Salvation Army confirms its base in Halifax has closed

Dwindling members and no minister are said to be responsible for the closure.

The church was full for its final service, people having come from all over the country and apparently someone had flown in from abroad to be there.

At one time there were 80 children in Sunday school. In 1983 The Salvation Army started giving out food parcels six days a week, which went on for over 20 years.

There were also so many young men in the church that they formed their own football team called the 'Torchbearers'.

Recently, the Halifax Salvation Army celebrated 140 years of a presence in Halifax, having opened on January 22, 1882. It was estimated that 8,000 attended the first open air meeting.

The church could hold more than 3,000 people and it was filled three times on the first Sunday with many being turned away.

William Booth, was the founder of the Salvation Army. His son, Bramwell was born in Halifax and in 1926 he was given the Freedom of the Borough.

The nearest Salvation Army is now Brighouse.

A spokesperson for The Salvation Army said: “Sadly, we can confirm that after careful consideration, the decision was taken to close Halifax Salvation Army in January.

“Having served the community for many years, it was a difficult decision to take, however due to a range of factors it was becoming unsustainable to keep it open.

“We want to thank our officers, congregation and the community for their support for The Salvation Army over the years. We continue to support the community across West Yorkshire including at nearby Brighouse and Huddersfield.”