SALVATION ARMY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 3 September 1934, Page 5

SALVATION ARMY

MEETING OF HIGH COUNCIL PLANS FOR SUCCESSION CHOOSING A LEADER r (British Official Wirclesa) RUGBY, Ist September. The High Council of the Salvation Army at the third day’s session meeting to elect a successor to General Higgins,; spent, yesterday giving further consideration to questions of procedure. Progress was made in formulating rules for a secret ballot and the meeting was resumed this morning. Lieut.-Commissioner Carpenter states' that a spirit of perfect harmony - and goodwill prevailed.

Considering the size of the Salvation Army and its extension to all quarters of the globe, it is surprising it is of comparatively recent growth. Many Nelsoniaus of earlier days will remember when the corps first appeared :ri' the streets when the reception was by no means friendly as in practically, all other quarters. It was in 1865 that William Booth, formerly a Methodist minister, began to hold meetings for preaching in the streets in London and in tents, music halls, theatres and other hired buildings' Large numbers assembled, many of whom had never attended a place of worship and presently an organised society was formed called “The Christian Mission.” Booth was assisted by his wife Catherine Booth, a woman of remarkable gifts who won for the new movement the sympathy of many outside the mission. T In 1878, the. mission which liad spread beyond London, was reorganised on a quasi-Military basis, and the title of “The Salvation Army” was definitely adopted in June 1880. The spiritualoperations of the Army at ;once, rapidly expanded in spite of much disorderly opposition in some places. In ’doctrine the, Army is in harmony with the main principles of the evangelical bodies,-and. proclaims the supreme duty of self-sac-rifice for the sake of the Salvation, of others.

The announcement of the founder’s ,;J death in 1912 was accompanied by the intimation that his eldest son, William Bramwell Booth, formerly his chief of staff, had become the new general. Since that time the Army has realised the need for the adoption of sound proce-. dure in choosing its leader and the High Council at present sitting in London-wiU. formulate plans for succession. : ;; PROGRESS WITH NEW LEADERS, ■ In many quarters it was feared that after the withdrawal of the forceful and picturesque personality who. had domi nated Salvation Army affairs for a gene--; ration, and had raised up a world-widd following from what was originally , • despised and derided local effort in the. slums of London, the Army would decline. The World War was also a--; menace to all international organise-. , tions. These fears, however; proved to be groundless. The number of adher- .... ents lias steadily increased, and the field .-, occupied; has grown steadily in extent. .... At the time of the founder’s death the . Army was operating in 59 countries. At the end of 1925 its flag was planted in 81 countries and colonies and progress is still being maintained. Extension has taken place on every Continent.. In Europe new snheres of activity have been found in Gzechoslovakia, Latvia and Hungary. In Asia, where the Army has its oldest mission field (India 1882)) it has opened in China ; and Burma. Africa has become an important sphere. The Army’s mission field has greatly extended, and many of its officers who. work devotedly in their own dark lands were, but a few, years previously, themselves .in the - bondage of superstition. The right method of evangelising the people is found in the employment cf converted officers of their own race and speech. In Japan, for instance, 98 per cent, ot the v officers are Japanese. In the main countries of the world careful provision has been made to ensure a constant replenishment of officers by means of institutes for the training of cadets. * *- "• SOCIAL WORK The social work of the Salvation Army, which received its first great impetus in 1890 with the publication, of “In Darkest England and the way Out,” by William Booth, lias become, not only more extensive but moie varied in character. This work from the first has been regarded bv the Armyleaders as an organised warfare against social'evils in order to clear the way for evangelisation. The needy in alt lands have been ever a main consideration of the Army. Rescue work among women was one of the earliest social tasks to which the Amy set its hand. In this work Mrs Florence Booth, wife ( of General Bramwell Booth, was the responsible leader. With all its varied developments the Army has maintained its original character as a body.-of spin- , tual witness and aggressive evangelism. It continues to lay the greatest emphasis upon the need for conversion,., preceded bv penitence, and followed by growth in holiness. The people gathered m-. * to its ranks are cared for by its officers.They are set to work immediately with - a- definite objective,' their zeal is em- • ployed in the winning of others, ancl „ public testimony is required of .them. One of the great principles of the Army , firmly adhered to, is that women haver - absolute parity of privilege, position and . dignity.

OVERSPREAD THE EARTH. IN ONE GENERATION

The world has seen nothing like this movement that in one brief generation lias overspread the earth with. work of social and regenerative agencies. Writing of the founder, General Booth. A. G. Gardiner said ho was tho most familiar figure- in all the- world. He had travelled further and had spoken to move diverse peoples than any man in any time —to Hindoos by the sacred Ganges, to Japanese by the sacred mountain, in Germany often, in America and Australia, and New Zealand-, “My work (he said) is to make war on the hosts that keep the underworld -mb. merged, and you cannot have war without noise. We ll go oil singing and marching with drums, heating and cornets playing ail the time. ... I would stand on my head on the top of ot. Paul’s cross" if I thought . it would, bring men to salvation.” The broadness of vision of the great organisation is indicated by tbc following: “The religion of the Army is summed up in the two great Commandments, ‘ Thou slialt love the Lord thy God with all thv heart, and Thou slialt love thy neighbour 's

thyself. “A mail tells us lie is a Catholic. Wo ask ‘Are you a good Catholic?’ And so with the Protestant.”