High Council of The Salvation Army
Encyclopedia
The High Council of The Salvation Army
elects a new General in the event of a vacancy or prior to the retirement of the existing office holder. It can also remove a General who can no longer fulfil their duties. It is made up of the Chief of the Staff
, all active Commissioners except the spouse of the General
, and all active Territorial Commanders. It is not a governing body of the Salvation Army, and is regarded as having no continuity of existence between meetings.
in 1904. Its purpose was to remove and replace a General who could no longer fulfill the duties of office for reasons of either ill health or general 'unfitness'. The Chief of the Staff could summon the Commissioners to vote on the issue, and if they found that the General was not capable of performing the role they would choose a successor. It was intended that in normal circumstances the choice of a successor would be made by the outgoing General. This happened only with the second General of The Salvation Army, Bramwell Booth
, who succeeded William Booth
upon his death in 1912.
In November 1928, Bramwell Booth was away from International Headquarters for several months due to illness. He was asked to resign, but refused. On January 8, 1929, the High Council met for the first time and voted 55 to 8 to remove the 73-year-old ill General.
General Booth took his case to court, and this lost him a great deal of respect. The Proceedings were delayed by the death of Lieut-Commissioner William J. Haines, Vice-President of the High Council, who collapsed during a High Council meeting and died 45 minutes later.
After over two months of deliberations, the court ruled in favour of the High Council. The High Council met on February 13, 1929, and elected General Booth's Chief of the Staff Edward Higgins
as the new General of The Salvation Army.
In 1931 the Salvation Army Act of the British Parliament was passed, with the support of General Higgins. The effects of this were that the General lost the power to choose a successor, fixed an age limit of 70 for the retirement of the General, and created a trustee company to hold the properties and other capital assets of The Salvation Army instead of the sole trusteeship of the General.
The most complete history of this time period of The Salvation Army has now been compiled in "1929, A Crisis That Shaped The Salvation Army's Future" by retired General John Larsson.
High Councils to elect a new general have been held in 1934, 1939, 1946, 1954, 1963, 1969, 1974, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2002, 2006 and 2011.
in 1904 provided that ‘the person so to be elected may be either one of the members of the High Council or some other person’ Since 1980 nominees must be Salvation Army officers. To date, no General has ever been elected without being a member of the High Council.
A woman has been elected as General on four occasions.
. The successful candidate must win two-thirds the votes on the first, second or third ballots. If that does not happen a fourth ballot, which requires a simple majority, takes place.
was due to retire at midnight on April 1, 2006. The Chief of the Staff issued summonses on December 1, 2005 to all who qualified as members on that date. The 2006 High Council was the second largest ever, with a membership of 100.
The High Council members met at Sunbury Court from January 17, until January 19 for a pre-High Council Conference led by the General. The Public Welcome to the High Council took place on Friday January 20 at the Methodist Central Hall in London. This gathering also incorporated a Farewell Salute to General John Larsson and Commissioner Freda Larsson.
On January 28, 2006, Shaw Clifton
was elected. He took office on April 2, 2006.
is due to retire at midnight on April 1, 2011. The Chief of the Staff issued summonses on December 1, 2010 to all who qualified as members on that date. The 2011 High Council was the largest ever, with a membership of 109.
The High Council members met at Sunbury Court from January 18, until January 20 for a pre-High Council Conference led by the General. The Public Welcome to the High Council took place on Saturday January 22 at the Lancaster London Hotel in London. This gathering also incorporated a Farewell Salute to General Shaw Clifton and Commissioner Helen Clifton.
Monday January 31, it was announced Commissioner Linda Bond
will be the next General of the Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
elects a new General in the event of a vacancy or prior to the retirement of the existing office holder. It can also remove a General who can no longer fulfil their duties. It is made up of the Chief of the Staff
Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army
The Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army is the officer who is second in command of the Army internationally, only behind the General, and is stationed at International Headquarters in London....
, all active Commissioners except the spouse of the General
Generals of The Salvation Army
thumbnail|left|1st General, William BoothGeneral is the title of the international leader of The Salvation Army, a Christian denomination with extensive charitable social services that gives quasi-military rank to its ministers .Usage of the term General began with the Founder of The Salvation...
, and all active Territorial Commanders. It is not a governing body of the Salvation Army, and is regarded as having no continuity of existence between meetings.
History
The High Council was established by William BoothWilliam Booth
William Booth was a British Methodist preacher who founded The Salvation Army and became its first General...
in 1904. Its purpose was to remove and replace a General who could no longer fulfill the duties of office for reasons of either ill health or general 'unfitness'. The Chief of the Staff could summon the Commissioners to vote on the issue, and if they found that the General was not capable of performing the role they would choose a successor. It was intended that in normal circumstances the choice of a successor would be made by the outgoing General. This happened only with the second General of The Salvation Army, Bramwell Booth
Bramwell Booth
Bramwell Booth, CH was the first Chief of Staff and the second General of The Salvation Army , succeeding his father, William Booth.-Biography:...
, who succeeded William Booth
William Booth
William Booth was a British Methodist preacher who founded The Salvation Army and became its first General...
upon his death in 1912.
In November 1928, Bramwell Booth was away from International Headquarters for several months due to illness. He was asked to resign, but refused. On January 8, 1929, the High Council met for the first time and voted 55 to 8 to remove the 73-year-old ill General.
General Booth took his case to court, and this lost him a great deal of respect. The Proceedings were delayed by the death of Lieut-Commissioner William J. Haines, Vice-President of the High Council, who collapsed during a High Council meeting and died 45 minutes later.
After over two months of deliberations, the court ruled in favour of the High Council. The High Council met on February 13, 1929, and elected General Booth's Chief of the Staff Edward Higgins
Edward Higgins
Edward John Higgins was the third General of The Salvation Army .He was born in Highbridge, Somerset, England. His father became a much revered Commissioner in the Army's ranks, and travelled extensively in the interests of the organisation. His mother died when he was 8 years of age.He became an...
as the new General of The Salvation Army.
In 1931 the Salvation Army Act of the British Parliament was passed, with the support of General Higgins. The effects of this were that the General lost the power to choose a successor, fixed an age limit of 70 for the retirement of the General, and created a trustee company to hold the properties and other capital assets of The Salvation Army instead of the sole trusteeship of the General.
The most complete history of this time period of The Salvation Army has now been compiled in "1929, A Crisis That Shaped The Salvation Army's Future" by retired General John Larsson.
High Councils to elect a new general have been held in 1934, 1939, 1946, 1954, 1963, 1969, 1974, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2002, 2006 and 2011.
Who can be a General?
The High Council established by William BoothWilliam Booth
William Booth was a British Methodist preacher who founded The Salvation Army and became its first General...
in 1904 provided that ‘the person so to be elected may be either one of the members of the High Council or some other person’ Since 1980 nominees must be Salvation Army officers. To date, no General has ever been elected without being a member of the High Council.
A woman has been elected as General on four occasions.
How the High Council works
The High Council selects nominees. Each nominee and, if married, their spouse, answers a series of set questions and addresses the council. Voting is conducted by secret ballotSecret ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
. The successful candidate must win two-thirds the votes on the first, second or third ballots. If that does not happen a fourth ballot, which requires a simple majority, takes place.
High Council of The Salvation Army, 2006
General John LarssonJohn Larsson
John Larsson is the Swedish-born 17th General of The Salvation Army .The son of officer parents, he spent his early years in Sweden, Denmark, Chile and Argentina...
was due to retire at midnight on April 1, 2006. The Chief of the Staff issued summonses on December 1, 2005 to all who qualified as members on that date. The 2006 High Council was the second largest ever, with a membership of 100.
The High Council members met at Sunbury Court from January 17, until January 19 for a pre-High Council Conference led by the General. The Public Welcome to the High Council took place on Friday January 20 at the Methodist Central Hall in London. This gathering also incorporated a Farewell Salute to General John Larsson and Commissioner Freda Larsson.
On January 28, 2006, Shaw Clifton
Shaw Clifton
Shaw Clifton is a former General of The Salvation Army. He succeeded John Larsson as the 18th General on 2 April 2006.-Career:Shaw Clifton was born on 21 September 1945 in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
was elected. He took office on April 2, 2006.
High Council of The Salvation Army, 2011
General Shaw CliftonShaw Clifton
Shaw Clifton is a former General of The Salvation Army. He succeeded John Larsson as the 18th General on 2 April 2006.-Career:Shaw Clifton was born on 21 September 1945 in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
is due to retire at midnight on April 1, 2011. The Chief of the Staff issued summonses on December 1, 2010 to all who qualified as members on that date. The 2011 High Council was the largest ever, with a membership of 109.
The High Council members met at Sunbury Court from January 18, until January 20 for a pre-High Council Conference led by the General. The Public Welcome to the High Council took place on Saturday January 22 at the Lancaster London Hotel in London. This gathering also incorporated a Farewell Salute to General Shaw Clifton and Commissioner Helen Clifton.
Monday January 31, it was announced Commissioner Linda Bond
Linda Bond
Linda Bond is a Canadian national born in Glace Bay Nova Scotia, and the current General of the Salvation Army. Since being commissioned on 21 June 1969 in Canada, she has served throughout the world, and since 2008 held the post of Territorial Commander of the Australian Eastern Territory...
will be the next General of the Salvation Army.
See also
- The Salvation ArmyThe Salvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
- Generals of The Salvation ArmyGenerals of The Salvation Armythumbnail|left|1st General, William BoothGeneral is the title of the international leader of The Salvation Army, a Christian denomination with extensive charitable social services that gives quasi-military rank to its ministers .Usage of the term General began with the Founder of The Salvation...
- Chief of the Staff of The Salvation ArmyChief of the Staff of The Salvation ArmyThe Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army is the officer who is second in command of the Army internationally, only behind the General, and is stationed at International Headquarters in London....
- Officer of The Salvation Army