On May 12, 2006, at the age of 61, Commissioner

Commissioner in The Salvation Army

The rank of Commissioner in The Salvation Army is the second highest rank attainable by Officers in the organisation, and the highest 'appointed' rank, as the rank of General is by election...

 Israel L. Gaither was formally installed as the National Commander of the Salvation Army

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....

 in the United States, the first black person to serve in that capacity. Gaither was selected for the position by General 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....

.

Eva D. Gaither, his wife, became President of the Salvation Army's Women's Ministries the same day, with executive responsibility for the advancement of women in developed and developing sectors of the world. She had been World Secretary for Women’s Ministries in London since November 2002.

Prior to becoming Commander in the United States, Gaither was 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....

, the second-ranking officer at Salvation Army world headquarters in London. He had held that office since November 2002. He had also been the first black divisional commander in the United States, with responsibility for southern New England and western Pennsylvania, and the first black territorial commander, responsible for the Eastern states. He had been commander of the Southern Africa territory as well.

Biographical details

Gaither was raised a Baptist preacher's son in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He was the only son among five children born to the Rev. Israel L. Gaither, Sr. and Lillian Gaither. He took Salvation Army officer training in New York, and has led congregations in Pennsylvania and New York.

Eva D. Gaither was born Eva Shue in Sidney, Ohio, one the five children born to Richard and Merle Shue, and the fifth generation of her family to become a Salvationist.

Gaither and Shue married in 1967, breaking ground as the first interracial marriage between Salvation Army officers in the United States. Eva Gaither is white, and in 1967, interracial marriage was still illegal

Loving v. Virginia

Loving v. Virginia, , was a landmark civil rights case in which the United States Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, declared Virginia's anti-miscegenation statute, the "Racial Integrity Act of 1924", unconstitutional, thereby overturning Pace v...

 in many states. They have two children, Michele Gaither Sparks and Mark Gaither, and four grandchildren, Isaiah, Matthew, Virginia and Andrew.

Gaither is the subject of a biography by Henry Gariepy

Henry Gariepy

Colonel Henry Gariepy was a retired Salvation Army officer and the former national editor in chief and literary secretary for The Salvation Army which included The War Cry. he retired in 1995. He held many other positions within the Army such as corps officer and youth camp coordinating officer in...

which was released in late 2006.

The Gaithers were officially retired from active service, as Salvation Army Officers on October 31, 2010.