A Critical Analysis Of The Salvation Army’s Objective To Save Souls In The Context Of Its Homelessness Services

A Critical Analysis Of The Salvation Army’s Objective To Save Souls In The Context Of Its Homelessness Services

There are ‘narrow’ and ‘broad’ views of salvation, which can lead to tension and division within the theological and doctrinal positions of Christian denominations. Salvation can be seen through the legalistic prism of the necessity of people being saved and declaring Jesus as Lord, which is perhaps the more traditional view of the Church, especially among people who would define themselves as conservative evangelicals. However, there is an alternative view of salvation; the concept of new creation with everything and everyone being reconciled with God through the process of transformation. The latter would be defined as being more universalistic in nature. 

With these broad ideas as a foundation, this writing seeks to explore salvation in the context of homelessness services within The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom (UK). There will be an exploration of the Biblical and doctrinal understanding of salvation, interwoven with the development of homelessness service provision. There will then be an analysis of how societal changes have impacted the salvation message in homelessness services and a reflection on what this means for The Salvation Army today. 

The purpose of this writing is not purely soteriological in nature and is not to advise The Salvation Army as to how homelessness services should be provided, but rather to explore some of the motivation, theology and societal factors that have developed the framework in which this mission occurs and identify if salvation is still a key, relevant and appropriate aim. This subject is important because, as Green (1986, p. 45) says, when reviewing the aims and objectives of social work within The Salvation Army; ‘There is no area in the history of The Christian Mission and The Salvation Army which is more misunderstood than this broad area of social services.’

For the information of the reader, residents within Salvation Army homelessness services will be referred to as ‘people who are experiencing homelessness’ throughout this essay, to assert they are people first and foremost with an identity that is not simply that of a ‘homeless person’. It is also important to note the majority of documented history relating to social work and homelessness services within The Salvation Army has been written either by Salvationist authors of The Salvation Army itself. There is little literature in existence highlighting the early day history of homelessness services within the movement that does not come from internal sources. It is important this is acknowledged as there is potential for bias and it is difficult to develop a balanced critique when the majority of sources have developed from within The Salvation Army. 

The Salvation Army is well known for its homelessness services and is the largest provider of social care in the UK today after the Government (The Salvation Army, 2019a). The work of The Salvation Army is not limited to homelessness services, as it also includes work with anti-human trafficking and modern slavery services, services for older people, day centres, family contact centres, family tracing services, emergency response services, church and much more. Specifically related to homelessness, The Salvation Army currently has 2,546 units of accommodation, however this number is constantly fluctuating as new contracts are awarded by Local Authorities. This figure does not include people who are being supported by The Salvation Army in temporary accommodation or through floating support services. There are also approximately 1,500 employees, officers and volunteers working within The Salvation Army’s homelessness services (The Salvation Army, 2019b, p. 252). 

To bring these statistics up to date, as of June 2019 The Salvation Army has 2,652 people living in residential homelessness services and 920 people being supported in their own or temporary accommodation by floating support services. In the past 12 months (June 2018 to June 2019) The Salvation Army has supported 7,061 people in residential homelessness services (Atlas, 2019). From these figures it is clear to see The Salvation Army has a large cohort of people it can impact with a salvation message. 

Since the conception of The Salvation Army in 1865, there has been an apparent desire to serve people who are vulnerable and on the margins of society. However, the understanding of how to serve people has developed greatly since the conception of the movement. Sandall (1955, p. xi) reflects that: ‘Early in the history of the Army there came upon William Booth and his soldiers conviction that the Lord Jesus Christ required His followers to do all that was possible for the temporal as well as the spiritual welfare of others.’

Salvation was seen as a notion that was not only about the relationship of the individual with God, but something that also focused on the salvation of the whole world and everything in it. In reference to setting up social services within The Salvation Army, William Booth said an opportunity opened up ‘[…] as a result of our determination to make the godless crowds hear the message of salvation’ (Sandall, 1955, p. xii). Trevelyan wrote ‘[…] The Salvation Army regarded social work and care for the material conditions of the poor and outcast as being an essential part of the Christian mission to the souls of men and women’ (Sandall, 1955, p. xiii). 

It is often believed that social work was an integral part of the The Salvation Army from the very beginning; however it was not until May 1884 that social work began in an organised fashion within the movement. Some historians such as Green, argue the initial focus and drive of Catherine and William Booth was that of spiritual salvation, and the thing that motivated the Booths ‘[…] was that men and women were living their lives in rebellion against God’ (Green, 1986, p. 46). Green (1986, p. 46) identified that the ‘[…] Booths were not unsympathetic to the physical plight of people, but that aspect of ministry was relatively unimportant to them initially.’ However, as William Booth reflected, his understanding of salvation developed into one that focused on the social and the personal. Booth’s theology of salvation was triune in nature and identified there was a possibility to achieve personal salvation from sin, social salvation from evil, and universal social redemption. Booth’s thinking developed over the years and the context of Victorian England, in which he was ministering, is important to remember. Booth’s theology of salvation continued to develop to express ‘[…] salvation was not only individual, personal, and spiritual; salvation was also social and physical’ (Green, 1986, pp. 59-60).

In stark contrast to the early day services of communal hostel accommodation being run by Salvationists, the provision of homelessness services by The Salvation Army has become increasingly regulated and professionalised to meet the changing climate within social care provision. As a result of this, the majority of homelessness services are now contracted and funded by Local Authorities, with some additional funding being provided from The Salvation Army’s charitable reserves (The Salvation Army, 2019b, p.252). This is a distinct difference to the early provision for people experiencing homelessness, which was predominantly funded by donations and charitable income. One component of homelessness services that remains fully funded by The Salvation Army is the chaplaincy service. This brings additional financial funding implications to the movement, but provides freedom to provide pastoral and spiritual care. The chaplaincy service, including the chaplain, is now seen as an added extra to the contracted service provision of accommodation and support work. 

There is anecdotal evidence that suggests The Salvation Army has compromised on its Christian values by accepting contracts and funding from Local Authorities to fund its homelessness services, however this dilemma and debate is not something new. Reliable and sustainable funding for The Salvation Army’s social work has always been a contentious issue. Wiggins (1964, p. 221), reflecting on the early years of social work within The Salvation Army, writes: ‘Following the absorption of the first £100,000 which inaugurated the Darkest England Scheme, the General was forced to launch an appeal for another £65,000 two years later because the public failed to contribute the £30,000 per year which he had emphasised would be needed to carry out the scheme.’ 

Contractual requirements from Local Authorities mean homelessness services now have clear measurements and Key Performance Indicators to ensure they are delivering safe, effective and quality services. As well as the contemporary anecdotal evidence regarding the potential dangers of linking with Local Authorities, William Booth had his own fears of a different kind regarding The Salvation Army’s social work. ‘[Booth] feared that social salvation would break loose from its ties to spiritual salvation, thus rendering The Salvation Army merely an ineffectual social agency’ (Green, 1986, p. 69). Button (2018, p. 162) critically reflects on this subject by arguing: ‘Whilst professionalism is essential in delivering high-quality support to aid people experiencing complex difficulties including addiction, mental illness, and homelessness, it must also be recognised that this is not everything […]. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on genuine transformative and therapeutic relationships.’ 

Transformative and therapeutic relationships are not salvation in themselves, but are an important component of the journey. This argument is supported by Belgum (2003, pp. 43-44) who asserts that in homelessness a ‘history of broken relationships is repeated, look for a common thread and help [the person experiencing homelessness] see what has been going on.’ The spiritual has to link with the physical and material.

The approach to homelessness service provision across the social care sector has also become more and more evidence-based, with a focus on psychologically informed environments, trauma informed practice, harm reduction, adverse childhood experiences, and person centred approaches. Evidence, for example the research by Glasser and Bridgman (1999), also shows that needs of people who are experiencing homelessness are holistic, not only including the requirement for housing, healthcare, addiction services, mental health services, and social services, but also a need for spiritual care and support. Crisp (2008, pp. 363-375) identifies the importance of spirituality in social work and the positive benefits this has for people. Crisp suggests that religion and spirituality are part of the ‘lived experienced’ and offer a ‘sense of place’. Therefore, it would be sensible for The Salvation Army to incorporate this into homelessness service provision. 

A seminal text in The Salvation Army’s social work, and indeed homelessness services, is In Darkest England and the Way Out (Stead, 1890). In this text William Booth set out his plan for social reform and identified a holistic approach to salvation which included practical and material assistance as well as the spiritual and religious. It is important to note that this vision for social reform was aspiration and arguably never fully realised. However, Booth was clear that all of these components had to work together; ‘No change in circumstances, no revolution in social conditions, can possibly transform the nature of [humanity]’ (Stead, 1890, p. 85). Sandall (1955, p. xiii) highlights the importance of salvation within The Salvation Army’s homelessness services by stating: ‘Social services without spiritual impulse is […] body without soul.’ This closely links to Booth’s developing view. 

As salvation appears to be such an important and essential component of homelessness service, it is therefore vital to understand what salvation is. From the first writings of Genesis in the Old Testament, to the climax of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus in the Gospels, through to the future vision of a new Heaven and new earth in the closing chapters of Revelation, the Bible’s metanarrative is God’s salvation story for humanity (Middleton, 2014, p. 17). Wright (2008, p. 90) picks this theme up by asserting ‘[…] the Bible is the story of God […] engaged with real people in real history […]’ and this is the story of salvation. Middleton (2014, p. 17) supports this metanarrative as something ‘[…] which clarifies God’s unswerving purpose to redeem earthly creation […]’. There is an interwoven message throughout the Old and New Testaments of God’s desire to restore and reconcile the whole of creation through the big story of salvation. This gives the foundation of salvation being about something bigger than what we can currently imagine. The concept of salvation is immense and Harris (2014, p. 110) describes this by saying: ‘Within [salvation’s] depths lie the notions of justification, reconciliation, forgiveness, new creation, citizenship in the kingdom, participation in the divine nature, ransom, sanctification, and the defeat of principalities and powers.’

This vast picture of salvation is consistently developed through Scripture. Throughout history God is seen as the originator of salvation, bringing restoration and reconciliation to the whole world. This begins at the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) through to God’s desire to bring about the restoration of the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt (Exodus 6:6-8) through to the climax of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in the New Testament, pointing to the beginning of a New Creation when God’s Kingdom will come. The complexity and enormity of salvation is evident in the development of the Church’s ancient creeds which in turn say little about the multifaceted salvation story perhaps because it is so multifaceted. However, some denominations of the Christian Church would not agree with the broad view of salvation and would lean more towards the narrow concept. In our human need to be able to explain and rationalise concepts there is also a ‘[…] tendency to reduce salvation in such a way as to lose sight of its immensity’ (Harris, 2014, p. 108). McGrath (2011, p. 341) writes: ‘God is seen to side with the exploited peoples of the world, as in the deliverance of Israel from captivity and oppression under Pharaoh. Similarly, Jesus appears to have expressed and exercised a preferential option for the poor in his teaching and ministry.’ This is the beginning of what salvation is about; freedom, liberation and being saved from something.

When God rescued the Israelites from the Pharaoh in Egypt, freeing them from slavery, the response of Moses and the people was: ‘The Lord is my strength and my might, and He has become my salvation’ (Exodus 15:2). The freedom and liberation from slavery and bondage is salvation – the rescuing of people and communities. The Old Testament views salvation as deliverance and healing, both personally and as a community. This links closely to the concept of salvation within The Salvation Army’s homelessness services as it seeks to save people and communities from homelessness, addiction and trauma. This is where the concept of personal and corporate salvation comes in. Salvation is brought about by God: ‘It is God who saves, who liberates and heals’ (Harris, 2014, p. 108). While the support offered in homelessness services is part of that process, it is ultimately God who brings about the complete liberation and restoration. This is clearly seen in the New Testament when Jesus is referred to as the Saviour (Matthew 1:21; Luke 2:11; John 4:42). Luke’s Gospel pays particular attention to Jesus as Saviour; the one who heals, restores and liberates (Luke 7:50; 8:48; 17:19; 19:9-10). ‘In his life, death and resurrection, Jesus announced and embodied salvation to all people’ (Harris, 2014, p. 109).

Humanity is in need of salvation, of being saved, both individually and collectively; this is evident in the broken and fallen world we see around us, especially so in homelessness services. Wright (2008, p. 14) acknowledges this when he says; ‘The statement ‘God saves’ covers a huge range of realities, situations and experiences. And the reason for this is the immense variety of circumstances in which God’s saving engagement with people takes place through the great sweep of Biblical history.’

The huge range of realities is evident in the tenses of salvation. Salvation is a past, present and future reality. In Paul’s writings in the New Testament the three tenses of salvation are clearly seen, asserting that we have been saved (Romans 8:24), we are being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18) and we will be saved (Romans 5:9). In Romans 1:16 Paul describes the Gospel as being ‘the power of God for salvation to all who believe’. The Greek wording literally says ‘the power of God into salvation’ (Harris, 2014, p. 121). The different tenses of salvation are important in the context of homelessness services as they could support or reject the objective of saving souls. For example, it could be argued that if humanity has already been saved then what is the point of reconciliation and restoration, the salvation message, within homelessness services. McGrath (2011, p. 318) summaries this by asking: ‘Is salvation to be understood as something which has happened to the believer? Or is it something currently happening? Or is there an eschatological dimension to it – in other word, is there something which is yet to happen?’ 

Salvation cannot be neatly compartmentalised into one of the past, present or future realities, but instead should be seen as something that has happened, is happening and will happen in the future. It is also important to remember that nobody is yet the finished article as salvation will only be made complete in eternity. This is particularly relevant when considering people who find themselves on the margins of society as it removes the stigma of those who are ‘in’ and those who are ‘out’, as nobody is yet there. 

The Salvation Army has clear doctrines that state what the Army believes in relation to Salvation. The first doctrine of salvation states ‘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’ (The Salvation Army, 2010, p. 127). This doctrine speaks of the ‘narrow’ and ‘broad’ views of salvation, pointing towards salvation being about an individual and the whole world. This doctrine is also a reminder that the cross is central to salvation and that God, through Jesus Christ, has made a way for anyone (the whosoever) to be reconciled with him. Salvationist tradition is clear that salvation is ‘not limited to a chosen elect’ but everyone has the ability to respond to the offer of salvation, through grace (The Salvation Army, 2010, p. 143). This means that even people on the margins of society, people accessing homelessness services, have the opportunity to be saved. This is what is seen throughout the Gospels. 

The Salvation Army’s second doctrine of salvation states ‘We believe that repentance towards God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit, are necessary to salvation’ (The Salvation Army, 2010, p. 145). This doctrine would assert there are three stages to salvation; repentance, faith and regeneration. This triune approach would suggest that while salvation is available for anyone to accept, it is not universalistic and people must make a choice to repent of their sin, have faith in Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to transform them. This could challenge the concept of homelessness services offering salvation as this doctrine would suggest there has to be a personal decision, action and commitment made. While homelessness services can provide opportunity and space for this to happen, as is the case with everyone it is dependent on the individual to make the decision for them self. This could be an element of homelessness services where the chaplaincy services supports the overall aim by having conversations about salvation with people. It could be argued that this doctrine points away from the ‘broad’ view of salvation and instead supports the ‘narrow’ view of salvation being about an individual’s relationship with God. However, the idea that the Holy Spirit regenerates people suggests transformation of the whole life, and this is supported by The Salvation Army’s doctrine.

There is a third Salvation Army doctrine linked to salvation that asserts ‘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’ (The Salvation Army, 2010, p. 163). The death of Jesus Christ on the cross, the atonement, provides opportunity for people to be saved. The atonement theories also provide a range of images which help understand the immensity of salvation. This could constitute a personal experience that leads to complete trust in God, leading to transformed lives and therefore transformed communities, or new creation. 

As the doctrines suggest, salvation is a process and is about the transformation of people and the development of a new creation; an individual and corporate experience. The freeing of people from the things that enslave and hold them back, for example homelessness, allows people to experience fullness of life and in turn points towards the coming of a new Kingdom where all people and all things will be reconciled with God. This is the concept of redemption; the redeeming and resorting of the world to what God originally intended it to be. 

Therefore, salvation is primarily about rescuing people and creation, and links closely to liberation theology. Liberation theology was developed in the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America in the 1950s and 1960s in an attempt to address poverty and social injustices in the context of Christianity and unjust religious, political and social structures (Berryman, 1987, pp. 1-8). Liberation theology speaks against violence, suffering and oppression and is able to do so because Jesus triumphed over all things that hold the world in bondage. There is also sense of freedom and release identified in Luke 9:31 and Acts 12:1-24, clearly linked with the Exodus and the journey of the Israelites (Garrett, 1990, pp. 656-680). The focus of addressing injustice and suffering clearly links liberation theology to salvation. Salvation does not simply heal people and make them right with God; it also heals relationships and society, breaking down unjust structures, addictions and authorities. Salvation focuses on the whole person supporting the healing of the individual, healing of relationships with others, and healing of one’s relationship with God. This is where liberation theology and salvation are closely linked, with a focus on healing, restoration and reconciliation. 

It could be argued that the salvation message of ‘become saved and love God’ is not as popular today as it was in the early days of The Salvation Army. Therefore, there could be an obvious assertion that the evangelical message of salvation is not as strong within homelessness services as it once was. An opposing view would assert that in some areas of the Church salvation continues to remain a dominant thought. As well as societal changes impacting the current understanding of salvation there have also been changes within The Salvation Army that have changed thinking and in turn have impacted homelessness services. Perhaps this change in thinking has been in relation to the perceived shift from personal, individual salvation, to corporate salvation looking toward God’s Kingdom coming and a new creation being formed. Grundy et al. (1996) develop these views by summarising through their work the development of salvation in a pluralistic work.

William Booth described salvation as being boundless; this is seen in ‘O Boundless Salvation’, a song he wrote. Strickland and Court (2013, p. 52) develop the metaphor of salvation as an ocean by stressing: ‘The faith needed to enter into the boundless ocean of God’s great love is simple: you need to trust that God will catch you.’ This suggests salvation is something that is all encompassing that one can become fully immersed in. Salvation, in its boundless form, is something that involves every aspect of life and something in which one can be fully surrounded in. This concept asserts there is no ritual or ceremony needed to be saved, other than to trust God. 

When analysing salvation Fiddes (1989, p. 5) writes the sheer variety of images and concepts of salvation is ‘evidence that the Christian faith has found that the event of the cross touches life at many points.’ This means that the salvation message is relevant today and should continue to be an aim of homelessness services at it intersects at different points of life’s journey. A tension arises when people come to this subject with different views and definitions of what salvation is. If salvation is only seen as a personal, individual experience of God that leads to repentance, faith and regeneration then the current model of homelessness services is not achieving its aim of soul saving. Similarly, if salvation is only seen as corporate, a new creation, the reconciling of creation to God then the current model of homelessness services is still not achieving its aim of soul saving. The holistic and complex nature of salvation requires both of these concepts, the individual and the corporate, to be fully integrated for the true allencompassing nature of salvation to be realised within The Salvation Army’s homelessness services; one end of the spectrum cannot be compromised for the other. Salvation needs to be boundless! 

Kelly (2019, p. 15) describes the link between The Salvation Army’s church and charity (or social work) activities by pondering: ‘I wonder if those who observed Jesus most closely would say he was more engaged in doing church or charity. Did he spend more of his three years of ministry teaching people about the Kingdom of God or healing the sick? Did he give himself more fully to discipling people or feeding them? Did he consider one to be ‘real ministry’ and the other not?’ 

Kelly poses important questions for reflection when considering the aim of soul saving within homelessness services. There has been previous discussion about the need to balance social salvation and spiritual salvation, however Kelly goes one step further, by asserting there should not be a balance but instead there should be complete integration of the two. Kelly calls this a ‘Salvation smoothie’ where both church and charitable activities are so interwoven that they become one. An example of this could include the full merger of The Salvation Army’s Central Trust (church component) with the Social Trust (social services component). Kelly (2019, p. 15) concludes his thinking by summarising: ‘The Salvation Army in the UK and the Republic of Ireland is recognised as a church and registered as a charity but, in our hearts and in our methods, the church and charity should be utterly indivisible. If we are who we are called to be, the world should never taste in us only the church or the charity; we are the best version of ourselves when the whole, delightful flavour of grace permeates everything we do.’

This prophetic message from Kelly beautifully identifies the importance and genuine need for there to be no separation between The Salvation Army’s dual function of church and social service. One should therefore consider not using terms such as ‘holding in tension’ or ‘balance’ and instead say both aspects make up the whole; homelessness services does save souls as it is a fully integrated aspect of the church. Booth (1889, pp. 53-54) had similar thinking to Kelly when he wrote: ‘By Social Work, I mean those operations of the Salvation Army which have to do with the alleviation, or removal, or the moral and temporal evils which case the misery of the submerged classes’. Booth spoke about the clear links and crossover, but did not go as far as Kelly to state there should be no separation or distinction between them. 

The view that the salvation of the soul is more important than or separate to the serving of suffering humanity through the physical, for example homelessness services, is a great heresy. The heresy, known as Gnosticism, developed as a dualism which separated the soul from the body, creation from the spiritual. For Gnostics ‘[…] the material creation was viewed as evil’ (Ferguson et al., 1988, p. 273). There is a very real danger that Gnosticism could rise up in The Salvation Army’s homelessness services today, with some Salvationists making a clear separation or divide between what is seen as church and what is seen as social work. It could also be argued that Gnosticism has already occurred within The Salvation Army when Corps and Social Services were separated in respect of their administration, funding and staffing. Wright (2007, p. 265) describes this dualism as a ‘long-term schizophrenia’ within the church and goes on to say ‘[…] the split between ‘saving souls’ and ‘doing good in the world’ is a product, not of the Bible or the gospel, but of the cultural captivity of both within the Western world.’ 

Wright supports Kelly’s ‘Salvation smoothie’ concept by strongly asserting there are not two missions, but one mission; to join in God’s mission. God’s mission, as seen in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, is to reconcile the whole world, build a new creation and establish his Kingdom. This uniting of Heaven and earth is not possible if viewed through the lens of Gnosticism, therefore homelessness services are an essential part of salvation, a part of the whole. 

Hill (2017, p. 322) suggests William Booth saw social and evangelical work as two separate entities by suggesting ‘[…] the General sometimes fretted that the commitment to social work had been undertaken at the expense of evangelical work.’ Hill (2017, pp. 322-323) went on to assert William Booth recognised shortcomings in the social work of The Salvation Army which included ‘[…] a great lack of direct aim at the true goal of our social work […]’, ‘[…] the lamentable fact that some of our officers have been deficient in personal religion […]’ and ‘[…] the scarcity of suitable people for carrying the work on’. In many respects the concerns of Booth are evident in some areas of homelessness services today. Anecdotal evidence suggests the majority of the workforce within homelessness services is not Salvationist and not officers; there is also no requirement for support workers to be Christian. This could add to Booth’s fears that officers, and indeed staff, could be seen as ‘deficient in personal religion’ and may not be useful in spreading the salvation message. However, this would be dependent on what the salvation message was defined as. 

As well as the duality of saving souls and social work, there sometimes develops a divide between people within church communities. In church communities relationships and a sense of community is important, perhaps a necessary part of salvation. Button (2018, p. 162) suggests that ‘To restore a person out of homelessness they need to be supported to find a new sense of belonging through developing new identify attributes through positive relationships.’ These identify transformative attributes are not found in the provision of accommodation, food, or clothing, but come through meaningful relationships with others, and potentially reconciliation with God. This concept is an aspect of how homelessness services can maintain the aim of holistic salvation. However, a critique of Button’s argument could be that there is no specific mention of this positive relationship being with God. While positive therapeutic relationships are important for wellbeing and interaction with society, it could be argued that a relationship with God, through the atoning work of Jesus, is also needed for people to experience full, complete salvation. Salvation has to be spiritual and physical; ‘To get a man [or woman] soundly saved it is not enough to put on him [or her] a pair of new breeches, to give him [or her] regular work, or even to give him [or her] a University education. These things are all outside a man [or woman], and if the inside remains unchanged you have wasted all your labour’ (Stead, 1890, p.45). In the broadest view of what salvation is The Salvation Army’s homelessness services do still continue to save souls.

There have been dramatic changes and developments in society throughout The Salvation Army’s 154 year history, for example World Wars, a diminishing of the importance of Christendom, a post-modern society and advances in technology to name a few. As well as advances in the delivery of social care, the understanding of what homelessness is and the root causes. The most substantial change within The Salvation Army has been the contracting and funding of homelessness services provision by Local Authorities, which has led to a further layer of accountability and governance being place upon movement.

Despite the complex changes, homelessness services still seek to reconcile people with God. This is key, as salvation does not simply heal people and make them right with God; it also heals relationships and society, breaking down unjust structures, addictions and authorities. Salvation focuses on the whole person supporting the healing of the individual, healing of relationships with others, and healing of one’s relationship with God. This is where The Salvation Army’s homelessness services flourish as it focuses on healing, restoration and reconciliation of the whole person and the whole community. This would assert that there is still a healthy future for homelessness services within The Salvation Army as it seeks to live out the mission of God through this avenue of ministry. However, there needs to be further alignment and integration of The Salvation Army’s Corps and Social Service expressions to allow this to be fully achieved. 

William Booth feared a gulf would develop between social salvation and spiritual salvation, however this essay has shown they are two sides of the same coin, therefore cannot be separated and must not only be held in tension but be seen as part of the whole. The role of The Salvation Army’s homelessness services today is to ensure neither social nor personal salvation is held in higher regard than the other. Both need to be viewed in equilibrium, or perhaps more importantly be fully integrated so there is no distinction, only then will real transformation and reconciliation be seen; this is the object of homelessness services to save souls. 

‘All social service must be based on the spiritual […]’ (Sandall, 1955, p. xiv). 

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