Churches

The Army has churches throughout the world, known as Salvation Army corps, that serve as churches and community centers. Traditionally, many corps buildings are also called temples or citadels.

Thrift stores and charity shops

The Salvation Army Family Thrift Store, Santa Monica, California

The Salvation Army Thrift Store, Richmond Hill, ON

The Salvation Army, Eastfield, South Lanarkshire, Scotland

The Salvation Army is well known for its network of thrift stores or charity shops—colloquially referred to as "the Sally Ann" in Canada and the United States, "Salvos Stores" in Australia, and "Sally's" in New Zealand—which raise money for its rehabilitation programs by selling donated used items such as clothing, housewares, and toys. Clothing collected by Salvation Army stores that is not sold on location is often sold wholesale on the global secondhand clothing market.

Salvation Army store in Victoria, Australia

The Salvation Army's fundraising shops in the United Kingdom participated in the UK government's Work Programme, a workfare programme in which benefit claimants had to work for no compensation for 20 to 40 hours per week over periods as long as six months.^[11][12]

When people buy items at Salvation Army thrift stores, part of the proceeds go toward The Salvation Army's emergency relief efforts and programs.^[13] Textile items not sold are recycled and turned into other items such as carpet underlay.^[13] The Salvation Army also helps their employees by hiring ex-felons, depending on the circumstances, because they believe in giving people second chances.^[14]

Adult Rehabilitation Centres

Some Salvation Army locations are associated with an Adult Rehabilitation Centre (ARC) in which men and women make a six-month rehabilitation commitment to live and work at the ARC residence. They are unpaid, but provided with room and board. Many ARCs are male-only. The program is primarily to combat addiction. Residents work at the warehouse, store, or residence. This is referred to as "work therapy". They attend classes, twelve-step programs, and chapel services as a part of their rehabilitation. The Army advertises these programs on their collection trucks with the slogan "Doing the Most Good".^[15] An ARC is typically associated with a main store and warehouse. Donations are consolidated from other stores and donation sites, sorted and priced, and then distributed back out to the branch stores. Low-quality donated items are sold at the warehouse dock in a "dock sale".

Hadleigh Farm Colony

Farmland at Hadleigh in Essex featured market gardens, orchards, and two brickfields. It was mentioned in the Royal Commission report of 1909, which was appointed to consider Poor Laws. 7,000 trainees had passed through its doors by 1912 with more than 60% subsequently finding employment.^[16]

Other

"Stuff-a-Bus" toy collection at Christmas time

The Salvation Army operates children's summer camps and adult day care centres. It has headquarter offices internationally, nationally, and for each territory and division. Some of its other facilities include:^[3]

• Homeless hostels
• Residential addiction dependency programs
• Children's homes
• Homes for elderly persons
• Mother and baby homes
• Women's and men's refuge centres
• General hospitals
• Schools
• Maternity hospitals
• After School Programs
• Food Pantries
• Overnight Warming Stations
• Cooling Stations

Worship services

The Salvation Army does not require anyone attending a service to be a member of the Salvation Army in any capacity (as a Soldier, Adherent, or Officer). Services in Salvation Army churches feature a variety of activities:^[22]

• The service often begins with a greeting from the Minister.
• Hymns are sung, accompanied by backing music.
• There is a scripture reading from the Bible.
• Prayers are led by the Minister leading the service.
• Depending on demand, a Sunday School may be run in another room.
• A collection is held to receive a financial offering, either loose money or coins in a cartridge envelope.^[23] This is sometimes referred to as "Tithes and Offerings".
• The congregation sings the doxology.
• A sermon on the Bible reading is then given.
• The service concludes with a benediction.

Local corps usually sing contemporary worship music songs in Sunday worship services as well as traditional hymns from the official Songbook of the Salvation Army. Music is often accompanied by a brass band. Many American corps adopted a mainstream Christian format with video screens showing words to music so that the audience can sing along. The early Salvation Army bands were known for their excitement and public appeal, and the modern ensemble keeps to this ideology. Traditional hymns are blended with other musical pieces from Christian Music Publishers such as Vineyard Music, Hillsong, and Planet Shakers to name but a few.

Soldier's Covenant

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Articles of War

The Soldier's Covenant^[24] is the creed of the Salvation Army. All members of the church are allowed to subscribe to this creed; every person has to sign the document before they can become enrolled as a Soldier.^[25] Members have traditionally been referred to as "soldiers" of Christ.^[26][27][28] These were formerly known as the "Articles of War", and include "Having received with all my heart the salvation offered to me by the tender mercy of God, I do here and now acknowledge God the Father to be my King; God the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to be my Saviour; and God the Holy Spirit to be my Guide, Comforter and Strength, and I will, by His help, love, serve, worship and obey this glorious God through time and in eternity."^[1]: 4

Positional Statements

Positional Statements^[29] describe Salvation Army policy on various social and moral issues. They are carefully considered by the International Headquarters of The Salvation Army. They are derived from work by the International Moral and Social Issues Council. The Salvation Army opposes euthanasia and assisted suicide. Its official stance on abortion is that "The Salvation Army believes in the sanctity of all human life and considers each person to be of infinite value and each life a gift from God to be cherished, nurtured and redeemed. Human life is sacred because it is made in the image of God and has an eternal destiny. (Genesis 1:27) Sacredness is not conferred, nor can it be taken away by human agreement." The Salvation Army official stance admitted in 2010 exceptions in cases such as rape and incest: "In addition, rape and incest are brutal acts of dominance violating women physically and emotionally. This situation represents a special case for the consideration of termination as the violation may be compounded by the continuation of the pregnancy."^[30] It is also against the death penalty: "The Salvation Army recognizes that the opinions of Salvationists are divided on the moral acceptability of capital punishment and its effectiveness as a deterrent. However, to advocate in any way the continuance or restoration of capital punishment in any part of the world would be inconsistent with the Army's purposes and contrary to the Army's belief that all human life is sacred and that each human being, however wretched, can become a new person in Christ."

In 2012, the Salvation Army, Australian Territories published a "Positional Statement on Homosexuality" after receiving adverse publicity about their position on homosexuality.^[31]

The Bible teaches that God's intention for humankind is that society should be ordered on the basis of lifelong, legally sanctioned heterosexual unions.... A disposition towards homosexuality is not in itself blameworthy nor is the disposition seen as rectifiable at will.... Homosexual practice however, is, in the light of Scripture, clearly unacceptable. Such activity is chosen behaviour and is thus a matter of the will. It is therefore able to be directed or restrained in the same way heterosexual urges are controlled. Homosexual practice would render any person ineligible for full membership (soldiership) in the Army.^[32]

On 8 December 2017, the Salvation Army released an International Positional Statement on racism which says that racism is "fundamentally incompatible with the Christian conviction that all people are made in the image of God and are equal in value. The Salvation Army believes that the world is enriched by a diversity of cultures and ethnicities."^[33]

Disaster relief

Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Trailer

In the United States, the Salvation Army's first major forays into disaster relief resulted from the tragedies of the Galveston Hurricane of 1900^[34] and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The Salvationists' nationwide appeals for financial and material donations yielded tremendous support, enabling the Army to provide assistance to thousands. General Evangeline Booth, when she offered the services of Salvationists to President Woodrow Wilson during the First World War,^[34] thrust Salvation Army social and relief work to newer heights. Today the Salvation Army is best known for its charitable efforts.

The Salvation Army is a nongovernmental relief agency. It is usually among the first to arrive after natural or man-made disasters to alleviate suffering and help people rebuild their lives. After the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, they arrived immediately at some of the worst disaster sites to help retrieve and bury the dead. Since then they have helped rebuild homes and construct new boats for people to recover their livelihood. Members were prominent among relief organisations after Hurricane Hugo and Hurricane Andrew and other such natural disasters in the United States. In August 2005, they supplied drinking water to poor people affected by the heat wave in the United States. Later in 2005 they responded to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They helped the victims of an earthquake in Indonesia in May 2006.

The William Booth Memorial Training College, Denmark Hill, London: The College for Officer Training of the Salvation Army in the UK

Since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, the Salvation Army has allocated donations of more than $365 million to serve more than 1.7 million people in nearly every American state. The Army's immediate response to Hurricane Katrina included the mobilization of more than 178 canteen feeding units and 11 field kitchens which together served more than 5.7 million hot meals, 8.3 million sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. Its SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network)^[35][36] network of amateur ham-radio operators picked up where modern communications left off to help locate more than 25,000 survivors. Salvation Army pastoral care counselors were on hand to comfort the emotional and spiritual needs of 277,000 individuals. As part of the effort, Salvation Army officers, employees, and volunteers contributed more than 900,000 hours of service.

The Salvation Army was one of the first relief agencies on the scene of the September 11 attacks in New York City in 2001. They also provided prayer support for families of missing people.

The Salvation Army, along with the American National Red Cross, Southern Baptist Convention, and other disaster relief organisations, are members of the National Voluntary Organisations Active in Disaster (NVOAD).^[37]

Among Salvation Army disaster relief capabilities is the Red Shield Defence Services, often called the SallyMan for short. Their efforts are similar to that of a chaplain offering cold drinks, hot drinks, and biscuits for the soldiers of the military. If a SallyMan is on deployment, locals are offered a share in the produce.

Around the world, the Salvation Army have emergency services support emergency disaster services in the United States.^[38] These are mobile canteen vehicles^[39] that provide food and other welfare to members of the Emergency Services at bushfires, floods, land search, and other large- and small-scale emergency operations undertaken by Police, Fire, Ambulance, and State Emergency Service members, and to the general public affected by such events. Volunteers and officers run the canteen service. They respond when emergency services have been on the scene for more than four hours or where four or more Fire vehicles are responding.

Family Tracing Service

The Family Tracing Service (sometimes known as the Missing Persons Service) was established in 1885, and the service is now available in most of the countries where The Salvation Army operates. The Tracing Service's objective is to restore (or to sustain) family relationships where contact has been lost, whether recently or in the distant past. Thousands of people are traced every year on behalf of their relatives.

Youth groups

Bell ringers standing on the streets in Lausanne.

Salvation Army gym

The Salvation Army includes many youth groups, which primarily consist of its Sunday schools and the Scout and Guide packs. The Scout and Guide packs are affiliated with and sponsored by the Salvation Army but are open units that allow anyone to join. These units/packs observe Christian standards and encourage young people to investigate and develop in their Christian faith. Some territories have a Salvation Army Guards and Legions Association (SAGALA). In the United States youth groups that are specifically for girls are known as Girl Guards (older girls) and Sunbeams (younger girls). Adventure Corps serves boys who are enrolled in school for first through eighth grades, and is sometimes separated into Rangers (6th–8th Grade) and Explorers (5th Grade and younger).

Work Against Exploitation

The Salvation Army works with a specialist team in partnership with the UK service Modern Slavery Helpline (telephone 0800 0121 700) to help people who have been exploited for labor or profits. The organisation also assists homeless people by running 461 hostels^[42] and 20 refugee programmes.

COVID-19 relief

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Salvation Army donated 224,603,024 meals and 1,822,412 personal protective equipment supply kits in the United States.^[43][44]

History of Doughnut Day

In 1917, over 250 Salvation Army volunteers went to soldiers' camps in France during World War I to provide supplies and baked goods, including doughnuts, to soldiers. The women who served doughnuts to the troops fried them in soldiers' helmets. They were known as "Doughnut Lassies" and are credited with popularising doughnuts in the United States.^[58] National Doughnut Day is now celebrated in the United States on the first Friday of June every year, a tradition that started in Chicago in 1938, to honour those who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I.^[59]

Salvation Navy

In 1911, New York City architect Bradford Gilbert donated a yacht, The Jerry McAuley, to the Salvation Army.^[60] Jerry McAuley was a reformed criminal who founded the McAuley Water Street Mission (now the New York City Rescue Mission) in Lower Manhattan; he was also Mrs. Gilbert's first husband.^[61] This 35-foot powerboat with two cabins was the first vessel in the Salvation Navy in America; there were already two or three such vessels in Scandinavia.^[60] Its purpose is "to cruise the Atlantic coast, north in the summer and south in the winter, doing missionary work among the seamen of the ports."^[60] There was a six person crew; the captain was evangelist Major Nils Erikson.^[60][62]

Safeguarding Work

The involvement of the Salvation Army in work to combat slavery and human trafficking can be traced back to William Booth publishing a letter in The War Cry in 1885.^[63] The same year an escapee from a prostitution house arrived at the door of the Salvation Army headquarters and sought help from Bramwell Booth.^[64]

An early precursor to the Salvation Army becoming involved in safeguarding work was Catherine Booth writing to Queen Victoria regarding a Parliamentary bill for the protection of girls.^[65] Safeguarding legislation was strengthened by a new act of Parliament, the "Public General Act, an Act to make further provision for the protection of women and girls, the suppression of brothels, and other purposes, (otherwise known as the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885)", which received Royal Assent on 14 August 1885^[66] The Salvation Army was involved in getting this Act passed.^[67] Its work included a petition (numbering 340,000 signatures, deposited on the floor of the House of Commons by eight uniformed Salvationists),^[68] mass meetings, and an investigation into child prostitution. W.T. Stead of the Pall Mall Gazette launched a campaign in 1885 by writing articles on The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon to expose the extent of child prostitution,^[1]: 84 which involved procuring a girl, Eliza, for £5. She was cared for by the Army, taken to France, and subsequently testified as a key witness at the trial of Stead and Rebecca Jarrett (the prostitute who had arranged the "sale" of Eliza) at Bow Street. Both were sentenced to six months in prison.

The newly founded Salvation Army in Japan also encountered child prostitution, derived from a system of Debt Bondage. An imperial ordinance (written in classical Japanese which few could understand) declared the girls' right to freedom; the pioneer Salvationist Gunpei Yamamuro rewrote it in colloquial speech.^[1]: 86 His wife Kiye took charge of a girls home to provide accommodation for any girl wishing to give up prostitution. An imperial ordinance passed on 2 October 1900 stated that any woman who wished to give up prostitution only had to go to the nearest Police station and ask.

High Councils

Much of what happens at the High Council is governed by British Law, as set out in the Salvation Army Acts (1931, 1963, 1968, 1980). The 2013 High Council consisted of 118 members (62 women and 56 men) made up of the Chief of Staff, all the active commissioners and territorial leaders (some territories are led by colonels), each of whom was summoned by the Chief of the Staff for the sole purpose of electing a new General.^[73]

Heritage Centres

Heritage Centres are museums run by the Salvation Army which have exhibits and historical documents related to the history and work of the organisation. Heritage Centres collect, preserve, catalogue, research, and share material about the life and work of The Salvation Army. The International Heritage Centre in London can provide details of premises in any specific territory.^[74] It also manages the Salvation Army's archival Twitter feed.

Relevant Legislation

Various Constituting Instruments apply to different aspects of the work of the Salvation Army. Legislation passed in the United Kingdom Parliament covered the following:

• The Salvation Army Act 1931 contained several provisions,^[1]: 26 firstly that the High Council be convened to elect a new General when the role became vacant, and reorganised custody of property held in charitable trust^[75] by the foundation of the Salvation Army Trustee Company being formed to hold all property previously vested in the general. Section 4 relates to a serving General giving notice of their intention to retire.^[76]
• The Salvation Army Act 1963^[77] established a non-contributory pension fund for Officers of the Salvation Army.
• The Salvation Army Act 1968 relates to management of Salvation Army trusts.^[78]
• The Salvation Army Act 1980 revised and consolidated the constitution of the Salvation Army to continue its work.^[79]
  • Schedule 1 covered the Religious Doctrines of the Army
  • Schedule 2 related to Common Investment Schemes and the establishment of a Central Finance Council
  • Part V covered the Election of the General

Membership

The worldwide expansion of Salvation army

Statistics for membership^[80] from the 2018 year book,^[81] are: 111,859 employees, 17,168 Active Officers, 9,775 Retired Officers, 1,050 Cadets, 175,811 Adherents, 411,327 Junior Soldiers and 1,182,100 Senior Soldiers. Previous membership statistics (as quoted from 2010 year book) include 16,938 active and 9,190 retired officers, 39,071 Corps Cadets and more than 4.5 million volunteers. Members of the Salvation Army also include "adherents"; these are people who do not make the commitment to be a soldier but who recognise the Salvation Army as their church. (According to the 2006 Salvation Army year book, in the United States there are 85,148 senior soldiers and 28,377 junior soldiers, 17,396 adherents and around 60,000 employees.)

Leadership

General Lyndon Buckingham has been the world leader of the Salvation Army since 3 August 2023.

The monument to the Salvation Army in Kensico Cemetery

International Congress of the Salvation Army

The International Congress of the Salvation Army is normally held every ten years^[82] as a conference for all Salvationists from around the world to meet. The first such conference took place in London, U.K., from 28 May to 4 June 1886, and subsequent Congressional meetings were held sporadically until 1904 and then 1990.^[83] The seventh International Congress in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, from 28 June to 2 July 2000, was the first held outside of the U.K.^[84] The latest International Congress was held in London on 1–5 July 2015, in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Salvation Army's founding.

Presence in Russia

In Russia the Army was founded around 1917^[1]: 99 and it struggled until 1922 at which point the situation had become extremely challenging.^[1]: 100 A Moscow court ruled that the Salvation Army was a paramilitary organisation subject to expulsion. In October 2006, the European Court of Human Rights ruled the decision illegal.^[85] The Salvation Army International website^[86] lists the Russian Federation as part of the Territory of Eastern Europe.^[87]

Presence in China

William Booth's dying wish for the Salvation Army to be established in China^[88] was taken up in a pledge made in 1912 by Bramwell Booth to his father.^[89] In 1915 the first officers were sent, and during the 1931 famine fed 100,000 people daily. Following political difficulties by 1952 the Army withdrew from the country but work still continues in the provinces of Macau and Hong Kong, as well as in Taiwan.

Flag

Standard of The Salvation Army (Anglophone version)

The Salvation Army flag is a symbol of the Army's war against sin and social evils. The red on the flag symbolises the blood shed by Jesus Christ, the yellow for the fire of the Holy Spirit, and the blue for the purity of God the Father.^[90]

Crest

Crest of The Salvation Army (Anglophone version)

The oldest official emblem of The Salvation Army is the crest. In 1878 Captain W.H. Ebdon suggested a logo, and in 1879 it was to be found on the letterhead of the Salvation Army Headquarters. The captain's suggested design was changed only slightly and a crown was added.^[91][92]

The Army's crest contains Biblical references though its symbolism:

• The sun with its rays represents the light and fire of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:11)
• The cross represents the cross of Jesus on which He died as a sacrifice for our sins. (Romans 3:25)
• The letter "S" represents the salvation which is available to all people through Jesus Christ. (John 3:16–17)
• The crossed swords represent God's Word (Hebrews 4:12). God's Word is the Christian's weapon in the salvation war (the war against Satan and evil).
• The Gospel shots (Psalm 119:160) represent the basic truths of the Gospel; there are 7 in all.
  1. The existence of a Holy God;
  2. The evils of sin are against God and man;
  3. There will be punishment for sin that is fair and everlasting;
  4. Jesus died on the cross for the human race;
  5. Salvation is for all mankind and is free to all who accept Jesus Christ;
  6. It is the responsibility of every Christian to do whatever they can do to spread the Gospel;
  7. God rewards those who are faithful with eternal life in Heaven with Him.
• The words "Blood and Fire" as the "war cry" of the Salvation Army. It is Jesus' blood that washes us clean from sin and it is the fire of the Holy Spirit that makes us pure and helps us live lives that are pleasing to God.
• The crown represents the "Crown of Life and Glory" which God will give to all those who have been faithful to Him (James 1:12).

Red Shield

The Red Shield has its origins in Salvation Army work during wartime. At the end of the 19th century, Staff-Captain Mary Murray was sent by William Booth to support British troops serving in the Boer War in South Africa. Then, in 1901, this same officer was given the task of establishing the Naval and Military League, the forerunner of the Red Shield Services.^[92]

The Salvation Army red shield logo, displayed on the side of a night shelter in Geneva, Switzerland.

Salvation Army officers serving in the Red Shield Services in wartime performed many functions. The Doughnut Girls of World War I are an early example, who served refreshments to troops in the trenches. They also provided first aid stations, ambulances, chaplaincy, social clubs, Christian worship, and other front-line services.^[93]

This symbol is still used in Blue Shield Services that serve the British Armed Forces but it is widely used as a simple, more readily identifiable symbol in many Salvation Army settings. It is common to see the Red Shield used on a casual Salvation Army uniform. It is now official Salvation Army policy in the U.K. that the red shield should be used as the external symbol of the Salvation Army, with the Crest only being used internally. Therefore, any new Salvation Army building will now have the red shield on the outside rather than the crest which certainly would have been used on its Corps (church) buildings. This was "imposed" in the U.K. by the Senior Management with little or no consultation with members. Not all have welcomed this change.^[94]

Uniform

Salvation Army officers, cadets^[95] (trainee officers) and soldiers often wear uniforms. The idea that they should do so originated with Elijah Cadman, who, at the Salvation Army's "War Congress" in August 1878, said, "I would like to wear a suit of clothes that would let everyone know I meant war to the teeth and salvation for the world". The uniform identifies the wearer as a Salvationist and a Christian. It also symbolises availability to those in need. The uniform takes many forms internationally but is characterised by the "S" insignia for "Salvation" and carries the meaning "Saved to Serve", or "Saved to Save". Different colours and styles represent different ranks including soldiers, cadets, lieutenants, captains, majors, colonels, commissioner, and General.

Characteristics of the uniform vary between ranks where accessories (the official term is "trimmings") consist of epaulettes and hexagonal lapel patches.^[96] The uniform varies with the position and rank:

• Soldier: plain black epaulettes (Corps name woven into base of epaulette) and black lapel patch with "S"
• Musician: plain blue or black epaulettes and lapel patch with "S"
• Cadet: black epaulette with 1 or 2 red bars corresponding to number of years of training and black lapel patch with "S"
• Officer ranks:
  • Lieutenant: red epaulette with one silver star and red lapel patch with "S"
  • Captain: red epaulette with two silver stars and red lapel patch with "S"
  • Major: red epaulette with silver crest and red lapel patch with "S"

Other letters are substituted to conform with local language. The words "The Salvation Army" are woven into the fabric of the uniform as a logo on shirts, blouses, and jackets.

Tartan

The Salvation Army Dress Tartan

Since 1983 there has been an official Salvation Army tartan. It was designed by Captain Harry Cooper, for the Perth Citadel Corps centenary commemoration in Scotland. It is based upon the colours of the Salvation Army flag, with which it shares the same symbolism. It is rarely seen outside Scotland.^[97]

Salute

The Salvation Army has a unique form of salute which involves raising the right hand above shoulder-height with the index finger pointing upwards. It signifies recognition of a fellow citizen of heaven, and a pledge to do everything possible to get others to heaven also.^[98] A Salvationist who salutes in this manner in response to applause, signifies that he or she wishes to give Glory to God and not themselves. In some instances, the salute is accompanied with a shout of "hallelujah!"

Red kettles

Red kettle at supermarket entrance, Ypsilanti, Michigan

In many countries, the Salvation Army is recognised during the Christmas season as its volunteers and employees stand outside of businesses and play/sing Christmas carols, or ring bells to inspire passers-by to place donations of cash and cheques inside red kettles. A tradition has developed in the United States in which, in some places, gold coins or rings or bundles of large bills are anonymously inserted into the kettles. This was first recorded in 1982, in Crystal Lake, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.^[99][100] Red kettles are not only used during the Christmas season, but throughout the year at other fundraising events, such as on National Doughnut Day in the U.S. On this day, some doughnut shops that teamed up with the Salvation Army have a red kettle set up for donations. Each corps has a monetary goal chosen for them by Divisional Headquarters, which differs based on size and capability.^[101]

Red Shield Appeal and Self-Denial Appeal

The Red Shield Appeal and Self-Denial Appeal are annual fundraising campaigns in some territories, such as the U.K. and Australia. Each year, officers, soldiers, employees, and volunteers take to the streets worldwide to participate in door-to-door or street collections. The money raised is channelled towards The Salvation Army's social work in each respective territory. Within the territory defined by the United Kingdom and Ireland (UKIT) this collection is known as the Annual Appeal, and it often carries another name that the general public would more readily know – in 2012 it became The Big Collection.

Music playing

A Salvation Army band parade in Oxford, United Kingdom

The USA Southern Territory Youth Choir singing in Atlanta, Georgia.

As the popularity of the organisation grew and Salvationists worked the streets of London attempting to convert individuals, they were sometimes confronted with unruly crowds. A family of musicians (the Frys, from Alderbury, Wiltshire) began working with the Army as their "bodyguards" and played music to distract the crowds.^[102] In 1891 a Salvation Army band attempted to parade and play music in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. This was in contravention of local by-laws and resulted in the arrest of nine Salvationists. Unperturbed the Army continued to parade in defiance of the law, with the aim of gathering support for a change in legislation. Over the next few months the situation in the town escalated to such an extent that there were riots, and mounted police had to be called in from surrounding areas to try to maintain order.^[103]

The tradition of having musicians available continued and eventually grew into standard brass bands. These are still seen in public at Army campaigns, as well as at other festivals, parades, and at Christmas. Across the world the brass band has been part of the Army's ministry and an immediately recognisable symbol to Salvationists and non-Salvationists alike. The Salvation Army also has choirs; these are known as Songster Brigades, normally comprising the traditional soprano, alto, tenor, and bass singers. The premier Songster Brigade in the Salvation Army is the International Staff Songsters (ISS). The standard of playing is high and the Army operates bands at the international level—such as the International Staff Band (a brass band) which is the equal of professional ensembles although it does not participate in the brass band contest scene—and territorial levels such as the New York Staff Band. Some professional brass players and contesting brass band personnel have Salvation Army backgrounds. Many Salvation Army corps have brass bands that play at Salvation Army meetings, although not all. The Salvation Army also fielded large concertina bands. From the turn of the (20th) century to the Second World War between a third and a half of all SA officers in Britain played concertina. For an evangelist, the concertina's portability, its ability to play both melody and chords, and most especially the fact that the player can sing or speak while playing, were all distinct advantages over brass instruments.^[104]

The Army tradition in music is to use the popular idiom of the day to reach people for Jesus. The Army's Joy Strings were a hit pop group in the 1960s and early 1970s in the U.K. and beyond, reaching the charts and being featured on national television. Another popular band is The Insyderz, an American ska-core group popular in the 1990s and early 2000s. Hundreds of bands carry on this Salvation Army tradition, such as New Zealand's Moped, Chamberlain, Vatic, Agent C, and The Lads; England's Electralyte; Australia's Soteria Music Ministries, Summer Carnival Band, Crown of Thorns and Escape; and America's transMission, The Singing Company, HAB, BurN, and CJD – Cookies, Juice, & Donuts. Saytunes is a website designed to encourage and promote these contemporary Salvation Army bands and artists. Another significant musical feature of the Salvation Army is its use of tambourines with colourised ribbons representing the colours of the Salvation Army flag. They are mainly played by women.

Books and magazines

• New Frontier Chronicle, news and networking for the Salvation Army^[107]
• Caring Magazine, curating conversation around issues of social concern^[108]
• The War Cry newspaper, first published in 1879 in the United Kingdom^[109]
• Faith and Friends magazine^[110]
• Salvationist magazine^[111]
• Word and Deed journal^[112]
• KidZone magazine^[113]
• Priority magazine^[114]
• Pipeline, The Salvation Army's news, features and opinion magazine AUE (discontinued)^[115]
• Onfire The Salvation Army's news, features and opinion magazine AUS (discontinued)^[116]
• Others The Salvation Army's news, features and opinion magazine (under newly unified Australian Territory)^[116]
• Adult And Family Ministries Songbook^[117]
• Kids Alive children's magazine
• Handbook of Doctrine^[118]
• Salvation Story (revised Handbook of Doctrine)^[119]
• The Salvation Army Yearbook 2018 (website page)^[120]
• Christian Mission Magazine^[121]
• Christian Mission Hymn Book^[122]
• Revive^[123]
• The Salvation Army Year Book 2018^[124]
• Songbook of The Salvation Army^[125]

Stance on LGBT rights

Because the Salvation Army is a church, Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 allows it to inquire into people's religious beliefs in its hiring practices. The Salvation Army states that it does not "discriminate against hiring gays and lesbians for the majority of its roughly 55,000 jobs,"^[129] but has historically supported legislation which would allow it to deny employment and federally-funded services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT, contemporarily abbreviated to the reclaimed umbrella term "queer") individuals.^{[130][131] [132]}

In 1986, The Salvation Army campaigned throughout New Zealand against the Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986, which decriminalised homosexuality.^[133] In 2006, the Army released a statement regretting the ill feelings that persisted following its activity. It stated in part "We do understand though that The Salvation Army's official opposition to the Reform Bill was deeply hurtful to many, and are distressed that ill-feeling still troubles our relationship with segments of the gay community. We regret any hurt that may remain from that turbulent time and our present hope is to rebuild bridges of understanding and dialogue between our movement and the gay community."^[134]

In 1997, the city of San Francisco enacted a law requiring all companies doing business with the city government to extend domestic benefits to same-sex partners of employees. In refusing to do so, the Salvation Army declined a US$3,500,000 contract.^[135] In 2001, the Salvation Army pressed the Bush Administration to exempt it and other religious groups from anti-discrimination legislation which it felt infringed on the organisation's religious freedoms. This request was denied, and was sharply rebuked by David Smith, then-spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign. "Gays and lesbians are taxpayers, too," said Smith. "Their money should not be used by religious groups to fund discriminatory practices against them."^{[129][136][137]}

In February 2000, the Salvation Army in the United Kingdom publicly opposed the repeal of Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, which prevented local authorities from "intentionally promot[ing] homosexuality".^[138]

The Salvation Army Western Territory approved a plan in October 2001 to start offering domestic partnership benefits to employees in same-sex relationships.^[139] Members of various evangelical Christian interest groups protested the decision. Focus on the Family founder James Dobson excoriated the Salvation Army for abandoning its "moral integrity" and urged his radio listeners to bombard the organisation's offices with phone calls and letters. The American Family Association also accused the Salvation Army of a "monstrous... appeasement of sin" that resulted in a "betrayal of the church". In November 2001 the Salvation Army US-wide rescinded the Western Territory's decision with an announcement that it would only provide benefits coverage for different-sex spouses and dependent children of its employees.

In 2004, the Salvation Army said that it would close operations in New York City unless it was exempted from a municipal ordinance requiring them to offer benefits to gay employees' partners. The City Council refused to make the exemption. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's administration chose not to enforce the ordinance. The administration's right to decline to enforce the ordinance was upheld by the New York State Court of Appeals in 2006.^[140]

In 2008, a trans woman named Jennifer Gale died outside a church in Austin, Texas. A city council member attributed her death to workers at a Salvation Army shelter refusing to house her in the women's quarters.^[141] The city council member later partially retracted their statements, stating "The Salvation Army... do apparently have a policy of non-discrimination and they do not turn trans people away, but I'm not fully sold on their ability to actually understand the issue. If they are not full they will give trans people privacy (maybe they have private quarters of some sort), but if full and they are in an overflow shelter situation, as they were Tuesday night, I am under the impression that they will assign people according to their anatomy."^[142]

Between 2010 and 2013, a "position statement" with regard to "same-sex" "sexual orientations" was published on the Salvation Army's website:^[143][144]

Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life. There is no scriptural support for same-sex unions as equal to, or as an alternative to, heterosexual marriage.

Likewise, there is no scriptural support for demeaning or mistreating anyone for reason of his or her sexual orientation. The Salvation Army opposes any such abuse.

In keeping with these convictions, the services of The Salvation Army are available to all who qualify, without regard to sexual orientation.

According to a June 2012 article in The Atlantic, the position statement was subsequently "deleted".^[144] An article published by CTV News noted in December of the same year that "The site currently states that the organisation's position on homosexuality is 'under review.'"^[145]

On 15 December 2012, in Canada, Andrea Le Good noticed a Salvation Army bell-ringer carrying a sign reading "if you support gay rights: please do not donate". While the bell-ringer claimed he had permission from the charity to wear the sign, Salvation Army spokeswoman Kyla Ferns said that it had no part in the sign, and that the bell-ringer was pulled away immediately when the charity learned about it.^[145]

In November 2013 it was made known that the Salvation Army was referring LGBT individuals to one of several conversion therapy groups.^[146] As a response, the Salvation Army removed links to the conversion groups from their website.^[147]

In 2016, The Salvation Army withdrew support for an Australian safe schools program that focused on LGBT students,^[133] stating that "the provision of a government approved anti-bullying program needs to consider all high risk student groups."^[148]

In November 2019, according to The Dallas Morning News, "singer Ellie Goulding... threaten[ed] to cancel her performance at the Cowboys' Thanksgiving halftime show" out of concern for "the LGBTQ community" following negative responses to an Instagram post that she made promoting the organisation:^[149][150]

"Upon researching this, I have reached out to The Salvation Army and said that I would have no choice but to pull out unless they very quickly make a solid, committed pledge or donation to the LGBTQ community," she wrote. "I am a committed philanthropist as you probably know, and my heart has always been in helping the homeless, but supporting an anti-LGBTQ charity is clearly not something I would ever intentionally do. Thank you for drawing my attention to this."

The show "serves as the kickoff for the Salvation Army's yearly Red Kettle Campaign". Goulding later opted to perform.^[150][151]

In 2019, 2020, and 2021, The Salvation Army continued to be criticized in publications like Vox, Forbes, and Out, for homophobic and transphobic views and practices expressed by its leaders and policies, such as in public statements and lobbying.^[152][153]

Canadian charity work

During the 2010 Christmas season, the Salvation Army in Calgary, Alberta, refused to accept toys based on the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises because of a perceived conflict with the organisation's religious principles. One volunteer claimed that such toys were destroyed instead of being given to other agencies. The volunteer also criticised the Salvation Army for accepting violence-themed toys such as plastic rifles while not accepting Harry Potter or Twilight toys. A Salvation Army captain said that the toys were given to other organisations, not disposed of.^[162] This policy is not universal; the Wetaskiwin corps of the Salvation Army has accepted Harry Potter toys. One captain called the series "a classic story of good winning over evil".^[163]

Also during the 2010 Christmas season, the Salvation Army in Vancouver, B.C., came under fire from advocacy group Families Against Crime & Trauma (FACT) for a program that provided goodie bags to federal inmates for Christmas by playing Santa to incarcerated criminals. The advocacy group called on the public to cease donations to the Salvation Army. Families Against Crime & Trauma, which takes a hardline position against criminal rehabilitation, claimed the gifts were undeserved rewards that should instead go to the victims of crime and their families. The Salvation Army responded that their prisoner visitation program was established over a century ago and that they provided these particular services as contractors to the federal and provincial government, and as such no charitable donations were spent on the program.^[164]

Proselytising during government-funded social service in New York

In 2004, the Salvation Army's New York division was named in a lawsuit filed by 18 current and former employees of its social service arm, claiming that the organisation asked about the religious and sexual habits of employees in programs funded by local and state government. One member claimed the organisation forced them to agree "to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ".^[165] Proselytising or otherwise pursuing religious motives in a government-funded program is generally considered a violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. While the employment-discrimination portion of the lawsuit was dismissed in 2005, government agencies agreed in a 2010 settlement to set up monitoring systems to ensure that the Army did not violate church–state separation in its publicly funded projects. The organisation did not dispute allegations that nine-year-olds in a city-funded foster care program were put through a "confirmation-like" ceremony, where they were given Bibles and prayed over.^[166]

Australian sex abuse cases

From the 1940s to the 1980s the Salvation Army in Australia sheltered approximately 30,000 children. In 2006 the Australian division of the Salvation Army acknowledged that sexual abuse may have occurred during this time and issued an apology. In it, the Army explicitly rejected a claim, made by a party unnamed in the apology, that there were as many as 500 potential claimants.^[167]

In 2013 it was reported that private settlements totalling A$15.5 million had been made in Victoria relating to 474 abuse cases; a Salvation Army spokesman said that "This should not have happened and this was a breach of the trust placed in us" and that they were "deeply sorry" whilst claiming that the abuse was "the result of individuals and not a culture within the organisation".^[168]

In 2014, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, a royal commission of inquiry initiated in 2013 by the Australian Government and supported by all of its state governments,^[169] began investigating abuse cases at the Alkira Salvation Army Home for Boys at Indooroopilly; the Riverview Training Farm (also known as Endeavour Training Farm) at Riverview – both in Queensland; the Bexley Boys' Home at Bexley; and the Gill Memorial Home at Goulburn – both in New South Wales. The investigation also examined the Salvation Army's processes in investigating, disciplining, removing, and transferring anyone accused of or found to have engaged in child sexual abuse in these homes.^{[170][171][172]} On 27 March 2014, the Royal Commission began investigating the handling by the Salvation Army (Eastern Territory) of claims of child sexual abuse between 1993 and 2014.^{[173][174][175]}

Racism guide

In November 2021, The Salvation Army released a guidance pamphlet titled "Let's Talk About Racism" which encouraged its members to "lament, repent and apologize for biases or racist ideologies held and actions committed."^[176] According to Fox News, this was interpreted by critics as an endorsement of critical race theory, during a time of broader public controversy around CRT in the United States.^[177] In response, The Salvation Army called the accusations "sensationalist" and "simply not true", and that they had never told people to "apologize for the color of their skin" or "abandoned its Biblical beliefs".^[178] After the continued backlash they retracted the document and again stated that they do not endorse any ideology or belief system other than Christianity and reject the idea that "America is an inherently racist society".^[179] The anti-CRT group Color Us United promised to "continue its battle" with The Salvation Army despite these statements.^[180]

Rogue landlord allegations

In April 2022 an investigation by The Guardian and ITV news found serious problems at properties owned and rented out by the Salvation Army in Hadleigh, Essex. They found that tenants had been exposed to "serious" hazards for at least seven years and that many of the properties were not in line with fire regulations. A 2014 survey, commissioned by the Salvation Army, found damp and breaches of fire regulations. Residents of one property reported a hole in their roof to Salvation Army's agent six years prior to the newspaper's investigation. A resident of one house said, "There's the damp problem, obviously the roof, because we need to keep the heat in the house not having it blowing up out the house. The windows and doors don't fit properly...(I) have to have the heating on 24 hours a day to keep the house warm (in the winter)." The managing director of the environmental health consultancy Building Forensics, Jeff Charlton, found mould on a wall next to the bed of an asthmatic child in another home.

Alan Read, the Salvation Army's managing director, met with residents in 2018 and issued an apology for neglecting them. Many of the 40 residents at the meeting were left with the impression they could be evicted if the Salvation Army could not afford to carry out repairs.

The local authority, Castle Point Borough Council, wrote to the Salvation Army in March 2019 warning it would take legal action over the condition of the properties. In 2022 The Guardian and ITV News found conditions within the homes had not improved since the Castle Point Borough Council's warning in 2019. The behaviour of the Salvation Army was described as a "sordid mess" by an environmental officer at the Council. Category one and category two hazards were found by the Council's environmental department. Category one hazards include risks of "death, permanent paralysis, permanent loss of consciousness, loss of a limb or serious fracture".

In April 2022 the local authority issued improvement notices to the Salvation Army, which was criticised for not carrying out repairs at the same time it was spending an estimated £32 million on a new territorial headquarters building in Southwark, London. The Salvation Army said the new territorial headquarters was funded by the sale of its old headquarters, not by donations or rental income from tenants.

The Salvation Army released a statement saying, "It is clear that we let down the tenants of Seaview Terrace and Mount Zion and we are deeply sorry. Considerable refurbishment and improvement work is already underway. We have employed a contractor as a Project Manager dedicated to Hadleigh and will be employing a Building Surveyor on a permanent basis to focus on Hadleigh going forward".

The MP for Castle Point, Rebecca Harris said she had repeated meetings with the Salvation Army over a number of years to try and get the church to improve living conditions. She said, "They kept making promises that failed to materialise."^[181]

Kroc Centers

In 2004, the Army in the United States received a US$1,600,000,000 donation in the will of Joan B. Kroc, the third wife of former McDonald's CEO Ray Kroc. This donation was among the larger individual philanthropic gifts ever given to a single organisation. The donation came with certain restrictions that caused some controversy.^[182]