Please HONOR the copyright of these documents by not retransmitting or making any additional copies in any form (Except for private personal use). We appreciate your respectful cooperation. ___________________________ Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN) P.O. Box 30183 Portland, Oregon 97294 USA Website: www.tren.com E-mail: [email protected] Phone# 1-800-334-8736 ___________________________ ATTENTION CATALOGING LIBRARIANS TREN ID# Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) MARC Record # Digital Object Identification DOI # Ministry Focus Paper Approval Sheet This ministry focus paper entitled A DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR THE SALVATION COLLEGE FOR OFFICER TRAINING Written by BRIAN M. SAUNDERS and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry has been accepted by the Faculty of Fuller Theological Seminary upon the recommendation of the undersigned readers: _____________________________________ Kurt Fredrickson oDate Received: November 30, 2012 A DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR THE SALVATION ARMY COLLEGE FOR OFFICER TRAINING A MINISTRY FOCUS PAPER SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY BRIAN M. SAUNDERS NOVEMBER 2012 ABSTRACT A Distance Education Program for The Salvation Army College for Officer Training Brian M. Saunders Doctor of Ministry School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary 2012 The goal of this paper is to develop a distance education program for The Salvation Army’s USA Western Territory. The Salvation Army’s current clergy education program, a two-year residential college located in Southern California, is somewhat limited in that it excludes those who may not be able to relocate to Los Angeles. To address this deficiency, this project seeks to develop a new model of education, providing a flexible, non-residential training experience for Salvation Army officers. This paper contains three major sections. Part One will provide an overview of Salvation Army history, theology, and ministry, giving particular attention to changes and trends in recent decades which have given rise to increasing responsibilities for Salvation Army officers in an increasingly complex ministry. This section will also examine the Army’s clergy education program, including its limitations. Finally, this section will explore the opportunities offered by adding a distance learning component. Part Two will explore the theological and biblical foundations of clergy education as well as the opportunities for education beyond the classroom. Beginning with an examination of pertinent source material from Scripture, theology, and academia, this section will establish the need for, and opportunities of, a clergy education program that engages the student in multiple ways. This section will then review Salvation Army theology and ministry in relation to its education program and comparing it to those of other denominations. Finally, attention will be given to scriptural and historical foundations of clergy education as well as modern trends and opportunities. Part Three will present the project proposal itself, beginning with the implications and goals gleaned from the biblical, ecclesiastical, and historical studies. This section will detail the tasks to be performed in preparation for the program, outline needed resources and assessment tools, and set a timeline for implementation. Theological Mentor: Kurt Fredrickson, PhD Words: 297 To the cadets at the Salvation Army College for Officer Training: may God continue to reveal to them their pastoral identities and equip them for service and mission ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to my colleagues at the College for Officer Training for their invaluable contributions to this project. Their input and counsel have informed and shaped this paper, and have made possible the distance learning opportunity now available to The Salvation Army in the U.S.A. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 PART ONE: MINISTRY CONTEXT Chapter 1. THE HISTORY, MINISTRY, AND STRUCTURE OF THE 8 SALVATION ARMY Chapter 2. THE SALVATION ARMY’S TRAINING AND EDUCATION 45 PROGRAM PART TWO: THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS Chapter 3. LITERATURE REVIEW 70 Chapter 4. THE ECLESIOLOGY OF THE SALVATION ARMY 95 Chapter 5. THEOLOGY OF HOLISTIC EDUCATION FOR HOLISTIC 120 MINISTRY PART THREE: MINISTRY STRATEGY Chapter 6. MINISTRY GOALS AND STRATEGY 137 Chapter 7. IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS AND EVALUATION 161 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 172 APPENDIXES 178 BIBLIOGRAPHY 187 v INTRODUCTION “Some men’s ambition is art. Some men’s ambition is fame. Some men’s ambition is gold. My ambition is the souls of men,” said William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army, upon an audience with King Edward VII in June of 1904.1 Indeed, these simple words are a fair summary of Booth’s life and purpose. They also may be used to sum up the mission and ministry of the movement he founded. From its beginnings in the 1860s as a tiny mission in the slums of east London, to its modern, multi-faceted international ministry, The Salvation Army has been about salvation: saving souls and sharing God’s love. The Salvation Army has come a long way since its early days of street preaching and soup kitchens. Back then, ministry was simple: stand on a street corner and preach.2 The mission was also basic: a cup of soup and a cot for the night. Now The Salvation Army operates a dizzying array of social service programs and includes thousands of thriving congregations around the globe.3 Along with the advancement of ministry came the advancement of ministry education. At first, converts were simply handed a uniform and given a job. Eventually, “training garrisons” were established, and candidates for ministry were given a rudimentary education in Bible study, preaching, and ministry. During the Army’s early 1 Cyril Barns, Words of William Booth (St. Albans, England: The Campfield Press, 1975), 72. 2 Robert Sandall, The History of The Salvation Army (New York: The Salvation Army, 1947), 53. 3 Jayne, Roberts, ed., The Salvation Army Yearbook: 2012 (London: Salvation Books, 2012), 29. 1 years, training lasted just a few weeks. Later it was expanded to three and then nine months.4 Over the next fourteen decades, Salvation Army officer education and training has been expanded, systematized, formalized, and professionalized.5 1n 1960, the training period was increased to two years.6 As the demands of ministry have grown, so have the expectations of education. While it differs slightly from country to country, in its modern form Salvation Army officer training generally consists of two years of full-time, formal education coupled with on-site apprenticeship.7 Although the methods and pedagogy have changed and evolved over the years, the basic premise of the Salvation Army training program has not. Upon graduation, the cadets are ordained as ministers and commissioned as “officers” in The Salvation Army. Then they are immediately assigned a posting as a “Corps Officer” (pastor) of a Salvation Army Corps (church). The Salvation Army currently operates Training Colleges all around the world. In most countries there is only one college. Some countries share a college between them. In the United States there are four colleges: one each in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and the Los Angeles area (Rancho Palos Verdes). Candidates for Salvation Army officership therefore take up residence at the nearest Training College in order to participate in the training program. 4 Raymond Dexter, “Officer Training in The Salvation Army: An Institutional Analysis” (EdD diss., Stanford University, 1962), 16. 5 Ibid., 24. 6 Ibid., 16. 7 Ibid., 27. 2 This model has been accepted practice for many years, but it is not available or necessary in all cases. For some candidates, elderly parents or children with special needs restrict their ability to relocate. Others are already involved in vital Salvation Army ministries which would suffer with even the temporary loss of leadership. Still others have come to The Salvation Army from other denominations with advanced degrees and years of experience in ministry and have no need to go through the full two years of classes and training. As a result, many promising candidates are lost to this ministry. According to Major John Brackenbury, Territorial Candidates Secretary for The Salvation Army’s USA Western Territory, approximately eight potential officers are turned away each year due to circumstances similar to those described above.8 The Salvation Army in the western United States is in dire need of new officers. According to recent data, over the past ten years, while the number of Army facilities in the Western Territory has increased 62 percent, the number of active officers has decreased by an average of 2.8 percent per year.9 This means that more officers are retiring or resigning than are graduating. In order to fill the posts that are vacated each year, the Training College needs to graduate a minimum of 32.2 new officers per year. Over the past ten years the average has been 22.6 officers. This leaves the Army in a net personnel deficit. Without increasing the number of graduating officers, The Salvation Army cannot grow and expand in the western United States. 8 John Brackenbury, interview by author, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, May 2, 2012. 9 Figures determined using data from: Cheryl Brown, Director of Officer Records, The Salvation Army USA Western Territorial Headquarters, interview by author, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, May 21, 2010; Duncan Sutton, 2011-2012 Fact Book: The Salvation Army College for Officer Training (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA: The Salvation Army, 20110), 11; and Trevor Howes, ed., The Salvation Army Yearbook: 2011 (London: Salvation Books, 2011), 286. 3 One avenue of increasing the number of graduating officers is to expand the training model beyond the campus. The Army can benefit from a non-residential training program that would enable candidates to complete the academic requirements of training while remaining in their local communities.