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Teaching resource expands to live discussion online
Producers of “One Army,” an international teaching guide detailing the nature and purpose of the Army, added to its offerings virtual meetings to link Salvationists and friends in real time.
In the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland, Raynes Park Corps Officers Majors Nick and Kerry Coke hosted the first virtual meeting Jan. 13 from their home with more than 300 online attendees. It was the first of five live, weekly interactive one-hour web chats on “One Life.”
The internationalism was demonstrated from the outset, as Morten—a Salvationist from Denmark—opened in prayer in Danish. Commissioner Robert Street, chairman of the International Doctrine Council and author of the resource, joined in remotely from Stotfold Corps.
“This resource is designed to unite Salvationists worldwide and help them and others understand its mission and message in clear global terms,” Street said late in 2014. “It covers what the Army is called to be, what it should be and how it expresses itself as part of the universal church.”
In all, 30 countries were represented during the initial online meeting via a specially built website (salvationarmy.org/onearmy) and social media platforms used to share Bible study, prayer and fellowship.
“It’s been wonderful to do One Army live and to have people sharing with us from around the world,” Kerry Coke said. “It just changes the focus—it makes it a much more international thing.”
The weekly live events through Feb. 10 will use interactive tools, incorporating video via YouTube and Periscope, and feature comments received from around the world.
“One of the great successes of Boundless was the camaraderie and unity witnessed online,” said Giles, IHQ web manager, of the 2015 international congress in London. “We’re keen to ensure that this was not a one-off. One Army lends itself well to live online discussion with participants around the world, and it will be exciting to see how it develops.”
Street said the resource has been received eagerly in many locations.
“It will be good if we can encourage more international links between people who share the same faith, or even none—as yet,” he said. “Essentially, One Army teaching is centered on Jesus—who he was, what he taught and what he says to us today. We look to him to see what the Army should be today. The teaching helps us make a personal response too.”
