Frederick St George de Lautour (Booth)Tucker – ( Photo from http://www.salvationarmy.org/India)

19 September, 1882: Salvation Army starts its work in India. The Salvation Army was started in 1865 by William Booth as “The Christian Mission” in London to work among the poor and the unchurched people. Later he changed the mission’s name to the Salvation Army.

India is the Salvation Army’s oldest mission field. Frederick St George de Latour Tucker, of the Indian Civil Service, read a copy of The War Cry, and became a Salvationist taking the Indian name of Fakir Singh. He commenced the Army work in Bombay on 19 September 1882. The adoption of Indian food, dress, names and customs gave the pioneers ready access to the people, especially in the villages. In addition to evangelistic work, various social programmes were inaugurated for the relief of distress from famine, flood and epidemic. Educational facilities such as elementary, secondary and industrial schools, cottage industries and settlements, were provided for the depressed classes by the Salvation Army. ~ http://www.salvationarmy.org