Hmmm... darn, looks as though maybe I AM the cyber corps expert...
Umm, lemme think...
William Booth was a Methodist (can't remember which branch) minister before starting the SA - he used to be a 'circuit preacher', which meant he'd travel around preaching in towns that couldn't afford or get a fulltime Methodist minister. The towns usually had an Anglican church, but they were exceptionally staid... I think this quote sums it up beautifully, if a little sarcastically:
"Chapelfolk be more hand-in-glove with them above than we." said Joseph, thoughtfully.
"Yes." said Coggan. "We know very well that if anybody do go to heaven, they will. They've worked hard for it, and they deserve to have it, such as 'tis. I bain't such a fool as to pretend that we who stick to the Church have the same chance as they, because we know we have not. But I hate a feller who'll change his old ancient doctrines for the sake of getting to heaven."
Far From the Madding Crowd
Thomas Hardy
Reading the letters of William and Catherine gives an interesting insight... William is commonly seen as the founder of the SA, but the letters make it quite clear that Catherine was a driving force behind a lot of William's actions. I suspect he'd have been a ver different person without her influence.
The SA comes out of the Holiness movement of the 18th century in England... a lot of older Pentecostal churches came from this movement too, which means that we have a lot in common. I think this is part of the reason that SA corps tend to be relatively open to the more mystical manifestations of the holy spirit, eg. being 'slain in the spirit' and speaking in tongues. ( <== if any aussie thinks they aren't, try visiting a lutheran church!
). Catherine Booth was influenced by the writings of Phoebe Palmer. The Foursquare church was founded by Aimee Semple McPherson, raised in the Salvation Army. If you're interested in Holiness teachings, give me a yell,I'll find some online books for you.
Catherine and William's son Bramwell was apparently the one to name the Salvation Army... before that it was the Christian Mission. A newsletter (?) was going out with 'we are a volunteer army!" emblazoned on its top, and Bramwell found the idea somewhat offensive (the home guard or 'volunteer army' in England had a bad reputation) - "we're not a volunteer army, we're a SALVATION army!"