The Social Work of the Salvation ArmyLamb, Edwin Gifford
History
The Social Work of the Salvation Army
Lamb, Edwin Gifford
Poor; Salvation Army; Social history
Along with the rapid growth went a differentiation almost as rapid and
unique as the growth itself. In fact, both reacted on each other. The
work was separated first into three main departments, viz.: Spiritual,
Social and Trade. It will be necessary to make a brief statement of this
differentiation in detail. In the Spiritual Department we have the
extension of the original idea, that of converting the people. Corps, as
the different religious groups were called, sprang up and multiplied
until even the smaller towns were occupied. Converts were added by
hundreds and thousands. Large numbers of the brightest and best of these
converts were utilized in extending the work still further, and after
undergoing a brief training, were sent out, some to aid the movement in
the mother country, others to begin the work in different parts of
Europe and in America, and still others as missionaries to all parts of
the world. Meanwhile, the work in each local organization or Corps,
became systematized, and the Corps were united into Sections or
Divisions, the Divisions into larger districts called Provinces, and the
Provinces into Commands, which for the most part controlled the
territory of an entire country. Each of these divisions from the Corps
to the Command, was delegated to an officer who had sole charge, and
who was responsible to the officer above him. For example, the United
States, at present, is divided into two Commands; the first extending
from New York to Chicago; the second from Chicago to the Pacific Coast.
The first Command has six Provinces; the second, four. Each Province has
from three to nine Divisions, and each Division contains a number of
Corps. Thus, while each Corps is complete in itself, the general
administration is very highly centralized; so much so, that an order
from General Booth at the National Headquarters, London, England, must
be obeyed by every Corps in the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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