Bells keep ringing despite trouble at Salvation Army
By Richard N. Ostling
The Associated Press

Renowned for Christmastime bell-ringers with red kettles, thrift shops, skid-row missions and efficient canteens that served 4.8 million meals after Hurricane Katrina, the Salvation Army enjoys a kind of respect accorded few American charities.

Yet the Army isn't a charity. It's a small, conservative Protestant denomination that sponsors a massive and expanding philanthropic empire even as its membership ebbs.

The Seattle Times: Bells keep ringing despite trouble at Salvation Army.

We're recruiting martyrs...

In the late 1940's, college-aged Christians gathered each summer at the Forest Home Conference Centre, east of Los Angeles. There, challenged by the Holy Spirit, they consecrated themselves in the 'Fellowship of the Burning Heart'. The fruit of this fellowship is counted in the tens of millions of souls. The Fellowship included Henrietta Mears, Billy Graham, Bill Bright, and Richard Halverson, among others.

In the early third millennium college-aged Christians are gathering each year at The War College in Vancouver, Canada. There, challenged by the Holy Spirit, they are consecrating themselves to the mission of world conquest.

What will be the fruit? What will be the impact?

The Salvation Army 614 Vancouver presents The War College: a primitive salvationist, residential training school to equip warriors to win the world for Jesus.

Duration: 12 months

...which includes three teaching semesters and one placement

Location: Vancouver's downtown eastside - North America's poorest postal code

I have to say I felt a nostalgic twinge over the Salvation Army getting into trouble at Christmas. I thought they were getting away with it - the Christianity deal, I mean - just toiling away among the unfortunate, and helping people in the midst of their personal disasters.

I rather like the Sallies. In my youth they used to march righteously through pubs, handing out copies of the War Cry, and getting a good dose of nauseating drunken behaviour to remind them why they were teetotal. Their proximity made your whiskey and Coke all the more sinful and alluring. I don't go to pubs any more, and I expect the Sallies will have given it up as well. They're quite busy enough.

I used to enjoy the Sally bands in the old days when they played on street corners, and sang their hymns, which they don't seem to do any more, either. They were once a fixture of city life, like the Open Air Campaigners, communists selling the People's Voice, the man in Wellington who sold Otaki pinks and violets from his wicker basket, and paper boys with their shrill cries.

The Sallies have played Christmas carols on the street all my life - but now we're having none of that.

Their six-piece brass band emerged last week in the capital, as it has done for a hundred years, only to be told to shove off. A noise control officer, acting on a complaint, told them their carols amounted to "excessive noise".

I suspect the real reason was that their carols were putting off shoppers, already wary of an imminent recession, by dragging religion into the picture. Meanwhile the city laid out the red carpet last week, and closed its streets, in honour of the Great Ape. Around here, we move with the times.

New Zealand Insight: In-depth news features on Stuff.co.nz: King Kong merrily on high - why bring Jesus into it?.

Silent night for the Sallies

The Salvation Army is brassed off that the Wellington City Council has deemed its Christmas carol-playing band offensively loud.

The six piece band, which has been playing Christmas carols in the city - a tradition for at least 100 years - was ordered to move from Lambton Quay on Thursday because of excessive noise.

Band member John Millar said at least 95 percent of the public enjoyed the music and the council was mean-spirited.

"We're there to give a message of Christmas. We feel it's nice music and it isn't too noisy, especially compared to other buskers and bands."

The band was back on the streets yesterday at a different location and had been well received, he said.

Council spokesman Simon Beattie said the council had received a complaint about the band. A contractor investigated and deemed the noise excessive.

The council would speak to the contractor to check how loud the music was. But it was unusual for noise direction notices to be served unless the noise level was very loud.

(Article by Sophie Neville of the Dominion Post Wellington as published on the front page on 10th December, 2005).

4BR downunder | news | > Silent night for the Sallies.

Is all your Christmas shopping sorted yet? If so, then why not look at buying some presents for those most in need around the world. Ethical giving is all the rage, or, at least it should be, and here ALOVE guides you through 10 options for conscientious buying for complete strangers. Why not purchase some of the gifts or work with others to raise funds for some of the more expensive pressies?

Alove :: Engage - Issues.

Working for the eradication of poverty in NZ

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• The historical approach of The Salvation Army to social need in New Zealand
• Change is needed
• The Social Policy & Parliamentary Unit
• What will the Social Policy & Parliamentary Unit deliver?
• Reports on major social issues
• Fact Sheets 'Election/05'
• Newsletters
• Conferences

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The historical approach of The Salvation Army to social need in New Zealand

For 120 years The Salvation Army in New Zealand has consistently cared for people. In the past 20 years however as New Zealand has reformed its economic and social structures the group of people requiring the Army's help with welfare-related needs has increased dramatically. In 1990 for example, The Salvation Army gave out nationally a little under 5,000 food parcels. A decade later, this number exceeds 27,000.

Since 1989 The Salvation Army has annually invested millions of dollars in welfare and social services aimed at assisting the most vulnerable.

Despite this, and the wider investment in welfare services, data from the Ministry of Social Development shows that the number of people living below the Government defined poverty line has increased from 17% to 24% of the population.

Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit

From Armybarmy

Soteria Music Ministries was birthed out of the worship team at Adelaide Congress Hall Salvation Army Corps. In 2003 we officially formed to plan for the release of our first album "I'll Fight". Soteria musicians had already been writing songs for over 5 years.

Our first album "I'll Fight" was released in January 2004 at the Salvation Army's Tri-territorial youth conference in Adelaide. The album quickly got worldwide recogntition from Salvos around the world for the fresh new and professional sound.

In August 2005 we hit the studio to begin recording our second album after months of songwriting and rehearsals. With one CD already under our belt, we had a much better idea of the unique sound we were looking for. In September 2005 the second album "Tell the World" was released. It has a unique sound birthed out of our passion to do the mission of The Salvation Army.

Soteria Music Ministries.

Estonia is a stunning country, with some amazing people, but of course that is merely one side of the story. There is so much need and so many people with nothing. We had the opportunity to see both sides. I am confident that we were models of Jesus Christ to the people of Estonia, but I am more confident that they were models of Christ to us! People who have nothing appear to have everything. Their faith is overwhelming, and they express this in everything that they say and do. My prayer is that God will continue to move in Estonia, blessing the people there, encouraging them and providing for the Army so that needs can be met.

Alove :: Staines Youth Group visits Estonia.

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