Symposium 2008 provides Salvationists an opportunity to seek God’s direction for the future of the Army in Canada and Bermuda. From October 30 to November 2, delegates from across the territory are meeting at Jackson’s Point, Ont., to prayerfully consider the following key themes: Salvation Army identity; interacting with current culture; authority, formal relationships and partners; discipleship and spiritual growth; and leadership in organizational change.
Salvationist.ca spoke to Dr. Jeremy Mills, chairperson of the steering committee, and Major Floyd Tidd, DC, Ontario Central-East Division, about Symposium 2008.
What is the objective of Symposium 2008?
JM: The mandate is to develop discussion around the five key themes that came out of Symposium 2005 and further those themes by establishing propositions in which all Salvationists will have a stake.
How does this symposium differ from the previous ones?
JM: Symposium 2008 builds on the information gathered and the lessons learned at the last two symposiums. Symposium 1998 resulted in many recommendations that were directed to Salvation Army leadership. It left organizational change up to them. Symposium 2005 was more of a conversation between lay leaders and officers, with Salvation Army leadership listening in. There were no specific recommendations but rather identification of key issues and themes. Symposium 2008 is building on that work. The idea is not to produce recommendations, but rather propositions that all Salvationists can embrace. As well, the information gathered prior to the weekend event,─such as the interviews that were carried out across the territory, included the participation of lay people, officers and personnel from divisional headquarters and THQ. The whole organization has had opportunity to speak to the five key themes and to a shared vision.
Does the format of the symposium signal a democratization of The Salvation Army?
JM: I don’t see this process as democratization, but more as being in one accord. I think that’s the issue. You can have a command and control model, but if the people are in one accord as to what we should be doing, it will be effective. Likewise, you can have a democratic organization but if the people are not in one accord, it will not be effective. I think the symposium is helping to renew our sense of being in one accord.
FT: The symposium recognizes that the Army doesn’t change by virtue of policy changes or decisions made at a Cabinet board meeting. A lot of the changes that we’re experiencing are happening at the local level. This conversational process not only allows Cabinet members and territorial leaders to hear what’s happening, but allows the rest of the territory to know what changes are taking place and how we are responding across the territory to the opportunities before us. When it comes to governance, we are a hierarchical model. This symposium does not signal democratization, but it does provide us the opportunity to discuss the important questions together. When we work these out, we can make policy decisions based on the reality of where and how Salvation Army ministry is being carried out in the territory.
How have Salvationists been involved in the planning and preparation?
FT: For this symposium, the steering committee was selected from across the territory. In the past, by virtue of a need to be local, we had members from Ontario with corresponding members from other regions. But this time members from every region participated in the planning and met together on two occasions.
JM: We wanted to allow individual Salvationists to nominate themselves to be a delegate, so there was a significant effort to provide every corps with information about the symposium and the selection process. We wanted people to know that they could volunteer as a delegate as opposed to an appointment process from the top down. We hope to have a delegate for every two corps in the territory. We have also invited all Salvationists to become partners, which would involve interviewing Salvationists about the key themes and committing to praying for the symposium.
FT: Every Salvationist has had the opportunity to be interviewed and to be part of the process. So it’s not only the 150 delegates who will be heard, but the voices of the many Salvationists who participated in the interviews.
What is happening at the symposium weekend?
JM: The delegates are participating in worship and prayer every morning and evening. I’ve tried to communicate to all delegates that this is first a spiritual journey toward a process for organizational change. Worship and prayer will be an important feature in all that we do. Every delegate will have opportunity to discuss the five key theme areas and, following this, will create propositional statements. After the propositions have been narrowed down, there will be further opportunity for delegates to meet as divisions and discuss ways to implement them at various levels of the organization. We’re hoping to provide leadership with the key propositions at the Territorial Leadership Conference, which will occur two weeks after the symposium.
FT: One thing we have asked all the delegates to bear in mind is that they don’t come with their own voice. The interviews have allowed them to hear from multiple people and we expect that each delegate has brought these collective voices to the symposium.
Many are inclined to think that the symposium takes place in October. The truth is that the symposium began with the first local conversation initiative interview with a Salvationist. The momentum has grown as more and more Salvationists have been heard over the weeks and months leading up to the “summit” at Jackson’s Point.
How are you ensuring that some of the unique ideas won’t get drowned out by the voices that tow the party line? How are you creating room for creativity?
JM: We’re not here to represent our community or our interests only. Throughout this process, delegates have been listening to people and to what God has been telling them, whether that’s through a person’s experience or vision. We want to listen to what God is saying through his people. I’m hopeful that the delegates who are attending will be sufficiently sensitive to this. If there is something that is remarkable and the Holy Spirit is pointing us to it, we’ll be willing to engage it and adopt it. I think the symposium will allow for remarkable or creative propositions to be recorded. Whether or not they become a priority, they will still be listed in the report. Leadership─both territorially and divisionally─will have the opportunity to read all of the propositions.
FT: The idea of the pre-work (a significant part of the symposium this time around) is that each delegate hears the voices of 10 people from their division. As well, in the weeks preceding the symposium, each division was paired with another division or area that is different. At that point, delegates gained a better perspective of how the Army operates in other regions in the territory.
We want delegates to focus on what the Army is doing well. I think every delegate has an awareness of where we’re missing the mark, but we want to focus on how we can make use of our strengths.
How do we achieve any kind of consensus in a territory that is so diverse in character and expression?
FT: This is one piece that we may have missed in the first symposium because we went to a full vote system. In the second symposium, we noted that some of the differences that were easiest to identify were regional. We separated delegates into three regional groupings and asked them to bring forward their recommendations. If there was a consensus across all three regions, then these recommendations went forward as consensus from the whole territory. We’re trying to carry that same principle forward in this symposium.
JM: The key to finding a consensus is in the spiritual preparation of the delegates. I can’t emphasize that enough in terms of my own belief for success. I think that before we expect an organization to change, this process has to change us. I’ve already expressed to the steering committee that I don’t want this to be business as usual. I don’t want this to be just about issues. I really want this to be a spiritual seeking for direction and consensus, and I think that if delegates have prepared themselves through prayer and openness to the leading of the Holy Spirit, the opportunity for finding that consensus is great. We have so many rules for holy living and unity among the brethren, and so often we just don’t follow them. We don’t put into practice what has been laid out before us. And the challenge, I believe, is to identify what God expects us to do as we interact with one another and seek his will. I think if we’re faithful to those things, he’ll be faithful to us and give us the consensus we’re looking for. Again, this is about seeking one accord. That means that I have to lay down my opinion before I come. It’s not that my opinion may not be important or correct, but I have had to approach the symposium with a seeking heart. I trust that delegates arrived ready to seek, not wanting to debate and do battle for their ideas or particular view of Army ministry. I firmly believe that if we all show up ready to seek, we’ll arrive at that consensus.
How will propositions be communicated to Salvationists across the territory once they have gone to leadership?
JM: The tendency for recommendations is us (whoever is making the recommendations) telling them (whoever is supposed to receive the direction) what they should do. And a propositional statement is more a statement of what should be. The propositions will be worded in such a way that all Salvationists will have a stake in them. So there isn’t a need for a trickle down because as the delegates leave the symposium with the propositions, those propositions will speak to them and what they do. Whether it is an officer at a social ministry or a lay person in a corps, these propositions will speak to them where they are. This will solve the problems with ownership and communication.
Some Salvationists may look at Symposium 2008 with a degree of skepticism or cynicism. Is there one clear message to send about the symposium to encourage them?
JM: Cynicism is too easy to lapse into. And we all give into it from time to time. I believe it’s my responsibility to accomplish the task that the Lord has set before me, believing that what I do for the Lord is not done in vain. This is one of those tasks. I can assure you that if I doubted that for a moment, I wouldn’t do it. It’s also my task to remember the parable of the virgins and the lamps of oil, to keep my lamp full of the oil so that when the bridegroom comes, I’m ready. I have to keep hope that when God is ready to move, I’m ready. I can remember communicating by e-mail with one person who expressed a degree of cynicism. My response to him was that we are called to hope against hope—even at times when hope doesn’t make sense. It’s not easy, but that’s what we’re called to do.
FT: As a divisional commander, I’m listening very carefully for the voice of hope, the voice of the answer. We’ve brought delegates together a number of times to talk about the issues and the ways forward. My desire is that Symposium 2008 will offer greater opportunity for us to listen more intently for the answers. What do delegates feel is the way forward? What are they hearing from God? What are they seeing locally? This will speak into the Army as we move forward together in mission.
We will post updates throughout Symposium 2008 at Salvationist.ca/symposium. You can also click on the Symposium 2008 logo located on the right column of the Salvationist.ca homepage.