Salvation Army Mission Statement Analysis

Organization: The Salvation Army
Leader: General Lyndon Buckingham
Year founded: 1865
Headquarters: London, England
Number of Employees: 100,950
Type: Church & Charitable Organization
Annual Revenue (2024): $67.2 Billion

Did you know? The Salvation Army is America’s largest non-government social service provider.

The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church and a global charitable organization. It was founded in 1865 by one-time Methodist preacher William Booth and his wife Catherine as the East London Christian Mission. The Salvation Army’s mission, vision, values, and global strategic framework ensure the organization meets followers’ physical and spiritual needs. In Jul 2023, the General’s Council officially recognized the Salvation Army’s work in Thailand. The church operates in 134 countries and 14,893 worshipping communities. [1]

The Salvation Army has a military-style, rank–based chain of command with one general and several lieutenants, majors, soldiers, officers, and adherents. Salvation Army corps serve as churches and community centers. Each national Salvation Army society oversees its corps and financial needs. In 2024, the Salvation Army USA was #6 on Forbes’ America’s top charities with $4.78 billion in revenue, including $2.3 billion in private donations. It has 89% fundraising efficiency and 83% charitable commitment. [2]

To understand how the Salvation Army has helped people meet their physical and spiritual needs for 159 years, here is an in-depth analysis of its mission statement, vision, core values, and global strategic framework:

The Salvation Army’s Mission Statement

To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in His name without discrimination. [3]

The Salvation Army’s mission focuses on five priorities which overlap and mutually support each other. These elements help the organization explain why the Christian message and its work are relevant in the 21^st century and desperately needed in communities and nations.

Here is our analysis of the Salvation Army’s mission statement:

1. Share the good news

The Salvation Army is a missionary part of the universal Christian Church. It is committed to sharing the gospel based on the Bible and motivated by the love of God. The ministry has 16,077 active officers, 1,249,596 soldiers, 170,629 adherents, and 397,982 junior soldiers. In Dec 2024, the Salvation Army commissioned 82 cadets of the Defenders of Justice Session in the Kenya West Territory. Commissioner Shelley Hill urged the cadets to dedicate themselves to God and serve as soldiers and officers for Jesus Christ. [4]

2. Serve others without discrimination

The Salvation Army aims to serve everyone regardless of their background. This mission is ingrained in the church’s DNA. In 1852, founder William Booth abandoned the traditional church pulpit and took the gospel of Jesus Christ directly to the people. He preached to poor, homeless, hungry, and destitute people. Thieves, prostitutes, gamblers, and drunkards were among the church’s first converts to Christianity. The Salvation Army has served millions without discrimination since the 1800s. [5]

The Salvation Army is focused on serving people globally. The organization offers aid and supports humanitarian efforts in 134 countries worldwide. For example, in Nov 2024, the catastrophic Alau Dam collapse flooded Maiduguri, Nigeria, displaced thousands, and killed 57 people. The Salvation Army responded to this humanitarian crisis by providing food and hygiene items to 325 affected families. Its regional emergency relief coordinator visited the crisis area, observed the camps for internally displaced people (IDP), and prayed for families who lost their loved ones. [6]

3. Nurture disciples of Jesus

The Salvation Army aims to help more people become Christians and give their lives to God. It achieves this mission by preaching the gospel and engaging in global Christian events. In Oct 2024, the Salvation Army’s representatives attended the Lausanne 4 Congress in South Korea. The event attracted 5,000 in-person attendees from different churches and proclaimed the value of declaring and displaying Christ together. “May we aim to declare and display Christ in the 130-plus countries where incarnational ministries prevail – a privilege we should never forget,” said Commissioner Jane Paone from the Salvation Army International. [7]

4. Care for creation

The Salvation Army strives to help people and communities. The organization is America’s fourth-largest charity. It cares for individuals and communities by funding feeding centers, homeless shelters, rehabilitation centers, community centers, and disaster relief initiatives. In Jan 2025, the Salvation Army deployed its Emergency Disaster Services teams to serve meals and provide spiritual and emotional care at emergency shelters in LA and Pacoima after wildfires devastated Southern California. Its teams offered bedding, first aid, emergency medical care, and mental health support in affected communities. [8]

The Salvation Army is focused on caring for God’s creation, including drug addicts, sick people, and refugees. The organization establishes refugee camps for displaced people, rehab centers, and medical facilities in high-risk and conflict zones. In 2022, Salvation Army hospitals and clinics cared for 1,514,928 patients. 134,731 Salvationists participated in refugee programs in 2022. The organization has 302 addiction dependency programs. [9]

5. Seek justice and reconciliation

The Salvation Army is committed to seeking justice and reconciliation. First, the ministry leverages data collected from corps and centers to identify community needs. Then, its teams engage politicians through the Public Affairs Unit to speak up for the marginalized and voiceless. Its Family Tracing Service helps reconcile people to each other and bring them closer to God. The Salvation Army collaborates with allies and opposing organizations with different opinions to move justice campaigns forward. [10]

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The Salvation Army’s Vision Statement

Fullness of life for all with Jesus. [11]

The Salvation Army states, “Our vision is inspired by the words of Jesus who said: I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10, NIV).

The organization seeks to strengthen communities and empower individuals. For example, the Salvation Army invested in workforce development programs across the Western US to help people stabilize after substance abuse, homelessness, or incarceration. This Las Vegas vocational program produced 93 graduates from training and 131 hires in direct job placement, provided 3,991 job referrals, and conducted 4,750 interviews within 2 years. It empowers former drug addicts with employment, maximizing their full potential and reducing the risk of relapse. [12]

The Salvation Army is more than a local evangelical church. It is also a homelessness charity, a social service agency, a chain of charity shops, and a leader in the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery. This work helps build God’s Kingdom and the good of society. “We are an innovative partner, mobilized to share hope wherever there is hardship, building communities that are just and know the love of Jesus,” states the Canadian Salvation Army. [13]

The Salvation Army aims to build resilience in communities and transform lives. It supports schools run by local territories and coordinates community development and emergency responses. Salvation Army schools and colleges had 557,460 students in 2023. The church also conducts and encourages conversations about topics like divorce, remarriage, and partner abuse to improve lives. For example, in Dec 2024, the Salvation Army collaborated with the World Methodist Council on discussions to nurture mutually supportive ministry. [14]

The Salvation Army’s Core Values

The Salvation Army’s core values shape its identity, vision, and mission. The organization is guided by the Kingdom of God’s values, like disciples of Jesus Christ, ensuring it loves God and others. Its core values are compassion, passion, respect, integrity, and accountability. [15]

How does the Salvation Army live by its core values?

Compassion: The Salvation Army serves with God’s unconditional love and a bias toward the poor and marginalized. Compassion defines its behavior pattern. For example, in Dec 2024, the Salvation Army opened its new social housing complex in Levin, New Zealand. The complex provides warm and safe living places for people struggling with the increasing cost of living and housing crisis. [16]

Passion: The Salvation Army is passionate about sharing God’s message and helping people. It encourages its officers, members, employees, and volunteers to bring their best selves and convictions to work and service. “Sharing is Caring” describes the relationship between the Salvation Army and the community. This motto has driven the iconic Salvation Army red kettle campaign since 1891. Captain McFee, a passionate Salvationist officer, launched the red kettle to encourage people to donate Christmas meals to the needy. Today, Red Kettle’s Christmastime donations help the Salvation Army care for homeless and needy families and serve over 27 million people yearly. [17]

Respect: The Salvation Army welcomes and treats each person with dignity because they are created in God’s image. It values diversity and seeks to serve and help everyone flourish and transform within God’s love. For example, the Salvation Army’s Healthy and Safer Community Project in Bangladesh treats tuberculosis and leprosy patients. The organization’s “Others” fair-trade initiative partners with local artisans from Bangladeshi women’s self-help groups, helping improve their lives. [18]

Integrity and accountability: The Salvation Army values honesty and transparency. It encourages its officers, members, employees, and volunteers to be open with each other and those they serve. The organization nurtures responsibility and mutual accountability operation-wide. For example, the Salvation Army provides a comprehensive analysis of its financials and projects in its annual report.

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The Salvation Army’s Global Strategic Framework

The Salvation Army unveiled its Global Strategic Framework in 2023 to guide its operation from 2024 to 2027. The framework seeks to empower people, enhance mission impact, and establish an enduring legacy. [19]

How is the Salvation Army implementing its global strategic framework?

People: The Salvation Army believes people are at the heart of its mission. The charity and church seek to ensure its people understand its mission and participate in making it happen more effectively. This strategy includes spiritual and leadership development and officer wellness and compensation.

Mission: The Salvation Army seeks to enhance the impact of its God-given mission. First, its membership defines how people can belong to Salvation Army fellowships. Second, it will review soldiers’ and officers’ covenants with a 21^st-century lens. Third, the church will assess the relationship between its International Headquarters (IHQ) and territorial headquarters (THQs). Then, it pursues strategies to integrate corps and social ministry delivery to maximize its global impact.

Legacy: The Salvation Army is committed to leaving an enduring, God-honoring legacy. It strives to pass on a healthy, flourishing organization to future generations. First, the charity will streamline its resource allocation, ensuring local and global financial stability. Second, it will maximize excellence in institutional services and nurture constructive partnerships. Then, the church will improve territorial headquarters (THQ) with efficient systems to amplify its mission worldwide. [20]