The calling

by Melissa Frye

My view of “the Calling” has evolved over the years. I think it stems from my experience but also is spurred on by my zeal for over-thinking things. My view of the call to officership has been challenged these days-by officers, ex-officers, soldiers, and friends, and by my general view of the world as I know it. I believe that the Lord is opening my eyes up to think more about how we should view the call, but the overall idea and gist of it is still so mysterious, murky even.

I come from a non-Christian home. I grew up going to church maybe a handful of times in nineteen years. I was challenged to “find out what I believe in” as child when I asked any questions about God or religion. I do believe that my Catholic grandmother prayed for me, and words she spoke when I was a teenager still stick in my mind. “God has great plans for you,” she said. So, coming from a non-Christian, non-Salvationist background, my being called to officership is an anomaly. But I also think that is why I believe it to be so true.

I first heard of the calling from my true love. We were writing love letters back and forth, and in one - I think one of the first - he wrote about how he was called to be an officer and that his wife must also be called. At that time, I was not a Christian. I was on the way, I believe, but had not yet made my decision. Also at that time, I had no idea of what officership was even about. I knew about the pastoring side, because I had been to church a few times - but as to the whole gamut, clueless. My then-boyfriend, now-husband was challenged by his mother to “make sure I was the right girl and to not forget his calling to be an officer.” She had every right to be nervous; who was I to be called to be an officer?

I have been asked numerous times to explain the call to becoming an officer. In words, I cannot. It’s like trying to explain the color blue to a person who has been blind since birth - it simply cannot be done. For some, God calls in a still, soft voice; for others, a bright light from the sky. Some have felt the assurance of their calling since birth; others are called after years of worldly service. All in all, it is a specific call from God, by God, to people who He believes can fulfill His purposes for His Kingdom.

Here’s the part that I believe I can speak about: Why The Salvation Army? Why not another denomination, another church? What is so different about the call to officership that I, a girl from everywhere and nowhere, am called to this specific service in The Salvation Army?

As Salvation Army officers, we are called to “drop our nets and follow Him.” We sell our homes and cars; we leave our families and our own chosen careers. As officers, we choose to leave the thought of career and job success behind, trusting that God will take away the human desires that we all carry to be successful people in this world. As officers, we are not to seek praise and incentive when we do a job well or gain another soul for the Kingdom. As officers, we are not to expect a raise in pay when we have a successful ministry as would be expected in the worldly job market. In another denomination, I could approach my board to ask for a raise in pay-especially if my ministry is seemingly successful and I have more tithing attendees coming to worship. In The Salvation Army, I am expected to be satisfied with God’s blessings and God’s rewards, leaving worldly, human feelings behind.

As Salvation Army officers, we are called to be “slaves of God.” We give up our freedoms to choose where we live, what we live in, what we drive, what we wear. We give up our freedom to choose specialized ministry or to use our education in the manner with which WE hoped to use it. We are to throw our desires out to accept God’s desires for us in. The man or woman with a Master’s Degree needs to accept that he or she might be in a small town with simple people for his or her entire life as a Salvation Army officer. It is said that we are called to “corps officership” - that all who are called are ultimately called to fulfill the purpose of a corps officer - which for the majority of the Midwest is corps in small- to medium-sized towns. We are called to be satisfied with simple living - no, sacrificial living. In The Salvation Army, I am expected to be satisfied with God’s blessings and God’s provision, leaving human wants and desires behind.

As Salvation Army officers, we are called to “reach out to the lost, the poor, the disenfranchised.” We are to befriend the friendless, give assistance to the needy, give a hand-up to those who have fallen. Most corps are in the places they are because people are in need of basic services. William Booth desired for The Salvation Army to reach out to those who didn’t “fit in” in other churches; those whose dress was not suitable, whose manner was not “proper” enough and/or whose hygiene was less than desirable. Our corps are not meant to be mega-churches filled with elitists who have no hunger to reach those who are hurting. This means that officers will be in the trenches dealing with dirty, hungry people-those who are simpleminded, illiterate, or mentally incapable of true human relationship. Salvation Army officers are called to preach the Gospel in a way that can be understood by all -not dumbing it down, but speaking the Truth at a level that all can be fed. In The Salvation Army, I am expected to be satisfied with God’s blessings and God’s purpose, leaving human nature towards people behind.

So, with all of that said, I believe that those who are called to officership are special people. I don’t know if they know it or recognize it, but officers are called to live at a higher standard - God’s standard - with a higher purpose in mind. Truthfully, when I think of what is expected of me, I feel unworthy and incapable. Officership is a 24/7/365 calling, and it is one that is hard to live up to fully. Balancing life sometimes seems impossible. Respect is not always given. Humanness shines through often.

God’s calling to Officership is really more than we are capable of fulfilling. Thankfully, we have a God who knows our limitations, and if we are honest with ourselves and with God, I believe that He will provide us with a life of fulfillment and blessings.

Writer: Captain Melissa Frye is an officer currently serving in the Heartland Division of the US Central Territory. When she’s not busy being an officer, wife and mother of four children, she enjoys writing, traveling and watching American Football. Melissa is a first-generation Salvationist who loves the rich history and mission of The Salvation Army. She believes that she is serving on the ‘new’ missionary field and seeks to live a life pleasing to her Heavenly Father.

10 Comments to The calling

1. Great article and praise God that you have found an avenue of service, but I profoundly disagree. Soldiers are called to live at an equally high calling, and have an equally demanding , often more difficult and more isolated vocation. There is basically no formal framework in which we can grow and develop - unless you are one of those who think going ‘to church’ for an hour on Sunday hits that spot. It can be frankly impossible to find avenues of service that can link with the corps, sometimes despite many years of trying. Until people realise that it is the case that soldiers have a serious covenant and a serious vocation, the army will be a cool place for officers and a disaster for rest of us. Warmest regards.
Eleanor Burne-Jones on April 1st, 2009

2. If there is no place in officership for specializations (or no confidence in the ability to use specializations), then there is no reason to study for such specialization. I fear this would leave us as a clergy of mediocrity.
David Witthoff on April 1st, 2009

3. Melissa, “It’s like trying to explain the color blue to a person who has been blind since birth - it simply cannot be done.” Sure it can be done. Have you not seen the movie “Mask”? Rocky taught us that you use something really cold! Maybe that is hard to fathom if you are immersed in biblical languages and set adrift in a sea of “What about me?”

   Signed,
   A mediocre officer!
Juan on April 1st, 2009

4. Melissa,

   I love your story and calling experience. I believe that you’re one who “gets it” as well - the whole sacrificial living thing AND the 24/7/365 calling notion. I have to agree with David in the comment above, though as it relates to specialized ministry. I believe that if the Army is going to successfully navigate through the next century, careful consideration must be given to those who have specialized degrees along with the mix of Spiritual gifting and passion. More and more, we’re living in a highly educated society and to reach people with the gospel, we need to be able to mix it up with everybody. We cannot allow mediocrity to creep in by misplacing those in specialized areas.

   In Ephesians 4:11-12, we read that “…Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…” To me, this seems to indicate that there is a need to have people identified for certain specializations within the Body of Christ so that effective ministry can take place without sacrificing anyone’s God-given desire to minister in certain places and in specific ways.
Rob on April 1st, 2009

5. To be clearer, I did not say that the author or anyone specific is mediocre, though it is prevelent in the Army. On the other hand, and to the point: People are specializing right now, and studying for those ends. When officers are put in areas they studied for, they do well. My criticism was only that if we discourage specialization, we encourage mediocrity. In addition, specialization does not necessitate academic work, though they are usually associated. Specialization could come from an uneducated person finding a gift or knack for a certain type of work.

   In my own defense, I found the phrase “adrift in a sea of ‘What about me?’” which I take to be directed at me, to be quite offensive. I hope that any perceived arrogance or self-centeredness on my part would be seen in the future as a shortcoming of web communication only and not as a reflection of my true character. We miss too much in communication with only short comments and such.

   Finally, Juan, never consider yourself mediocre. Scripture calls us as Christians to love the Lord with all heart, soul, mind, and strength. It also warns us against zeal without knowledge. So while mediocrity may show up in our lives from time to time, we should press on to excellence in all things.
David Witthoff on April 1st, 2009

6. Sorry David, but that comment was not meant to be offensive, although I used you as the background for that comment. The first part of my comment was merely a joke making reference to a 1980’s movie. But the fact is that there is some truth to it. While Melissa states that explaining “calling” is next to impossible, I was encouraging a “thinking outside of the box” that makes the idea relevant to people struggling with the concept of a call to officership. That might include you. While those of us within officership toss around terms like “calling” quite easily, there are others much like yourself who are left on the outside wondering how they might fit into the equation. That’s where the “What about me?” question came from. I am not implying that the “setting adrift” has been self-chosen, but rather it has been forced upon good, potential candidates by the system we have developed. A lot of young people cannot see how they fit into our ranks. By reading some of your other articles, I imagine that is how you may feel.

   I signed off as a “mediocre officer” (self-deprecation for humor sake - guess it didn’t work) because I have went through a system for nearly 20 years where I have had to be a fairly good generalist. Good at preaching. Good at PR. Good with finances. Good with counselling. Good HR manager. If you’re not good at all these things, then you’re not good enough to take on more responsibility. Mediocrity may not be the right word, but there is certainly a philosophy of being better than average at a lot of things and not great at anything. That’s just my take. No harm intended.
Juan on April 1st, 2009

7. Praise the Lord Juan. I understand now where the confusion entered. It makes me glad that there was no malice and I see what you meant. Like I said, small comments without context can be SO misunderstood. My apologies as well for perhaps being too defensive.

   On another note Juan, my trouble with calling and officership is not that corps work is so varied, but that there is such a varience between appoinments.

   For example

   If I had an M. Div. or a B.A. in Pastoral Min, or something of the like, I would see that as specialization for corps work. But I could end up at DHQ finance.

   If I study theology I would see that as specialization for CFOT, but I could end up as a Youth Secratary.

   I’m not so worried about the varience of work that a corps officer does. If all you want to do is preach, well, there’s a lot more to pastoral ministry.

   It seems to me that calling is difficult because there is one calling (officership) with many occupations within it.

   But I suppose this is a bit of a digression from the article itself….
David Witthoff on April 1st, 2009

8. Hi David. Sorry for any misunderstanding. I should be more careful about what I post and reread it first (just to see if it is clear or could be misconstrued).

   In response to your comments above about the variety within appointments, I don’t particularly have a problem with it either. In fact I think the variety should be expected. The variety also allows officers to have multiple skills that can serve them well in the future and make them adaptable.

   I think we are probably attacking the same ship here, but from different sides of the boat.

   My issue is when officers have identifiable skills, but are overlooked for specific appointments because they are weak in other areas (and so are deemed to be mediocre/average officers). I know of officers who were strong in finance or PR, but were stuck in appointments where they primarily needed other skill-sets that they sorely lacked. Thus, they were looked upon as inadequate. They went into the Army with something to give (so they thought), but were expected to run the same course as every other new officer and do so for 10-20 years before they could get that appointment that some DC/DH deemed “too high” for them. We sometimes treat all officers as generalists - some are and are very good at it. But some aren’t and they never get to use their gifts/skills where it would best serve them and the Army. This leads to frustration for those who stay, higher rates of “desertion” (those who leave), and greater apprehension for those who are considering if officership might be the best route for them to fulfill the call of God upon their lives.
Juan on April 1st, 2009

9. Warning!! Controversial Comment!!!

   Calling by God or Calling by the Church? Now there’s a challenge.

   Let me answer this in a round-a-bout way by answering a different question…. Are children of Officers called to be ‘Officers Kids’ (OK’s)? Bear with it, I will explain the relevance towards the end.

   As an OK myself, and having spoken to a LOT of other OK’s, I think it’s a question worth examining. OK’s are also required to live sacrificially. Growing up, my siblings and I got one descent present between us at Christmas because that’s all my parents could afford. We usually ate bread that was 3 days old because that’s all my parents could afford. We rarely went on school camps (unless the school paid for it) because our parents couldn’t afford it. I know Officers have many ‘benefits’ such as house, car etc, that massively raise the ’salary package’, but it still leaves a pittifull amount of disposable income to spend on the above. Now, underpriveliged children are in the same boat I know, but is that an excuse in this day and age? Here’s a stinger - how many Officers spend as much time with their children as they do with their corps-folk, or the children of the underpriveliged? I know of very few. In fact, the only ones I know of are where the mother stays at home and lets the husband do all the ‘officer’ work - but in cases where the parents have seperate appointments (which is becomming more and more common), this is impossible. As much as people might like to think they do spend time with their kids, believe me, kids notice it.

   As a result of all of this, many OK’s (whether they admit/realise it or not) - myself included - grow up ‘differently’ to other kids. Moving as often as they do, they find it diffcult to make and maintain new friends. As a result, many (if not most) grow up ’socially retarded’ (whether they admit this or not is another thing). Why are there so many OK’s with addiction problems, relationship problems, various kinds of mental illness?

   How does this relate to my original question? Would God - loving as He is - impose that kind of life on children? So… If that is the life of Officership, can the call come from God? As a Psychollogy student (and ex-officer), I would question whether the ‘call’ is not some form of mass hysteria, and/or a desire for acceptance within a particular framework. Is it right to ’spiritualise’ the whole calling of officership the way we do, when it often means (and I’ll say it) neglecting your children? (I can’t say our children as I don’t have any).

   I believe in the ‘priesthood of all believers’. None of us are ‘called to a higher calling’, just more (or ‘different’ might be a better word) responsibility.

   So…. I ask my question again. Is the ‘Call’ from God or the Church?

   Yours in Christ,
   Graeme.
Graeme Randall on April 1st, 2009

10. Eleanor’s point is valid. Resources put into officership are enormous as compared to those put soldiership. (In my experience, albeit limited, I’d suggest that the balance here likely negative). This is especially challenging when one is soldiering in a high need community (rural, urban whatever doesn’t matter). Where DOES a soldier’s help come from?

    But it is also true that the resources are put into officership aren’t utilized at the discretion of the officers.

    Graeme, from what I’ve seen of OKs (and I’ve met more than a few from at least 6 countries at different agas) they are a pretty varied bunch. Don’t think I could generalize about their social capacities except to say that they often seem clannish, but even on that diimension there are exceptions. Don’t know if it’s nature or nurture here but I’ve noticed that when OKs put their minds to whatever goal that suits their fancy (serving Him or not) that they seem to be able to marshall high levels of discipline.

    Andrea
Andrea614Regent on April 2nd, 2009

Leave a comment