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During December, we saw the Salvation Army kettles in the malls. I'm really curious about this group. Can you tell me more about them.

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The Salvation Army considers itself to be a Protestant denomination. They were established by William Booth in 19th century London, England.

Booth was a minister with the Methodists who themselves were a spiritual revival movement in the 18th century Church of England. Booth reached out to people in the London slums, but his converts did not feel comfortable in the Anglican nor Methodist churches, so he set up his own Church structure and modelled it after the army.

Providing for the poor

Booth did more than preach the Gospel. After he saw men sleeping outdoors in winter, he rented space and established a shelter for them. This was the beginning of his amazing worldwide work of providing for the poor.

However, Booth's primary objective was saving souls. He used to tell his workers, "Go for souls and go for the worst."

In 1878, Booth changed the name of his organization from the Christian Mission Centre to the Salvation Army. This army for God was to combat "slumdom, rumdom and bumdom."

Members signed "articles of war" against sin. Prayer sessions were "knee drills." When members died, taps were played over their graves and they were "promoted to glory."

Hymns at worship were accompanied by trombones and cornets instead of organs. They follow general evangelical principles.

Ordained ministers

All officers are ordained Protestant ministers who conduct services, marry and bury their members, as well as perform other pastoral functions. Their training is in Bible studies, preaching, music, social work, army regulations, business administration, along with practical experience in the work of the Salvation Army.

Officers follow a life of poverty and obedience, but do not take a vow of celibacy. Soldiers in the Army are fully active members who are not clergy.

Although sometimes their social work seems to overshadow their religious orientation, all officers and soldiers remember that their purpose is to lead people to a right relationship with God.

However, they take it for granted that the Gospel can't be preached to people for whom day-to-day survival is the primary objective. But they know they are following Jesus' command to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the homeless.

They make every effort to bring people to God. Although some people become interested in religion for the first time, their basic handbook tells them that they are not to steal people from other churches.

"Go for souls and go for the worst." - Rev. William Booth

While some Christian churches struggled and continue to struggle over women's role, from the beginning in the Salvation Army, both men and women were ordained ministers and held leadership positions. Booth's daughter Evangeline led the U.S. branch for 30 years and directed its worldwide operation for five years.

The Salvation Army quickly spread throughout the British Isles, moved into the United States in 1880 and Canada in 1882. Today, it continues to flourish in many countries.

In Canada alone, there are over 350 churches served by 1,250 ordained officers, 23,000 soldiers and more than 60,000 adherents (churchgoers). They run 150 social service institutions, have 11,000 employees and thousands of volunteers.

Global presence

Canadian officers and staff serve in 26 other countries. Presently, a Canadian is the Salvation Army delegate to the World Council of Churches and a Canadian is also the leader in the Western United States.

Numbers alone cannot convey the tremendous dedication of the Salvation Army which has developed every imaginable form of helping society's downtrodden. It has thrift stores, summer camps for children, hostels for the homeless, institutes for the blind, hospitals, abuse safe houses, palliative care, work centres. It serves the poorest of the poor, alcoholics, drug addicts, prisoners, the suicidal, the hungry and anyone in need.

Army members help street youth, the mentally and physically challenged. They assist families with food, clothing, accommodation, as well as life skills enhancement, counselling and tracing lost members.

They help in natural disaster relief and child sponsorship in developing countries.

All kinds of donors

Their kettles in the malls are but one way they have of raising money to fund the numerous good works they do all year. Today, they are also sometimes recipients of larger-scale donations from those who realize and appreciate the work being done for the poor in our society.

Many Christian churches and other groups help those in need. However, it seems that no other single body the size of the Salvation Army could match the scope of its dedication to the needy.

As to all those who follow Jesus' example and his command to reach out to the needy, at the end Christ will surely say to them, "Come, you blessed of God, into the kingdom prepared for you. Whatever you did for the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you did unto me" (Matthew 25:40).

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