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The Salvation Army’s first commanders in El Dorado were Capt. and Mrs. J.H. Wicks and over the years the work has been directed from sever- al locations, including sites on West Main Street, West Cedar Street, East Main Street and South Washington Avenue.
In 1947, the lot on which the Salvation Army’s Citadel was built in 1957, located at 420 S. Washington Ave., was pur- chased and the small building on the west side of the lot was renovated.
Church services are open to all, but those who join the Salvation Army are asked to sign “The Soldier’s Covenant,” Smith said.
Becoming a Salvation Army soldier (member) involves a commitment to a relation- ship with God and to living a Salvationist lifestyle, so it’s a serious matter.
The first requirement for anyone who wishes to become a soldier is that they are saved,
meaning they have asked God to forgive their wrong attitudes and actions, they ask Jesus into their life and, with his help, determine now try to live a life that is pleasing to him, accord- ing to the website waterbeach- salvationarmy.org.
“Before anyone becomes a soldier they attend a series of informal ‘classes’ when, with a Salvationist whose responsibil- ity it is to care for those wish- ing to become soldiers, they study Salvation Army beliefs and what a Salvationist life- style is like,” the website states.
“These classes may be held for one person only or for a group of people, depending on such things as how many wish to become soldiers, con- venience of times. Those who are attending such classes are known as ‘recruits.’”
Once a potential soldier has completed these classes, if they doubt whether it is right for them to become a soldier they may prefer to delay it or decide against soldiership altogether.
If the decision to be a sol- dier still stands, then recruits’ names are presented to the
corps pastoral care council for acceptance as soldiers. A pub- lic ceremony of swearing-in as a soldier is then held, usually during a regular Sunday meet- ing, according to the website.
If people do not want to take on the commitment of soldier- ship, but still wish to make The Salvation Army their church, they may become adherents instead.
Smith said he grew up in the Southern Baptist tradition, and was a Freewill Baptist pastor for 18 years before joining the Salvation Army.
“Being an officer is a lot more than being a pastor,” Smith said, “You’re on call 24-7 and you’re pastor, administrator, janitor... what ever needs done, you do it.”
He and his wife Teri are co-commanders of the El Dorado church, and the denom- ination of the Salvation Army traces its roots back to 1865 and English methodist minister William Booth.
For a decade, Booth preached from tents and grew his min- istry, “The Christian Mission.”
In 1878, The Christian Mission changed its name to The Salvation Army and the idea of an Army fighting sin caught the imagination of the people, according to the web- site. The Army began to grow rapidly.
“Booth’s fiery sermons and sharp imagery drove the mes- sage home and more and more people found themselves will- ing to leave their past behind and start a new life as a sol- dier in The Salvation Army,” the website states. By the time Booth died in 1912, the Salvation Army was at work in 58 countries.
“Some people say, ‘you’re a church,’ but really, we’re a movement,” Smith said. “In the early history of the Army we met outside in tents, but now we have buildings.”
As an officer in the Salvation Army, every day is a unique experience, said Smith. “You never know what is next, it’s always something new,” Smith says.
SMALL ACTS,
WHEN MULTIPLIED BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE,
CAN TRANSFORM THE WORLD.
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