What do our core values mean and where did they come from?
Our core values were crafted by the Canada & Bermuda Territory Mission Advancement Planning group in 2003. In their deliberations on mission, they realized that it was important to put on paper the values that frame our mission and operation. Three foundational spiritual values – Salvation, Holiness and Intimacy with God – inform the seven operational values that guide all aspect of our organization and our behaviour.

Compassion
When you look at the mission statement of The Salvation Army you’ll find three great actions:

  • share the love
  • meet human needs
  • be a transforming influence.

You would be hard pressed to find a better expression of compassion than caring for people in these ways.  Caring and sharing – it’s what we do best.

This originates from the earliest days of The Salvation Army in London, England. When Bramwell Booth told his father William Booth that people were sleeping under bridges, he was told words weren’t enough. He was challenged to “Do something!”

Compassion is in our roots.

Respect
The Salvation Army believes that everyone is deserving of respect. That means upholding the dignity of all persons, no matter who they are or where they come from. It is foundational to all aspects of our organizational life.

Excellence
Excellence means being the best you can be – both personally and organizationally. When we talk about excellence, we talk about innovation and effectiveness, and about modelling our core values in everything we do. That is excellent indeed.

Integrity
Having integrity means being honest and trustworthy. Integrity is when your word actually means something. Integrity in practice ensures accountability, to each other and to those who entrust themselves and their resources to us.

Relevance
The dictionary defines relevance as ‘relationship to the matter at hand; practical and especially social applicability’. It means understanding what the needs really are and meeting them in the most effective and practical ways. The Salvation Army has a respected history of meeting people in places where no one else would go, of providing practical solutions to social ills and of extending a hand to those no one else would touch.

Did you know that way back in our history - 1891 to be exact – The Salvation Army opened a match factory? William Booth was appalled by the working conditions in other match factories, so he opened one of his own. It used safe materials, was well lit, paid one-third higher wages than elsewhere and gave its staff tea breaks. This fair trade innovation forced other factories to improve their working conditions

Co-operation
An army is built upon the knowledge that everyone works in relationship with others. An army is not a solo effort. Teamwork and partnership are foundational to every aspect of The Salvation Army. The sum of our individual parts pales in comparison to the impact of our collective work. And that happens only because of co-operation.

Celebration
Marking our milestones and successes is an important part of personal and organizational life. That happens in small and subtle ways – a handshake for a job well done or a cup of coffee for another day sober – as well as big and public ways, like a graduation party or a regional congress. Our celebrations give thanks.

If you’re not sure what the three spiritual values mean, here’s a quick overview:

Salvation – It’s a bit of a no-brainer that salvation would be a value important to The Salvation Army.  Do you know what it actually means?  Salvation literally means to be saved, or to be rescued, and in the language of faith, it means to be saved from sin. Salvation is a cornerstone of Christianity; Jesus Christ died for our salvation, so that humanity can be saved from sin. Every expression of The Salvation Army is rooted in the belief that the Christian faith compels us to meet human need and be a transforming influence in the communities in which we live.

Holiness – Holiness is about having the spirit of God in your life. The presence of the Holy Spirit changes the way we think and act, it prompts us to want to serve others in God’s name. This belief is another cornerstone of the Christian faith. The call and the urgings of the Holy Spirit are primary reasons that The Salvation Army has such a variety of services around the world.

Intimacy with God – Everything The Salvation Army does is built upon relationships. So it should come as no surprise to you that a relationship with God is an important foundation to spiritual life in The Salvation Army.  The public expression of this relationship is found in our worship, which doesn’t just happen in our churches. There are worship opportunities in many different types of ministry units, for members, employees, volunteers and clients.