Church Army facts for kids
| Founded | 1882 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Wilson Carlile |
| Type | Non-profit, Christian |
| Location |
|
| Fields | Evangelism, outreach, social action, poverty relief |
|
Chief executive
|
Matt Barlow |
The Church Army is a Christian group that helps people and shares its faith. It was started in 1882 and is connected to the Church of England. Today, it works in many countries as part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Contents
How the Church Army Began
The Church Army was founded in England in 1882 by a priest named Wilson Carlile. He wanted to help people living in the poor neighborhoods, or slums, of London. He saw that many people would never go inside a traditional church.
So, Carlile decided to take the church to them. He held meetings outdoors and trained ordinary working-class men and women to be evangelists. An evangelist is someone who shares their Christian faith with others. These evangelists could connect with people from similar backgrounds.
A New Kind of Mission
Carlile's idea was new and exciting. He brought together soldiers, officers, and regular people to work as a team. At the same time, other similar groups were starting. They decided to join together and call themselves the "Church Army."
To make sure the evangelists were well-prepared, a training school was opened. It started in Oxford but soon moved to London. Men were trained as evangelists, and women were trained as mission sisters. They were sent to work with local churches, helping the priest in charge.
Wilson Carlile's sister, Marie Louise Carlile, was also a key figure. In 1888, she began training women for the mission. In 1891, she opened the first "Rescue Shelter" to help women in need. She led the Church Army Sisters for 50 years.
Helping People in Need
Another group, The Salvation Army, was doing similar work at the time. Both groups saw the great poverty in London and wanted to help. They both realized that people needed safe places to go, especially shelters that were free from alcohol.
In 1888, the Church Army opened "labour homes." These homes gave people who were homeless or had no money a fresh start. People could live there and earn money by doing work. The Church Army also ran cheap food stores, clothing departments, and even helped people move to Canada to find jobs.
During the First World War, the Church Army was very busy helping soldiers in France. They ran about 2,000 social clubs where soldiers could relax and find support.
New Headquarters
Over the years, the Church Army's main office moved several times. In 1965, a new chapel and college were opened in Blackheath, London. In 1992, the training college moved to the city of Sheffield.
In 2010, the main office also moved to Sheffield. This brought the office staff and the training team together in one place, called the Wilson Carlile Centre.
What the Church Army Does Today
The Church Army has over 300 trained evangelists. After their training, they work in Anglican churches and projects across the United Kingdom and Ireland. They are not a separate church, but they work closely with the Church of England.
The Church Army focuses its work in areas where there is a lot of need. They partner with local churches to start "centres of mission."
Helping Communities
A centre of mission is a team that works to support a local community. They don't always work from a church building. Instead, they go out into the community and partner with local groups.
Their work changes depending on what a community needs. For example, they might:
- Set up youth groups.
- Run food banks to provide food for families.
- Start new types of church services that feel more relaxed than traditional ones.
- Support people who are homeless, lonely, or struggling with poverty.
- Help other groups who feel left out or alone.
Important Projects
The Church Army runs several key projects to help people directly.
- Cardiff Residential Services: This project gives homeless young people in Cardiff a place to live and offers them support.
- The Amber Project: This project helps young people in and around Cardiff. It offers counseling, workshops, and drama groups.
- Marylebone Project: This is one of the biggest hostels for homeless women in the UK and Ireland. It provides a safe place to stay and lots of support.
- Made in Marylebone: This is a business that helps homeless women get training and work experience in cooking and business skills.
A Worldwide Community
In 2006, Church Army International was formed. It is a network of eight separate Church Army groups around the world. These groups are in places like Africa, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
They work together to share ideas and support each other. This helps the Church Army's work grow all over the world. The group in Canada is now called Threshold Ministries.
Learning to Be an Evangelist
The Church Army trains people who feel called to become evangelists. The training course takes 2 to 4 years and is done part-time. This allows students to practice what they are learning in their own communities.
The training includes hands-on mission experience and weekend teaching sessions. Students also have a "Reflector," who is someone they can talk to about their progress and personal growth.
In the past, training was full-time and students lived at a college. The last training college was in Sheffield. Today, that building is used as a conference center and has rooms for visitors.
Leadership
The leader of the Church Army has the title of Chief Executive. Over the years, the title has changed. From 1990 to 2006, Philip Johanson was the leader. He was the first person to lead the Church Army who was not a priest.
The current Chief Executive is Matt Barlow, who started in 2024. The president of the Church Army is Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury. Before him, Desmond Tutu, the famous Archbishop from South Africa, was the president.
Notable people
