Top Salvationist in Christchurch

Press, 2 June 1984, Page 8

Top Salvationist in Christchurch

The Salvation Army is making more progress in Australia and New Zealand than many other parts of the world, according to its International Chief of Staff, Commissioner Caughey Gauntlett. Commissisoner Gauntlett, in New Zealand on a fiveday visit, said in Christchurch last evening that although the Salvation Army was growing fastest in the Third World, membership in New Zealand was increasing at a greater rate than in Europe. Commissioner Gauntlett is second-in-command to the General in the Salvation Army hierarchy, and his job involves implementing policy decisions and co-ordi-nating the Church’s work in 84 countries. He said he hoped to contribute something by way of encouragement on his visit here, as well as to gather information on the move-

ment in New Zealand. The Salvation Army had a strong social expression world wide, and its members aimed through this to say what they thought and believed as Christians — that there was a God living and working in the world today. “We try to keep to the basics and preach the Gospel applying to the whole person — the physical and mental interacting with what is spiritual,” he said. This “basics” approach had not changed throughout his Church’s history, he said. Current trendy approaches to evangelism had had their period of vogue, but those that survived carried on consistently in a quiet, unspectacular, but effective manner. The Salvation Army was involved with politics, but worked in conjunction with the Government of a country.

“Revolutionary or radical political movements are not for us. We have had to speak out on matters which are more than political, and are social or moral, but we submit our viewpoint to the Government.” The Salvation Army did not wish to enter into military debate about the merits of nuclear or conventional weapons, but was still interested in world peace, said Commissioner Gauntlett. “What is the ethical difference between conventional and nuclear arms? World peace has to begin with individual personal relationships of human beings,” he said. The biggest obstacle to the Salvation Army’s aims was rampant materialism. “People get self-satisfied with material things and forget about spiritual and moral values in life. Young people are coming back to looking at moral values.” The growth of movements such as the Greens in Europe was evidence of this. Different areas of the world presented different sets of social problems, and the Church had to try to adapt to the most urgent needs of the country. In Africa these problems included illiteracy, poor communications, and poor health, whereas in Australia and New Zealand problems such as alcohol and drug abuse were serious. “In Australia we were seeing how some men from the bottom of Skid Row are now accepting, without any compulsion, the Christian faith. Nobody can come to us unless he wants to. We can be a bridge for normal integration back into society.” Commissioner Caughey’s wife, Mrs Marjorie Gauntlett, is also a Salvation Army commissioner. They both have a number of speaking engagements in Christchurch and the North Island