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Citation: Trim, Kester and James E. Pedlar. “Doctrine in the Salvation Army Tradition.”
Ecumenism 179-180 (Fall-Winter 2010): 36-41.

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Trim, Kester and James E. Pedlar. “Doctrine in the Salvation Army Tradition.”
Ecumenism 179-180 (Fall-Winter 2010): 36-41.

[ Citation Page ] 



Doctrine in the Salvation Army Tradition

Major Kester Trim and James E. Pedlar

Major Kester Trim has served as an officer of The Salvation Army in a
variety of appointments in Canada, Zaire and Zimbabwe. He is currently
serving as Divisional Commander for the Quebec Division of the Canada
and Bermuda Territory, and is Chair of the Commission on Faith &
Witness.

James E. Pedlar is Assistant Coordinator of Faith and Witness at the
Canadian Council of Churches, and a Th.D. candidate in systematic theology
at the Toronto School of Theology, specializing in ecumenical ecclesiology.
He previously served as Community Ministries Director for The Salvation
Army in the Quinte Region of Ontario.

   The Salvation Army is not known for
placing a particular emphasis on doctrine.
This is not because doctrine is unimportant to
Salvationists, but because The Salvation
Army has customarily emphasized
evangelism and service, rather than
theological scholarship. Nevertheless, The
Salvation Anny’s official doctrines are
viewed as essential to its corporate life and
witness. As Salvation Army field officers and
soldiers attempt to serve among “the least of
these”, their daily ministries are shaped by
doctrinal commitments. Though theological
scholarship is not a prominent aspect of The
Salvation Army tradition, doctrine definitely
plays a significant role in giving direction and
purpose to all aspects of Salvationist ministry.

   Salvation Army mission has always been
evangelistic in nature. If doctrine has to do
with ideas, propositions, teachings and
beliefs, then it plays a central role in the
message that a church brings to its people. At
its founding, The Salvation Army adopted 11
articles of faith, which capture the essential
aspects of theological truth for The Salvation
Army.1

• We believe that the Scriptures of the
Old and New Testaments were given
by inspiration of God, and that they
only constitute the Divine rule of
Christian faith and practice.

• We believe that there is only one
God, who is infinitely perfect, the
Creator, Preserver, and Governor of
all tilings, and who is the only proper
object of religious worship.

• We believe that there are three
persons in the (iodhead — the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
undivided in essence and co-equal in
power and glory.

• We believe that in the person of Jesus
Christ the Divine and human natures
are united, so that He is truly and
properly God and truly and properly
man.

• We believe that our first parents were
created in a state of innocency, but by
their disobedience, they lost their
purity and happiness, and that in
consequence of their fall, all men
have become sinners, totally

Page 36




depraved, and as such are justly
exposed to the wrath of God.

• We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ
has by His suffering and death made
an atonement for the whole world so
that whosoever will may be saved.

• We believe that repentance toward
God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ
and regeneration by the Holy Spirit
are necessary to salvation.

• We believe that we are justified by
grace through faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ and that he that believeth hath
the witness in himself.

• We believe that continuance in a state
of salvation depends upon continued
obedient faith in Christ.

• We believe that it is the privilege of
all believers to be wholly sanctified,
and that their whole spirit and soul
and body may be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ.

• We believe in the immortality of the
soul, the resurrection of the body, in
the general judgement at the end of
the world, in the eternal happiness of
the righteous, and in the endless
punishment of the wicked.

   When reviewed, one quickly notices that
the focus of these 11 articles is the saving
work of God through the shed blood of
Christ. There is no teaching about the church,
ministry or the sacraments. In fact, these
articles of faith were intended to be sparse
and minimalistic. The early Salvationists
envisioned themselves as an evangelistic
force that was free from the entanglements of
doctrinal controversy, and hence adopted
what they believed to be only the essentials of
the faith as binding for their members. The
place of doctrine in Salvation Army life is
well summarized in a passage from the
Orders and Regulations for Officers of The
Salvation Army, where the officer is
instructed to “impart much sound doctrine in
connexion with all his work”,2 while also
being directed to “teach Army doctrine to his
people in the simplest and most practical
manner, avoiding, as far as possible, all
controversy or argument”.3

   These 11 articles of faith are taken from
the Methodist tradition.4 William Booth was
baptized in the Church of England, but raised
in Methodism, and served as an ordained
minister with the Methodist New Connexion
prior to beginning his work with The
Salvation Army.5 He remained an enthusiastic
proponent of Wesleyan doctrine throughout
his life and ministry.6 In these brief 11
articles of faith, one can see the seminal
Wesleyan themes of total depravity (Article
5) universal atonement (Article 6),
justification by faith (Article 8), assurance
through the witness of the Spirit (Article 8),
and a strong emphasis on sanctification
(Articles 9 and 10).

   The Salvation Array’s non-observance of
the sacraments was not articulated in its
articles of doctrine. This is partly due to the
fact that the decision to discontinue the use of
the sacraments of baptism and eucharist was
not made until 1883, 18 years after The
Salvation Army was founded, and five years
after the Army’s constitution was written.7
The primary theological convictions
underlying the Salvation Anny’s non-
observance of the sacraments were: 1) the
claim that grace is immediately available to
all, irrespective of any particular observance;
and following from this, 2) that no particular
observance can be said to be “necessary to
salvation”. A third emphasis, which
developed over time and will be discussed
below, has to do with the potential
sacramentality of all aspects of human life.
The Army’s non-observant stance on the
sacraments had its historical precedent in the
tradition of the Society of Friends, but was
also justified in part by the above-mentioned
desire to avoid theological controversy (since
the sacraments have often been a matter of
dispute in Christian history). It was not
Booth’s intent to disrespect the practice of
other traditions, nor to make it a matter of

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dispute.8 Moreover, Salvationists have never
been prohibited from partaking of the Lord’s
Supper in other traditions where they are
welcome, and are free to be baptized if they
feel it to be of importance.9

   It is in this amalgam of Methodist and
Quaker traditions that The Salvation Army
grew and sought to demonstrate that salvation
was available for everyone, and that each
individual had the potential to change. The
sinner could be saved from a life of sin to a
life of holiness through the sanctifying power
of the Holy Spirit. Many early Salvationists
were “living testimonies” to these truths.

   It is perhaps the doctrine of holiness that
has had the strongest influence over the
corporate life of The Salvation Army
throughout its history. While Salvationists
have no formal liturgy, and are not likely to
rehearse their official articles of faith on a
regular basis, one can see the influence of
holiness doctrine in the strong tradition of
Salvation Army music. Indeed The Songbook
of The Salvation Army is sometimes
compared to the Book of Common Prayer in
terms of its significance in shaping the faith
and corporate life of Salvationists. Songs
sung in Salvation Anny halls are filled with
invitations to accept the call to a holy life.
William Pearson’s song, “Jesus, save me
through and through”, which appeared in the
army’s periodical The War Cry in 1881, is but
one example of the close connection between
the belief that the saving act of Christ’s death
and resurrection has a direct relation to the
personal holy life. The chorus of Pearson’s
song illustrates this clearly:

   Through and through, through and
   through,
   Jesus, make me holy;
   Save me to the uttermost
   All the way to glory.10

   Early expressions of Salvationism were
marked by clear preaching and teaching on
the topic of personal holiness. William Booth
and his wife Catherine spoke often and in
depth on this subject.11 Subsequent to their
ministries, and no less important, was the
voice of Samuel Logan Brengle, an American
convert to Salvationism who developed many
practical texts to explain holiness and became
known as the “prophet of holiness” in
Salvations! circles.12 The tradition of The
Salvation Army has been paved by men and
women who have taught holy living and
encouraged believers to seek after the holy
life.

   In relation to the holy life, Salvationists
have often made a distinction between inner
being and external things. The inner spiritual
life is of capital value. One is not saved by
church allegiance or practice, rather by
accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour and being
baptized by the Holy Spirit. Catherine Booth,
in her essay, A Mock Salvation vs.
Deliverance from Sin, wrote, “Now, we have
nothing to say against forms; but they are
only, as it were, the bodies in which spiritual
ideas and purposes are manifested, and
without LI PE they are useless, and worse
than useless.”13 More recently, The Salvation
Army’s Doctrine Council affirmed, “The
Army places emphasis in its teaching not
upon externals but upon the need for each
believer personally to experience that inward
spiritual grace Io which an external
observance testifies.”14

   This leads us to the connection between
the Salvation Army’s understanding of
holiness and its position on the sacraments.
As Salvation Army tradition evolved,
Salvationists came to view a holy life as a
sacramental life, (jeneral Albert Orsborn
presented this image when he wrote the
following song, which is often cited in
Salvation Army discussions of the
sacraments: 15

   My life must be Christ’s broken bread,
   My love his outpoured wine,
   A cup o’erfillcd, a table spread
   Beneath his name and sign,
   That other souls, refreshed and fed,
   May share his life through mine.

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   My all is in the Master’s hands
   For him to bless and break;
   Beyond the brook his winepress stands
   And thence my way I take,
   Resolved the whole of love’s demands
   To give, for his dear sake.

   Lord, let me share that grace of thine
   Wherewith thou didst sustain
   The burden of the fruitful vine,
   The gift of buried grain.
   Who dies with thee, O Word divine,
   Shall rise and live again.16

   From this perspective, more recent
Salvation Army publications have begun to
stress the potential sacramentality of all of
life, thereby arguing that The Salvation
Army’s corporate life is “sacramental”,
though the traditional sacraments are not
observed.17

   As a relatively young tradition, The
Salvation Army continues to develop its
interest in matters of doctrine. In contrast to
the early Salvationists, who, in the words of
William Booth, had “neither time nor
inclination for book writing in the presence of
the fearful necessities of the millions
perishing around us”,18 contemporary
Salvationists are attempting to further the
development of Salvationist theology. In
2001, the Army’s first ever International
Theology and Ethics Symposium was held in
Winnipeg and focused on questions of
Trinitarian theology.19 In 2006, Salvationists
gathered for the second such conference in
South Africa, and addressed the topic of
ecclesiology,20 and a third International
Symposium, on holiness was held in London,
UK, in October 2010. Another significant
development has been the publication of an
academic journal for Salvationists - Word
and Deed: A Journal of Salvation Army
Theology and Ministry, which is now in its
twelfth year of publication. Finally,
ecumenical partners will be interested to
know that in recent years, The Salvation
Anny’s International Doctrine Council has
been involved in bilateral dialogues with the
Seventh Day Adventists, the World
Methodist Council, and, most recently, the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian
Unity.

   What is essential for the Salvationist,
however, is to not lose sight of personal
holiness. Doctrine is not viewed as an end in
itself, but as a means of guiding the Christian
life. Recently, General Shaw Clifton, the
Army’s present international leader, referred
in one of his works to the modem day
Salvation Army as a “sanctification Army”,
and appeals to Salvationists to engage in the
holy life “encapsulated in our Tenth
Doctrine”.21 Perhaps it is the personal way in
which Salvationist doctrine functions that is
the most striking, that is, the way in which the
Salvationist’s life is to be guided by the 11
articles: A life based upon the Bible,
governed by the Triune God, cognizant of our
fallen state, saved and made whole, sanctified
by the Holy Spirit until the general judgment
at the end of the world. There is a direct link
between who wc are, what we do and what
we believe, and the call to holiness is or
should be pre-eminent in the Salvationist’s
mind, and should be the bearing by which
other faith decisions are made.

   One notable outcome of this view of
holiness is an extensive social response to
human need, wherever it is found. Each
Salvation Army Corps meets not only to
conduct worship services and to provide
Christian education and fellowship, but also
seeks to respond to human need in the wider
community. In some instances, The Salvation
Army is known more for its humanitarian
work than its evangelistic ministry. However,
within each unit, division and territory, a
central question is asked in annual reviews:
To what extent does the program or service
undertaken contribute to the Army’s mission?
Is it consistent with our people who claim
holiness as a value?

   Doctrine, therefore, is critically important
to The Salvation Army. Specifically, its
mission is based almost exclusively on the

Page 39



slice of doctrine encompassed by the saving
grace available through Christ and the
personal quest to respond in obedience to His
call to lead a holy life, characterized by love
of God and service to suffering humanity. It
would be hard to imagine The Salvation
Army without salvation, and it would be
harder still to imagine that the quest for
holiness would not function as the baseline
for Salvationist mission integrity. It is not
enough to assent to an article of faith which
states that Christ died for one’s sins and has
performed the salvific act. Rather, one must
seek to live out this salvation, presenting the
gospel message of hope through the life lived,
illustrating the restorative power of the Holy
Spirit, in response to the call to live a holy
life.

1. The most recent authoritative interpretation of
the 11 articles is found in The Salvation Army
Handbook of Doctrine (London: Salvation Books,
2010), available for download at
www.salvationarmy.org.

2. Booth, William. Orders and Regulations for
Officers of The Salvation Army (London:
Salvation Army International Headquarters,
1925), §IV.VI.3.2,p. 225

3. Ibid., §IV.VI.3.1, p. 225

4. See Salvation Story: Salvationist Handbook of
Doctrine (London: The Salvation Army
International Headquarters, 1998) 130 for a
discussion of the origins of the 11 doctrines or
articles of faith.

5. For an excellent biography of William Booth,
see Roger Green’s recent book, The Life and
Ministry of William Booth (Nashville: Abingdon,
2005).

6. Speaking of his early years, Booth remarked,
“To me there was one God, and John Wesley was
his prophet.” Frederick Booth-Tucker, The Life of
Catherine Booth (London: The Salvation Army,
n.d.), 1:52. Roger Green notes that he reiterated
this claim on his sixtieth birthday. Green, The Life
and Ministry of William Booth, 231, n. 34.

7. The history of this decision is summarized well
by Green, The Life and Ministry of William Booth,
145-151. For a more detailed historical and
theological treatment of the topic, see David R.
Rightmire, Sacraments and The Salvation Army:
Pneumatological Foundations (Metuchen, NJ:
Scarecrow Press, 1990).

8. Roger Green quotes an 1895 interview, where
Booth states, “We never disclaim against the
Sacraments; we never even state our own position.
We are anxious not to destroy the confidence of
Christian people in institutions which are helpful
to them.” The Life and Ministry of William Booth,
148.

9. An interesting testament to this freedom is
found in the history of the early Salvation Army in
Canada. When The Salvation Army was
beginning to put down roots in Kingston, ON.,
Captain Abby Thomson was in the habit of taking
her entire group of soldiers to St. George’s
Cathedral to receive communion in the Anglican
tradition. This created somewhat of a scandal at
the Cathedral, and the young Curate, The Rev. Dr.
Henry Wilson, was eventually run out of town for
his associations with the rowdy Salvationists. This
fascinating story is recounted in Norman
Knowles’ “Irreverent and Profane Buffoonery:
The Salvation Army and St. George’s”, in St.
George's ('athedral: Two Hundred Years of
Community, edited by Donald Swainson
(Kingston': Quarry Press, 1991), 247-262.

10. The Songbook of The Salvation Army (London:
The Salvation Army, 1987), #340.

11. The Beauty of Holiness: an Unchanging
Doctrine (The Salvation Army in Canada &
Bermuda, 1963) is an anthology of sermons from
Salvationist preachers, which includes texts from
William and Catherine Booth. See also Catherine
Booth’s Papers on Practical Religion (London:
The Salvation Army, 1891) and Popular
Christianity (I .ondon: The Salvation Army, 1887).

12. Samuel Logan Brcngle was a prolific
Salvationist writer. Two of his most popular-
works on holiness are Heart talks on Holiness and
Helps to Holiness, both printed by Salvationist
Publishing and Supplies, first edition 1896,
reprinted 1965.

13. “A Mock Salvation v. Deliverance from Sin”
in Popular Christianity, 43

14. The Salvation Army in the Body of Christ
(London: Salvation Books, 2008), 13.

15. Albert Orsborn was the sixth General of The
Salvation Army, serving from 1946-1954. This
song first appeared in The War Cry, May 3, 1947.
The Companion to the Song Book compiled by
Gordon Avery (London: The Salvation Army,
1962) in article 462, page 150, notes that after-
meeting in Germany with Salvation Army officers
in a war-damaged hall he realized “we have no
hope of being a blessing to other souls unless our

Page 40




lives become part of the Saviour’s sacramental
consecration.”

16. The Song Book of The Salvation Army, #512

17. “We observe the sacraments, not by limiting
them to two or three, but by inviting Christ to
suppers, love feasts, birth celebrations, parties,
dedications, sick beds, weddings, anniversaries,
commissioning, ordinations, retirements - and a
host of other significant events - and, where he is
truly received, watching him give a grace beyond
our understanding.” Salvation Story: Salvationist
Handbook of Doctrine (London: The Salvation
Army, 1998), 114.

18. William Booth, Salvation Soldiery (London:
The Salvation Army, 1889), 1.

19. Papers from this symposium were published in
Word & Deed: A Journal of Salvation Army
Theology and Ministry, Volumes 4/1 (November
2001), 4/2 (May 2002), and 5/1 (November 2002).

20. Papers from this symposium were published in
Word & Deed: A Journal of Salvation Army
Theology and Ministry, Volumes 9/1 (November
2006), 9/2 (May 2007). General Shaw Clifton’s
address to the symposium, “People of God -
Salvationist Ecclesiology”, can be found on the
General’s website http://www.salvationarmy,
org/thegeneral.

21. Shaw, Clifton, New Love: Thinking Aloud
about Practical Holiness (Auckland, NZ: Flag
Publications, 2006), 9. He also describes the
“greatest threat of all today for Salvationism is a
perceptible neglect of holiness teaching.” Ibid.,
19.

For further reading:

The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine.
London: Salvation Books, 2010.

Green, Roger. The Life and Ministry of William
Booth, Founder of The Salvation Army. Nashville:
Abingdon, 2005.

Gariepy, Henry. Christianity in Action: The
International History of The Salvation Army.
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009.


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