Letter to the Editor: The Salvation Army Continues on the Ecumenical Road

LTRP Note: Lighthouse Trails first wrote about the Salvation Army’s move into the contemplative/emerging camp in July of 2006 in an article titled, “Salvation Army Joins the Contemplative/Emerging Ranks.” Later that year, we reported on Salvation Army’s partnering with Pete Greig’s emergent 24/7 Prayer and Boiler Rooms movement. In 2008, we reported that Salvation Army had linked arms with Rick Warren’s ecumenical PEACE coalition. In 2009, we showed Salvation Army’s connection with the ecumenical G12 Master Plan and in 2010, SA’s involvement with the G8 World Religions Summit. Then in 2019, showing TSA’s prolonged ecumenical propensity, we posted an article titled “World Leader of Salvation Army Meets With Pope Francis/Vatican to Discuss Ecumenical Plans.”

For two decades, Lighthouse Trails has tracked hundreds of Christian organizations and figures, which once beginning on the mystical contemplative path then moved into the interspiritual ecumenical path. That is because the “fruit” of contemplative prayer is interspirituality. And as Carl Teichrib has pointed out in his social justice booklet, the Salvation Army has joined the “Social Justice” ranks as well. And that is because “wokeism” is another contemplative “fruit.” This is something many do not realize.

We have provided this short background explanation so that anyone reading the following letter to the editor will not think that what has happened to the Salvation Army happened “overnight.” As with most deception, it is incremental—one dangerous step at a time, like the frog in hot water.

There may be some reading this who are thinking, “What does it matter what Salvation Army is doing? After all, they do so much work to raise money for the poor.” But when a ministry presents itself as an evangelical organization and solicits support from participants of that camp who give support because they believe they are supporting a spiritually like-minded organization, it is unethical and spiritually deceptive to not be upfront with such supporters regarding their ecumenical unbiblical affinities. The Salvation Army “Mission Statement” reads as follows:

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. (source; emphasis added)

Perhaps it’s time The Salvation Army changes its mission statement to reflect more of what is becoming.

Letter to the Editor:

Dear Lighthouse Trails:

You may recall I wrote to you last November about being chucked out of the Salvation Army Sunday meeting because we didn’t have a vaccine passport. They divided the body of Christ.

Recently [August], we got their prayer request list for people seeking prayer. In that weekly list, there was a prayer that was suggested for trouble spots around the world. Here is that prayer:

Note I have added the parts in italics and parentheses.

A Christian Prayer for Peace in Our Time 

(Prayer originally found at Jesuit Resources by Rev Fr Dr. Peter John Scagnelli.)

O God, author and giver of peace, in whose image and likeness each of us has been created with a human dignity worthy of respect on earth and destined for eternal glory, listen to the cry that rises from every corner of this fragile earth, from our human family torn by violent conflict:-

Give peace in our time, O good and gracious God,
that peace which, as your son Jesus Christ told us and as we have experienced in these days, is a peace which the world cannot give.

To world leaders grant the wisdom to see beyond the boundaries of race, religion, and nation to that common humanity that makes us all your children and brothers and sisters to one another.

To those who have taken up arms in anger or revenge or even in the cause of justice grant the grace of conversion to the path of peaceful dialogue and constructive collaboration.

To the innocent who live in the shadow of war and terror, especially the frightened children, be a shelter and strength, their haven and hope.

And to those who have already lost their lives as victims of human cruelty and warfare, open wide your arms and enfold them all in the embrace of your compassion, healing, and everlasting life.

Grant this through Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord.

(Originally ended with: Mary, Mother of all and Queen of peace, pray for us).

I was very surprised to see the part that says, “And to those who have already lost their lives as victims of human cruelty etc.” Here we are asked to pray for those who have died. I sent an email to the person who put out this list (a Salvation Army soldier and a member of the leadership team). Her reply was that she got it from a church list. She saw nothing wrong with that prayer or in praying for those who have died. I sent her a further email pointing out that the prayer is a Jesuit Roman Catholic prayer and also pointed out that they have another Gospel. Her reply was that she was sorry that I didn’t approve of the prayer.

In the past we have discovered that the Salvation Army is in bed with the Roman Catholics. They use their prayers, teaching material, and Bible-study material as well. However, they never tell the users the source is Catholic—they forget that bit.

These things come as such a shock to us. We have seen the link with the SA and the Catholic Church before especially in Bible studies. There was one study in particular where the leader recommended additional reading. Each item was from a Catholic mystic. We pointed this out to them, all to no avail. However, to start praying to the dead I thought would be against everything the SA would stand for. Obviously not!

This is so sad that an outfit like the Salvation Army will use material like this without even realizing the dangers of another Gospel. Maybe the draw card for the SA is the ecumenical stance that the Catholics push.

Take care; God bless you.

P & J

Related Information:

“Salvation Army Lies, Tries To Cover Up Critical Race Guide” (The Federalist)

(Photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission.)