On Thursday, October 30, over 140 delegates convened at Jackson’s Point Conference Centre to seek God’s direction for The Salvation Army. Lt-Colonel David Hiscock, Program Secretary, welcomed those present and highlighted the tremendous planning that has gone into the event, including interviews with hundreds of Salvationists across the territory.

Symposium chair, Dr. Jeremy Mills, challenged delegates to focus on the “positive creative core” of the Army. By identifying the best that our Movement has to offer, we can create a common vision of the future. “Every organization has something that it does well,” he remarked. “We are here to ask, ‘What do we want God to do in the Salvation Army?’ We must abandon man-made answers to find God’s solutions.”

The goal of the symposium is to develop a series of propositional statements that every Salvationist will have ownership of and that they can take and implement in their various local settings. From these propositional statements, priorities will be identified and brought to the Territorial Leaders’ Conference to guide decision-making in days to come.

Commissioner William Francis said that the Army is “at a crossroads.” He compared the opportunity of the symposium to the promise of Pentecost: “And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” “We are here as fellow Salvationists listening to God’s voice,” he noted. That means leaving personal biases at the door and together seeking God’s will. Commissioner Francis noted that there are many voices in the Army today, but that “unity in diversity” is a New Testament ideal.

Tomorrow delegates will break into groups to discuss the five themes: identity, engaging current culture, discipleship and spiritual growth, leadership in organizational change and authority and formal relationships. 

Click here to watch the video of Commissioner Francis. Visit Salvationist.ca/symposium for more updates.