(Above) Lt-Col Roxanne Jennings reads a passage of Scripture at the commissioning and ordination of the Messengers of Reconciliation in 2022 (Photo: Symon Ptashnick)

Throughout the past year, territorial discussions at the governance level have caused me to return often to the covenant I signed upon my commissioning as an officer (you can read the full text of the Officer’s Covenant at the end of the article). As we head into the month of February, dedicated culturally to the recognition of special relationships in our lives, and organizationally to candidate call and commitment, it seems fitting that I share my thoughts around the theme of covenant.

Covenant as Relationship

The concept of covenant has existed since the earliest days of human civilization. Ancient artifacts confirm the use of covenants in various aspects of civil codes of conduct, in which individuals or societies entered into binding agreements that defined the nature of their relationship. Covenants are found throughout Scripture, too, where they can be personal, as with David and Jonathan; political, as between kings Solomon and Hiram; or legal, as found in the laws freeing Hebrew slaves. Covenant relationships are also at the heart of God’s redemptive plan. Biblical scholars differ on the exact number of covenants between God and humankind but there is agreement on these five key covenants:

1. Noahic (see Genesis 8:20-9:17)
2. Abrahamic (see Genesis 12, 15, 17)
3. Mosaic (see Exodus 31:12-18)
4. Davidic (see 2 Samuel 7; Psalms 72, 89, 132)
5. The New Covenant/Jesus (see Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekial 36:22-32; Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:19-22)

While not always evident in secular contexts, at the heart of every covenant is a relationship. In an age that places individual freedom before all else, choosing to live according to a covenant is countercultural. In Exclusion and Embrace, theologian Miroslav Volf explains that most agreements today are contractual in nature, in that they are performance-oriented to ensure the completion of a task or provision of a service. They have a limited commitment, obligating people only to the terms of the contract. And they are strictly reciprocal, such that if one fails to fulfil the contract, the other party is no longer obligated.

But select professions in which responsibility, duty and character are essential for accreditation or public trust continue to use covenants that guide their conduct. Doctors, lawyers and public officials swear an oath upon taking office. In doing so, they enter “covenantal relationships that involve open-ended, self-giving, faithful love,” writes Volf.

This very much defines my covenant as an officer of The Salvation Army. In June 1988, I signed my covenant with God and with the Army, pledging with all my heart that I would spend the rest of my days as a minister of the gospel, in service to the mission of The Salvation Army. I willingly surrendered free agency to a higher calling. In doing so, I entered a new relationship with God and the Army, and I became part of a covenant community of men and women around the world who have answered the same call and made the same promises. In the 35 years since then, I can attest that there have been times of sacrifice, but they are balanced by times of blessing as God has used me in his ministry of reconciliation and transformation. There have been times when I could not see the road ahead clearly but through these times, I have proven the faithfulness of God and been supported by the presence, counsel, instruction and prayers of my covenant community. Mine is not a solo mission.

Covenant as Authorization and Accountability

Covenant relationships often confer a degree of authority or authorization. The Salvation Army recognizes and upholds the biblical principle of the priesthood of all believers, as evidenced by the invaluable ministry provided by Salvationist soldiers and adherents. But, as ordained and commissioned clergy, officers are officially entrusted to represent the Army with respect to its doctrine, message, mission, culture and tradition. Regardless of the role to which we are appointed or the status of the office, all officers are expected to officially represent the Army in all that they do and say. We often hear that officership is a 24/7 job. This is true in the sense that there can be no compartmentalization in our lives. Our calling must be fully integrated into our being lest a duplicitous heart render our calling ineffectual.

For this reason, officership carries the responsibility of accountability. Alongside the signing of my covenant, I signed the “Undertakings Entered Into by an Officer of The Salvation Army.” In these 15 statements, I pledged, among other things, to observe the orders and regulations of the Army, to faithfully live in accordance with its doctrines, to respect the direction of my leaders, to align my development in accordance with their direction, and to be held accountable by them for my performance and effectiveness in ministry. Thus, my authorization for pastoral leadership carries with it an understanding that I, too, serve under authority. The Army confers upon me the sacred privilege of ministry and holds me accountable to be a worthy representative.

Covenant Is Reciprocal

I mentioned earlier that covenant is a relationship, which infers two parties. I signed my covenant before my leaders, who witnessed and signed as well. Reciprocal commitments were made that day. Over the years, I confess I haven’t given much thought to the reciprocal nature of my covenant. However, as I participate in discussions at the governance level, I have been reading my covenant through a different lens, seeking to understand and clarify the Army’s responsibility and accountability toward its covenant-partners—its officers.

In committees such as the officer review committee, candidates council, appointment committee, Governing Council and the officer compensation task force, I hold this partnership as a sacred trust, endeavouring to view all matters through the lens of our covenant responsibility to you. The success of The Salvation Army depends on the strength, well-being and flourishing of its officers.

Calling and Covenant

To those who have already responded to the call to officership, thank you for your enduring commitment, wholehearted devotion and radical obedience to your covenant. You are the “mighty heroes who listen intently to the voice of his word to do it … ministers who serve him well and fulfil his desires” (Psalm 103:20-21 TPT).

To those whom God is calling, may he grant you the courage and peace to embrace his call to live righteously in partnership with him as he transforms the world. May God keep us all faithful in this covenant journey as, together, we live out these words from our Officer’s Covenant: “by God’s grace, we prove ourselves worthy officers as done in the strength of our Lord and Saviour.”

Lt-Colonel Roxanne Jennings is the territorial secretary for personnel.

The Officer’s Covenant

Called by God to proclaim the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as an officer of The Salvation Army, I bind myself to him in this solemn covenant:

To love and serve him supremely all my days,

To live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life.

To care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked.

To love the unloved and befriend those who have no friends.

To maintain the doctrines and principles of The Salvation Army, A

nd, by God’s grace, to prove myself a worthy officer.

Done in the strength of my Lord and Saviour.