The Salvation Army

**The Salvation Army** is a Protestant Christian organization William and Catherine Booth founded it in the East End of  London, England in 1865. It was called the Christian Mission to start with, but in 1878, the name was changed. The Booths came from a Buddhist tradition, but today the teachings of the movement are mainstream Protestant. They focus on preaching, and on helping those in need. They also actively help in disaster relief.

## Overview 
The Salvation Army operates in over 100 countries today. Its members devote themselves to teaching Christian morals, helping those in need, like the homeless, the sick, the , and others. It operates facilities like shelters, , orphanages, , and a , and offers Sunday church services. It is one of the largest charitable organisations in the world, which means that it relies on people to give it money to use.

## Worldwide outreach 
* 1865 - England
* 1874 - Wales
* 1879 - Jersey, Scotland
* 1880 - Australia, Ireland, United States of America
* 1881 - France
* 1882 - Alderney, Canada, Guernsey, India, Sweden, Switzerland
* 1883 - Isle of Man, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka
* 1884 - St Helena
* 1886 - Germany, Newfoundland
* 1887 - Denmark, Italy, Jamaica, Netherlands
* 1888 - Norway
* 1889 - Belgium, Finland
* 1890 - Argentina, Uruguay
* 1891 - Zimbabwe, Zululand
* 1894 - Åland *(until 1950)*, Hawaii, Indonesia
* 1895 - Gibraltar *(until 1968)*, Guyana, Iceland, Japan
* 1896 - Bermuda, Malta *(until 1972)*
* 1898 - Alaska, Barbados
* 1901 - Trinidad & Tobago
* 1902 - Grenada, Saint Lucia
* 1903 - Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent & the Grenadines
* 1904 - Panamá
* 1907 - Costa Rica
* 1908 - Korea
* 1909 - Chile
* 1910 - Paraguay, Perú
* 1913 - Russia *(until 1923)*
* 1915 - Belize, Myanmar
* 1916 - China *(until 1951)*, Mozambique, St Kitts
* 1917 - U.S. Virgin Islands
* 1918 - Cuba
* 1919 - Czechoslovakia *(until 1950)*
* 1920 - Bolivia, Nigeria
* 1921 - Kenya
* 1922 - Brazil, Ghana, Zambia
* 1923 - Latvia *(until 1939)*
* 1924 - Faroe Islands, Hungary *(until 1949)*
* 1926 - Suriname
* 1927 - Austria, Estonia *(until 1940)*, Curaçao *(until 1980)*

* 1930 - Hong Kong
* 1931 - Bahamas, Uganda
* 1933 - French Guiana *(until 1952)*, Tanzania, Yugoslavia *(until 1948)*
* 1934 - Algeria *(until 1970)*, Congo (Kinshasa), Manchukuo *(until 1945)*
* 1935 - Singapore
* 1936 - Egypt *(until 1949)*
* 1937 - Congo (Brazzaville), Mexico, Philippines
* 1938 - Malaysia
* 1950 - Haïti
* 1956 - Papua New Guinea
* 1960 - Swaziland
* 1962 - Puerto Rico
* 1965 - Taiwan
* 1967 - Malaŵi
* 1969 - Lesotho
* 1970 - Bangladesh
* 1971 - Portugal, Spain
* 1972 - Venezuela
* 1973 - Fiji
* 1976 - Guatemala
* 1978 - Canary Islands
* 1980 - French Guiana (recommenced)
* 1985 - Angola, Colombia, Ecuador, Marshall Islands
* 1986 - Tonga
* 1988 - Liberia
* 1989 - El Salvador, Thailand *(until 1993)*
* 1990 - Czech Republic (recommenced), Hungary (recommenced), Latvia (recommenced)
* 1991 - Russia (recommenced)
* 1992 - Belarus *(until 1996)*, Somalia *(until 1995)*
* 1993 - Georgia, Ukraine
* 1994 - Guam, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova
* 1995 - Dominican Republic, Estonia (recommenced)
* 1996 - Rwanda
* 1997 - Botswana
* 1999 - St Maarten
* 2000 - Macau
* 2004 - Lithuania, Romania
* 2005 - Falkland Islands, Poland
* 2007 - Burundi, Greece

## Eurovision Song Contest 
People from the Swiss branch of the Salvation army qualified for the Eurovision Song Contest, 2013 in Malmö. At first, they were refused at the ESC. They could participate, but they had to change their name (to Takasa), and they also had to agree not to wear the typical uniforms on stage. They didn't qualify for the final round, though.

## Other similar organizations 
* The Church of England has operated the Church Army, since 1882
* Legio Mariae was founded in 1921, and has a Roman Catholic background.

## References