More than 130 years of showing up for people

In 1892, Cornelie Booth, wife of Territorial Commander Herbert Booth, had a simple idea: that Salvationists should go to the people who had no one to visit them. The sick in hospitals. The isolated in jails. The forgotten in institutions. She called it the League of Mercy, and it began in Toronto with a small group of mostly women who showed up, week after week, with nothing but kindness, prayer and time.

That same year, an announcement was placed inviting people to request a visit for loved ones in hospitals or prisons. In 1894, a woman bedridden at the Toronto Home for Incurables became the first League convert, a testament to what a sustained, faithful presence can do in a person's life.

The League spread quickly. By the early 2000s, over 88,000 members worldwide were carrying this ministry into hospitals, care homes and communities across every continent. Through two World Wars, economic crises and constant social change, the heart of the work remained unchanged: no one should feel forgotten.

The refreshed vision of CCM expands beyond visitation to include any congregational initiative that helps a corps reach its community through practical, relational ministry. It is no longer the responsibility of a dedicated group within the corps. It is an approach that integrates care into the entire life of the corps, creating multiple pathways for people to demonstrate the love of Jesus.

This means CCM does not add burden to what corps are already doing. It connects what is already happening to the heart of care ministry. Meal programs, youth initiatives, worship teams and small groups all become expressions of care when they are turned outward toward the community.

And here is something those who practice this ministry discover again and again: when we go out to care for our community, our community comes back to us. People who are welcomed, visited and genuinely known do not stay strangers for long.