| 1878 Foundation Deed Of The Salvation Army back to 'Events'
THE FOUNDATION DEED OF THE SALVATION ARMY, 1878
[Inland Revenue Stamp 10s]
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I William Booth of 3 Gore Road Victoria Park Road Hackney in the county of Middlesex Minister of the Gospel the founder and General Superintendent for the time being of The Christian Mission Send Greeting.
Whereas in the year 1865 the said William Booth commenced preaching the Gospel in a tent erected in the Friends Burial Ground Thomas Street in the parish of Whitechapel in the County of Middlesex and in other places in the same neighbourhood.
And whereas a number of people were formed into a Community or Society by the said William Booth for the purpose of enjoying religious fellowship and in order to continue and multiply such efforts as had been made in the tent to bring under the Gospel those who were not in the habit of attending any place of worship by preaching in the open air in Tents Theatres Music Halls and other places and by holding other religious services or meetings.
And whereas at the first the said Society was known by the name of the East London Revival Society and afterwards as the East London Christian Mission.
And whereas other Societies were afterwards added in different parts of London and a Society Was also formed at Croydon.
And whereas the name of these united Societies was then altered to that of " The Christian Mission."
And whereas divers halls or Meeting-houses School-rooms Vestries lands buildings and appurtenances situate lying and being in various parts of Her Majesty's dominions and elsewhere have been or are intended to be and hereafter may be given and conveyed to certain persons in such gifts and conveyances named and to be named upon trusts for the purposes therein and herein mentioned or any of them and generally for promoting the objects
of the said Christian Mission under the direction of the General Superintendent.
And whereas in order to render valid and effectual such trusts to remove doubts and prevent litigation in the interpretation thereof or as to the terms used therein to ascertain what is the name or title and what are and what shall be for ever the doctrines of the said Christian Mission and also in order to preserve the system of the said Christian Mission generally by means of a General Superintendent it has been deemed expedient to make and execute these presents.
Now these presents witness that for the purposes aforesaid I the said William Booth Do hereby declare :-
Firstly: That the name style and title by which the said religious community or mission hereinbefore described hath during the last nine years been called known and recognised is " The Christian Mission."
Secondly: That the religious doctrines professed believed and taught by the Members of the said Christian Mission are and shall for ever be as follows :-
- We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.
- We believe there is only one God who is infinitely perfect the Creator Preserver and Governor of all things and who is the only proper object of religious worship.
- We believe that there are three persons in the Godhead the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.
- We believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures are united so that He is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.
- We believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocency but by their disobedience they lost their purity and happiness and that in consequence of their fall all men have become sinners totally depraved and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by His suffering and death made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will may be saved.
- We believe that repentance towards God faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation.
- We believe that we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he that believeth hath the witness in himself.
- We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
- We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be " wholly sanctified " and that " their whole spirit and soul and body " may " be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ " (I Thess. v. 23).
- We believe in the immortality of the soul in the resurrection of the body in the general judgment at the end of the world in the eternal happiness of the righteous and in the endless punishment of the wicked.
Thirdly: That the said Christian Mission is and shall be always hereafter under the oversight direction and control of some one person who shall be the General Superintendent thereof whose duty it shall be to determine and enforce the discipline and laws and superintend the operations of the said Christian Mission and to conserve the same to and for the objects and purposes for which it was first originated.
The General Superintendent shall have power to expend on behalf of The Christian Mission all monies contributed for the general purposes of the said Christian Mission or for any of the special objects or operations thereof but he shall annually publish a Balance Sheet (duly audited) of all such receipts and expenditure.
The General Superintendent shall have power to acquire by gift purchase or otherwise any Hall or Meeting-house Schoolroom Vestry land building and appurtenances and any seats fittings furniture or other property whatsoever which may in his judgment be required for the purposes of the said Christian
Mission and to build upon such land or alter or pull down any such buildings and to hire on lease or otherwise any land or buildings and to lend give away let sell or otherwise dispose of any such property land or buildings as he may deem necessary in the interests of the said Christian Mission wherein all Trustees shall render him every assistance and he may in all such cases as he shall deem it expedient so to do nominate and appoint Trustees
or a Trustee of any part or parts respectively of such property and direct the conveyance or transfer thereof to such Trustees or Trustee with power for the General Superintendent to declare the trusts thereof and from time to time if it shall seem expedient to him so to do to revoke any such trusts or the appointment of such Trustees or Trustee and upon such revocation the same property shall be conveyed or transferred to such person or persons and upon such trusts as he may direct but only for the benefit of the said Christian Mission.
Fourthly: That the said William Booth shall continue to be for the term of his natural life the General Superintendent of The Christian Mission unless he shall resign such office.
Fifthly: That the said William Booth and every General Superintendent who shall succeed him shall have power to appoint his successor to the Office of General Superintendent and all the rights powers and authorities of the Office shall vest in the person so appointed upon the decease of the said William Booth or other General Superintendent appointing him or at such other period as may be named in the document appointing him.
Sixthly: That it shall be the duty of every General Superintendent to make in writing as soon as conveniently may be after his appointment a statement as to his Successor or as to the means which are to be taken for the appointment of a Successor at the decease of the General Superintendent or upon his ceasing to perform the duties of the office such statement to be signed by the General Superintendent and delivered in a sealed envelope to the Solicitor for the time being of The Christian Mission but such statement may be altered at will by the General Superintendent at any time during his continuance in office upon a new statement being signed by him and delivered as before mentioned to such Solicitor as aforesaid.
In witness whereof I the said William Booth hath [sic] hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my Seal this seventh day of August in the year of Redemption One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Signed Sealed and Delivered by the said William Booth WILLIAM BOOTH Seal
in the presence of:
THOS WHITTINGTON
3 Bishopsgate Street Without, Solr.
J. E. BILLUPS
This Deed was duly presented to and approved by the persons assembled at a General Meeting of the Christian Mission held at 272 Whitechapel Road in the county of Middlesex.
And we the undersigned William Booth and George Scott Railton do hereby in the name of The Christian Mission set our hands hereto in ratification of and for perpetuating testimony of this Deed.
Dated this same 7th day of August 1878.
Witnesses to both signatures
THOS WHITTINGTON
J. E. BILLUPS
General Superintendent
WILLIAM BOOTH
G. S. RAILTON
Secretary of The Christian Mission
Enrolled in the High Court of Justice (Chancery Seal of the Division) the 13th day of August in the year of our Enrolment Office in Lord 1878 (being first duly stamped) according to Chancery the tenor of the statutes made for that purpose.
72 p
GEO. THOS. JENKINS,
C.R.W.
BE IT REMEMBERED and entered as of Record that Whereas the Society called and known previously to the end of the year One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight as "The Christian Mission" was on or about the first day of January One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine with a view to the more beneficially extending of its operations renamed and has been since that time and is now usually known as "The Salvation Army".
Now I William Booth the General of The Salvation Army (and also the General Superintendent of The Christian Mission) do hereby by virtue of all and every powers and authority in me vested declare that the said Society formerly known and in the within written Deed described as The Christian Mission is now
and is intended to be hereafter called and known or described for all public purposes of its operations as "The Salvation Army" and that the expression
"The Christian Mission" in the within written Deed contained shall be taken to mean "The Salvation Army" and that everything in the within Deed contained relating or referring to The Christian Mission shall be taken as relating or referring to " The Salvation Army".
In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of June One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
WILLIAM BOOTH
Seal of the Supreme Court of judicature, Central Office, Enrolment Department
Witness, THOS. WHITTINGTON
Enrolled in the Central Office of the Supreme Court of Judicature the twentieth day of April in the year of our Lord 1906.
42 P Fos. 4. 4/-
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