Yes. The Salvation Army Australia is an international Christian movement, united by faith and giving hope where it's needed most. Across Australia & in cities, country towns and rural communities & our work touches every demographic and age group. & are involved in national issues while also bringing hope to people who may be experiencing hardship or injustice.
Since our foundations in nineteenth century London, we express our faith in charitable work to provide both the spiritual and the social support. We believe that with one hand we reach out to God and with the other we reach out to the world.
As both a church and charity, we can preach and speak about justice, compassion, and other issues that support the welfare of others and see them as a whole person & body, mind and spirit.
The Salvation Army has 11 faith-based statements called doctrines that summarise our religious beliefs. These statements place The Salvation Army in harmony with other mainstream denominations of Protestant Christianity.
- 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 innocence, 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 be saved.
- We believe that repentance toward God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary for 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 judgment at the end of the world, in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in the endless punishment of the wicked.
Commitment to Reconciliation
The Salvation Army recognises the Aboriginal people as the traditional owners and custodians of our land. Our vision for reconciliation is to be a faith movement committed to equity, freedom and the righting of injustice.
We aim to respect, value and acknowledge the unique cultures, spiritualties, histories and languages of the oldest surviving culture in the world, and to engage in a unified and positive relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their communities.
Unlike most other Christian denominations, The Salvation Army does not observe the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion.
We believe it is possible to experience the inward grace of which the sacraments are outward signs, without the need for the rituals themselves.
Everyone is welcome to attend a Salvation Army church and be part of our faith community without making any formal ongoing commitment.
However, we believe it is important to belong, and to move forward in your faith. Therefore, we encourage people to make a more formal level of commitment as an officer, soldier or adherent of The Salvation Army.
Adherents
Adherents are Christians who also pledge to support their local Salvation Army corps.
While not entering into a Soldier’s Covenant, an adherent declares that they
- Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and seek to follow Him
- Participate through worship, fellowship and service at a local Salvation Army corps
- Identify with the mission of The Salvation Army
Soldiers
Soldiers of The Salvation Army are Christians who respond to God's calling to undertake a specific covenant (or promise) regarding lifestyle and beliefs.
They are not employed by the Salvation Army, although they may take on paid positions by applying through conventional means.
Soldiers are eligible to wear The Salvation Army uniform, however this is not compulsory.
Soldiers testify that
- they worship God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- they have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord
- they are committed to the work and mission to which Christ has called The Salvation Army as part of his church
- they believe in the Bible as the word of God
- they agree with The Salvation Army’s doctrines.
They also declare
- they will be responsive to the Holy Spirit and seek to grow in grace
- they will make the values of the Kingdom of God the standard for their lives, showing Christian integrity in their deeds, maintaining Christian ideals in their relationships, and upholding the sanctity of marriage and family life.
- they will be faithful stewards of all they have and are
- they will abstain from the use of all enslaving substances and harmful activities
- they will be active in God’s work both in sharing the Gospel and in serving the needy, and will contribute financially to its support
- they will be true to the principles of The Salvation Army.
Officers
Officers are the equivalent of fulltime clergy in other Christian denominations.
Officers undergo rigorous training before being ordained. After ordination they are appointed to various roles around The Salvation Army, which could include church leadership, social programs, or management according with their skills and experiences.
The Salvation Army is committed to the ordination of both men and women. Single men, single women and married couples can all apply to become officers.
A person must be a soldier of The Salvation Army before they can become an officer.
The Salvation Army is not a religion nor is it a mix of denominations. The Salvation Army stands independently as a denomination of the Christian church alongside other churches, for example, the Anglican, Baptist and Uniting Church.
It started in the 1860's when
He preached that there was a God who could transform their lives and show them a new way. He fed them, prayed with them and thousands of people's lives
Booth tried to introduce his converts to local Methodist churches, but the wider church at the time had lost much of its vision for what was then considered the "underclasses", and would not accept them.
In less than 20 years, while it had not been his initial goal, William Booth established a new denomination of the Christian church—The Salvation Army. Today, the Army upholds the cross of Christ and serve communities worldwide.
A good word to describe a denomination of the church is 'community'. The Salvos, like other churches, is a community of people that meet together in local
They are dedicated to sharing the love of God by caring for people, creating faith pathways, building healthy communities and working for justice.