Membership Working Group

Conversations about belonging and membership in the United Kingdom and Ireland Territory.

The Membership Working Group has been formed to make recommendations about how this territory can shape discipleship that is exciting, with a radical vision of belonging, committing and serving the Kingdom of God through The Salvation Army.

People were invited to take part in an initial listening phase that concluded in November 2023 – the Research and Development Department is now analysing responses.

Initial findings were shared at Belonging and Believing: The Big Conversation (1–3 March 2024).

Following the weekend, a report will go to territorial leadership in summer 2024, seeking prayerful discernment. It will then be shared with the wider territory.

Initial listening phase: September–November 2023

People were invited to take part in two ways:

First, each division was asked to facilitate conversations in groups with children, young people and adults. They could do this in several different ways, such as divisional or area gatherings. Some corps leaders may have opted to have facilitated conversations within their own corps or children’s groups.
Second, a questionnaire was available for individuals to fill in online. The questions in the survey were the same as those used in the facilitated group conversations. The survey was also printed in the 2 September issue of Salvationist, along with printable versions that could be downloaded and submitted by post.

Belonging and Believing: The Big Conversation: 1–3 March 2024

A territorial gathering took place at Warwick University from 1–3 March 2024.

The event was open to all ages and anyone who is linked to a local Salvation Army. This included soldiers, adherents, junior soldiers, officers, attenders and participants, as well as volunteers, employees, service users and former members.

Belonging and Believing: The Big Conversation

Territorial leadership will prayerfully discern the way forward in response to the final report and recommendations from the Membership Working Group.

The report will also be shared with International Headquarters – it is hoped it may be of value to international leadership as they hold the responsibility across the worldwide Army for such things as the Junior Soldier’s Promise, the Soldier’s Covenant, criteria for adherency and associated Orders and Regulations.

The territorial leadership team that will be prayerfully discerning the way forward is called Cabinet. Cabinet includes the following officer appointments: