The Salvation Army is a Christian denomination and international movement known for its charity shops and other charity work, operating in over 120 countries.
The organization is founded in 1865 in the United Kingdom by William and Catherine Booth as the North London Christian Mission, operating with a quasi-military structure, which has been retained to the present day.
The theology of the Salvation Army is mainstream Methodist although it is distinctive in government and practice.
The Army's doctrine follows mainstream Christian beliefs, and its articles of faith emphasizes God's "saving purposes".
Its objects are "the advancement of the Christian religion… of education, the relief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole."
