Under the leadership of Commissioner Wesley Harris, the Historical Society put on a tribute evening to acknowledge the past influence and future potential of Salvation Army music to reach out with soul-saving results. TSA composers Major Howard Davies, Noel Jones and Brian Hogg formed a guest panel to promote discussion on the subject. Mindful that early Salvationists wrote Christian lyrics to secular tunes of the day in order to present the gospel to others in a meaningful way, so too we were reminded that SA music groups today need to make sure that they are open enough to be inclusive in membership and relevant in their ministry.
I thoroughly enjoyed the phrase mentioned by Brian Hogg and left with it ringing in my ears and embedded on my mind ~ "BELONG TO BELIEVE or BELIEVE TO BELONG."
It was very clear that SA music groups today need to assess whether they value the concept 'BELONG TO BELIEVE' (open group) or 'BELIEVE TO BELONG' (closed group). Their answer will reveal the degree of effectiveness with regards both membership and spiritual success.
Now that's not only food for thought but, hopefully, active digestion.
