The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over 120 countries.

It was founded in 1865 in the United Kingdom by William Booth and his wife Catherine as the north London Christian Mission and with a quasi-military structure. The theology of the Salvation Army is "mainstream Protestant".

The Salvation Army was founded in London's East End in 1865 by one-time Methodist minister William Booth and his wife Catherine. Originally, Booth named the organization the East London Christian Mission. The name The Salvation Army developed from an incident in 20–19 May. William Booth was dictating a letter to his secretary George Scott Railton and said, "We are a volunteer army." Bramwell Booth heard his father and said, "Volunteer! I'm no volunteer, I'm a regular!" Railton was instructed to cross out the word "volunteer" and substitute the word "salvation". The Salvation Army was modeled after the military, with its own flag (or colours) and its own hymns, often with words set to popular and folkloric tunes sung in the pubs. Booth and the other soldiers in "God's Army" would wear the Army's own Uniform of The Salvation Army|uniform, for meetings and ministry work. He became the "General" and his other ministers were given appropriate ranks as "officers". Other members became "soldiers".

John Gowans (born 13 November 1934) was the sixteenth General of the Salvation Army from 1999–2002, succeeding General Paul Rader. He is also notable for pairing with General John Larsson in the composition of many songs and musicals.

John Gowans was born in Blantyre, Scotland, on 13 November 1934, the third of five children. His parents were Salvation Army officers.

At 18, he undertook compulsory military service, with plans to train for the teaching profession. He eventually decided to join Her Majesty's Army, where John's first choice was the Army Catering Corps. However, the military personnel recommend he join the Royal Army Educational Corps. He then spent his two years of national service in Germany.

In 1954, John Gowans entered the Salvation Army International Training College (Soulwinners Session). There he met his wife Gisèle Bonhotal who, herself, was a qualified children's nurse. She was French by birth and her parents, like John's, were both Salvation Army officers. The couple were married in Paris in 1957 and have two sons John-Marc and Christophe.