INSIDE THIS WEEK The SA is established in the Solomon Islands IHQ PAGE 4 〉〉〉〉 God works amid the flood Australia Eastern PAGE 5 〉〉〉〉 Bear conducts band York PAGE 6 〉〉〉〉 PLUS LOTS MORE! PAGES 11 – 14 〉〉〉〉 PAPERS ■ CHURCHES AND ■ PREVIEW OF THE THE FORGOTTEN FANTASTIC NEW HISTORY OF DISNEY FILM FOOTBALL ‘TANGLED’ ■ GLEE CLUB SING ■ FINAL PART OF ABOUT GOD BIBLE SERIES: IN GOD’S HANDS ■ DAWKINS AND THE KING JAMES ■ GALAXY GEORGIE BIBLE – COMMENT FINDS OUT ALL BY MAJOR NIGEL ABOUT ECLIPSES BOVEY IN KA! WORLD THIS WEEK’S QUOTES FROM THE PAPERS MODERN EVANGELICALS’ BELIEFS FAITH ‘IS INEVITABLE’ ‘We have increasing evidence ARE CHANGING Belief in a god is almost that religious beliefs and New research shows the extent inevitable, because of ‘the practices are a natural to which some attitudes are way human minds work’, product of the way that changing among UK evangelicals. a psychologist from the human minds work, that University of Oxford has Where once evangelicals had far from being some oddity claimed. or cultural add-on or specific beliefs on issues such Dr Justin Barrett, senior something that has to be as homosexuality, the nature researcher at the University’s indoctrinated into people, of hell and the role of women Centre for Anthropology and religious beliefs are part leadership, a survey by the Mind, said in a statement of human nature in a really Evangelical Alliance reveals released by the John important respect.’ Templeton Foundation: that there has been a subtle Church Times shift in recent years. LORD WOOLF: LAW MAY BE BIASED AGAINST CHRISTIANS The report, entitled 21st The legal system may have gone too far in restricting the rights of Christians to live out their faith, Britain’s former Century Evangelicals, surveyed top judge has said. 17,000 people found at Lord Woolf’s comments came after… the Right Rev evangelical Christian Michael Scott-Joynt, Bishop of Winchester, said the demise conferences. Despite a shift of religious literacy had created an imbalance in the way Christians were treated by the courts. in some beliefs, it also found Speaking on the BBC’s The World This Weekend show that almost all evangelicals Lord Woolf, the former Lord Chief Justice of England and still believe Jesus is the only Wales… added: ‘We may have gone too far. If the law has way to God and that most gone too far in one direction, then the experience of the law is that it tends to move back. evangelicals attend church on ‘The law must be above any sectional interest even if it is a weekly basis. an interest of a faith.’ The Church of England Newspaper The Catholic Herald TERRITORIAL HEADQUARTERS Tel: 0845 634 0101 SALVATIONIST 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN Tel: 020 7367 4890 Fax: 020 7367 4691 Email: [email protected] Web: www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist A registered newspaper published weekly by The Salvation Army (United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland) on behalf of the General of The Salvation Army and printed by benhamgoodheadprint Limited, Bicester, Oxon. © Shaw Clifton, General of The Salvation Army, 2010. The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England and Wales is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. EDITOR Major Stephen Poxon Tel: 020 7367 4901 MANAGING EDITOR Stephen Pearson Tel: 020 7367 4891 ASSISTANT EDITOR Major Jane Kimberley Tel: 020 7367 4892 ASSISTANT EDITOR Claire Anderson Tel: 020 7367 4894 DTP DESIGNER Colin Potter Tel: 020 7367 4895 DTP OPERATOR Denise D’Souza Tel: 020 7367 4896 GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jonathan Carmichael Tel: 020 7367 4883 ADMINISTRATOR Stella Merino Tel: 020 7367 4881 ADVERTISING Tel: 020 7367 4883 Email: [email protected] DISTRIBUTION Salvationist Publishing and Supplies (Periodicals), 66-78 Denington Road, Denington Industrial Estate, Wellingborough NN8 2QH Tel: 01933 445451 Fax: 01933 445415 Email: [email protected] THE SALVATION ARMY FOUNDER William Booth GENERAL Shaw Clifton TERRITORIAL COMMANDER Commissioner John Matear EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHING SECRETARY Major Leanne Ruthven 2 22 January 2011 SALVATIONIST www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist COMMENT Holy Spirit in order to elect our next international leader. It is an onerous privilege, and we owe the council our prayerful support. As they gather in Sunbury, I commend to you Albert The cadet Orsborn’s song number 648 in our songbook. What, then, are we looking for in our new General? Among my books is a 1922 edition of A Summary Of Lessons and the For Cadets On Field Organisation, published for the International Training Garrison. It belonged to Cadet J. H. Edgar, and he or she gives us some pointers in the form of scribbled notes written in faint pencil inside the back council cover. Apropos of nothing obvious, Cadet Edgar writes: ‘Accept responsibility, pray for guidance, ask for what he wants, God expects his people to reap his Kingdom, not to some people too often, not outside his command, cultivate the habit of giving, inform himself of Army work, help souls’ (as well as some other comments I can’t quite make out). Notwithstanding the possibility that ‘his command’ might become ‘her command’ if a female officer is elected, I would humbly suggest that J. H. Edgar’s scribblings could well represent the hopes and aspirations of ENERALLY speaking, I’ve not Salvationists worldwide. They really had that much to do inadvertently set some useful G with Generals. General Coutts benchmarks and are, to an interesting once straightened my singing extent, echoed by John Larsson in company tie (‘There, that’s better!’), chapter 10 of his autobiography, General Gowans was a warm source of Saying Yes To Life. handwritten notes of encouragement God has gifted The Salvation Army (always in green ink, which I believe with 16 Generals elected by the High General Orsborn also favoured) and Council; men and women of high calibre General Clifton, as Major Clifton, my ‘A constitution… is no more than who would be the envy of any other divisional commander, helped to prepare denomination. That same God will not a legal framework within which a me for the training college. I once bought fail us with number 17. In the spirit of movement like ours can grow some shoes I’d seen General Larsson Hebrews 13:7, let us pray for someone and develop. The heart of the wearing and which I liked (with a tiny who will, among other responsibilities, Army beats within the lives of its gold buckle), but was then sternly care for singing company members, rebuked by an elderly comrade whose soldiers and officers as they encourage comrades and help others to hopes of being like Jesus didn’t extend carry the imperishable message think about officership. Shoes with to condoning my footwear. buckles to match the uniform trimmings of the gospel.’ This weekend the High Council will be would be a bonus. (General Arnold Brown, commenting on the setting about their devout deliberations 1980 amendment to The Salvation Army Act) with the intention of listening to the MAJOR STEPHEN POXON, EDITOR NEWS LETTERS FEATURE NEW COMMITMENTS Pages 4 – 7 〉〉〉〉 Page 8 〉〉〉〉 2011 High Council Pages 16 – 19 〉〉〉〉 SriLankaIHQTHQBurtonuponTrentAustraliaEastern Pages 11 – 14 〉〉〉〉 SouthWoodhamFerrersNorthShieldsLeamingtonSpa BradfordHolmewoodBellshillYorkRutherglen ALOVE UPDATE ADVERTS GlasgowWestChippenhamLincolnStreetKilmarnock Looking back, looking forward ANNOUNCEMENTS Pages 20 – 23 〉〉〉〉 GorseinonPooleDerbyCentralStapleHillSouthampton Page 9 〉〉〉〉 Army people, engagements and tributes BIBLE STUDY Page 15 〉〉〉〉 Belonging, believing, behaving Page 10 〉〉〉〉 [email protected] SALVATIONIST 22 January 2011 3 NEWS Floods displace Emergency Services team trav- The SA is exploration and prayerful elled to the country to provide consideration of all aspects took hundreds of assessment and planning support. established in place and provisional approval The United Nations Co-ordi- to move ahead with plans was thousands nation of Humanitarian Affairs the Solomon given at the beginning of 2009. Sri Lanka reported that more than a million Islands Later that year Major Soddy HUNDREDS of thousands of people were affected. At least 27 Maraga, an officer of the Papua people have been displaced by people died and many were IHQ New Guinea Territory, was flooding in eastern and central injured. More than 325,000 THE General has approved the appointed to oversee the fledgling areas. Water levels in some places people were forced to leave their official opening of Salvation work in the Solomon Islands. were two metres higher than usual homes and were accommodated Army work in the Solomon The Papua New Guinea Terri- and continued to rise. Crocodiles at 493 temporary relocation Islands, effective 1 February tory will have responsibility for and snakes were a threat to anyone centres in eight districts. 2011. This will take the number the work, which is being helpfully walking through the floodwaters. The district of Batticaloa was of countries in which the Army funded by the Australia Eastern Salvation Army personnel one of the most affected areas is operating to 123. and Australia Southern Territories. worked with government offi- with 122,047 internally displaced A proposal was first made for Legal and constitutional issues cials to determine specific needs. persons – this number was approval to undertake a feasibil- were carefully studied and by Salvationists provided meals at expected to increase. Many areas ity study into the potential for 2010 it was clear that there were some of the relocation camps hit by flooded roads and Army work in the islands in no legal obstacles to the Army’s and offered basic assistance to mudslides were only accessible 2005. This study was carried out plan to declare the work officially people in the affected areas near by boats and military helicopters. by the Papua New Guinea established in the Solomon Salvation Army centres.