How did the Salvation Army get so much acclaim for their work?

[RCIAGraduate]

Not to discount the work of people of other faiths (including Catholics (some of whom have their own endeavors as well)) but how did the Salvation Army become synonymous with their charitable works and endeavors (do people just attribute it to the bells they hear around the holidays)? Is there a statistical correction of higher proportions of soldiers involved with charitable works compared to other people of other faiths and denominations (do they have a secret sauce causing that)? If so, and in your opinion, how can churches, parishes can other houses of faith encourage their members to be involved with more “cool” or engaging work?

 

[Zaccheus]

I think the Salvationists have a name for it because they specialize in it.

 

[midori]

Because they have an awesome band.

and they were on Broadway.

and they have a great kettle drive at Christmas every year.

So they’re visible and appealing. Even though most people aren’t part of them, pretty much everyone knows about them from one place or another.

 

[GLam1761]

I ATTENDED a Salvation Army church for about
two years, it seems that from the get-go they
were a militant “army” first in fighting the drinking
taverns in England and then America and then
in helping the poor and those who are homeless
around the world.
I admired their fiery style of worship and their
rousing “hymns” (many of which are borrowed
drinking songs!) And Their “pledge of allegiance”
to God and to the Lamb, in their devotion to serve
God and Others.
BUT, they don’t believe Baptism as necessary in
the act of a believer’s salvation, which I think makes
them the hands and feet of Christ, but not the mouth.
Mother Teresa mirrors their thinking when she says
that she is NOT trying to CONVERT her parishioners,
she ministers to ALL faiths and do not try to convert.
Yet the Bible clearly teaches differently on Both counts,
Baptism and Proclamation of the Gospel.

 

[Shakuhachi]

I think the Salvationists have a name for it because they specialize in it.

Yes, and always present at disasters also. They specialize in the poor, vulnerable and homeless.

 

[midori]

I know you read about Red Cross mismanagement all the time-- like spending a quarter of its funds for the 2010 Haitian earthquake on its own internal expenses— and United Way mismanagement-- like embezzlement and fraud-- and Habitat for Humany mismanagement-- like local directors directing its house-building program to benefit local cronies-- but I don’t think I’ve ever read anything about the Salvation Army being incompetent or non-accountable with how it spends its resources. That’s not to say it’s perfect, but the stories you read about the Salvation Army are usually along the lines of, “Rare gold coin/diamond ring/some other valuable object is slipped by an anonymous benefactor into a Red Kettle”.

 

[glorybe]

When I was a parish secretary (now retired), there were a great many people who would walk into the office requesting help for some reason or another. Some things we could help them with like emergency food, clothing, bus passes, etc., but very often I would also refer them to the Salvation Army in our city. Why, because they have a lot of good programs for needy people; one program being free job training and assistance in getting employment. I called it “beyond the bandaids”. The Salvation Army also always had Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for anyone who didn’t have a place to go to eat for the Holiday/Holydays. I never questioned the religious aspect of their organization, only what they could offer people needing help.

 

[ConfusedLucy]

They are also very dignified, these days they are one of the few groups that don’t rattle collecting tins in your face while you are minding your own business walking the high street.

 

[Lee1]

As an organisation they are great, Protestant.
They have an international missing persons free service and they also help people to have holidays who otherwise can’t afford to.
When I was young and in rowdy pubs at night we’d often see one lone female ‘soldier’ collecting money table to table, very brave and never accosted.

OP, we have the Legion of Mary and the St Vincent De Paul organisations who are very active along with quite a few others. I don’t remember them all but I can think of the knights of Columbus too.

 

[CRM_Brother]

Mother Teresa mirrors their thinking when she says
that she is NOT trying to CONVERT her parishioners,
she ministers to ALL faiths and do not try to convert.
Yet the Bible clearly teaches differently on Both counts,
Baptism and Proclamation of the Gospel.

Yes, Mother Theresa did not actively seek missionary conversion, but that doesn’t mean that she did not think evangelization was not needed. She simply thought that it was not her unique place to do so. When asked by those in her care, she was very open about her faith and why she did what she did. She was more a follower of the famous Franciscan expression “Evangelize at all times, use words when necessary”. Christ spoke so boldly in her actions that almost nothing else seemed to be needed. She did, of course, believe in Baptism.

Even the Salvation Army believes in evangelization. Their mission statement reads:

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination

(emphasis added)

 

[Childoftheday]

As with the Friends, one of their “unwritten tenets of membership” is every member is to be involved in their communities. Whether it’s collecting food, clothing, money, assisting in a thrift store, babysitting for single moms, volunteering for women’s shelters, shopping for elderly, visiting hospice or AIDS shelters, or just buying a meal for someone homeless…all members are expected to contribute some of their time on a regular basis to serving their community.
As far as the outward ritual ordinance/sacrament of water baptism, along with Friends believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the “one baptism” necessary to follow Jesus. Also along with Friends the Army believes the “sacred meal” is better shown by feeding someone or sharing a meal or potluck for the community they live than receiving a small piece of bread and sip of wine once in awhile in their meeting houses…in their acts of service “Jesus is truly present” in every meaningful way.

 

[RCIAGraduate]

As with the Friends, one of their “unwritten tenets of membership” is every member is to be involved in their communities. Whether it’s collecting food, clothing, money, assisting in a thrift store, babysitting for single moms, volunteering for women’s shelters, shopping for elderly, visiting hospice or AIDS shelters, or just buying a meal for someone homeless…all members are expected to contribute some of their time on a regular basis to serving their community.

Why can’t more religious people and communities be like that? Why can’t more mosques, synagogues, temples, churches, parishes and the like offer more engaging opportunities to enrich the lives of their adherents (please forgive me since my statement is well harsh)? If temple/synagogue/mosque/church/parish people were like that would people be less embittered and opposed to organized religion and religious institutions, are there not reasons people adopt agnosticism, atheism and irreligiosity? That said, I should probably visit various houses of faith in my region before making sweeping statements like the following.

The meal thing sounds like a wonderful way to foster community, kinship and fellowship.

 

[GLam1761]

I meant that she was not a teacher but
a social worker, just like the Salvation
Army, but like you said, they are an
evangelical christian organization.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I know you read about Red Cross mismanagement all the time-- like spending a quarter of its funds for the 2010 Haitian earthquake on its own internal expenses— and United Way mismanagement-- like embezzlement and fraud-- and Habitat for Humany mismanagement-- like local directors directing its house-building program to benefit local cronies-- but I don’t think I’ve ever read anything about the Salvation Army being incompetent or non-accountable with how it spends its resources. That’s not to say it’s perfect, but the stories you read about the Salvation Army are usually along the lines of, “Rare gold coin/diamond ring/some other valuable object is slipped by an anonymous benefactor into a Red Kettle”.

The Sallies are actually known for their director taking a very small salary, for giving soldiers in wartime items for free that the Red Cross would charge them a fee for, and for spending their money on the actual charity cause rather than on fundraising or administration or on other things.

The Red Cross gets bad press due to the large salaries they pay their management, the mismanagement of donated funds (they collect a lot of money for huge disasters but then don’t use all the money on the disaster - they used 9/11 related donations to improve their own infrastructure when many thought the money was all going to the victims) and their poor response to some disasters. I quit giving to the Red Cross after they spent the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy down in Virginia and ignored Staten Island and then complained on national TV after Staten Island officials called them out on it. I started giving to the Salvation Army instead.

Unfortunately my giving to the Salvation Army caused some people to get mad at me because its leader had made remarks about the morality of gay people, but I don’t much care as I have never heard of them denying aid to someone because they were gay.