Church Army facts for kids
The Church Army works on the margins of society
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| Founded | 1882 |
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| Founder | Wilson Carlile |
| Type | Non-profit, Christian |
| Location |
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| Fields | Evangelism, outreach, social action, poverty relief |
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Chief executive
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Peter Rouch |
The Church Army is a Christian group that helps people and shares the Christian message. It was started in England in 1882 and works with the Church of England. Today, it helps people in many countries around the world.
Contents
The Church Army's Story
The Church Army was started in England in 1882 by a church leader named Revd. Wilson Carlile. He wanted to help people living in poverty in the Westminster area of London. Carlile trained ordinary working men and women to become evangelists. Their job was to share the Christian message with people who might not go to church.
Carlile believed in reaching out to people where they were. He held outdoor services and taught regular people to speak about their faith. He wanted to help those who felt left out of society.
Around the same time, other similar groups were forming. Carlile suggested they all join together to form one "Church Army."
Growing the Mission
As the work grew, the Church Army started a training center for its evangelists. It began in Oxford and later moved to London. Here, working men were trained as evangelists, and women were trained as "mission sisters." These trained workers then went to help churches in different areas. They worked under the local church leaders.
Wilson Carlile's sister, Marie Louise Carlile, also played a big part. In 1888, she began training women for the mission. In 1891, she opened the first "Rescue Shelter" for women. She led the Church Army Sisters for 50 years.
The Church Army also started "labour homes" in 1888. These homes helped people who were homeless or struggling to get a fresh start. People could earn money by doing simple jobs and find new work. The Church Army also offered lodging, cheap food, and help finding jobs. Many people even moved to Canada through their emigration program to find new opportunities.
During the First World War, the Church Army helped soldiers in France. They ran about 2,000 social clubs for the troops.
Modern Locations
In 1965, a new chapel and college were opened in Blackheath, London. Later, in 1978, the Church Army bought Winchester House in Blackheath for its new main office. The Queen Mother officially opened it in 1980.
In 2010, the Church Army's main office moved to the Wilson Carlile Centre in Sheffield. This brought together their national staff with their training and research teams.
What the Church Army Does
The Church Army has over 300 trained evangelists. These are people who have completed 2-4 years of training. They work in churches and projects across the United Kingdom and Ireland. While the Church Army is similar to the The Salvation Army, it is not a separate church itself. It works closely with the Church of England.
The Church Army focuses its efforts on "centres of mission" and special projects. These often take place in areas where people are struggling with poverty.
Centres of Mission
The first centre of mission started in 2008. Many more have opened since then. A centre of mission works with a local church area (called a diocese) to help with Christian outreach. Their goal is to connect with communities, especially those with high levels of poverty, outside of traditional church buildings.
This work is very flexible and changes based on what each community needs. For example, they might:
- Start youth groups.
- Run foodbanks or provide food services.
- Create new ways for people to learn about God outside of church.
- Help people who are homeless, lonely, or struggling with poverty.
Key Projects
The Church Army also runs several important projects:
- Cardiff Residential Services: This project helps young people who are homeless in Cardiff. They provide housing and support.
- The Amber Project: This project supports young people in Cardiff who are facing difficulties. They offer counselling, workshops, and theatre groups.
- Marylebone Project: This is one of the largest hostels for homeless women in the UK. It provides a safe place to stay and support services.
- Made in Marylebone: This is a business that helps homeless women in London. It offers training and work experience in cooking and business skills.
Church Army Around the World
Church Army International was set up in 2006. It connects eight independent Church Army groups around the world. These groups are in places like Africa, Australia, Barbados, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and the United States. They work in over 15 countries.
The goal of Church Army International is to help these groups communicate, work together, and share ideas. This helps the Church Army's work grow worldwide.
Training for Evangelists
The Church Army trains people who want to become evangelists. First, they go through a selection process to make sure this path is right for them. Then, they begin a 2-4 year training course.
This training helps them learn about pioneering evangelism, which means finding new ways to share the Christian message. The training is part-time, so people can continue with their other work or life commitments. This allows them to practice what they learn in real-life situations. The training includes hands-on mission work, weekend workshops, and discussions with a mentor.
In the past, Church Army training was full-time and residential. Students lived at the training college. Now, the training is non-residential, and the former college buildings are used for conferences and accommodation.
Each Church Army group around the world is responsible for training its own evangelists. Some students work with experienced evangelists, while others attend residential schools.
Church Army Leaders
The Church Army has had different leaders over the years, with their titles changing.
General Secretary
- 1942–1949: The Revd. Hubert H. Treacher
- 1949–1951: The Revd. Edward Wilson Carlile (grandson of the founder)
Chief Secretary
- 1951–1960: The Revd. Edward Wilson Carlile
- 1960–1976: The Revd. Donald Lynch
- 1976–1984: The Revd. Michael Turnbull
- 1984–1990: The Revd. Michael Rees
- 1990–2006: Philip Johanson (the first leader who was not a priest)
Chief Executive
- 2006–2019: Mark Russell
- 2019–2021: Des Scott
- 2021–present: Peter Rouch
The current president of the Church Army is Rowan Williams, who used to be the head of the Church of England (Archbishop of Canterbury). Before him, Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was the president.
Every September, the Church Army celebrates "Church Army Sunday." This is usually the Sunday closest to September 26th, which is the day Wilson Carlile passed away.
Notable People
