Our History
Prebendary Wilson Carlile founded the society in 1882 during his time on the staff of St Mary Abbots Church, Kensington, London. As a dynamic and unconventional Church of England curate his vision was to encourage and enable ordinary Christian people to live the good news of Jesus Christ in such a way that others would be attracted to follow Him. Carlile believed very much that the Christian message had to be shared through words and action and he encouraged grooms, coachmen and other working people to witness to their faith in the open air and at packed indoor gatherings.
Such was the impact made by this new "Church Army" that Carlile sought official approval from the Church of England Congress in 1883. His suggestion that carefully selected laymen, after a period of training, should be allowed to assist in consecrated buildings was thought of as "dragging the church into the gutter".
Carlile persisted and the Upper Convocation of Canterbury unanimously passed a resolution of approval in 1885. He was Rector of St Mary at Hill, Eastcheap, in the City of London, from 1892-1926 and the church honoured him as a Prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral in 1905. A plaque in the Cathedral crypt commemorates his outstanding vision and concern "to go for the worst".
In the revised Anglican Lectionary, Carlile and Church Army are celebrated on 26 September, the anniversary of his death in 1942. Church Army evangelists today are admitted to the Office of Evangelist in the Church on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury or York, both of whom are vice-presidents of the society. Evangelists are licensed to operate within the Anglican system by the individual diocesan bishops within the UK and Ireland. Her Majesty the Queen is the patron of Church Army.
More about Church Army's history can be read in:
- Rowan, Edgar (1926) Wilson Carlile and the Church Army. London: Hodder & Stoughton
- Reffold, A. E (1956) Wilson Carlile and the Church Army. Cowley: Church Army Press
An unofficial site about the sister of Wilson Carlile - Marie Carlile
