what you thought you knew

If the title caught your attention then read on. I want to tell you a little about The Salvation Army today. It was started in East London by William and Catherine Booth. I know that many of you probably think of a thrift store and maybe disaster relief, but that is not the full picture. Actually those are things we do because of our love for God. The beginnings of the Salvation Army was to take the gospel message out into the streets to those whom the church at the time felt unworthy of coming in. From the very beginning women also played a vital role in the ministry.
The first woman general was Evangeline Booth, she was the daughter of the founders. She was also very instrumental in starting the Salvation Army here in Alaska, Canada, and the United States. She came to Alaska on one occasion and after much prayer led the notorious Soapy Smith in prayer. She was not afraid to stand up and make it known whom she served and loved.
Today the Salvation Army preaches in 112 countries around the world. We have schools, hospitals, rehabilitaion centers, orphanages, etc all over the world. All of those activities are because of our service to God. We also have summer camps, mission trips, and our officers are trained in our own facilities.
William Booth had 8 children, one of which, Ballington, left the Salvation Army after an argument with his father and started the Volunteers of America. He called himself the general of the Volunteers of America just as his father was the general of the Salvation Army.
We have had 2 woman generals. Evangeline Booth 1934 to 1939 and Eva Burrows 1986 to 1993. I met Eva Burrows on a few occasions and she was a very loving person who had a compassion for all. She even came to Alaska as did Evangeline Booth.
William Booth once said "my best men are women," and women has played an integral part in leadership and opening work of the Salvation Army in many places including the USA. A young girl by the name of Eliza Shirley came here to the states and started the Army, then later George Scott Railton and 7 Hallelujah lassies as they were called came and officially opened the work in 1880.
Did you know that the longest running participant in the Pasadena Rose Parade on New Years Day is the Salvation Army band? They have marched for 88 consecutive years. Here is a LO I did of when I marched, it was in 1977, (yikes that makes me kind of old.)
The Home League of the Salvation Army is our womens ministry program. We just celebrated its 100th birthday. It was started as a ministry to women who needed help. They would gather and go into the homes and clean, prepare food, teach women how to do things like sew and cook, so that they could care for their families properly. Now we meet together each week following a fourfold program of Worship, Fellowship, Education, and Service. We also have character building programs for girls and boys that go along the same line as girl scouts. We have Sunbeams and Girl Guards for the girls and Adventure Club for the boys. They have uniforms, earn emblems, go camping, and the main difference is devotions each week. The girls program will be 93 years old this May.
One last very important part of the Salvation Army, all though there are many more, is the disaster services. We are usually the first on the scene, but not in front of the cameras. My first service was in the Thompson Canyon Flood in Colorado in 1976. I remember vividly a worker coming from up the line and asking how much my sandwiches were. I said there was no charge and he couldn't believe it. There was another group there selling food to these poor workers that had been out in the cold trying to save people for hours. I also served in the Waitsburg WA flood and several fires. My father even got to go to Mexico after a hurricane and help out. It is always rewarding being able to serve others in their time of need.
Well that is quite a handful of information, I hope you enjoyed this little history lesson about the Salvation Army. It is near and dear to my heart, and I want everyone to know the Salvation Army is a church first and a social service second. God bless each of you, have a great day and don't forget to come tomorrow (for another freebie).