The Salvation Army

The Army's doctrine follows the mainstream of Christian belief and its articles of faith emphasise God's saving purposes. Its objects are 'the advancement of the Christian religion ...of education, the relief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole. '

The movement, founded in 1865 by WilliamBooth, has spread from London, England, to many parts of the world.

The rapid deployment of the first Salvationists was aided by the adoption of a quasi-military command structure in 1878 when the title, 'The Salvation Army' was brought into use. A similarly practical organisation today enables resources to be equally flexible. Responding to a recurrent theme in Christianity which sees the Church engaged in spiritual warfare, the Army has used to advantage certain soldierly features such as uniforms, flags and ranks to identify , inspire and regulate its endeavours.

• The Salvation Army Heritage Centre website will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about the history of this organization.

-- ChrisLehrich^? - 19 Jan 2005