The Salvation Army serves people in 400 communities across Canada every day. Perhaps that’s not news to you, but did you ever wonder how we use technology to support and enhance that work? With thousands of programs and activities, the demand for new capabilities, and digital tools to enable those capabilities, is growing rapidly. Frankly, we have been behind that curve for quite some time, so we are determined to close the gap and use technology to serve our people.

General Bramwell Booth was early to adopt the use of motor vehicles to aid in his movement about England. In Canada, The Salvation Army was early in the use of television and radio as tools to tell the story of forgiveness and redemption. In our time, we, too, must determine how we can—or perhaps must—use technology to aid in our work to be a transforming influence in the communities of our territory.

If General William Booth could see what we are doing, I think he would be calling us to use the best tools available to serve those in our territory. I think he would be interested to know how we are helping our people make decisions as they serve in the name of Jesus.

Administration is a critical part of being a transforming influence in the communities we serve. The Apostle Paul calls the skill of administration a spiritual gift (see 1 Corinthians 12:28 NIRV). Without it, you get, well, chaos. The last time I checked, chaos does not aid the work of The Salvation Army.

With an eye to providing a more effective front-line experience, growing our organizational capabilities and more effectively managing technology, the territory has launched “Accelerate 25.” This comprehensive program will bring about the processes, capabilities and automation most requested across the territory, while at the same time, consolidating our systems and protecting our people and their data. This is not just about bits and bytes; it’s about having the administrative tools we need to serve more effectively.

The Governing Council recently approved Accelerate 25 as a foundational step in enhancing mission delivery while dramatically improving our administrative capabilities and processes. You will experience the program in several different ways:

• Consolidated systems. Our core administrative processes range from how we engage people (volunteers, employees, donors, etc.) to how we manage and measure the effectiveness of the programs and services we provide. Historically, these processes have been largely manual or have relied on outdated, independent and isolated systems, resulting in a less-than-desirable experience for all involved.

• Protection of people and data. Bad actors increasingly threaten the systems of banks, corporations and individuals. We must do all we can to protect the data of our clients, employees, donors and volunteers. The Accelerate 25 program will introduce modern capabilities that will help protect personal information for us and for those we serve.

• Updated software. We have numerous databases and software applications that are incompatible or out of date. We will establish reliable, useful and accessible data so we can make better-informed decisions based on information we can certify as correct.

This is not just about a financial investment in these systems and tools; there are significant human resources engaged in this work, which is intended to reduce manual labour and increase efficiencies at the front line. It may be that your ministry unit has already begun to benefit in ways that are not visible on a day-to-day basis. The objective is to allow our people to increasingly use mobile devices, with the necessary tools and a welcoming platform that knows who you are as you sign in. Imagine that.

We live in a digital world, and we need digital tools to serve well. I am grateful to Jonathan Landon, chief information and technology officer, and his talented team who are leading the work. Perhaps you or your team have been in contact with them. Perhaps your corps or ministry unit has benefited from their work. We have a way to go and much work to do, but we are getting there. Got any questions? Send me an email at fred.waters@salvationarmy.ca. I would love to hear from you.

Lt-Colonel Fred Waters is the territorial secretary for business administration.

Photo: Khanchit Khirisutchalual/iStock via Getty Images Plus

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