A part of the tradition at The Salvation Army Chinatown Corps in San Francisco since 1965, is the "March of Witness" parade which will be held this Sunday.
Starting from the Salvation Army's Chinatown headquarters at 1450 Powell St. at 2 p.m., through the busy streets of Chinatown, over 250 Salvationists from all over San Francisco will march to Portsmouth Square at Washington St. for the Open Air Meeting.
There they will gather as "witnesses of Christ" and share testimonies about their faith and worship God through praise. They will have English, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish speakers.
The purpose is "to let people know the truth of Jesus," Major Thomas Mui said. "We are witnesses to the street people," which was how the Salvation Army started, he added.
After the 40-min meeting the Salvationists will march back to Chinatown to the corps building, where they will end the March with the song "Amazing Grace" and a benediction.
Mui believes that through the March's longstanding tradition, they will be able to attract many people's attention.
"Our witness to Christ is a daily duty: in schools, in work places, in our families, and in the community. Our spirit never changes. It is our living march of witness," Mui said.
Through Open Air Meetings, The Salvation Army was established in 1865 in London, England by William and Catherine Booth. It functions as both a church and a social service organization. By the 1990's the Salvation Army spread around the world and now has units in over 106 nations.
