What is The Salvation Army?
From the editor’s desk
The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.
A PICTURE, so the saying goes, is worth a thousand words. If that is true, then one of the most comprehensive retellings of the Bible’s story of Creation is touring cathedrals at the moment. As we report in this week’s War Cry, artist Jacqui Parkinson has created 12 large textile panels for Threads Through Creation, a visual exploration of the beginnings of everything, as described in the Bible. ‘Threads Through Creation shows how everything was good at the beginning before it all went wrong,’ she tells us. Jacqui also explains what she hopes people will come to understand through her work. ‘The important message is that there is a Creator God,’ she says. ‘He is behind everything we see, hear, touch, sense. And he loves us and wants a relationship with us.’ More than 150 years ago, another woman was using the abilities she had to spread that same message. In the second half of the 19th century, Catherine Booth worked with her husband, William, to establish The Salvation Army. In this week’s issue, we speak with Cathy Le Feuvre, who has written a book about the couple. She explains how Catherine and William came to realise that if people were to be open to hearing about God, then they had to have their material needs met as well. So the couple went on to establish a free labour exchange, food banks, soup kitchens and shelters. It was unusual in those days for a woman to be so involved in the leadership of an organisation. Cathy says that Catherine Booth ‘was ahead of her time and had the courage of her convictions. She wasn’t afraid to challenge the social norms of the day.’ Whether through artwork, social action or the challenging of incorrect perceptions, telling people about the transforming love of God is vital ad the War C e re ry v ’ because, when they encounter that love, their u lives are improved for ever.
What is the War Cry? The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.
WAR CRY Issue No 7567
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Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk
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Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight
CONTENTS
The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org
FEATURES
Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies
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Holding on for a crime drama
Investigating ITV’s new series Published weekly by The Salvation Army © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton, on sustainably sourced paper
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2 • WAR CRY • 12 March 2022
Ideas floated
Waterside literature festival hosts discussions 6
‘Strong beliefs from the beginning’
The story of the woman behind The Salvation Army
INFO Your local Salvation Army centre
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Sew creative
Textile tour depicts Creation REGULARS 4
War Cry World
12 Team Talk 13 Out of the Mouth of Babes 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: ITV