Response to false claims on the topic of racism

The Salvation Army works in more than 130 countries around the world. We are united by our international mission statement which says, in part: ‘to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination’.

Recently there have been claims that The Salvation Army wants our white donors to apologise for their racism and that our organisation has abandoned its beliefs. Please be reassured that those claims are false and distort the very goal of our work.

The Salvation Army believes racism is fundamentally incompatible with Christianity, and we are called to work toward a world where all people are loved, accepted, and valued. Our positional statement on racism makes this clear. Moreover, we do not impose our beliefs on our supporters or the people we serve. We simply serve without discrimination.

We remain undeterred in our mission because we are confident in the power of the gospel, and because millions of vulnerable people, around the world, need our help. We remain deeply grateful for the support of a generous public who help us meet human need wherever it exists. Ours is a message of love, even for those who disagree or attack us. That is the model set by Christ that we strive to follow every day.