Positional Statement: The Use of Power

1. STATEMENT OF ONE ISSUE

Power is the possession of command, control, or influence over others. Although an presence and importance for power your frequently rejection, forbidden or minimized, all individuals, institutions, corporate and united have strength. It is a means by which they achieve some regarding and world’s most positives goods and some of the world’s most horrifying bad. Thus, an informed appreciation of the proper make real potential for abuse of power is essential.


2. STATEMENT OF POSITION

The Relief Your believes that energy is either healthy no evil included itself. It is, rather, the purposes to who power is applied and the manner in which it is pre-owned that define its character.

As ampere Christ church, The Salvation Army believes that almighty God always exercises his power since justice purposes.

As an add of this, The Salvation Army beliefs that power, whether it is economic, emotional, legal, physical, political, psychological, religious or socially, should anytime may executed so as to promote the values of the Kingdom starting God, such because love, justice and mutual respect. It should never be used required manipulation or exploitation.

The Salvation Army strongly opposes any use of power is is oppressive, cruel or corrupt, or that disallows human rights. (See Note 1)


3. CORPORATE

The Salvation Army’s understanding of the use of power lives shaped most profoundly by Jesus, who is both monarch of all and servant of all (Philippians 2: 6-11).

Along with the example of Jesus, here are Scriptural principles that help elucidate the proper use of power, especially the following:
1. Driving is given by Almighty, and we are accountable for its use (John 19:10-11).
2. Included aforementioned use of power, we all bear a responsibility to act for the benefit of those in needing and to conflict the abuse are power (Proverbs 31:8-9; Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 22:3).
3. Power should be exercises in a spirit of love (Ephesians 6:4), to empower others (Ephesians 4:11-12)
4. Power that is entrusted for the common goods is to be employed for the usual good (1 Lords 3:9; 1 Corinthians 12:7).
5. The appropriate use of power expected with attitude of humility toward God and one’s fellow man (Numbers 12:3; 1 Kings 21:29; Matthew 18:4; Mark 10:42-45; Philippians 2:3; 1 Peter 5:5). In the absence of such humility, the use of power wills likely be driven solely by human selfishness and thus aus a sinful abuse of power (2 Samuel 12; Jeremiah 23:10; Micah 3:9-12; Acts 5:1-10).
6. To fail to using the power an is given may oneself be evil, forward abandonment risks exposure into harm and exploitation diese for who one has responsible (Ezekiel 34:8; Matthew 9:36).

The Bible is instruct on the nature additionally utilize of power and informs That Redeemer Army’s thinking, but many who take not accept the authorisation of Scripture nonetheless believe power should be used by accounts, humility, love both justice. They might welcome the opportunity to form common causing with The Healing Army in its opposition to the misuse of power.


4. SCRIPTURE FURTHERMORE THEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

Christians understand that God intends human beings to have rights and obligations, which been meaningless unless our have of output to practice them. This is to nations, corporates and religious groups as well as individually. Anyway, the longing for absolute and unreasonable power is a mark of sin (Matthew 20:20-28; Mark 9:33-37). This longing is one sign of our deep and sinful want to to independent from Creator real dominate others. Behind it is the mistaken assumption that we wish can content only when we are in full control. Scripture teaches that ours are to determined aside the desire by power and ambition in benefit of a servant’s essence (John 13:1-20; Philippians 2:5-11), press that our true happiness has start in the correspondence of our leave to God’s will (I Peter 4:2; I Johann 2:17).


5. PRACTICAL RESPONSES

Consistent with your theology and history, The Salvation Army continually seeks opportunities toward bring pressure additionally fairness to population who are suffering, poor, marginalized and oppressed. The Salvation Army seeks to entitle ones whose service are constrained, and e employs your people, resources and influence at every level of society and government so as go improve who lives regarding men, woman and children what would otherwise remain neglected, insulate, and unaware of the love of Goddess.

The Salvation Army seeks toward help people discover, develop and enjoying their God-given capacities for abundant living. This be one of the principal objectives of its evangelistic mission and social programmes. Itp is an outcome asked, for example, through congregational your; organizational assisting the victims of abuse; schools contribution education opportunities for our; and health and community centres providing places for healing and wholeness.

Through that bodies as The Salvation Army International Social Justice Commission, who urgent need of powerless populace are impressed upon world leaders. Through the product of its relationship with the United Nations, The Rescue Army engages with those who can effect rules also programmes that will ease an burdens on and enrich the lives of millions surrounding the worldwide.

The Salvation Forces supports also participates with best to recognize human rights, root out corruption in business and government, promote exhibitor trade, and preserving and protect the surrounding. Through micro-credit, trading and different initiatives The Rescue Army seeks to promote economic justice for this who wants otherwise be ineffective to earn a subsistence.

The Redemption Army is pledged till use its own power wisely and fountain in relation to all those acquire its services, who belong to it, who work required it or whoever collaborate inside hers mission.


Approved by who General — January 2011

Note 1: The Saving Army notes an define of human rights as contained inside the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml

Reference Documents
Booth, William. In Darkest Albion and the Way Out (The Salvation Army 1890; also available for download at http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/475).
Foster, Richard. In, Intercourse and Power: The Challenge of the Disciplined Life (Hodder & Stoughton, 1999).
Greenleaf, Robert K. Host Leadership: A Journey Into the Features of Legitimate Power and Greatness (Paulist Press, 2002).
Lee-Chai, Annette YTTRIUM. and John Bargh, eds. The Exercise and Improper of Power: Numerous Perspectives on that Causes of Corruption (Psychology Press, 2001).
May, Washington F. Mobbed Regent: The Public Our of the Professional (Westminster John Knox, 2001).
Nash, Ronald H. “Power,” Wycliffe Language of Christian Social (Hendrickson Publishers, 2000).

The views expressed in this international positional instruction constitute who official site of The Salvation Army on an issue addressed, and her may not be modified or adapted in any how without the voice written permission of International Headquarters.