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Acceptance of Authority
by
Commissioner Wesley Harris
THE ACCEPTANCE of properly constituted
authority within the Army is important. Not that leaders are
infallible. (Like others, commissioners can make mistakes and
I have inside information on at least one for whom that has
been true!) Likewise, boards and councils can arrive at wrong
conclusions. Though their decisions may be made in good faith
and on the basis of wide experience they are still fallible,
as of course are those who may not agree with them!
But from the beginning the Church has found it necessary to
invest certain people with authority- not to 'lord it' over
others but to glorify God and facilitate the worship and work
of his people. A church without properly constituted authority
– or a 'do-as-you-like army’ – could not be effective. The
words 'disciple' and 'discipline' are related and one of the
secrets of the success of our founders was in the combination
of love and discipline in the Army. Without that combination
there might have been a religious rabble; with it there
emerged a cohesive force in the world.
We live in an age when consultation is valued and that's fine
and is a mark of respect. But just as even in a football team,
for example, the context must be one of accepted discipline,
so in that part of the Church called The Salvation Army.
Does that mean that Salvationists are required to be 'yes men
or women'? The answer is both 'yes' and 'no'. We promise to
accept the legitimate authority of our leaders but, in my
experience, that does not put us in a straight-jacket or
restrict our service. On the contrary, in fact. Sharing in the
solidarity of salvationism increases our potential for
service. As part of an army we can do so much more than we
could as 'lone rangers'.
As a Salvation Army officer I have enjoyed great freedom.
Within a wide framework of doctrine and discipline there has
been plenty of room for personal expression and joyous service
with opportunities for service beyond my wildest dreams. I'm
so glad I joined!
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