120 YEARS OF FAITHFUL SALVATION ARMY MINISTRY IN MEMPHIS AND THE MID-SOUTH
120 YEARS OF FAITHFUL SALVATION ARMY MINISTRY IN MEMPHIS AND THE MID-SOUTH
Dear Partners in Mission:
Happy New Year! Today we are giving thanks to God for 120 years of faithful Salvation Army ministry in Memphis and the Mid-South!
Just 35 years after The Salvation Army was founded in London, two enterprising officers brought the Army to the Mid-South and several Memphis churches (First Presbyterian, Second Presbyterian, First Methodist and Central Baptist, to name a few) quickly partnered with the officers and helped the Army get started.
Since Then, The Army Has Kept Marching In Memphis:
- 1900s – The Army started a church at 117 South Third Street
- 1910s – The Army began serving clients at a “Men’s Service Center” at 333 Adams Street and opened a church at 1347 North Florida Street
- 1920s and 30s – The Army began addressing the needs of women and girls at its residence for women at 172 North Third Street and opened a shelter for men and boys at 587 Poplar Avenue
- 1940s and 50s – Salvationists started a church in the Ft. Pickering area, built a lounge for veterans and a Rehabilitation Center for men, and began serving donuts and hot coffee from a station wagon
- 1960s and 70s – The Salvation Army moved its offices to 200 Monroe Avenue
- 1980s and 90s – The Women’s Auxiliary was founded and began serving the Memphis families through the Angel Tree Program
- 1990s and 2000s – The Salvation Army celebrated 100 years in Memphis and moved its headquarters to the newly constructed Salvation Army Purdue Center of Hope, located at 696 Jackson Street
- 2000 and 2010s – The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center were built at 800 E. Parkway and begin renovations at the Center of Hope…
To this day, the Army has remained joyful and faithful in serving Mid-South men, women and children; each evening more than 200 people eat and sleep at a Salvation Army facility in Memphis.
This year, we invite you to celebrate our 120th year of ministry by giving to, praying for and serving with us. You can learn more about what we do here on our website.
While you consider ways to partner with us this year, we pledge to be true to our mission of preaching the gospel of Jesus and compassionately meeting needs in His name. God Bless you!
Mission Matters Most,
Major Marion Platt, III | Area Commander
The Salvation Army of Memphis & The Mid-South