Comments

There are so many better examples of Christianity then the
white male malcontents who are living in the emergent
bubble. They resent their own creation and the Blood of Jesus
Christ who died for their sin. Spend a little time at a Salvation Army
outreach store or ministries and you will see Christ in action.
They are the opposite of the Jesus People movement. We were
amazed and thankful for the revival of Gods word and Salvation.
The emergents are in the process of trying to rob a whole generation
of God's Power and Glory. They talk out of both sides of their mouths
and try to sound oh so intellectual and informed. Please quit helping
them spread their anti-gospel.

There is a tendency to become a little isolated from real world action/concerns in some of the emergent conversation. And the voices of those who seem to out right reject the fundamentals of the gospel [Atonement, Penal substitution]do call for some concern.

Petraon-

As someone active in the emergent conversation, I agree wholeheartedly that the Salvation Army does a great job of doing the work Jesus calls us to. Unfortunately, they are a small and have been a diminishing part of the church in America. How many churches in suburbia are partnering with them? How many of the people in the pews are volunteering with them? The EC has tried to point out that groups like the Salvation Army need the suburban church and the folks in their pews to get up and help with the work. The good news is that message is starting to take hold, and those outside the EC are starting to answer the call.

Kenton:
I think the Salvation Army would be surprised to find out
they are a small and dimishing part of the church. They are
in every town and help in every disaster. They are usually at
a disaster before the Red Cross, they just don't get the publicity.
The shelters for abused children, homeless familes, addicts and
those rescued from human trafficking are a large but quiet ministry.
They seek no glory and are a multi-billion dollar charity world wide.
The fact that emergents have such a bitter outlook toward the
Body of Christ especially those in "suburbia" is so silly. The
emergent movement, who brags that they are so tolerant, don't seem to
mind condemning most American Christians. God is not Dead, He is
alive, and many large and small churches do His work without fanfare.
Thank God, He knows our hearts and God doesn't need the approveal of
the emergent naysayers. We could all do more, that is true, but I have
seen upclose and personal the damage the emergent philosphy does to
young believers their families. The emergent movement is a damaging
flash in the pan and will leave many disallusioned and the bitter seeds
you are planting are harmful.

Objectively the Salvation Army is fairly small. There are about 1 million world wide members of the church. Their impact is far wider than their membership would suggest. Even if all those members were in the US they wouldn't make a top 20 denomination. There are more than 6 times as many Orthodox Christians in the US as their are Salvation Army members.

Kenton is exactly right that those Christians that are doing a lot of the work are the ones that need the help. So we do need more churches partnership with Salavtion Army and other urban churches. I know dozens of urban churches that can barely pay light bills but do tons of social services to their community.

I am not sure what the bitterness that you are talking about really comes down to Petraon. Certainly not everyone in the Emergent Church movement is being helpful, but that is true of the whole church.

Statistics

Countries where The Salvation Army is at work

A country in which the Army serves is defined in two ways:
(i) Politically
(ii) Where the General has given approval to the work, thus officially recognising it, ensuring it has legal identity and a Deed Poll is published to acknowledge this.

As far as political status is concerned, for the Army’s purposes, three categories are recognised:
(a) Independent countries, e.g., USA and New Zealand;
(b) Internally independent political entities which are under the protection of another country in matters of defence and foreign affairs, e.g., The Færoes, Isle of Man, Puerto Rico;
(c) Colonies and other dependent political units, e.g., Bermuda, French Guiana, Guam, Guernsey, Jersey, Virgin Islands.

Administrative subdivisions of a country such as Wales and Scotland in the UK are not recognised as separate countries for this purpose. The countries fulfilling the quoted criteria, with the date on which the work was officially recognised in brackets, are as follows:

Angola.....(1985)
Antigua.....(1903)
Argentina.....(1890)
Australia.....(1881)
Austria.....(1927)

Bahamas.....(1931)
Bangladesh.....(1970)
Barbados.....(1898)
Belgium.....(1889)
Belize.....(1915)
Bermuda.....(1896)
Bolivia.....(1920)
Botswana.....(1997)
Brazil.....(1922)

Canada.....(1882)
Chile.....(1909)
China.....(1916)
Colombia.....(1985)
Congo (Brazzaville) 1937)
Congo (Kinshasa).....(1934)
Costa Rica.....(1907 and 1975)
Cuba.....(1918)
Czech Republic.....(1919 and 1990)

Denmark.....(1887)
Dominican Republic
.....(1995)

Ecuador.....(1985)
El Salvador.....(1989)
Estonia.....(1927 and 1996)
Færoes, The.....(1924)
Fiji.....(1973)
Finland.....(1889)
France.....(1881)
French Guiana.....(1980)

Georgia.....(1993)
Germany.....(1886)
Ghana.....(1922)
Greece.....(2007)
Grenada.....(1902) Guam.....(1994)
Guatemala.....(1976)
Guernsey.....(1879)
Guyana.....(1895)

Haiti.....(1950)
Honduras.....(2000)
Hong Kong.....(1930)
Hungary.....(1924 and 1990)

Iceland.....(1895)
India.....(1882)
Indonesia.....(1894)
Ireland, Republic of (Eire).....(1880)
Isle of Man.....(1883)
Italy.....(1887)

Jamaica.....(1887)
Japan.....(1895)
Jersey.....(1879)

Kenya.....(1921)
Korea.....(1908)

Latvia.....(1923 and 1990)
Lesotho.....(1969)
Liberia.....(1988)
Lithuania....(2005)

Macau (2000)
Malawi.....(1967)
Malaysia.....(1938)
Marshall Islands.....(1985)
Mexico.....(1937)
Micronesia.....(1993)
Moldova.....(1994)
Mozambique.....(1916)
Myanmar.....(1915)

Netherlands, The.....(1887)
New Zealand.....(1883)
Nigeria.....(1920)
Norway.....(1888)

Pakistan.....(1883) Panama.....(1904)
Papua New Guinea.....(1956)
Paraguay.....(1910)
Peru.....(1910)
Philippines, The.....(1937)
Poland.....(2005)
Portugal.....(1971)
Puerto Rico.....(1962)

Romania.....(1999)
Russia.....(1913 and 1991)
Rwanda.....(1996)

St Christopher Nevis (St Kitts).....(1904)
St Helena.....(1884)
St Lucia.....(1902)
St Maarten.....(1999)
St Vincent.....(1903)
Singapore.....(1935)
South Africa.....(1883)
Spain.....(1971)
Sri Lanka.....(1883)
Suriname.....(1926)
Swaziland.....(1960)
Sweden.....(1882)
Switzerland.....(1882)

Taiwan.....(1965)
Tanzania.....(1933)
Tonga.....(1986)
Trinidad and Tobago.....(1901)

Uganda.....(1931)
Ukraine.....(1993)
United Kingdom.....(1865)
United States of
America.....(1880)
Uruguay.....(1890)

Venezuela.....(1972)
Virgin Islands.....(1917)

Zambia.....(1922)
Zimbabwe.....(1891)

International Statistics (as at 1 January 2007)

Countries and other territories where SA serves (see above)...113 (115 in 2008)
Languages used in SA work, including some tribal languages...175
Corps, outposts, societies, new plants and recovery churches...15,175
Goodwill centres...1,155
Officers...25,974
...Active...16,945
...Retired...9,029
Auxiliary-captains...143
Lieutenants...604
Envoys/sergeants, full-time...793
Cadets...998
Employees...107,902
Senior soldiers...1,082,166
Adherents...190,215
Junior soldiers...360,222
Corps cadets...36,374
Senior band musicians...25,653
Senior songsters...94,921
Other senior musical group members...45,753
Senior and young people’s local officers...128,854
Women’s Ministries (all groups) – members...564,566
League of Mercy – members...110,924
SAMF – members...8,257
Over-60 clubs – members...359,230
Men’s fellowships – members...74,072
Young people’s bands – members...10,652
Young people’s singing companies – members...79,665
Other young people’s music groups – members...55,776
Sunday schools – members...612,533
Junior youth groups (scouts, guides, etc, and clubs) – members...236,067
Senior youth groups – members...79,912
Corps-based community development programmes...23,035
...Beneficiaries/clients...2,845,288
Thrift stores/charity shops (corps/territorial)...1,603
Recycling centres...26

Social Programme
Residential Hostels for homeless and transient...647
...Capacity...34,945
Emergency lodges...373
...Capacity...21,047
Children’s homes...209
...Capacity...8,500
Homes for the elderly...121
...Capacity...6,744
Homes for the disabled...54
...Capacity...2,583
Homes for the blind...10
...Capacity...986
Remand and probation homes...36
...Capacity...988
Homes for street children...31
...Capacity...669
Mother and baby homes...40
...Capacity...1,016
Training centres for families...27
...Capacity...590
Care homes for vulnerable people...60
...Capacity...808
Women’s and men’s refuge centres...68
...Capacity...1,691
Other residential care homes/hostels...113
...Capacity...5,555
Day Care Community centres...492
Early childhood education centres...186
...Capacity...26,195
Day centres for the elderly...78
...Capacity...22,744
Play groups...102
...Capacity...1,422
Day centres for the hearing impaired...2
...Capacity...60
Day centres for street children....10
...Capacity...924
Day nurseries...174
...Capacity...15,127
Drop-in centres for youth...183
Other day care centres...368
...Capacity...48,137

Addiction Dependency
Non-residential programmes...57
...Capacity...26,260
Residential programmes...191
...Capacity...15,245
Harbour Light programmes...38
...Capacity...70,361
Other services for those with addictions...1,695
...Capacity...17,252
Service to the Armed Forces Clubs and canteens...27
Mobile units for service personnel...18
Chaplains...18

Emergency Disaster Response
Disaster rehabilitation schemes...268
...Participants...1,109,469
Refugee programmes – host country...3
...Participants...138
Refugee rehabilitation programmes...58
...Participants...13,886
Other response programmes...1,962
...Participants...111,768

Services to the Community
Prisoners visited...409,014
Prisoners helped on discharge...151,405
Police courts – people helped...272,920
Missing persons – applications...10,143
...Number traced...5,660
Night patrol/anti-suicide...number helped...345,948
Community youth programmes...2,780
...Beneficiaries...189,837
Employment bureaux –
...applications...96,331
...initial referrals...185,630
Counselling – people helped...435,789
General relief – people helped...13,534,571
Emergency relief (fire, flood, etc) – people helped...1,632,409
Emergency mobile units...2,562
Feeding centres...1,066
Restaurants and cafes...121
Thrift stores/charity shops (social)...1,409
Apartments for elderly...437
...Capacity...6,700
Hostels for students, workers, etc....86
...Capacity...2,640
Land settlements (SA villages, farms etc)...21
...Capacity...1,656
Social Services summer camps...205
...Participants...17,991
Other services to the community (unspecified)...79
...Beneficiaries...1,625,094

Health Programme
General hospitals...22
...Capacity...2,580
Maternity hospitals...24
...Capacity...319
Other specialist hospitals...25
Capacity...1,956
Specialist clinics...68
...Capacity...1,784
General clinics/health centres ...133
...Capacity...887
Mobile clinics/community health posts...63
Inpatients...281,110
Outpatients...981,568
Doctors/medics...3,459
Invalid/convalescent homes...29
...Capacity...1,083
Health education programmes (HIV/Aids, etc)...365
...Beneficiaries...355,786
Day care programmes...26

Education Programme
Kindergarten/sub primary...732
Primary schools...934
Upper primary and middle schools...176
Secondary and high schools...185
Colleges and universities...6
Vocational training schools/centres ...253
Pupils...494,491
Teachers...15,831
Schools for the blind (included in above totals)...8
Schools for the disabled (included in above totals)...16
Boarding schools (included in above totals)...27
Evening schools...2
Colleges, universities, staff training and development study and distance learning centres...27 etc.......

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