Wilson Carlile, who brought together soldiers, officers and a few working men and women whom he and others trained to act as Church of England evangelists among the poor and outcasts of the Westminster slums.

As the work grew, a training institution for evangelists was started in Oxford with F. S. Webster as principal, but soon moved (1886) to London, where, in Bryanston Street near Marble Arch, the headquarters of the army was established.

Church Army workers were entirely under the control of the incumbent of the parish to which they were sent, and were paid a small sum for their services either by the vicar or by voluntary local contributions.

Church Army vehicles circulated throughout the country parishes, if desired, with itinerant evangelists, who held simple missions, without charge, and distributed literature.

[8][9] In its early decades in the U.S., Church Army USA focused on service and evangelism in "mental hospitals, homes for the elderly, in areas of migrant workers, inner city ministries, [and] American Indians in the Dakotas and Alaska.

"[13] In response, Church Army USA reconceived itself as a more ecumenical organization focused on training and service placements along the lines of the federal VISTA program.

The cafe was founded in 2001 by a Church Army USA officer and all volunteer staff are trained in evangelism, social service referrals and dealing with difficult situations customers may face.