eden Openshaw. Annual Report 09/10. (Manchester, UK: The Salvation Army, 2010) p4. 52 A full description of Eden s Cornerstones and Distinctives is recorded in Appendix 1 53 Gary Bishop, Darkest England and the Way Back In, (Milton Keynes, UK: Authentic Media, 2007) p Bishop, Darkest England and the Way Back In, p Bishop, Darkest England and the Way Back In, p61.

22 22 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course community (not for) and generally being a whole lot more chilled about what it means to be God s people in Openshaw. 56 The Guardian Newspaper, a well respected voice in the UK press, picked up on the radical move of Salvationists to Openshaw. The paper reported, If you were to say that Bishop is trying to build the New Jerusalem in Openshaw, you would probably see his toes curl inside his trainers. There is no whiff of the odour of sanctity about him, nor are his eyes wide with messianic zeal. 57 Bishop comments in the article, The evangelism came in at the point when I said: OK, I ll go to Manchester. There is not a point where being nice to people and being good neighbours stops and evangelism and the hard Christian stuff starts. 58 In reflection on Eden Openshaw I regard the apostolic genius as An ability to fully submerge within the Openshaw community Mission focused on one of the UK s toughest neighbourhoods Mission seen as not what they do, but who they are The development of a team with homes in the heart of the community Long-term commitment to life in the Openshaw community A network of partnerships with both other denominations and also community groups 3.3 Re-orientating Salvationists amongst the poor Put simply the message of this project, influenced by Booth-Tucker and Bishop, is for Salvationists to consider a reorientation of life amongst the poor. As we discovered in articulation of a mission theology our mission is recreated by and with the poor; therefore relocation amongst the poor is essential to this recreation. From my perspective as a Chaplain within the Salvation Army s housing network (SASHS) in Melbourne s West, I am able to recognize that our social programs offer a window to the poor these programs can help us recreate our mission. Partnerships with our social programs do not just have practical benefits but clearly help us with our theological 56 Gary Bishop, <gary@gbishop.co.uk>. In response to my questions via interview. August 21, The Guardian Newspaper UK. A Choice in the Wilderness < Date of material The Guardian Newspaper UK. A Choice in the Wilderness

23 23 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course grappling. The social programs have the type of engagement with the poor that we might like our Corps to have. It seems an obvious move therefore, firstly, to acknowledge this participation in the essential mission of the Salvation Army and, secondly, to look to join them in their work amongst the most vulnerable. This is Christianity at the sharp end. Fred Brown describes it as secular evangelism not necessarily about creed and orthodoxy, but a developing public theology expressing the ability of all to participate in Christ s incarnation. Brown states, Christian belief is sometimes confirmed and clarified by Christian action involvement in meaningful areas of human need the church should be offering increasing opportunities for people many of them already unconscious doers of the word. 59 I believe that professional service provision within the Salvation Army does and will further the mission of The Salvation Army. It is important to remember that the social structures we exist in require professionalization of our service provision. This level of competence provides a platform for relational connection in community. Together with our social programs we can live out the Southern Territory Mission Values of Human Dignity, Justice, Hope, Compassion and Community. 60 Emerging from these thoughts, therefore, is the following proposal 1. A partnership formed between SASHS (Salvation Army Social Housing and Support) and a new network called Salvo Community Local community that flows from and partners with the service offered by the social program 3. Identification (through client contact and staff consultation) of the most needy streets and suburbs in Melbourne s west requiring Christian presence and relational involvement. 4. The move of committed Salvationists into these streets and suburbs to share life in community 5. Mission seen holistically through partnership of social service and relational involvement 59 Fred Brown, Secular Evangelism, (London: SCM, 1970) p The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory. Vision and Mission < 61 Working title only.

24 24 Gareth Fuller - DM Supervised Reading Course 6. Chaplaincy provision by Salvationists to the social centre as a means to recognize the validity of the centre as participants in the mission of the Army This proposal reflects my basic methodology that we must put ourselves in the right context; basically we must find the poor. This personal alignment brings us closer to the original mission of The Salvation Army as we reflect on our experience, history and tradition. It fits the Emerging Images of Salvationist Mission developed in his doctoral thesis by Craig Campbell. In the hard places with the poor our journey together reveals something of the will of God for community. Campbell explains, The appropriate mission image for the Salvation Army in Australia is the image of hospitality, accompaniment and participation... The Salvation Army serves the mission of God both in announcing the invitation to the Kingdom feast and in enacting deep hospitality of God for all people in real and practical ways. 62 In William Booth we recognize apostolic genius motivated by engagement with London s submerged tenth. I believe together with our social programs we have the ability to sense some genius for our own time in relationship with the poor. Being radical might not mean uniforms, street preaching, brass bands, military metaphors and so on, the hallmarks of 19 th century Salvationism. Radical mission for today involves locating ourselves in the hard places, sensing the Kingdom of God as we submerge ourselves amongst the poor. 62 Craig Campbell, Emerging Images of Salvationist Mission, (Doctor of Ministry Studies Thesis: Melbourne College of Divinity, 2005) p147.