The Salvation Army beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole". The Army was founded in 1865 in London by one-time Methodist circuit-preacher William Booth and his wife Catherine as the East London Christian Mission, and can trace its origins to the Blind Beggar tavern. In 1878 Booth reorganised the mission, becoming its first General and introducing the military structure which has been retained as a matter of tradition. Its highest priority is its Christian principles. The current international leader of The Salvation Army and chief executive officer (CEO) is General Brian Peddle, who was elected by the High Council
The Salvation Army does not address any documented news events of discrimination and claims to debunk these events as urban myth. In November 2013 it was made known that the Salvation Army was referring LGBT individuals to one of several conversion therapy groups. As a response the Salvation Army removed such referrals from their website. A positional statement on the Salvation Army UK and Ireland site stated (but has since been taken down): The positional statement is, however, intended explicitly for members of the Salvation Army and the Salvation Army mission statement as of 2013 states: As of late 2013, activists were still