The Salvation Army is a Christian church that is best known for their charitable work around the world. It is an international organization, with over 1.4 million members, that can be found in over 120 countries of the world. They are well known in the United States for their red kettles, with which they collect donations, during the Christmas season. However, they also have a high level of community respect for their relief work after natural disasters, such as hurricane Katrina. Let’s take a look at who founded this charitable organization.
Who founded the Salvation Army?
The Salvation Army was founded in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth as the East London Christian Mission. William Booth was a former Methodist preacher who had a passion to help the poor and destitute people of Britain. He started the East London Christian Mission to preach to these people and offer them some sort of assistance. The majority of the first converts to the church were the outcasts of society who were not welcome in polite Christian society. This included homeless people, alcoholics, drug addicts and prostitutes.
The organization changed their name to the Salvation Army in 1878 and created a military structure for the organization. William Booth became the “general” and the ministers were called “officers.” Other members of the organization were referred to as “soldiers.” They also designed a flag, crest, shield, uniforms and salute. They are also known for creating their own style of Christian music, which was often based on traditional pub tunes. Today, the Salvation Army still holds to many of their traditional military symbols, but there is a push from some members to drop aspects of the military symbolism.