William Booth College update

Outlining a new vision

Principal Lieut-Colonel Judith Payne shares some of the background to leadership training ahead of exciting changes at William Booth College

IT was in 1877, more than a decade into The Salvation Army’s history, that the idea for a training college was first floated. The Salvation Army’s evangelistic work during the huge social changes of Victorian Britain was beginning to snowball rapidly, and swathes of ordinary people were keen to roll up their sleeves and get involved. George Scott Railton, one of The Salvation Army’s leaders, wrote to William Booth and said:

‘Can we devise a plan for training folks? Could we not have a centre in London to which all hopeful young folks could be rallied and where they could be thoroughly looked through and trained?’

Three years later, that question was answered when William Booth’s second daughter, Emma, was given responsibility for training 30 cadets in a makeshift college at the Booth family home in Hackney. This training would continue to evolve, and perhaps the pinnacle of this evolution came in 1928, when General Bramwell Booth laid the foundation stone in Denmark Hill at what was then called the William Booth Memorial Training College, designed by the well-known architect Giles Gilbert Scott.

In the early days, cadets filed into the college in their blue uniforms with stand up collars. They lived in tiny single-bed rooms. They sat in rows for lectures in biblical studies, doctrine and practical ministry, before being dispatched to a variety of roles around the world.

Almost 100 years on and the world that we live in has changed dramatically. The way that the Army has played its part in God’s mission in the world has changed significantly too. The role of a Salvation Army officer has changed. The Salvation Army engages in a variety of innovative, creative and professional expressions of ministry in corps, centres and Lifehouses across the territory. The learning, training and development of the people who make all this happen, day in, day out, has changed as well.

In 1877, Railton asked the Founder for a place where the hopeful could come, to be equipped to participate in God’s mission in the world. William Booth College exists as the answer to this request, and it still seeks to train and develop those who engage in the Army’s mission of loving God and loving others in every generation. We want to do all we can to resource local mission flourishing, and so we’re in the process of a new set of exciting changes, which will help us to do this more effectively, collaboratively and faithfully in this generation.

This message is based on a video that can be viewed online at salvationist.org.uk

Next week

Changes that have already begun

Justice, mercy and humility

WILLIAM BOOTH COLLEGE

ON Saturday 8 October, a large congregation of family, friends and supporters gathered to formally welcome the 13 cadets of the

Defenders of Justice session, reports

Territorial Communications Officer

Captain Jo Moir.

There was an atmosphere of holy expectancy long before the cadets had their traditional ‘marching in’ which was, as usual, accompanied by rapturous applause. The formal handing over of cadets – from the candidates department to the territorial leaders and then to the principal of WBC – was Cadets Sophie Borrett and David accompanied by introductions and Perkins shared testimonies of walking insights into each cadet’s testimony and with the Lord and trusting him, ministry thus far. acknowledging those who had

Their sessional song ‘Defenders of journeyed with them, directing and

Justice’, written by Majors Nick and encouraging them. They also

Kerry Coke, was passionately sung by acknowledged the challenges of the the cadets. Nick and Kerry shared their sacrifices ahead, Sophie commenting inspiration for the song, saying: ‘The on the twists and turns in her own path song, we hope, reflects the connection to officer training and David honestly between the call to action and a life remarking of his vocation, ‘Of course it’s rooted in the Spirit of God.’ Bromley Temple Band followed with crazy, but of course you’ve got to do it!’ the apt ‘Be Glorified’ and then the theme of Justice was creatively presented through the Bible reading brought by Candidates Directors Majors Andrea and Mark Sawyer as Major Matt Spencer sang words he had penned 10 years previously, ‘Let justice roll’. Scripture from Amos 5:23 and 24 and Micah 6:8 were read as Erin Moir (Regent Hall) interpreted the words through dance. Commissioner Anthony Cotterill then explored the deep relevance of those Scriptures for the new session of cadets, for all those present and for The Pictures: Andrew King Photography Salvation Army in the United Kingdom and Ireland. He issued an invitation not to focus on religion but to seek justice; not to be caught up in legalism but instead to be caught up in showing mercy, and, above all, to be people of faithfulness, walking humbly with God. Sunday morning worship brought a

Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Erin Moir