Being open and transparent. The time has come to move away from a culture of ‘why do they need to know?’ towards an open, transparent culture of ‘why shouldn’t people be told?’; from a culture of ‘don’t ask difficult questions’ to encouraging people to think, discuss and debate how the Army can be more effective, efficient and faithful in doing God’s will in our communities. We are not being loyal to God or the Army when we look the other way and suffer in silence.
Confront sin even when confrontation hurts. In the past there has sometimes been a culture of ‘we must protect the reputation of the Army at all costs’. We need to confront sin, and this can sometimes be a great challenge.
Mutual respect and truth. There must be a culture of mutual respect and truth-telling between Army leaders and those under their command. Developing this culture means that if leaders or followers behave badly there must be consequences. The General has made it clear that everyone needs to be held to account – but fairly. The practice of complaining secretly or writing anonymous letters has to end. A new accountability culture will require effective processes to address the concerns of whistle-blowers – but allegations must be backed up with facts, not rumours.
‘Do something!’ We need to move away from a culture of ‘do nothing so we cannot be blamed if it goes wrong’. As Jesus taught in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), we are accountable for what we fail to do as much as for what we do.
Be positive! We must avoid a culture of cynicism and negativity. We are a people of hope – not of hopelessness. ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ (Romans 8:31). The Lord is still using the Army in many places. Let us humbly learn from others who are producing fruit. One of the key aims of the Accountability Movement is to encourage a culture of learning across the international Salvation Army.
So what happens next? This pamphlet gives a taster of the Accountability Movement. Now your appetite has been whetted, it’s time to discover more by reading the short book, Journey of Renewal, and visiting the Accountability Movement website: salvationarmy.org/accountability. Both of these resources explain the movement in more detail and provide practical tips and tools to integrate accountability into your work, mission and ministry.
A final word from the General: ‘Please pray for God’s blessing, wisdom and grace to fill this process. It is never easy to change. If the Accountability Movement is only a human creation it will fail. If God is at its heart it will bear much fruit for his Kingdom. Your prayers and active support are essential.’
A brief guide to The Salvation Army’s