Salvation Army
Evangelical Christian church and charitable organisation
The Salvation Army is a Methodist Christian church and an international charitable organisation aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. It was founded and headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7 million Salvationists, consisting of "soldiers", officers, and adherents who are collectively known as salvationists. Its founders sought to bring salvation to the poor, destitute, and hungry by meeting both their "physical and spiritual needs". It says it has an official presence in 133 countries, running charity shops, operating shelters for the homeless, and disaster relief and humanitarian aid to developing countries.
The theology of the Salvation Army derives from Methodism, although it differs from other Methodist denominations in institution and practice; an example is that the Salvation Army does not observe sacraments. As with other evangelical denominations in the Holiness Methodist tradition, the Salvation Army lays emphasis on the New Birth (referred to as the first work of grace) and entire sanctification (second work of grace). A distinctive characteristic of the Salvation Army is its use of titles derived from military ranks, such as "lieutenant" or "major". The Army's doctrine is aligned with the Wesleyan–Arminian tradition, particularly the holiness movement. The Army's stated purposes are "the advancement of the Christian religion...
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Salvation Army” is evangelical Christian church and charitable organisation. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Salvation, Army and Evangelical, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “evangelical Christian church and charitable organisation” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q188307. VIAF identifies the subject as 153030282. The Library of Congress control number is n79046615. 4 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 3 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Salvation Army”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Salvation Army primary sources, Salvation Army archive and Salvation research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Salvation Army”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Salvation Army” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.