Deeper shade of grey | Fred Smith

Lost voice of mission | Gordon Cotterill

The enigma of Frank Smith has intrigued me for years and it has been good to get an insight to this man through a paper given several years ago to the National Salvation Army Social Services Conference by Norman Murdoch (Murdoch, N.H.(2003) Frank Smith: Salvationist Socialist. National Salvation Army Social Services Conference).

If ever there was a lost voice of mission within TSA it is Frank Smith. The one time Commissioner who led TSA work in the US and Canada (1884-1887) and who was TSA first Social Wing Commissioner (1888-90) resigned and left TSA to become a founder member of the British Labour party. With his ‘desertion’, the cloud under which he left descended further to fog any influence he had within the formation of a holistic missiological theology that shaped TSA then, and continues to do so now.

There is very little historical recognition of Frank Smith and his influence, seemingly an awkwardness and embarrassment he simply is not considered. He warrants a minimal attention in Sandall’s historical account of the development of TSA, reflected in an almost denial that he shaped the social programme of TSA and that he led the Social Wing.

Murdoch (2003) suggests that for some reason Frank Smith remains a peripheral figure and an organisational maverick. Yet for many Salvationists, particularly those who worked in city slums, he forged a theology of missional engagement that broadened and brought a more holistic understanding of salvation.

For many, Smith was seen as representative of a “new pattern of Salvation Army leadership” who gave welfare work high priority to readdress a growing schism between what was known as the Spiritual Wing and the Social Wing. His socialist way of thinking shaped his theology as he argued that corps should be social centres with Salvationist lay members engaged in social service as well as soul saving.

As the first Social Wing Commissioner he is given little credit for the 11 men’s shelters; 10 cheap food depots; 5 workshops; 3 labour bureaus; 7 labour factories; a prison-gate home; a farm colony; 14 rescue homes; 8 Women’s Institutions; 40 slum posts all set up in his two year tenure!

His influence over Darkest England and the Way Out is largely played down, as was his influence over William Booth and his ‘change of mind’. This change was dramatic for Booth who had once concluded that early charitable mission was unfounded and in fact pauperised those in need and not the ‘work proper’. The narrowness of definition of salvation summed up with many sound bytes by Catherine who saw soup and soap as secondary.

“Oh! How I see the emptiness and vanity of everything compared with the salvation of the soul. What does it matter if a man dies in the workhouse? If he dies on a doorstep covered with wounds, like Lazarus - what does it matter if his soul, is saved?”

Such strength of thought saw TSA retreat from its early forays into holistic mission, it’s theology not rigorous enough to underpin and give meaning to its actions. Alongside this, Murdoch (2003) identifies that Booth was aware that TSA was seeing it’s credibility being lost inner city. It would seem that Smith helped Booth to identify that the driving force for the primacy of individual soul salvation was responsible for dualistic schism that was fragmenting holistic mission.

Post 1890 Booth’s theology became increasingly tired of the dualism seen between the Spiritual and the Social Wing; Smith’s advanced social ideas no doubt would have had an impact as together Smith and Booth explored ‘Wholesale Salvation’ as a means of bringing a balance between individual and social salvation. O Wholesale Salvation! doesn’t have the same kind of ring, but given the development of Booth’s missional theology it makes you wonder when Booth wrote these words:

O boundless salvation! deep ocean of love,
O fullness of mercy, Christ brought from above,
The whole world redeeming, so rich and so free,
Now flowing for all men, now flowing for all men,
Now flowing for all men, come, roll over me!

… 1893, three years after Darkest England and the Way Out and the resignation of Commissioner Frank Smith.

Frank Smith resigned and went into politics. I suspect there are many theories that could be put forward, many of which have pushed Frank Smith’s voice into safe obscurity. The impact of his voice can be seen around the world but by and large he represents another lost voice of mission.

Writer: Capt. Gordon Cotterill lives in London, England, is married to Kate and has two daughters Bethan and Eryn. He has been a Salvation Army officer for ten years and ‘cut his teeth’ in ministry with his wife as the corps officers at Poplar in the East End of London. The lessons he learned there in his day-to-day ministry, amid the chaos of the inner city, continue to shape his understanding and passion for biblical and grace-centred mission. His latest appointment as Spiritual Programme Director at the William Booth College, London now offers him the opportunity for the fusion and exploration of ‘mission’ and ’spiritual formation’ while trying to inspire a new generation of Salvation Army officers as to their role in God’s plan for His creation. Gordon keeps a blog where he mulls over themes of mostly, mission and spiritual formation.

2 Comments to Deeper shade of grey | Fred Smith

1. Do you think that part of the reason for his descent into obscurity was his support for Bramwell Booth during the First High Council period as evidenced by his book “The Betrayal of Bramwell Booth”
Charles Durman on March 17th, 2009

2. Another sad event in the history of The Salvation Army. Too much power in one man’s pocket. Out of control, demeaning power was evident. At times it raises it’s ugly head in these days and people march on as blind as a bat. The Founder with his sincere faith and love of God should have been held accountable like everyone else. People are afraid to speak up because they may lose position. Why not be like the Apostle Paul, and accuse the Apostle Peter to his face ?

   We all need to learn from past sin and mistakes.

   Bob
Bob Deidrick on June 18th, 2010

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