in 1894, rees began serving as pastor at the independent emmanuel church in providence, rhode island. during his two years as pastor more than a thousand people were "saved" at the church. he organized his followers in a system of six “corps”: the slum corps, the sailor corps, the prison corps, the city mission corps, the hospital corps, and the open air corps. rees' military-style form of organization underscored the active engagement with the poor and downtrodden, a central tenet of rees' philosophy.