There are plenty of links out there that will give you a history of The Salvation Army. I looked at several while attempting to write this article. But my aim is not to give a dry rendition of history that you can easily look up. My wish is to make this series a bit more personal, my story as it intertwines with The Salvation Army. But to give a full picture we must go back to the beginning. In this case the beginning of The Army (for brevity I often leave out the word Salvation when speaking and typing)
William Booth didn't start out to found a humanitarian organization, nor even a denomination of the Christian Church. What Booth was, was heartbroken for the souls in the slums of London. He was a preacher in the Methodist church in England in the 1850's. But didn't want to stay behind a pulpit. He took his pulpit to the streets, to preach to the poor, the homeless, the hungry, and the destitute. He evangelistic efforts attracted many. But when he directed these newly saved souls to the established churches he found that the parishioners did not welcome these converts. So he continued to minister to them, encouraging them to go out and minster to those like themselves. And they did. Within 10 years Booth had 1000 volunteers and 50 evangelists working with his newly minted Christian Mission. He and his "Hallelujah Army" spread from East End of London to other areas and into neighboring cities.
Later in reading a report of the work, he changed the words "Volunteer Army" to a "Salvation Army". Through this bit of editing the seeds were planted and the foundation laid for what would become a worldwide army, spreading the love of Christ.
It is the same passion that fueled Booth's foray into the streets of London, that fuels the people that work with, in and for today's Army. It is the love for the "least of these" that is behind the flag, the crest, the uniform, and the shield. It is where God called me to be.
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