Christianity in Action: The International History of The Salvation Army

I want to highly recommend the book, Christianity in Action: The International History of The Salvation Army. It is written by Colonel Henry Gariepy (OF) who was Promoted to Glory in April.

I had the privilege of regularly meeting Colonel Gariepy when he would come to the School for Officer Training in New York to teach Cadets. You could always see the love of the Lord shining through his eyes and the passion to tell the story of God's Mission through the vehicle of The Salvation Army.

Christianity in Action, which was published in 2009, could be described as a primer on The Salvation Army. It combines broad brush strokes that capture the meta-story of this movement with masterfully crafted details which connect the great characters and events of the past with contemporary illustrations of how the Army remains faithful to its primary mission. Gariepy is truly a literary craftsman!

Colonel Henry Gariepy (OF)

General Shaw Clifton has endorsed that "...with incredible skill he has compiled a most readable record, crammed with human-interest stories." General Paul Rader (R) states that "Salvationists will read it with a swelling sense of gratitude for the privilege of being a part of the story. Those new to the movement will find here a thrilling saga of Christianity in action."

Some are of the opinion that in order for a work of history to be of value it must be filled with harsh and candid critique. This work isn't trying to be an academic history book. It is unabashedly populous - it's written so that anyone - regardless of their knowledge and experience of The Salvation Army, their age or education will be able to enjoy the adventure stories told in these pages.

I was really pleased that this book is in so many formats. You can order the book, the CD, you can read it on Kindle - it's even available on iTunes so that you can listen to this great story in your car or in the gym.

Finally, I pray that young people will read this book. This is our heritage. This is our birthright. Read it and be inspired to write the next chapter by becoming boys and girls, men and women who will embrace the forward-advancing faith of Christianity in action.