The Salvation Army

Fraternal Orders · Updated August 15, 2026

Overview

The Salvation Army does not baptize members or celebrate communion, making it one of the few Christian denominations that entirely rejects sacraments. This radical departure from mainstream Christian practice emerged from the Methodist revival tradition in Victorian London, where a preacher named William Booth and his wife Catherine Booth set out to save the bodies and souls of the city's most desperate people.

In 1865, William Booth founded the Christian Mission in London's East End, preaching to the poor, the hungry, and the destitute. The mission became The Salvation Army in 1878, adopting military ranks for its clergy , lieutenants, captains, majors, and generals , and calling its members soldiers. Booth, serving as the first General, structured the organization like an army fighting a war against poverty and sin. His son Bramwell Booth succeeded him as the second General. The Booths came from the Wesleyan-Holiness movement, rooted in Methodist theology, but they discarded the sacraments that other Methodist churches maintained. Instead of baptism and communion, the Army emphasized what it called the first work of grace , the New Birth , and the second work of grace, entire sanctification. The founders believed sacraments could become empty rituals that distracted from the real work of loving God and neighbor through direct action.

The organization expanded to the United States in 1880 and today operates in 133 countries with over 1.7 million salvationists. Its members run charity shops, homeless shelters, disaster relief programs, and humanitarian aid operations in developing nations , all expressions of the founders' original commitment to meeting physical and spiritual needs simultaneously.

The Salvation Army does not baptize members or celebrate communion, making it one of the few Christian denominations that entirely rejects sacraments.

Source: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Key facts

The Salvation Army was founded in London, England, as part of the Wesleyan-Holiness movement.: It originated from the Methodist tradition and remains aligned with Wesleyan-Arminian theology.
The organization reports over 1.7 million members worldwide, called salvationists, across 133 countries.: Members are classified as soldiers, officers, and adherents, reflecting its military-style structure.
The Salvation Army uses military ranks such as lieutenant and major for its clergy and leadership.: This militarized naming convention is a distinctive characteristic setting it apart from other Methodist denominations.
The Army does not observe sacraments, a key difference from other Methodist and mainstream Christian churches.: It emphasizes the first work of grace (New Birth) and second work of grace (entire sanctification) instead.
The founders sought to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of the poor, destitute, and hungry.: This dual mission of material aid and evangelism remains central to the organization's stated purpose.
The organization operates charity shops, homeless shelters, disaster relief, and humanitarian aid in developing countries.: These social services are a direct expression of its theological commitment to practical Christian love.

Context

The Salvation Army emerged from the Methodist revival tradition in Victorian London, combining evangelical Christian theology with a military-style organizational structure. Its founders were motivated by biblical commands to love God and neighbor, translating these into direct action for the poor and marginalized. The organization remains unique among Christian denominations for its rejection of sacraments and its use of military ranks for clergy.