A partnership has been announced between The Salvation Army and the growing fresh expressions movement, which encourages and resources new ways of being church.
Fresh Expressions works with Christians from a broad range of denominations and traditions and has seen thousands of new congregations being formed alongside more traditional churches since the initiative started in 2004.
The Salvation Army, a worldwide Christian church and registered charity, works in 126 countries. In the UK and Ireland, it has approximately 50,000 members, 4,000 employees and 1,500 Salvation Army officers (full-time ministers).
The Salvation Army's Territorial Evangelism Secretary, Drew McCombe, commented,
We are really pleased to be joining Fresh Expressions. We believe we can bring a valuable contribution to the movement, and it will help The Salvation Army to reach more people in future.
Bishop Graham Cray, Archbishops' Missioner and leader of the Fresh Expressions team, added,
The Fresh Expressions movement has proved to be an unexpected ecumenical gift. We are partnering one another as we learn how to plant fresh expressions of church to reach those whom we are not reaching through our existing work. To have the Salvation Army in this movement can only enrich it.