Canon Ian Ellis: Salvation Army is keeping going as much of its outreach work as possible amid Covid challenge

Founded in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth as the East London Christian Mission, it was reorganised in 1878 by William Booth who introduced a military-style structure with the aim of reaching out as efficiently as possible to the needy through addressing their material and spiritual needs.

The military approach reflects the urgency of that mission.

The turn of the century just over 100 years ago was a time of great missionary ambition and that sense of urgency brought the different Protestant denominations together in a very cooperative spirit.

In 1910, a great world missionary conference held in Edinburgh saw the many opportunities for global mission created by new means of communication and developing trade routes around the world.

In his account of that great assembly of missionaries from all parts of the globe, WHT Gairdner, a celebrated Scottish-born missionary in Egypt, wrote of the world as “every day more and more closely and organically knit by the nerves of electric cable and telegraph wire; more richly fed by the arteries and veins of railway-line and steamship ocean-way”.

He described the inspiration created by the awareness of “one world, waiting, surely, for who shall carry to it and place in its empty hands one faith”.

Mission was global, but it was also local.

It was urgent and it therefore required the most effective organisation.

While the Salvation Army had Methodist roots another similar organisation was founded by Wilson Carlile within the Church of England around the same time, then known as the Church Army (now simply as Church Army).

As a student back in the 1970s I spent one summer working on placement in a Church Army hostel for young men in Putney.

It was a steep learning curve, to say the least.

The Salvation Army’s Belfast-based Major Imogen Stewart told me for this column about the Salvation Army’s experience of ministry in the current coronavirus situation.

Asked how, with singing and playing musical instruments being at the heart of Salvation Army worship, the coronavirus regulations have impacted on the Salvation Army’s activities in Northern Ireland, she told me that restrictions had been keenly felt.

She said that for Salvation Army congregations across the province “this was hard, as this is a vital part of ‘who we are’ and the way we worship”.

Major Stewart added that as it was only on December 13 that the Salvation Army had been notified by the Northern Ireland executive that six socially distant people could play, this gave Salvation Army groups limited time to prepare and gather to play and sing carols in the run up to, and during, Christmas.

Many congregations have turned to online worship during the coronavirus restrictions, and this has certainly been true for the Salvation Army.

Major Stewart commented that most “had to learn literally overnight how to ‘do’ online”, including leading a virtual service and using creative art visuals.

She added: “This ranged from all singing and dancing virtual arrangements, to just basic songs of worship with a thought, resourced from YouTube. Those who are creative enough formed some really good ways of online presentations.

“Our online contributions were done mostly through Zoom, or live streamed through YouTube. Online contributions involved streaming live, pre-recorded, online testimonies, small lectionary meditations, teaching, Bible study groups, prayer meetings, even Zoom quizzes for church fellowship.”

The other main branch of Salvation Army work, social outreach, has also been considerably challenged by the coronavirus situation.

There are twelve Salvation Army Lighthouse projects across the island of Ireland, with five of them in Northern Ireland. These include family centres, hostels for adults and provision for the elderly.

This outreach has remained constant throughout the coronavirus emergency, Major Stewart said, with the frontline work being carried on as best as possible under the restrictions.

“Like other places they were not allowed visitors, but it was business as usual,” she added.

The Salvation Army’s Northern Ireland Christmas Family Appeal, with the distribution of toys, went ahead under coronavirus restrictions, Major Stewart said, adding: “We still meet need in a variety of situations during these times, delivering parcels to those people who need help. Through our Foodbank we have delivered food parcels all over the province, realising that true need and hard times are still yet to come.”

As far as Christmas Day was concerned, Major Stewart said that those Salvation Army groups who would have served Christmas Day meals have had to adjust and catered in a new way on Christmas Day through delivering meals.

Additionally, there are Salvation Army groups who have strong befriending schemes which, Major Stewart said, help alleviate loneliness.

Other denominations of course have also engaged very creatively both in terms of online worship and practical outreach, yet the Salvation Army is especially well known for its bands and very frontline welfare service.

Salvationists have much to teach us all.

• Canon Ian Ellis is a former editor of The Church of Ireland Gazette

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