It is just over a year since I launched this petition asking the Salvation Army to stop its cult-like behaviour by discriminating against its many former officers (ministers) and denying them a pension. Thank you for being one of the 625 people who have signed so far. I continue to receive much encouragement from people to continue this campaign, including salvationists, serving officers and members of the public who find it baffling that such a widely respected organisation can treat people so appallingly. I know this petition is helping to raise the profile of the issue. At the biennial gathering of all serving officers held at Harrogate in October, I’m told that the subject of pensions for formers officers featured in the keynote address given by Commissioner Clive Adams, leader of the Salvation Army in the UK. I gather it also featured in the question time during an open forum session with the leadership. However, former colleagues have told me that they came away with little hope of a change in policy. It seems our work is not yet done so please keep sharing this petition with others. The 245 comments added to the petition so far include many from those who have been directly affected by the Salvation Army’s policy. I find the comments very moving and they cause me to feel honoured to be able to raise the profile of the issue in this way. The comments help to build a picture of the actual underlying organisational values which, sadly, fall far short of the Salvation Army’s espoused mission. Perhaps never before will so many examples of the Salvation Army’s mistreatment of people have been described in one place. This forms an important record, which I hope will become a springboard for change and a reminder of how far it is possible for an organisation to stray from authenticity. If you know anyone whose life has been affected by the policy in any way please share this petition with them. Only the leadership of the Salvation Army can bring about this much needed change. Current policy, surprising as it may seem, enjoys the protection of UK law, and the perception of the leadership seems to be that it is in the best interests of the Salvation Army to maintain the status quo. I believe that there are three main barriers to change: 1. The financial cost of paying a pension to former officers. 2. The fear of an exodus of serving officers following introduction of a portable pension. 3. A scarcity of leaders brave enough to bear the cost of cultural change. Of these three, I consider the second to be the most significant as far as the leadership of the Salvation Army is concerned. A surprising number of officers have bravely shared with me just how trapped they feel. All too often leaving would mean facing poverty and homelessness in the immediate future, to say nothing of poverty in retirement. However, the converse is also true: if officers are valued and treated fairly they are less likely to feel the need to resign. A portable pension is an important step towards treating officers fairly. The important underlying spiritual principle here is that you have to “give to grow”. The Salvation Army Officers’ Pension Fund receives monthly contributions made on behalf of each serving officer, so the simple fact is that contributions have been made for each and every officer regardless of what future pathway they take. The cost of the pension has already be borne. Resignation is not a good enough reason to deny officers a pension. It is not acceptable to punish former officers in this way simply because they feel the Salvation Army is no longer the vehicle through which they can serve. It matters not whether they served 2 years or 35 plus years, as is the case for some of the former officers who have signed and commented on the petition. It is simply a “matter of justice” as one highly regarded retired officer comments on the petition. The words of the prophet Amos come to mind: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”. (Amos 5:24 English Standard Version) Please keep sharing this petition. There are people you know who will be only too glad to lend their support to this cause. And for those of you who pray, please pray for braver leaders who care enough about the hurting people of the world to want to be spiritually authentic.