Articles of War of The Salvation Army
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The Articles of War or A Soldiers Covenant is a document consisting of a series of promises and statements of belief in relation to the doctrines of The Salvation Army. All persons wanting to be enrolled as Salvation Army Soldiers must sign and promise to keep to that which is stated in the document.[1]
Content
The Articles of War first state that the signee has "accepted Jesus Christ as [their] Saviour and Lord", and that they "now by God's grace enter into a sacred covenant". It then states that the signee believes the eleven Salvation Army Doctrines. It follows this with a list of promises that the Soldier is to adhere to, including the promises that they will:
- "be responsive to the Holy Spirit’s work and obedient to His leading in [their] life, growing in grace through worship, prayer, service and the reading of the Bible."
- "make the values of the Kingdom of God and not the values of the world the standard for my life."
- "uphold Christian integrity in every area of my life, allowing nothing in thought. word or deed that is unworthy, unclean, untrue, profane, dishonest or immoral."
- "maintain Christian ideals in all my relationships with others: my family and neighbours, my colleagues and fellow salvationists, those to whom and for whom I am responsible, and the wider community."
- "uphold the sanctity of marriage and of family life."
- "be a faithful steward of my time and gifts, my money and possessions, my body, my mind and my spirit, knowing that I am accountable to God."
- "abstain from alcoholic drink. tobacco, the non-medical use of addictive drugs. gambling, pornography, the occult, and all else that could enslave the body or spirit."
- "be faithful to the purposes for which God raised up The Salvation Army, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, endeavouring to win others to Him, and in His name caring for the needy and the disadvantaged."
- "be actively involved, as I am able, in the life, work, worship and witness of the corps, giving as large a proportion of my income as possible to support its ministries and the worldwide work of the Army."
- "be true to the principles and practices of The Salvation Army, loyal to its leaders, and I will show the spirit of salvationism whether in times of popularity or persecution."
The Articles conclude with a call for the Soldier to sign the document with a declaration that they "do here declare my full determination, by God’s help, to be a true soldier of The Salvation Army." [2]
Chosen To Be A Soldier
Those that become Soldiers of the Salvation Army adhere to the rules and regulations of the Salvation Army, listed in Chosen To Be A Soldier: Orders and Regulations for Soldiers of the Salvation Army. These orders and regulations together make up a manual of operations for furthering the mission on which Salvationists are engaged.
As conditions, challenges and opportunities change, orders and regulations are reviewed and amended. A recent notable trend has been towards giving territories greater discretion in applying or adapting regulations to fit their particular circumstances. [3]