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The Salvation Army

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The Salvation Army is a Protestant evangelical Christian denomination and, more famously, a charity and social services organization, with international headquarters at 101 Queen Victoria Street, London. It is sometimes affectionately referred to as the "Sally Ann" in Canada, "Sally Army" in the UK and New Zealand, and the "Salvos" in the US and Australia.

It is structured as a hierarchical organization, with a large number of staff and volunteers. The Army's headquarters are located in London and there are thousands of branches around the world.

File:Salv-army-standard.PNG
Standard of The Salvation Army

History

The Salvation Army was founded by William and Catherine Booth in London in 1865 as an Evangelical movement called the Christian Revival Association. It then changed its name to East London Christian Mission. After starting the work outside the East End, the name changed to The Christian Mission.

 
The William Booth Memorial Training College, Denmark Hill, London: The College for Officer Training of The Salvation Army in the UK

In 1878, the name was changed to The Salvation Army and a quasi-military outlook was adopted. On March 10, 1880, Commissioner George Scott Railton and seven young women landed in the USA and began operations.

The Salvation Army's main converts were at first alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes and other "undesirables" of society with whom the Church refused to have any association. As a result of Booth's pragmatic approach to ministry, they decided not to include the use of sacraments (mainly baptism and Holy Communion) in the Army's form of worship, believing that many Christians had come to rely on the outward signs of spiritual grace rather than on grace itself. William and his wife Catherine Booth believed in the teachings of Apostle Paul, that salvation came solely from the grace of God personally received by faith. They felt that much of what passed for Christianity in their day was primarily an observance of outward ritual.

Among the other long-established beliefs of The Salvation Army are that its members should completely refrain from drinking alcohol (teetotalism), smoking, taking illegal drugs and gambling. Its soldiers wear a uniform tailored to the country they work in; they can be white, grey, navy, fawn and are even styled like a sari in some areas. Soldiers only wear these to attend worship or when engaged in Salvation Army duties, not in every day life. Any member of the public is welcome to attend their church services.

As The Salvation Army grew rapidly in the late 1800s, it generated opposition in England. Opponents, grouped under the name of the Skeleton Army, disrupted Salvation Army meetings and gatherings, the usual tactics being the throwing of rocks, rats, and tar, and physically assaulting members of The Salvation Army.

 
The Salvation Army International Headquarters, London

The mission of The Salvation Army is to win the world for Jesus. This mandate is based on the Army's interpretation of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. The Salvation Army believes, as stated in their first doctrinal statement, that only these scriptures, "constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice."

Worldwide expansion of the Salvation Army

Current organization and expenditures

The Salvation Army operates in 111 countries and provides services in 175 different languages. For administrative purposes, the organization divides itself geographically into Territories, which are then sub-divided into Divisions. Each Territory has an administrative hub known as Territorial Headquarters (THQ). Likewise, each Division has a Divisional Headquarters (DHQ). For example, Japan is one territory, the United States is divided into four Territories: Eastern, Southern, Central, and Western while Germany & Lithuania together are one territory. Each of these Territories is led by a Territorial Commander who receives orders from the Salvation Army's International Headquarters in London.

After the United Nations, the Salvation Army is the world's largest provider of social aid, with expenditures of $2.6 billion in 2004, helping more than 30 million people. In addition to community centers and disaster relief, the organization does ongoing work in refugee camps, especially among displaced people in Africa.

Its membership includes more than 17,000 active and more than 8700 retired officers , around 100,000 other employees and more than 4.5 million volunteers. It is led by General John Larsson, who has held this position since 2002. Larsson will be retiring in 2006. On January 28, 2006 the High Council elected Shaw Clifton as the next General. He will take office on April 1, 2006.

See: High Council of The Salvation Army

According to the 2006 Salvation Army Year Book, in the United States there are 85,148 Senior Soldiers and 28,377 Junior Soldiers, 17,396 Adherents and around 60,000 employees. Additionally, there are millions of volunteers.

Music

As the popularity of the organization grew and Salvationists worked their way through the streets of London attempting to convert individuals, they were sometimes confronted with unruly crowds. A family of musicians, named the Frys, began working with the Army as their "bodyguards" and played music to distract the crowds.

 
A parade with a Salvation Army brass band, Oxford, England

The tradition of having musicians available continued, and eventually grew into the creation of true bands. Their musical groups, usually a brass band or smaller collection of brass instruments, are seen in public at Army campaigns, as well as at other festivals, parades and at Christmas. Across the world, the brass band has been an integral part of the Army’s ministry, and an immediately recognizable symbol to Salvationists and non-Salvationists alike. The Salvation Army also has choirs, these are known as Songster Brigades, and these normally comprise of the traditional SATB (Soprano, Alto Tenor and Bass) singers. The Premier Songster Brigade in the Salvation Army is the International Staff Songsters (ISS).

The standard of playing is high and the Army operates bands at the international level, such as the International Staff Band, which are the equal of professional ensembles, though they do not participate in the brass band contest scene. Some professional brass players and contesting brass band personnel have come up through The Salvation Army, and in some cases continue to maintain links (e.g. Philip Smith, principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic, who still plays and records with the Army's New York Staff Band).

Depending on the size, sometimes Salvation Army corps (churches) have brass bands that enhance Sunday meetings or services by accompanying the congregation in the singing of the songs (hymns) and/or during "Praise and Worship" times set aside during the service. See Maidenhead Citadel Band

The Army tradition in music is to use popular idiom of the day to reach people for Jesus. The Army's Joy Strings were a hit pop group in the 1960s and early 1970s in the UK and beyond, reaching the charts and being featured on national television. Another popular band is The Insyderz, an American ska-core group in the 1990s and early 2000s. Current bands like New Zealand's Moped and The Lads, England's Electralyte, Australia's Soteria, and America's TransMission, carry on this Salvation Army tradition.

The song Silver Bells, first sung by Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell in the movie The Lemon Drop Kid, was inspired by the imagery of Salvation Army bellringers standing outside department stores every Christmas season.

The Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever" was inspired by the Salvation Army's Strawberry Field Children's home in Liverpool, England. Strawberry Field closed in 2005.

Mission and doctrines

Mission statement:

File:William booth statue.jpg
Statue of General William Booth
The Salvation Army, as an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

Mottos:

"Blood & Fire"
"Heart to God, Hand to Man"
"Christianity with its Sleeves Rolled Up"
"Doing the Most Good"
"Soup, Soap, Salvation"
"Get Behind the Shield"

Doctrines:

  1. We Believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God; and that only they constitute the divine rule of Christian faith and practice.
  2. We Believe that there is only one God who is infinitely Perfect - the Creator, Preserver and Governor of all things - and who is the only proper object of religious worship.
  3. We Believe that there are three persons in the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost - undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.
  4. We Believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the divine and human natures are united, so that he is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.
  5. We Believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocence, but by their disobedience they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.
  6. We Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has, by his suffering and death, made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will may be saved.
  7. We Believe that repentance towards God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and regeneration (being born again) by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation.
  8. We Believe that we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he that believes has the witness in himself.
  9. We Believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
  10. We Believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
  11. We Believe in the immortality of the soul; in the resurrection of the body; in the general judgment at the end of the world; in the eternal happiness of the righteous; and in the endless punishment of the wicked.

Often classified within the taxonomy of Christian denominations as a Methodist faith community, The Salvation Army has always seen itself primarily as a Christian church, but this has been eroded in the public's perceptions over the years. It is now seen externally to be mainly a social services charity and/or thrift shop. Some members of The Salvation Army are keen to re-emphasise their role as a Christian church.

Disaster relief

The Salvation Army's first major forays into Disaster Relief resulted from the tragedies of the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. The Salvationists' nationwide appeals for financial and material donations yielded tremendous support, enabling the Army to provide assistance to many thousands of affected individuals.

The Salvation Army is one of the largest non-governmental relief agencies and is usually among the first to arrive with help after natural or man-made disasters. They have worked to alleviate suffering and help people rebuild their lives. After the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, they arrived immediately at some of the worst disaster sites to help retrieve and bury the dead. Since then they have helped rebuild homes and construct new boats for people to recover their livelihood. The Sallies were prominent among relief organizations after Hurricane Hugo and Hurricane Andrew and other such natural disasters in the US. In August of 2005 they supplied drinking water to poor people affected by the heat wave in the US. Later in 2005 they responded to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Most recently they have helped the victims of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.

Trained volunteers, employees, officers, and soliders perform the disaster relief work of the Salvation Army. One soldier kept a blog of Hurricane Katrina relief, discussing the spiritual impetus behind the work.

Thrift shops and charity

 
Salvation Army in Lausanne.

The Salvation Army is well-known for its network of Thrift stores, which raise money for its charitable and religious activities by selling donated used goods such as clothing, housewares, etc. The Salvation Army has a history of free rehabilitation from alcohol and drug abuse. Thrift stores provide the revenue to run the Adult Rehabilitation Centers known as ARC's. The ARC's are located all over the world, are work and Bible based and are usually long term residential facilities.

In many countries The Salvation Army is most recognized during the Christmas season with its volunteers who stand outside of businesses and play/sing Christmas carols, or ring bells to inspire passersby to give donations of cash and checks to the kettles. This campaign is conducted also across North America every year, and generates several million dollars. A tradition has developed in the U.S., where, in some places, gold coins are anonymously inserted into the kettles that the bell ringers collect donations in. This started in 1982, in Crystal Lake, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Most of the donated coins are worth several hundred U.S. dollars.

Youth groups

 
Statue of Catherine Booth, the Mother of the Army

The Salvation Army has a number of youth groups associated with it, mainly its Sunday schools and Scout and Guide pack. Some territories have Salvation Army Guards and Legions Association (SAGALA). In the United States these internal youth groups for girls are known as Girl Guards (older) and Sunbeams (younger). Adventure Corps serves boys in 1st through 8th grade.

The Refuge

Another youth group that has emerged in The Salvation Army is The Refuge, meaning REviving FUture GEnerations. The Refuge was established in The Salvation Army division of Pendel which is in the Eastern Territory of The United States. The Refuge was created and founded by a group of friends and salvationists. It began when this group recognized the need for this type of ministry in their area. After a lot of planning, publicity, and practicing the Refuge began in the Spring of 2005. With the aid of some dedicated quality musicians and some administrative staff, the Refuge was a success and continues to be a safe place for worship, fellowship, food, and fun.

Alove UK

In the new millennium, The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom created a sub-brand of itself for the youth, called Alove, The Salvation Army for a new generation. Its purpose is to free the youth of the church and their communities to express themselves and their faith in their own ways. Its mission statement is "Calling a generation to dynamic faith, radical lifestyle, adventurous mission and a fight for justice.", and it emphasizes worship, discipleship, missions, and social action.

Controversy

The Salvation Army in the USA has come under attack for what some people see as discrimination in hiring and for its requirements on how employees should behave. Despite the tax breaks it receives as a registered charity, and its government funding (about 11 percent of total revenues, in the form of grants and payments for services), it has a stated policy of "discrimination" against applicants and employees whose faith or sexual orientation are not acceptable to The Salvation Army. The Army's position is that because it is a church, Section VII of the US Civil Rights Act of 1964 explicitly guarantees its rights to discriminate in hiring.

In a recent case, the New York Federal Court ruled that organization could use religious criteria in its hiring; that ruling is being appealed by the New York Civil Liberties Union. Other issues in the lawsuit by 19 current and former employees are still under consideration by the trial court.

The State of New York has proposed legislation that requires businesses to offer health benefits to same-sex partners of employees. The Salvation Army opposes this policy and has threatened to close its soup kitchens and shelters across New York.

In July 2001, The Washington Post published a Salvation Army internal memo. According to that document, the Salvation Army and President George W. Bush made a deal: the Salvation Army would support Bush's push on faith based initiatives if Bush made sure that the Salvation Army would be exempt from local and state legislations that prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation. The leak created considerable amount of protest from the gay community and other liberal groups.

See also

  • The General next to God (Collier Richard)
  • God's Army: The Story of the Salvation Army (Brook Stephen)
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  • Template:News reference
  • Allegations of Abuse in Institutions, Salvation Army Homes
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