Faith Facts

• The Salvation Army’s ‘War Cry’ newspaper has been published continuously since 1879, surviving nearly 150 years of cultural and technological change
• The publication began during Queen Victoria’s reign as a bold evangelical tool to reach the streets with the Gospel message
• Despite declining print media, ‘War Cry’ continues its mission on Britain’s high streets, demonstrating enduring faith and commitment to public witness

In an age when legacy newspapers are folding and digital media dominates, one Christian publication has refused to surrender. The ‘War Cry,’ launched by The Salvation Army in 1879, still appears on Britain’s streets nearly a century and a half after its founding.

The newspaper began during the reign of Queen Victoria, when Benjamin Disraeli served as her prime minister. At that time, Britain was at the height of its global influence, and The Salvation Army was just beginning its mission to bring the Gospel to the nation’s poorest and most forgotten.

The ‘War Cry’ became the movement’s bold voice—a weekly declaration of Christian truth carried into pubs, factories, and street corners. Its mission was simple: share the good news of Jesus Christ with those who might never darken a church door.

What makes this publication remarkable is not just its age, but its persistence. In a media landscape where even major secular outlets struggle to survive, ‘War Cry’ endures as a witness to the power of mission-driven journalism grounded in unchanging truth.

The newspaper represents more than nostalgia. It embodies a commitment to public Christian witness that refuses to retreat into comfortable church buildings. It stands as a reminder that the Gospel is meant for the marketplace, not just the sanctuary.

For Christian conservatives in America, the story of ‘War Cry’ offers encouragement. It demonstrates that faithful witness, sustained over generations, can outlast cultural trends and technological disruption. The mission remains: bring Christ to the people where they are.

The Salvation Army’s decision to maintain this street-level evangelistic tool reflects a theology of presence—being among the people, not separate from them. This approach resonates with the biblical model of incarnational ministry, where Christ himself walked among tax collectors and sinners.

As American Christians face increasing cultural pressure to privatize faith, ‘War Cry’ stands as evidence that public Christian witness can endure. The publication’s survival through two world wars, economic depressions, and dramatic social change proves that gospel-centered mission transcends temporary challenges.

The high street presence of ‘War Cry’ also challenges modern assumptions about effective evangelism. While digital strategies dominate contemporary church growth discussions, this newspaper demonstrates the continuing value of personal, face-to-face gospel proclamation.

Britain’s spiritual landscape has changed dramatically since 1879, with church attendance declining and secularism rising. Yet ‘War Cry’ continues its work, a tangible reminder that God’s truth doesn’t change with the times. The message proclaimed in Victorian England remains as urgent and relevant today.

For those who value traditional evangelism and public Christian witness, ‘War Cry’ represents hope. It proves that faithfulness matters more than popularity, and that mission sustained by conviction can outlast cultural opposition.

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Faith Facts

• The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia (CEDECOL) received formal recognition from government authorities for their peace-building work in Bogotá
• The recognition came during the first Interfaith Meeting on Peace and Security, bringing together religious organizations and government institutions
• The event highlights increasing collaboration between evangelicals and civic authorities in promoting social harmony in Colombia

The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia (CEDECOL) was honored by the Bogotá Metropolitan Police and the Ministry of the Interior during a significant interfaith gathering focused on peace and security. The recognition underscores the vital role evangelical Christians play in promoting stability and reconciliation in Colombian society.

The first Interfaith Meeting on Peace and Security brought together religious organizations and government institutions with the stated goal of strengthening collaboration to build social harmony. The event marks a growing trend of government entities partnering with faith-based organizations to address community challenges.

CEDECOL’s recognition at this gathering highlights the practical contributions evangelical Christians are making in Colombia’s ongoing efforts to heal from decades of internal conflict. The confederation has been active in community outreach, reconciliation efforts, and supporting families affected by violence.

The participation of the Bogotá Metropolitan Police and the Ministry of the Interior signals government acknowledgment of the influence religious communities hold in promoting peace at the grassroots level. For evangelicals, this represents an opportunity to demonstrate Christian values of forgiveness, reconciliation, and service in the public square.

While interfaith dialogue can raise questions among some conservative Christians about doctrinal compromise, CEDECOL’s involvement reflects a commitment to being salt and light in society while maintaining biblical integrity. The evangelical body has consistently advocated for religious freedom and the protection of traditional Christian values in Colombia.

Colombia has faced significant security challenges in recent years, making the collaboration between faith communities and law enforcement particularly relevant. Evangelical churches have often served as stabilizing forces in neighborhoods affected by crime and gang activity.

The recognition of CEDECOL demonstrates how faithful Christian witness can earn respect and create opportunities for influence even in pluralistic settings. As evangelical Christianity continues to grow across Latin America, such partnerships between churches and government may become increasingly common.

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Faith Facts

• A Christian leader discovered that unsuccessful fasting can teach deeper spiritual truths than breakthrough moments
• Biblical fasting is about aligning our hearts with God’s purposes, not manipulating outcomes through spiritual discipline
• True worship emerges not from spiritual success but from humble dependence on God’s grace

Derek Hughes entered his fast with high expectations. Alongside his small group, he anticipated spiritual breakthrough, clear direction, and renewed passion for ministry. Instead, what he experienced was hunger, distraction, and prayers that felt hollow.

The disappointment was real. The physical discomfort seemed pointless without the spiritual payoff he’d anticipated.

But in the aftermath of what felt like failure, Hughes returned to Scripture with fresh eyes. A familiar passage challenged everything he thought he knew about worship, fasting, and what God actually desires from His people.

The revelation came from an unexpected place: recognizing that worship deemed unsuccessful by human standards may actually be worship in its truest form. When we strip away the expectation of results, breakthrough, and spiritual highs, what remains is the raw offering of our hearts to a God who desires relationship over performance.

This mirrors the heart of Isaiah 58, where God corrects His people’s understanding of fasting. They complained that their fasts went unnoticed by God, but the Lord revealed their hearts were focused on their own interests rather than on justice, mercy, and humble dependence on Him.

The modern American church often approaches spiritual disciplines with a transactional mindset. We fast to get breakthrough. We pray to receive answers. We worship to experience God’s presence. But what if the disciplines themselves—stripped of guaranteed outcomes—are the point?

Hughes discovered that his “failed” fast taught him more about God’s character than a dozen successful ones. In his weakness and disappointment, he encountered a God who doesn’t need our spiritual performance but invites us into genuine relationship.

This counterintuitive truth runs throughout Scripture. God chose the foolish things to shame the wise. He displays His power in our weakness. He exalts the humble and resists the proud.

For Christians navigating a culture that measures everything by results and metrics, this lesson cuts deep. Our faith isn’t validated by spiritual successes or breakthrough moments but by our willingness to come before God with empty hands and honest hearts.

The hunger Hughes experienced wasn’t just physical—it was spiritual. And perhaps that acknowledgment of need, that inability to manufacture spiritual experience through discipline alone, was precisely the posture God desired all along.

True worship, it turns out, isn’t about our ability to perform spiritual exercises correctly. It’s about recognizing our complete dependence on a God who meets us in our weakness, sustains us in our hunger, and transforms even our failures into opportunities for deeper faith.

This perspective challenges the prosperity-tinged spirituality that has crept into many corners of American Christianity. Not every prayer is answered the way we hope. Not every fast brings clarity. Not every season of seeking results in breakthrough.

But every honest offering—even the seemingly unsuccessful ones—brings us closer to the heart of a God who values authenticity over achievement, relationship over results, and broken dependence over confident self-sufficiency.

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