Our History – Then & Now

Wilson Carlile starts training as a vicar. He’s passionate about his faith and sharing God’s love with others

Carlile works in a church in central London but finds himself preaching to people who are happy with the way things are and not wanting to extend the church community to those outside the church or in poverty.

So, he establishes Church Army in 1882 with a mission to share God’s love with everyone.

Carlile begins hosting open-air gatherings to share faith with ordinary people and encourage faith to turn in to action.

He starts training normal Christian men and women to share the joy and freedom of knowing Jesus with those most in need.

With these newly trained volunteers, he launches social action initiatives initially focused on the slums of Westminster – one of the most poverty-stricken spots in London.

Men’s and women’s homes are established to support those struggling financially. Prison work and horse-drawn mission caravans are also in action.

Church Army is officially recognised by the Church of England

Training centres for Church Army Evangelists are created

The Church Army Printing Press was launched allowing Church Army to create evangelism materials and – later – evangelistic films.

At the turn of the century, unemployment was high and Church Army’s work focused on residential care homes.

WWI begins and Church Army work both at home and overseas providing much-needed recreation huts for armed forces, and operating ambulances, mobile canteens, and kitchen cars.

After WWI Church Army opens training centres for men who had been left disabled by the fighting to help them find new jobs in a post-war society.

The Church Army ministry of women was recognised alongside their male counterparts.

WWII starts and the UK and Ireland enter the horror of war again. Church Army resumes much of the work they did in WWI to support the armed forces and civilians.

We enter a period of post-war where the country begins rebuilding itself and launching a new national health service. In this new age, Church Army’s work focused on working with children and young people – the next generation.

Youth centres were built and Church Army starts working with Scouting and Guiding.

Our work with the homeless and running homeless hostels expands.

Church Army care homes continue to provide a place for the elderly to live.

Summer events like beach missions took place all over the country.

The end of the 20th Century saw a focusing of work and a reduction in much of the residential work, passing on homes for the elderly and many hostels to better placed agencies.

Other work included tent and beach mission to share Jesus with people all over England.

Church Army established in Denmark, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, and East Africa.

Resources are launched to equip normal Christians to share their faith with others. These have been revised and replaced over time to ensure they remain relevant.

Xplore and Reunion groups start for those wanting to live missionally in community and do evangelism.

Church Army’s first centre of mission was established. Working with the local church, evangelists moved in to deprived areas to build relationships, run social action projects and community initiatives, and start new styles of church groups that everyone can be a part of.

Church Army became an Acknowledged Mission Community in the Anglican Church, open to all Christians with a heart for evangelism.

Church Army training becomes non-residential with support from Church Army’s ‘home’ in Sheffield. This allowed trainees to remain in their ministry context whilst studying mission and evangelism.

Increasing numbers of people are training to be Church Army Evangelists to grow in their calling as evangelists and their skills in mission and social action.

We now have centres of mission across the UK and Ireland and projects working with young people who self-harm and those who are homeless. Find out more about what we do.