THE SALVATION ARMY

by Kevin Rutherford

Every year around Thanksgiving the Salvation Army begins to make a strong find raising drive. They advertise on TV, involve TV personalities, and put red buckets out all over town. There are not many major stores that don’t have a person ringing a bell and encouraging people to donate. Much of the money raised is used to help needy people. For their work in helping those in need the Salvation Army is to be commended but not supported. Members of the Lord’s Church sin against God when they contribute to support the work of a religious denomination (Ephesians 5:11).

The Salvation Army Denomination was started in 1865 by William Booth in London, England. The church was first called The East London Christian Mission with its name being changed to The Salvation Army in 1878. Today The Salvation Army has at least two million church members in eighty-five different nations.

The Salvation Army Church should not be supported because it has a human creed (The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine). God has given us the creed we must go by and that is the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). We don’t need the doctrines of men interfering with the truth (Matthew 15:9).

The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine teaches many things contrary to the Bible. For example, they teach that little children are born totally depraved having inherited the sin of theft ancestors (Handbook, pp. 85-86). The Bible does not teach this (Deuteronomy 1:9; Ezekiel 18:20; Hebrews 12:9; Ecclesiastes 12:7). The Salvation Army Church also teaches that baptism is not necessary for salvation (Handbook, pp. 185, 186). The Bible teaches otherwise (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Galatians 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21). The Salvation Army Church also uses man made mechanical instruments of music in their worship. The New Testament gives no authority for the use of such instruments in Christian worship (Ephesians 5:18, 19; Colossians 3:16, 17). In addition they have women preachers which is in violation of I Timothy 2:8-15, and they raise finds with methods unauthorized by the New Testament (I Corinthians 16:1; 2 Corinthians 9:6, 7).

While the Salvation Army is to be commended for its generous spirit, it is a church that we cannot scripturally fellowship. In fact, Christians should have nothing to do with the works of the Salvation Army or any other man made denomination (2 John 9-II). Practically speaking this means we should avoid placing money into the little red buckets.