What I love about The Salvation Army

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Soldier’s View

There are a catalog of reasons why we enjoy being soldiers in The Salvation Army. Since sound Biblical teaching tops our list for a church fellowship, the Army’s Christ-centered doctrine is mandatory. Christianity, for us, is more than another self-help program with a little Jesus Christ thrown in, so we enjoy being among people who exemplify servanthood instead of celebrity status. Our corps is truly a place of equality, where both men and women are appreciated and permitted to exercise their God-given gifts.

The Army is the heart and soul of Christianity. Supporting the Army’s holistic approach to ministry, which includes helping people to help themselves, is easy. Amy Carmichael, the famous missionary to India and one of my favorite people, once said it is impossible to separate the body from the soul. How true. And no matter what the need, we are proud to say the Army is on the scene “doing the most good!”

Finally, at the end of the day, it’s about commitment––commitment of the officers who provide leadership and hard work and those who assist them; that results in a reputation we can all smile about. And to the critics, we must admit there can be problems. While not perfect, The Salvation Army continues to stand out among the crowd.

Sadly, there is one sincere criticism we have. Given all the wonderful attributes, it remains a puzzlement and mystery why the Army remains such a secret among so many Christians. It was only by God’s grace that we, during our travels in Australia, discovered the Army is also a church.

My hope and prayer is that someday when I am asked what church I attend people will recognize The Salvation Army as a Biblically-based international Christian fellowship and not just a local thrift store.

Alice and Charles Bratton
Kauluwela Mission Corps
Honolulu, Hawaii


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