Salvation Army

English evangelist and founder of the Salvation Army William Booth, with two of his grandchildren. Popularly known as General Booth, he was a Methodist revivalist preacher who worked actively to improve the condition of the poor, ministering to both their spiritual and physical needs.

Christian evangelical, social-service, and social-reform organization, originating in 1865 in London with the work of William Booth. Originally called the Christian Revival Association, it was renamed the East London Christian Mission in 1870 and from 1878 has been known as the Salvation Army, now a worldwide organization. It has military titles for its officials, with a general in overall command. It is well known for its brass bands and its weekly journal, the War Cry.

It was established in the USA in 1880 and in Canada in 1881 and has conducted missionary work throughout the world. It provides food-and-shelter missions for social derelicts and runs ‘thrift shops,’ selling second-hand merchandise to raise funds. The American Rescue Workers split off from the organization in 1884, and the Volunteers of America withdrew in 1894 after disputes over organizational structure and autonomy. Doctrine and ritual have never been primary concerns of the Salvation Army, which devotes itself to preaching redemption from a sinful life. It currently has about 300,000 US members.