The sad demise of the Salvation Army

[b]The sad demise of the Salvation Army[/b]

After my recent visit to a Salvation Army hall and my observation of the movement I have become so very grieved at what has become of them, and so impassioned about this grief that I simply must speak out, or in this case vent my grief through writing.

We all know of the great William Booth, a humble man from Nottingham who the Lord took and set on fire for Him. He put such a fire in that man that we are still benefiting from the impact of his life today. He was mightily used by the Lord in the worst parts of London, as the Lord sent Him with compassion in his heart and tears in his eyes to the worst of humanity. Filled with the love of Christ and a burden for the lost so great that it nearly consumed him, he went to redeem the helpless, poor and sinful masses of the capital city. How that man fearlessly preached the gospel of repentance and life in the open air and trained and exhorted hundreds of others to do the same. Booth and his team were too radical for his day. They were alienated and frowned upon by the church and mocked by the world but smiled upon by God as He blessed them with power and countless conversions. These new converts would then join the others in taking to the streets to sing their redeemers praise and boldly proclaim His gospel, testifying of His power to change lives.

What Booth started became a movement, a mighty army of men and women filled with the Holy Ghost enough to put fear into all the host of hell. They became known as the Salvation Army and did much to push back the frontiers of evil and build up the kingdom of Christ on the earth.

But now when I look at the Salvation Army they are not even a shadow of what they once were. How the mighty are fallen! Their motto is still ‘blood and fire’ coined by William Booth and displayed proudly on flags, plaques and badges, yet now their motto would more appropriately read: ‘gas and brass!’. There’s nothing of blood now, not in risking their lives for the lost or in the proclamation of the precious blood of Christ, and they certainly lost the fire long ago! What started as a mighty spiritual army has become an organisation, a club.

Oh, the Salvation Army still take to the streets at Christmas time: To preach? No! To set up stalls and perform Christmas carols with a fine array of brass instruments, collecting coppers for charitable causes. Commendable, but a mere whimper of the glory days. No longer are the Salvation Army concerned about salvation, but are instead content to dress up in red military wear and entertain Christmas shoppers while filling their tins with coins. Oh how sad!

What would the General think? Surely he would turn in His grave and his blood would curdle at what has become of His Salvation Army.

This was all pressed home to me with force as I happened to see on display in the Salvation Army hall the latest Salvation Army magazine. To my amazement- who was on the front cover, but an arrogant, self confessed atheist and hater of God who presents a night time news program in England. It turns out that he has some ‘army’ blood in his veins, and so he was invited to address the Salvation Army at their annual conference prior to Christmas. Apparently he cajoled the audience with jokes and wit. He joked that the Salvation Army blood in him has been some what watered down by all the beer he has drunk. I could not believe what I was reading. Would William Booth have ever asked a self confessed God hater to speak to his men and women- I think not- not over his dead body, I reckon! And yet here less than one hundred years after his death, the Salvation Army are being entertained and charmed by an atheist, the main speaker at their conference. What a joke!

How very sad. But oh that God would again raise up men like William Booth in our generation and women like His godly wife Catherine. Oh for one man with half his fire. I reckon he could set England ablaze with the power of God. Where are the men who like Booth and his army would be prepared to risk their lives and go down into the very pit of hell to redeem lost men and women? Where are the young people who will get fed up of ‘church’ and all our programs and meetings and who will take to the streets to win the masses in our day?

Oh Lord, we pray that you will raise up this kind of people in this desperate hour for your Name’s sake, and grant dear Lord that we who read this may be in that number. Amen

Some good observations here, it is sad indeed.

But this seems to be the pattern with movements, organizations, and denominations. What was begun in the power of the Holy Spirit is perpetuated by man long after "Ichabod" is written over the door.

In the end, I don't think God puts much stock in a man or a movement, it's all about His Son, the faithful and eternal One. Let us not speak about William Booth, let us speak about William Booth's God!

In Christ,

Ron

I've been blessed by William and Catherine Booth. His series of letters entitled "Purity of Heart" were a great encouragement to my heart and his wife wrote a very concise and sharp word on entire sanctification that I have spent some time going through and have been blessed by.

When a work of the spirit is attempted to later be sustained by a work of the flesh, it quickly loses its power. That's why the Booths left the Methodist church, because the church had lost its fire for Jesus.

Remember what happened to the Israelites, who had entered Canaan one generation later. Judges 2:10-15 10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

God has no grandchildren and am trusting Him to raise up some warriors in this generation.

I don't even think you have to be genuinely born-again to be a part of the Salvation Army today. At least, not the Salvation Army guys that stand in front of Wal-Mart and ring a bell wearing a Santa hat. Begging, like you said, for change. How sad, how utterly humiliating to solicit heathen shoppers and literally [i]panhandle[/i] without one mention of the gospel. You'll be lucky if you even get a "God bless you" after giving something. You are right - General booth would turn in his grave. As a matter of fact, the spiritual climate of the Salvation Army was already in the decline before Booth died. He was moved to issue his now-famous prophetic warning of dead fundamentalism of what Christianity would become in our day and age.

I know the Salvation Army does a lot of good charitable work these days still, by helping people pay their bills, get food, etc. In fact, my fiance's family was once without money, and the local Salvation Army gave them some money to help pay their bills.

However, even with that said, would it be better if perhaps we boycotted giving any money to the Salvation Army altogether? After all, technically they are a church in the loose sense of the word. So, should we knowingly fund such an organization? And if anybody caught one of the Thanksgiving day football half-time shows, I noticed that the Salvation Army funded the show, and had their balloons all over the place. They sponsored some country girl singing about whisky of all things!

It should be noted that I do give money to various non-Christian charities e.g. The United Way. However, these charities are clearly secular, and aren't making any pretense about being a Christian organization.

And a site note, the folks that ring the bells for the Salvation Army are simply local volunteers from the surrounding community. You don't have to be a part of the Salvation Army to do it. All you have to do is call up your local division and ask.

Yes, you are right. Jimmy. The Salvation Army gives away money to charitible causes. I deal with this firsthand in the funeral industry, as indigent and pauper families often appeal to the SA for additional funds, and are usually awarded checks for $150.00-$200.00 to help.

I realize the bell-ringers are just volunteers. I think this is just the perfect example of how far the SA fallen. Anybody is welcome now to just join the ranks under the banner of "Blood and Fire" (so to speak) and represent Booth's vision. It just seems wrong to me. I don't mean to nitpick or to sound judgmental, but when I go out to represent the gospel of Jesus Christ by either street-preaching or giving to the poor, I want only the best and genuine shining examples of a life transformed by the power of the gospel to go with me. Only the believers who are on fire and living holy and demonstrating the fruit of repentance I'll take with me. No phoney-baloney church-goers will I allow who can blight the good report from those who are outside. To align yourself with the SA today, though, you don't even have to be a professiing Christian! I've seen some of these bell-ringing Santa-hat wearing beggars actually put down their buckets and light up cigarettes!

I always think of Booth and Brengle when I see things like this. And I recall the scriptures that speak of the old paths, and how men will not walk in them anymore, the paths of their forefathers.

Let us not speak about William Booth, let us speak about William Booth's God!

Guess we could also just as well add, "God's William Booth"

I grew up not knowing that it was a 'Christian' organization either. Does the army lead the lost to salvation anymore? Or is it another 'church' group living in and of the world. To be a Christian church don't they need to be called out (of the world that is)?

Another sad fact, the begging bell ringers don't even know who William Booth was!!! Ask any of them, I've asked several and nobody's met him :-)
Makes you just want to cry.

I appreciate the connection with Judges 2. What a testimony to us all! It should make us all the more dilligent to instruct our children in the ways of the Lord.

I love that move of GOD, and am still apart of it.

That is the case with every thing the LORD does, a number of people stay serving the "Move" in faith with the LORD's favor. While other add to its corruption.

I donate by faith to the Salvation Army...its one up on the Goodwill because of The NAME of Jesus Christ. Plus its just that much more support from the LORD, not Uncle Sam, or people who donate to gain favor from a god who is so broke he even begs non believers for money. (bad witness with bells)

I pray that light shines through when the REAL need is there.

I also am apart of Calvary Chapel still even though its going down...it will be a while until believers will have to abandon ship, like the Episcoples just did.

Do what you can serving as unto the LORD.

New wine, new wine skins

Dear Here4Him,

I agree with your sad assessment of the SA. I will say in its defense that my brother went through their program for alcoholics and is now serving Jesus.

I know that the SA now has been noted for even hiring Islamics. It was in the news a while back and the reason is because they receive government funding now and they can't descriminate.

What this is is really a testimony of the mixture in much of the church. The responsibility rests squarely on our shoulders for not fasting and praying as we should to see this situation turned around. We will have what is really important to us, but if TV, entertainment, ball games, stuff, and every other thing has our attention we will never see the fire of God that believers should be walking in. The people loved to have it so.

We must look to ourselves, knowing that God has a remnant, to see the trouble in the church. We have too much of the world in us therefore we look like the world.

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

If we want revival fires to fall and truly want the church to be a force to recon with we must put first things first, otherwise we only have to look in our own backyard for the problem.

I am blessed to hear your tender heart bleed for the condition of the body, any member of it, even the weakest.

:-)

Here4Him,

I remember a couple of years ago I had just finished a bunch of fresh reading on how God used William and Catherine, Samuel Brengle, etc in the Salvation Army in England, the U.S.A., etc. and God had really encouraged me and ministered to me as I spend alot of my time on the streets with street people. Very refreshing.

We have a booth we set up at our local street faire in Escondido, Ca and I was so excited because the Salvation Army had the space next to ours. I couldn't wait to talk to the different people that ran the booth about the things I had just read, and was still reading.

"Hi, how's it going?"

"Great. How are you guys?"

"Doing well, thanks. I just finished reading some books on William Booth and his wife Catherine and a book by Col. Samuel Brengle..."

"Who?"

Man, that really caught me off gaurd. After talking a few more minutes, I realized that none of the people working that booth giving away toys, and collecting change, knew little ,if anything, of their deep spiritual roots or the men and women God used, the vision God had given William Booth, etc. And if they don't know the vision or the direction, how do they know where they are going?

Someone made the closing comment earlier, "New Wine, new wineskins."

I agree. And that is my prayer.

There are two ways that you can influence a revival of Booth's Salvation Army and neither of them involve discussing on this forum. You can remember the work of the Salvation Army, past present and future in your prayers... and you can JOIN the salvation army and add your fire with the fires of those serving in that ministry. I believe there is a remnant in the Salvation Army of people who have the same heart and purpose as William Booth's Salvation Army -be an encourager!
Let's be honest, the church is hurting everywhere, this has an effect on people in every ministry, even something as big as the Salvation Army -or should I say ESPECIALLY an organization as big as the salvation army.
I can imagine that as the church in America and abroad started to compromise, those church members that were part of the Salvation Army also started to compromise and we end up with a church that looks like the world and a Salvation Army that doesn't look much different.
We need revival in the church and in the Salvation Army... pray, encourage, join your zeal with the remnant!

Is it possible that the Lord wants us, who are troubled by the falling away of the Salvation Army to go and try to minister to the staff and the people helped? Recently we found in Las Vegas, that the Salvation Army is very willing to have evangelist help with the homeless ministry and then share the Gospel with them. Is it possible that the staff and those who are helped, can once again see what William Booth desired for God's glory? Let us reach out with the same fervor that we spend talking about the falling away!

I was actually considering earlier today some different things... I respect William Booth and the movement he started, I was considering the last several posts and wondering if the Salvation Army really was a dead organization.

Then earlier today I was in my director's office and I saw a book on his shelf titled 'Why The Salvation is the Most Effective Organization in the United States.' I didn't have a chance to look at anything but the title but that got me thinking farther...

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV)

and

21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Matt 7:21-23

Let's do a checklist for the Salvation Army:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.
CHECK!

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.
CHECK!

I was a stranger and you invited me in.
CHECK!

I needed clothes and you clothed me.
CHECK!

I was sick and you looked after me.
CHECK!

I was in prison and you came to visit me.
CHECK!

Frankly I'd rather be hanging out with the Salvation Army when the end times come, even the modern SA, rather than some of our so called churches...

Now the SA may be a little less focused on the spiritual side of their service than they were under William Booth, but if you take these two passages and try to understand the heart of Jesus it's pretty clear which he values more. Jesus desires obedience not sacrifice. He want's action, not just an emotional reaction over some spiritual information. Chuck Finney once said, "A charitable feeling is worthless unless followed by a charitable act.'

Our churches today are focused on spiritual gifts, the SA today is focused on serving the needy, I think we would have found Jesus spending time with the drunks and prostitutes in a modern SA hall... not some church speaking in tounges.

I have to say iansmith I found your reply wonderful. This is the true heart of God. In that day we will find things a lot different than we expected. Although our goal should be to remove all mixture from our lives, the criteria you shared will be the biggest deciding factor in Him knowing us, because we did it unto the least of these His brethern. Bravo.