Changes to Community membership and Commission

13 June 2024
 
Dear friends,

When I wrote to you a few weeks ago I was about to start my new role as Interim CEO, I am now within my first fortnight and writing to you again. I told you then that I was sorry that we didn’t consult more fully on the changes to the Church Army Mission Community and Commission and that I hoped we could begin rectifying that. After consultation with the Chair of the Church Army Board, Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani, I’m now writing with more detail about how we hope to do that.
 
The Church Army Board met today, and accepted my proposal that we should suspend the process of changes to the Church Army Mission Community and Commission. This means that for the time being no revisions to membership are being made, and you do not need to be in touch with us by the end of September to respond to our earlier communications.
 
We will always make a priority of the safeguarding of all God’s people. Therefore, we still need to make some changes. However, bearing in mind all the feedback I have received so far, I have offered the Board a simple process of how we might proceed from here.
 
Firstly, we will go ahead with the meetings over the summer as planned. Many of you have signed up already, if you haven’t yet and would like to please [sign up below]. I would like to listen to your concerns and think together about possible solutions.
 
These meetings will also help inform the second part of the process which is that by the end of September the Board will appoint a working group of people across CA to consider this subject. The membership will be public, as will the group’s terms of reference. How they choose to conduct their work will be for them to decide. The working group will aim to report on progress before the end of this year. They will eventually bring proposals that the whole membership and CA Evangelists can consider. I hope this process can be completed within a year.
 
I, and the Senior Leadership Team, have listened carefully to your feedback on this subject. We are sorry for the ways in which the process so far has caused some of you heartache or angst. We have reflected that when we started out on this process, we were trying to reform structures that were already in place. But as we journeyed through the process, it became apparent that more fundamental issues needed consideration. We hope that with time and care we will together now be able to do that.
 
I have included a short (I promise!) section of questions and answers to give some further information. I fear this letter is already too long but before I close, I am reminded of the words from Psalm 133, ‘how good and pleasant it is when God’s people dwell together in unity’. Please join me in praying that by working through this process together we may find our unity strengthened, and that we may find that unity in the Saviour we share, Jesus Christ.
 
Yours in Christ,
Jude
Interim CEO

Some Questions
 
What do I need to do now?
Nothing. You don’t need to be in touch with a decision or complete any more forms. However, there are some things you might choose to do. Firstly, pray. Pray for this process, for the people of Church Army, and for the work that they do. Please pray on your own, but also consider joining Midday Prayer online at 12 noon each Monday - Thursday. You will be given a warm welcome.
 
Secondly, consider attending a meeting over the summer, or if you can’t, then consider getting in touch in some other way. You might want to write to Jude, or to the working group for them to read when it is formed. If you send such communication to the CEO Office (ceo@churcharmy.org) we will be sure to make sure they see it.
 
What will we discuss at the meetings over the summer?
Most of that will depend on who comes, but some of the themes that have emerged from feedback so far are about:

• The nature of the Commission
• What it means to be a ‘community’ and what sort we want to be
• How to ensure good governance and safeguarding at the right level for the different sort of relationships within Church Army
• How to hold together quite different understandings and expectations of what Church Army is, and what it should be

We are likely to touch on these themes and more when we meet.

 When will I hear something again?
Jude will write again in August and September to give updates, but if you want information in the meantime, please write to the CEO’s office.
 
Who will be on the working group?
It’s not been formed yet, but we are hoping to include people from across CA that cover a range of ages, locations, relationships with Church Army, and viewpoints. If you think someone might be particularly good at this sort of work, please contact the CEO’s office to make a suggestion.
 
What will happen to community life in the meantime?
It will continue. Both in the many informal ways of CA gathering, as well as those more formal ways facilitated by the Chaplaincy team. Please consider coming along to something, whether online or offline – it’s good to stay in touch. One of the best things about this process has been people getting in touch, many of whom had fallen out of touch with CA for one reason or another. Please let this continue.
 
What if I want to change my mind about how I’ve responded?
That’s fine. For now, we’re not making any changes to the membership of Church Army Mission Community. If you were in touch with us over the last few months to resign (rather than move to a different way of belonging) then we will be in touch with you directly. Please know that we recognise that many of you will have reflected deeply about your response and may find this change of process difficult. We don’t underestimate that, or how difficult uncertainty is for some people. We will do our best to keep you informed throughout the process.