In an interview with Newstalk ZB’s Real Life with John Cowan on Sunday night, Donaldson says the Salvation Army has had to grapple with how best to respond to the need they saw in the world.
“We’re radical in some ways. In decades past, we got a bit middle of the road and we’ve really had to grapple with that, with what are the issues facing the world? [Because] that’s always been what we’ve been about,” she said.
“[Salvation Army founder] William Booth saw people on the street, he saw those who needed to be fed, he saw those who were sleeping rough and said, ‘what can we do about that’? And while we feed people, while we listen, while we find them a place to live, we speak about Jesus.
“We’ve always tried to do that, but we’ve grappled with that a little bit more in recent times. Where are we best to be? Where are we best to apply ourselves? What are the needs of the countries we’re in?”
The Salvation Army last month released its annual State of the Nation report, which found the need for housing, food security and employment had all increased in the previous year.
Donaldson told Real Life the report was an opportunity to identify issues so solutions can be found.
“Our job is to take the data and analysis and be truthful about what we find. And for the State of the Nation, that’s what we do. It should be for us all, as a nation, to say what are we doing right and what do we have to improve on?
“We all have a part to play in that. For sure, our politicians are the ones making policies and changing and developing things. But for all of us, we have an obligation to say, what’s our part in this? How can we make this better?
“The last couple of years, it seems grim – and it actually is. But we’re people of hope, and the thing I love about the people of this nation … we’re generous, we’re kind, and I really believe we want to make a difference. And I believe that for the politicians as well.”
Donaldson acknowledges it’s “quite something” to have made history by becoming the first female territorial commander – but it’s been a long time coming.
“I think we’ve been a bit slow off the mark and I think our leadership now is recognising that … it’s always been our theology, we’ve just been a bit slow reaching out to actually do it,” she said.
Donaldson brings a wealth of experience within the Salvation Army ranks to her new role. Feeling called by God to the church as a 15-year-old, she has worked in Aotearoa and spent 12 years in Africa, five in Australia and two and a half in the UK.
She said while it could be lonelier in the higher positions within the Sallies, getting out and visiting all the ministries she oversaw helped her “listen and learn”.
“We just love to meet and greet people and to see what we’re actually doing. That’s really important, that we are at that coalface level where we actually hear about needs, because in these positions it is very easy to become isolated. So, I like nothing better than to be with people.”
Donaldson told Cowan her three sons had loved being part of the Sallies over many decades.
“It has impacted them in a really positive way. They were with us for six years in Zambia and that was incredible, and when you get them together, even though they’re adults now, they talk about those experiences.
“There are [also] negative impacts because unfortunately, even in the church, we have people that aren’t happy with this and unhappy with that. [But] I think it’s our attitude that should set us apart, even when we’re unhappy.
“It’s how we deal with that as Christians, that’s what the world sees. And I long for that to be better.”
Real Life is a weekly interview show in which John Cowan speaks with prominent guests about their life, upbringing, and the way they see the world. Tune in on Sundays from 7.30pm on Newstalk ZB or listen to the latest full interview here.
