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A REVIEW
OF TERMS OF EMPOWERMENT
By Marion Larson
The Salvation Army has a long history of
promoting social justice and showing Christ’s love through word
and deed. As with many such efforts, women have been on the
front lines of the Army’s efforts to bring solace to the
suffering, along with the good news of the Gospel. But unlike
many Christian organizations, the Salvation Army has viewed
women as full and equal partners with men. From its founding,
the Army has taught that each man and each woman should serve
God according to his or her own particular gifts and calling—and
that these gifts and calls aren’t distributed according to
gender.
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The Salvation Army teaches that each man and each
woman should serve God according to his or her own
particular gifts and calling--and that these gifts
and calls aren't distributed according to gender. |
Terms of Empowerment: Salvation Army Women in Ministry includes
three essays on women’s contributions to ministry, each
previously published and distributed by the Salvation Army.
“Female Ministry,” published in 1859, provides the Army’s
foundational teaching on this subject. Written by Army
co-founder Catherine Booth, this piece refutes common arguments
against women’s public ministry, asserting instead that “If she
have the necessary gifts, and feels herself called by the Spirit
to preach, there is not a single word in the whole book of God
to restrain her, but many, very many, to urge and encourage
her.” To support this assertion, Booth draws on biblical
scholarship and on writings of early church fathers to
demonstrate that women did preach and teach and prophesy in the
earliest years of the church. And she mentions several of her
female contemporaries who, like Booth herself, saw great results
in their service to God.
Booth’s daughter Evangeline served as the Army’s fourth general
and wrote “Woman,” the second piece in this book. Published in
1930, “Woman” enlarges upon the great promise in the broadening
opportunities for women in the early decades of the 20th
century. Booth motivates and challenges her audience to use
these new opportunities to serve others and pursue Christ’s work
in the world, following in the footsteps of biblical leaders and
“keepers of the faith” such as Sarah, Deborah, Ruth, Hannah,
Mary, Lydia, Priscilla, and Phoebe. Evangeline also explores the
gospel ministry of her contemporaries
who demonstrated their
strength and abilities, such as Florence Nightingale, Madame
Curie, and Catherine Booth.
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In a
needy world like ours, we can’t afford to relegate
women to silence through prejudice or ill-advised
interpretation of Scripture. |
Kay Rader, Salvation Army Commissioner and former World
President of Women’s Organizations for The Salvation Army, wrote
the final essay, “Keeping the Dream Alive,” in 2001. Evidence of
the horrible plight of many women—particularly in developing
nations—leads Rader to temper the optimism of Evangeline Booth’s
piece significantly. Gender discrimination continues to be a
problem in our world, argues Rader, not just for poor women in
other parts of the world, but also for Christian women in
Western churches. The Salvation Army must never lose sight of
its egalitarian roots. In a needy world like ours, we can’t
afford to relegate women to silence through prejudice or
ill-advised interpretation of Scripture.
This book is not only valuable for those interested in Salvation
Army history. It also can be a useful tool in helping to realize
the vision put forth by these three authors and expressed so
eloquently by Rader: “A
church that leads the world on issues of
social justice, a church that accepts women and men as equals
and helps them live integrated lives, a church that helps women
fulfill their responsibilities and contribute to all aspects of
mission and ministry.”
Click here to purchase this book from Equality Depot, CBE's
bookstore.
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 Marion Larson
is a member of the faculty at Bethel University, St.
Paul, Minnesota, where she teaches courses in writing
and literature as well as an interdisciplinary
humanities sequence. Marion has been involved in faculty
development work for most of her career, mentoring new
faculty, facilitating workshops, and consulting on
various campuses. In addition to degrees in English, she
has completed several graduate courses in theology and
biblical studies. |
