Salvationist Dynamics: Part 8

by Colonel Richard Munn 

This 10-part series explores tried and trusted “pleasant tensions” matched together in The Salvation Army. Far from being feared or avoided, they give us dynamism: Salvationist dynamics.  

Part 8: Military Discipline and Free Spirit 

The theological and operational predecessor of The Salvation Army is Wesleyan Methodism, noted for its scrupulous method and detailed discipline. Add to that inheritance a distinct quasi-military infrastructure, and we have a perfect scenario for Army order and precision. 

And yet, as with Methodism, The Salvation Army was born during revival, with spontaneous and unpredictable twists and turns. No neat, chronological, measurable time line is even feasible. Additionally, the pioneering cast of theatrical and flamboyant characters were anything but systematic and orderly. Historian Ed McKinley describes George Scott Railton pioneering the work in New York City as “flying around the city like some wild evangelical bird”—the antithesis of disciplined. 

This combination of military discipline and free spirit is a fascinating Salvationist dynamic that remains today. The juxtaposition of orders and regulations, standards of meetings and officer appointments coexisting with spontaneous testimony meetings, fluid worship, and a high value for unprompted enterprise, makes for vibrant energy. 

Truth be told, what appears so free and easy is often the product of intense discipline. Think jazz musicians and ice skaters. 

The same holy paradox can be found in pages of the New Testament where Paul exhorts us that “everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Corinthians 14:40) while Jesus delights that the Holy Spirit is like the wind: “You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going” (John 3:8). 

Attention! At ease!