What is The Salvation Army?

Founded by the Rev. William Booth and his wife Catherine Mumford Booth in 1865, The Salvation Army is a Christian denomination with thousands of churches and centres, and millions of members in 128 countries.

How do I know the Salvation Army is for me?

The Salvation Army has always been made up of ordinary people from all walks of life. People who trust God, enjoy their service for God in The Salvation Army.  People who are not perfect, but who keep on trying.

However, you will never know the answer to this question until you give it a go.

So, what is unique about this church?

The Salvation Army has always endeavoured to turn faith into action, which is why you will often see its members bringing help into the most needed places. As well as churches, The Salvation Army also runs hostels, homes for the elderly and
for children, 'soup runs' and night shelters to those living on our streets, tracing missing relatives, and many other activities in the community.

We are an Army that wages continual war against sin, evil and oppression. The battle against good and evil, light and darkness has always been there. we are an Army that brings Christian belief to the fore by trying to make this world a better place to live in. Some of our members (soldiers) wear uniforms.  This helps to signify that we have made a sacred promise to God to live our lives in such a way that people will know we love Jesus, want to live holy lives that are diferent to the rest of the world and as such are involved as soldiers in warfare against sin and evil.

Our Doctrines of Faith

The Salvation Army has 11 faith-based statements called doctrines that summarise its religious beliefs. The Salvation Army’s statements place it in harmony with other mainstream denominations of Protestant Christianity. These statements are:

We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.

We believe that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship.

We believe that there are three persons in the Godhead - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.

We believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures are united, so that He is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.

We believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocency, but by their disobedience, they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall, all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by His suffering and death made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will may be saved.

We believe that repentance toward God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation.

We believe that we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he that believeth hath the witness in himself.

We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.

We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We believe in the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, in the general judgement at the end of the world, in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in the endless punishment of the wicked.