Series 3 - Session 3

Session 3 Why an Army?

WAR! WAR! IN WHITBY 2,000 MEN AND WOMEN WANTED TO JOIN THE

HALLELUJAH ARMY THAT IS ATTACKING THE

DEVILS KINGDOM

Every Sunday in St. Hilda’s Hall At 11 o’clock a.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m.

Led by

CAPTAIN CADMAN From LONDON

EVANGELIST OF THE CHRISTIAN MISSION Mo bi l ise: Sessio n 3 -W hat a n Army

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3.1

Mo bi l ise: Sessio n 3 -W hat a n Army

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3.2

A Vo lunteer Army?

(Props needed: dressing-up clothes, table, chairs, newspaper, report document and a pen) William Booth:

(Enters room) Morning, Bramwell, my boy.

Bramwell Booth:

(Reading the newspaper) Good morning, Father! My word, there’s quite a fuss in the War Office over recruiting for the army and navy. The public aren’t responding at all. Many prominent people are treating the whole thing as a joke.

William:

I heard about that. ‘Volunteer Movement’, isn’t it? Only, no volunteers!

George Scott Railton:

(Entering quickly) Good morning to you, Mr Booth. Good morning, Bramwell. (They respond) My, didn’t we have a good time at the meeting last night! What a spirit those comrades have! We prayed half the night and fought for God the other half!

William:

It’s a marvellous start for the day, anyway! The Mission is growing at an amazing rate. Halls are being opened all over the country.

Railton:

(He sits down and brings out part of a report that he has prepared) I’ve brought along the report of our work.

Here’s the title page. (Shows report – and reads it aloud) ‘The Christian Mission, under the superintendence of the Reverend William Booth, is a volunteer army…’

Bramwell:

(Jumping to his feet and interrupting) Here, I’m no volunteer! I’m a regular or nothing!

William:

Quite so, Bramwell, quite so! Especially with all this fuss about the ‘Volunteer Movement’. (He thinks a moment then walks over behind Railton) Can I have the pen for a moment, Railton? (He writes) Let’s cross out the word ‘volunteer’ and put ‘S-A-L-V-A-T-I-O-N’! Yes, that’s it! The Christian Mission is a Salvation Army. The Salvation Army!

Railton:

The Salvation Army! That sounds perfect!

Bramwell:

Thank God! It does, too!

William:

Good! Now that’s settled I think we should adjourn for breakfast. Those in favour say ‘Aye’.

Railton & Bramwell:

Aye! (Laughing as they all exit) The ‘Ayes’ have it!

Mo bi l ise: Sessio n 3 -W hat a n Army

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3.3

The Skeleto n Army

The Skeleton Army were a group who protested The Salvation Army’s open air ministry, often throwing rotten vegetables, bricks and even dead rats and cats at them while they were preaching their good news message.

Several owners of pubs and brothels became angry at The Salvation Army, because many of their customers had got ‘saved’ after hearing their message and were no longer spending their money in their businesses.

This provoked some to join the Skeleton Army and violently oppose The Salvation Army in the streets.

Mo bi l ise: Sessio n 3 -W hat a n Army

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3.4