by Logan Caroll ('26)
The Salvation Army was created when William and Catherine Booth saw the poverty stricken people in the slums of London and felt a calling from God to minister to them. In 1865, the Booths created the Christian Mission. The mission was simple: help those in poverty physically, and then share the gospel and connect them with local churches. However, local churches treated the poor as outcasts and didn’t want them in their congregations. So, in 1878, William and Catherine decided that if other churches wouldn’t accept these people, they would start a church that would welcome them. Borrowing from the popular military language of the time, the Booths set their church up like an army, with its mission to be a church for people other churches forgot about.
The Salvation Army Student Fellowship (SASF) at Houghton University connects students with this same mission, providing opportunities for service and ministry in a local setting.
Upon hearing “Salvation Army,” it is common to think about thrift stores and Christmas time bell-ringers; however, it is more than that. At a basic level, it is a church.
Judith Rapley, Houghton Board of Trustees member and former SASF member, stated, “The Salvation Army is more than just a church, it has the ability to touch the whole person from soup and soap to salvation.”
Rapley refers to the motto of William Booth: soup, soap and salvation. He firmly believed that if people are to be open to hearing the gospel, they need to have their physical needs met.
The Salvation Army and the SASF have maintained Booth’s commitment to meeting both physical and spiritual needs. Houghton’s SASF partners with the Salvation Army in Wellsville to provide ways of meeting these needs in a local community setting through service opportunities such as nursing home visitation, food distribution, Christmas assistance and more.
Each opportunity offered allows Christians to act on their faith as Jesus commands in Matthew 25:40 (NIV): “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
The SASF provides the space for students across denominational lines to partner together in ministry.
Emily Stothart, SASF director and pastor of the Wellsville Salvation Army, said, “The SASF is a place where students of all backgrounds come together to serve. While some of our students attend the Salvation Army as their church, not all do, which is a great thing. It allows us to learn from those with different denomination backgrounds, and it allows those who don’t attend The Army to see that no matter where they end up, there is a church they know they can volunteer at to serve their local community.”
Houghton students have long prided themselves as being “scholar-servants,” and the SASF also provides avenues for servanthood post-graduation. The Salvation Army exists across the US, as well as over 135 countries, allowing many service opportunities far beyond the reach of Houghton’s campus.
Rapley stated, “The Salvation Army has opportunities to serve around the world… because of the network I made through the SASF, I was able to serve after graduation.”
Brynn Dixon ‘25, SASF President, encouraged people to check out SASF on CampusGroups.
“We have our Christmas Campaign coming up which means lots of opportunities to volunteer in the community,” Dixon said. “So if you have a few hours to spare and want to help out come stop by the SASF office and chat with us! Even if you don’t think there’s something for you to do we can always help you find something that you’ll like and enjoy doing! And it helps the community!” ★
