William Booth knew firsthand the life of the impoverished. As a young child he was given into apprenticeship of a pawnbroker, a trade he decidedly disliked but felt he could not quit because it supported his family. His real calling was the Church: even as a teenager, Booth would stand on street corners and preach the Word of God. As a Methodist minister he would continue in that role, ultimately forming his own organization focusing on poor, called the Christian Mission. The organization that would become the Salvation Army.

On this day, July 5, 1865, William Booth founded his Christian Mission – later named Salvation Army – bringing the bible to the poor that so many churches ignored or did not welcome.

The name change to “Salvation Army” came In May of 1878, when Booth and his son, Bramwell were reading the Christian Mission’s annual report. The report affirmed the organization as a “Volunteer Army,” a term that Bramwell strongly objected to. He was not a volunteer: he was called to do God’s work. Booth was inspired to replace “Volunteer” with “Salvation,” and gave the organization its current name.