Mutual Accountability Accountability is one of the six stated values of The Salvation Army. Properly understood we believe that everyone is accountable to God, the Creator of all things. Furthermore, in the Christian faith, where together the good news of God’s kingdom is actively sought, all accountability is mutual and everyone is mutually accountable. This mutuality involves individuals and corporate bodies being willing to freely and transparently give an account for what they do and the reasons for it, to be willing to be humbly held to account by others, and to lovingly take responsibility for holding others to account. In other words, there is mutual accountability in all our relationships for how we think, speak and act, including all the ways and systems within which we work. This practice flows from belief in the mutual interdependence and free self-sacrificial love of God as Father, Son and Spirit, both in God’s eternal divine relations and in God’s mission to freely open this fullness of life up for us all. Strikingly, God is in a real sense accountable to us in that God is holy, consistent and faithful in God’s nature and character, not arbitrary or unjust. God reveals God’s self in the Son Jesus Christ, who clearly demonstrates the true nature of what it means to be a servant. In the humility of God, Jesus accountably declares that he does not come into our world to be served, but to serve, and to give up his life for us (Mark 10:45). By analogy, and drawing upon what it means for this expression of the Christian Church to be the people of God, the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit, we as members, volunteers, officers and employees of The Salvation Army are called to clearly demonstrate mutual accountability to and for each other and the wider communities that we serve. There are many different roles and responsibilities within this corporate community, but each and every one is expected to reflect upon, learn and demonstrate mutual accountability as a service that we owe each other. The Bible reminds us that in relational humility with each other we should have ‘the same attitude of mind Jesus Christ had…by taking the very nature of a servant’ (Philippians 2:1-8), and we should speak the truth to each other in love (Ephesians 4:15). The NT on numerous occasions characterises our lives together as for ‘one another’ and as something that we hold in common. The Greek word is koinonia which means a deep bonding of fellowship, communion, partnership and participation in God’s life and each other’s. Finally, Jesus reminds all those who are called upon to lead, that it means becoming a servant of all (Mark 10:43,44). Irrespective of whether we hold to the Christian faith, mutual accountability is not an optional, alternative lifestyle but a moral way of being in which all are fully valued and treated with dignity, providing social capital for the flourishing of human society. All involved in working for the alleviation of suffering, injustice and domination recognise that mutually accountable ways of working are integral to healing, peace-making and justice. This means valuing everyone’s participation – their energy, passion, creativity, experience and skills – as partners within the mission. When understood fully, mutual accountability will be shown in our transparent, humble, responsible and trusting partnerships. We will be able to evaluate ourselves as well as encourage and carefully listen to constructive feedback which informs regular evaluation and enable learning that renews best practice in our lives together.
Questions for Personal Reflection: Am I someone who aims to work as transparently as possible, sharing important information that affects the work of others, or am I tempted to hold on to information for personal advantage? Am I someone who is willing and able to receive constructive feedback from others, even if it challenges my current behaviour and practice? How could I develop this receptivity? Am I someone who is willing to humbly ask necessary and important questions of others, even if they might not be welcome, or do I tend to avoid these questions? If I avoid them, why is that? For Further Reading: Journey of Renewal: The Accountability Movement of The Salvation Army (2016) – available from IHQ