Difference between revisions of "The Salvation Army"
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Its original name was the Christian Mission. To increase effectiveness, William Booth designed uniforms and imposed a military style of leadership. It has long been recognized for its extremely low overhead in delivering services to the poor. | Its original name was the Christian Mission. To increase effectiveness, William Booth designed uniforms and imposed a military style of leadership. It has long been recognized for its extremely low overhead in delivering services to the poor. | ||
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| + | The Salvation Army has an active presence in 113 coutries and territories worldwide, the most notable exceptions being Islamic states. Its tightly-organized hierarchy is headquartered in London, England, and is currently led by General Shaw Clifton, a UK citizen. Among The Salvation Army's 17 international leaders since William Booth have been two women (Evangeline Booth, 1934-1939, born UK naturalized US citizen; Eva Burrows, 1986-1993, Australian). One American, Paul A. Rader, served as international leader (1994-1999). | ||
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| + | Among The Salvation Army's denominational distictives are its elevation of women to equal leadership positions as men, considered radical when the organization was founded in the late 19th century. | ||
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| + | While best-known for its social services and disaster work, The Salvation Army is a religious denomination with Sunday worship in roughly 50,000 locations worldwide. Denominational membership is about 1,500,000. The organization's theological heritage is Wesleyan-Arminian (William Booth was a Methodist), and The Salvation Army considers itself part of the Holiness tradition. | ||
President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] praised the Salvation Army on December 1, 1965:<ref>http://www.amerisearch.net/index.php?date=2004-03-28&view=View</ref> | President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] praised the Salvation Army on December 1, 1965:<ref>http://www.amerisearch.net/index.php?date=2004-03-28&view=View</ref> | ||
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== References == | == References == | ||
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| + | [http://www.salvationarmy.org Salvation Army International website] | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
Revision as of 19:26, January 9, 2008
The Salvation Army is a Christian Protestant denomination which was started by "General" William Booth in 1865 in England, and founded on March 28, 1885 in the United States.
Its original name was the Christian Mission. To increase effectiveness, William Booth designed uniforms and imposed a military style of leadership. It has long been recognized for its extremely low overhead in delivering services to the poor.
The Salvation Army has an active presence in 113 coutries and territories worldwide, the most notable exceptions being Islamic states. Its tightly-organized hierarchy is headquartered in London, England, and is currently led by General Shaw Clifton, a UK citizen. Among The Salvation Army's 17 international leaders since William Booth have been two women (Evangeline Booth, 1934-1939, born UK naturalized US citizen; Eva Burrows, 1986-1993, Australian). One American, Paul A. Rader, served as international leader (1994-1999).
Among The Salvation Army's denominational distictives are its elevation of women to equal leadership positions as men, considered radical when the organization was founded in the late 19th century.
While best-known for its social services and disaster work, The Salvation Army is a religious denomination with Sunday worship in roughly 50,000 locations worldwide. Denominational membership is about 1,500,000. The organization's theological heritage is Wesleyan-Arminian (William Booth was a Methodist), and The Salvation Army considers itself part of the Holiness tradition.
President Lyndon B. Johnson praised the Salvation Army on December 1, 1965:[1]
For a century now, the Salvation Army has offered food to the hungry and shelter to the homeless-in clinics and children's homes, through disaster relief, in prison and welfare work, and a thousand other endeavors. In that century you have proved time and again the power of a handshake, a meal, and a song. But you have not stopped there. You have demonstrated also the power of a great idea. ... The voice of the Salvation Army has reminded men that physical well-being is just not enough; that spiritual rebirth is the most pressing need of our time and of every time; that the world cannot be changed unless men change. That voice has been clear and courageous-and it has been heard. Even when other armies have disbanded, I hope that this one will still be on the firing line.