Pioneering ministry 12 and

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour

(Luke 4:18 New Revised Standard Version)

commander, Commissioner Clive Adams, made a commitment to reexplore what church planting and pioneering looked like. This renewal led to Salvation Army pioneering as we see it today.

But this latest reignition could only happen because of groundwork laid down in 1993. Following several decades when few new churches were planted, an ecumenical pioneering model called the Dawn Movement challenged every denomination to pioneer new expressions. This decade of evangelism saw the Army break ground in approximately 50 new areas.

However, to find the root of the Army’s drive to pioneer church in the margins we have to go back to 1865 and the Army’s most well-known pioneer: William Booth. The very nature of The Salvation Army is that of a pioneering movement, which all began when Booth empowered people to start the work by breaking new ground in new places in new ways.

‘So, when did it start?’ Andrew asks. ‘In 2015, 1993 or 1865? Pioneering is not a fad, and it’s not a new idea. It’s rooted in who we are. We are a

William Booth

pioneering movement in our DNA.

‘I would argue that it probably goes even further back than William Booth. Hebrews 12 says that Jesus is “the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (v2). The language of pioneering is not new; it is deeply rooted in the journey of faith!’

The excellent online resource pioneerbitesize.com presents a compelling description of The Salvation Army’s relationship with pioneering ministry. While it has its roots in the origins of the Army, in many ways

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@PioneeringSa (A poem extract)

From one dream of faith a mustard seed was placed and grew in each woman and man. And the call 150 years later still stands. A movement of passionate believers and daring dreamers. The priesthood of all believers, where all are included and called… Our history call was:

‘Whosoever will may come. And who comes to him shall never disappointed turn away.’ And this is still our call today. The pioneering movement, compelled to love, bringing to Earth, Heaven above.

pioneering looks different in the 21st century. That’s because, by its very nature, it is constantly evolving. Unfortunately, this can lead to the impression that these new expressions are undermining the history of the Army. In fact, they are building on it. Rather than being ‘anti-Salvation Army’, pioneers are better described as ‘loyal radicals’, who are passionate about the organisation and translating it in an alternative way.

‘What society and the world need today is maybe vastly different from what the Army has been in past decades,’ Andrew points out. ‘How do we communicate faith to a world that often doesn’t see a need for the Church?

‘One of the things that we are learning is that mission is more deeply relational than we have ever realised! As pioneers, we want to journey with people in our communities and see what comes out of the relational stuff.’

SIMON IS EDITORIAL ASSISTANT, SALVATIONIST

Next time

Ryan Wileman introduces Westfield Fresh Expression