Focusing our mindset
on Salvation Army Music

By David Woodbury

As a mission-focused organisation, the early Salvation Army effectively utilised its own particular style of distinctive and unique music, to drive its missional focus. Perhaps of all our early mission officers, William Pearson stands out as one who had a clear and focused missional mindset:

We're an Army fighting for a glorious King;

We will make the world with hallelujahs ring;
With victorious voices we will ever sing:
There's salvation for the world.

For the world, for the world, Jesus died, Jesus died,
For the world, for the world, there is room in Jesus' side.
All the world to save, to battle we will go,
And we ever will our colors boldly show,
With a trumpet voice we'll let the millions know
There's salvation for the world.

(Song 940 – The Song Book of The Salvation Army)

During my active years as an officer, I was required by the then Territorial Commander, Commissioner John Gowans, to move throughout the territory reporting through our printed and electronic media, on corps activity, particularly in newer corps. I quickly became aware of a trend towards worship music, generally sourced from other contemporary churches. It was not unusual to hear the same worship music in a number of different Corps.

Since my retirement, I have noticed this trend growing and becoming more entrenched to the point where, at times, the only music utilised is what is termed worship songs. Such music has a legitimate place in Christian movements. However, there is a sense in which an over-emphasis on it gives a one-dimensional aspect to our meetings. That emphasis not only narrows our focus but also impacts our mindset, turning us more and more inward in our thinking and our attitude. I find a resonance with the General’s words in the May-June issue of The Officer: I fear that The Salvation Army has become more of a worshipping community than a serving community.  (General André Cox, The Officer, May-June 2016, p. 6) 

Worship music is what it says it is: simply music written to worship God. Its one-directional influence tends to be inwardly focused, and an over-emphasis on it may well engender a more cloistered and narrow mindset. Salvation Army music is multi-directional and in essence more missional than either the traditional or the contemporary church, and tends to broaden our mindset to include evangelism and compassionate action. To sideline these aspects of our music is to disengage a crucial aspect of the Army’s calling.

Perhaps it is that our focus on worship music has heavily influenced our corporate mindset to the degree where the mission is relegated to a lesser place. If our worship of God does not result in service for God, then it may well be unbalanced. A quick perusal of the latest Song Book of The Salvation Army reveals that our music includes not only worship of God, but also a wide variety of other aspects of Salvation Army mission, theology and philosophy. Perhaps in some way we have been seduced by the music philosophy from other apparently successful denominations. However, some of their music may well not fit the ethos or spiritual philosophy of The Salvation Army.

In many ways, the significant focus in the earthly ministry of Jesus centred on the spiritual development and the equipping his disciples for mission. While there are a number of oblique references to worship, only on two occasions does he directly reference worship; his confrontation with Satan and his discussion with the Samaritan woman at the well. The final words of Jesus were not about the church, or worship of God, but about the mission:  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19 – NLT)

As an organisation we were, and should still be, a mobilised, serving Army, missional in our mindset and terminology and missional in our music. I suspect the churchification of The Salvation Army and the over-emphasis on a narrow style of music have tended to turn our focus and mindset inward.

If we continue down this path the local Salvation Army centre will become indistinguishable from the contemporary church down the road; it will look and sound the same and much of that which is distinctive and unique about the Army, will have disappeared.  Sadly I see that in some places this is already happening. It is doubtful that a mission called by God for a unique ministry can survive as just another church in a setting that is already overcrowded with contemporary, fashionable churches.