Elijah Cadman was born in 1843 in Coventry, England, into poverty so deep that he was put to work at just six years old. He never went to school; he couldn’t read or write. By 8, he was a chimney sweep, risking his life daily for a few pennies.
The grime of poverty pressed on him and he grew into a rough young man. By the time he was 17 he could ‘fight like the devil and drink like a fish’, but in his late teens, something happened: he came face-to-face with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was convicted of sin, gloriously saved, and transformed. Saved in the street listening to a street preacher he intended to heckle. Suddenly, the boy who had nothing found himself with a burning fire inside—a call to preach Christ to anyone who would listen.
Cadman had little education, but he had a voice like thunder and a passion that could not be contained. People mocked him and tried to drown him out, but his fire only grew. Ridicule for the gospel is not a 2020s phenomenon! He was a street preacher through and through. Where others might fear ridicule, Cadman saw opportunity. He’d often gather rowdy crowds just by the sheer force of his personality and then turn their laughter into tears of repentance.
When William and Catherine Booth were raising up The Salvation Army in the late 1800s, he needed men and women who were fearless, devoted, and willing to take the gospel into the darkest places. Elijah Cadman was a perfect fit. He joined the movement early and quickly rose to leadership because of his zeal and courage, becoming a right-hand man to Booth.
Cadman helped shape The Salvation Army’s militant spirit. He understood that Christians weren’t called to sit quietly in pews but to march into the world like soldiers on a mission. He was one of the first to put on the Army’s uniform and is credited with popularising it. When critics laughed at the military-style dress, Cadman replied:
“I would like to wear a suit of clothes that would let everyone know I meant war to the teeth and salvation to the world.”
In 1878 Elijah was sent to open The Christian Mission’s (the early name for the Salvation Army) campaign in Whitby. He announced the ‘Hallelujah Army’, under Captain Cadman, was declaring war in Whitby. 2,000 at once wanted to join the Salvation Army. 3,000 regularly attended the meetings. Elijah Cadman preached across Britain and internationally, rallying Salvationists to holy living, soul-winning, and bold witness.
Elijah Cadman is a hero of mine.
The world doesn’t need more spectators—it needs soldiers of the cross, filled with the Spirit, unashamed of the gospel, ready to march into the streets, the workplaces, the schools, and the nations, declaring that Jesus saves. Too enthusiastic? Sorry (not sorry). Elijah Cadman’s legacy is let the Spirit set you on fire, and then burn brightly in the darkness until the whole world knows. We’re in dark days.
Honestly, in the light of eternity, is there anything else worth giving your life to?
Now…where did I put my salvation clothes…?
Andrew S M Clark 