Felixstowe Salvation Army marks 140 years of faith and service

The Salvation Army in Felixstowe is celebrating 140 years of serving the town with special activities this weekend.

The anniversary features a free musical concert this Saturday at 7.30pm which will be attended by Commissioners Paul and Jenine Main, leaders of The Salvation Army in The UK and Ireland. 

A special anniversary worship service will be held on Sunday at 10.30am. A display of photographs from the archive will tell the story of The Salvation Army's 140 years in Felixstowe

Today, The Salvation Army’s work includes a food bank and Job Club, which works closely with the local Jobcentre and is supported by Salvation Army volunteers, as well as activities for parents, toddlers and children.

Corps Officer Major David Woodman, who arrived in Felixstowe in July, said: “The church is enthusiastic and very active in the community, and they have made me very welcome.

“The Salvation Army offers a fellowship that people can belong to – a family they can belong to – but it also offers practical assistance.”

Corps (church) archivist Jim Williams has been researching the story of how The Salvation Army came to the town.

Felixstowe Salvation Army was established as a church in November 1886, although its roots stretch back a further two years.

In 1884, Trinity House pilot Gardner Frost, who lived near Felixstowe Ferry, came across a copy of The Salvation Army's newspaper, The War Cry.

After reading it, he sought out his nearest Salvation Army church in Harwich learned that two Salvation Army officers were staying nearby and invited them to hold a service at a Methodist chapel at Felixstowe Ferry.

Word quickly spread and subsequent gatherings drew crowds so large that people were unable to get inside.

The Salvation Army opened its Felixstowe church in November 1886, with Captain John Reeves becoming its first leader.

Jim said the anniversary was an opportunity to remember generations of local people who have been part of the church.

He said: “There has been a real continuity through the years. There are families who have been connected with the corps for generations.

“At one gathering, an officer asked anyone who was related to somebody else in the corps to stand up – and virtually the whole corps stood up.”

For Jim, the impact of the church is also deeply personal.

His wife had attended The Salvation Army with her mother for some time, while Jim, who has an engineering background, described himself at the time as agnostic.

That began to change when he read an article in The War Cry about scientists and their Christian faith.

He later joined a Bible study group and became a Christian and was supported in his faith by the leader of the church at the time.

As Felixstowe Salvation Army celebrates its past, Major David said its focus remains on serving the town and reaching those who may feel isolated or excluded.

He said: “I want to see people who maybe feel cut off from society recognise that there is a home for them.”

Saturday’s free concert and Sunday’s worship will take place at The Salvation Army, Cobbold Road, Felixstowe. For free tickets to the concert and more information on the weekend, call 01394 276502

For more information on The Salvation Army in Felixstowe today, go to 
felixsa.org.uk