Officer in The Salvation Army
Encyclopedia
An Officer in The Salvation Army
is a Salvationist who is in essence a minister of the Christian
faith, but who fulfills many other roles not usually fulfilled by clergy
of other denomination
s. They do so having been trained and commissioned to service and leadership and given a quasi-military rank
.
While attending a College for Officer Training, the training participants are referred to as 'Cadets'. The length of training is normally two years, but a special dispensation may allow cadets to be commissioned after a shorter period, based on prior experience or training. Once this training is complete, the Cadets are commissioned.
Officers have the opportunity to serve within the Salvation Army in many different capacities, and may be posted at a Corps , Divisional / Territorial Headquarters, the Training College, The Trade, a Recovery / Rehabilitation centre, as a Chaplain (E.g. courts & prisons, hospitals), a street level outreach centre, a new or newer Corps (known as an 'Outpost' or 'Plant'), and any number of other need specific ministries.
In the majority of cases, Officers are given 'Farewell Orders' every two to five years in which they are reassigned to different posts, sometimes moving great distances, but some may be moved after anywhere between 3 months and 16 years.
All officers serving as Lieutenants in the UK territory now receive the rank "Territorial Envoy" (as opposed to "divisional envoy"). Territorial Envoys are soldiers who wish to work as non-commissioned Officers for a limited time, usually three years. This replaced the rank of Envoy and Auxiliary-Captain. Other territories have made other 'ranks' to reflect this status such as Feldsergeant in Germany
; Sergeant-major in the Ukraine
; Envoy in Russia
and Corpsenvoy in the Netherlands
.
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....
is a Salvationist who is in essence a minister of the Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
faith, but who fulfills many other roles not usually fulfilled by clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
of other denomination
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
s. They do so having been trained and commissioned to service and leadership and given a quasi-military rank
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
.
Candidacy and Training
When applying to become a Salvation Army officer, strict acceptance guidelines must be adhered to before training can commence. Each Territory will have similar conditions that applicants must fulfill prior to entry and include, but are not limited to, the following, they must:- Believe they are called to full-time ministry, specifically Officership.
- Be active Soldiers in their local Salvation Army corps.
- Receive a recommendation from the Corps Officer of that Corps.
- Be endorsed by the Divisional Candidate Secretary(s).
- Partake in a formal interview with the Territorial Candidacy Board and Territorial Candidate Secretary(s).
While attending a College for Officer Training, the training participants are referred to as 'Cadets'. The length of training is normally two years, but a special dispensation may allow cadets to be commissioned after a shorter period, based on prior experience or training. Once this training is complete, the Cadets are commissioned.
Commissioning and Posting
Commissioning sees the Cadets promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and formalizes the Cadet's first posting (commonly referred to as 'Marching Orders'). These orders can send the new Lieutenants anywhere in the territory, and sometimes even see them posted to other territories that could involve overseas service.Officers have the opportunity to serve within the Salvation Army in many different capacities, and may be posted at a Corps , Divisional / Territorial Headquarters, the Training College, The Trade, a Recovery / Rehabilitation centre, as a Chaplain (E.g. courts & prisons, hospitals), a street level outreach centre, a new or newer Corps (known as an 'Outpost' or 'Plant'), and any number of other need specific ministries.
In the majority of cases, Officers are given 'Farewell Orders' every two to five years in which they are reassigned to different posts, sometimes moving great distances, but some may be moved after anywhere between 3 months and 16 years.
The Rank Structure and Uniform
Officers hold ranks throughout their service, and even into retirement, and their rank is reflected in their uniform. The uniform of an Officer is much like that of a Soldier, and like a Soldier's, is defined by the region in which the person is serving. The consistent difference between the two uniforms is that the Officer's uniform has red or maroon epaulettes on the shoulders, whilst a Soldier's are blue. Officer's epaulettes feature the Salvation 'S', as well as another insignia to designate rank. These insignia may be sewn into the epaulette, or be separate metal pins attached to the epaulettes.| Rank | Date adopted | Current Status | Description | Insignia / Epaulettes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
1878 | Active | The worldwide leader of The Salvation Army, elected by the most senior Salvation Army officers in the world. | Red velvet trim with gold crest, gold bar and gold 'S' on the collar. |
| Commissioner | 1880 | Active | The leader of a Territory. Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army 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.... and International Secretaries are also usually given the rank Commissioner. |
Maroon velvet with silver crest and trim except the Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army 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.... , also a commissioner but who has a silver bar under his/her crest. |
| Lieutenant-Commissioner | 1920 | Discontinued (1973) | ||
| Colonel | 1880 | Active | Reserved for territorial and international leaders. | Crest with silver trim and silver trim around "s" patches |
| Lieutenant-Colonel | Active | Crest with silver trim without silver trim around "s" patches | ||
| Brigadier | 1889 | Discontinued (1973) | Crest with two stars | |
| Senior-Major | 1948 | Discontinued (1959) | Crest with one star | |
| Major | 1879 | Active | After 15 years of service the officer is promoted to Major. | Crest |
| Field-Major | 1921 | Discontinued (1931) | ||
| Commandant | 1916 | Discontinued (1931) | ||
| Adjutant | 1888 | Discontinued (1948) | ||
| Ensign | 1888 | Discontinued (1931) | ||
| Senior-Captain | 1948 | Discontinued (1959) | ||
| Staff-Captain | 1881 | Discontinued (1931) | This was a rank created to differentiate Officers assigned to headquarters from field Officers. | Three stars |
| Captain | 1877 | Active | After 5 years of service the officer is promoted to Captain. | Two stars |
| Lieutenant | 1879 | Discontinued (2001) Reinstated (2008) |
Following two years at Officer Training College, the Cadet is commissioned with the rank of Lieutenant. | One star |
| First Lieutenant | 1948 | Discontinued (1959) | ||
| Second Lieutenant | 1948 | Discontinued (1959) | ||
| Probationary Lieutenant | 1917 | Discontinued (1973) | ||
| Cadet-Lieutenant | 2001 | Discontinued (2008) | ||
| Cadet | 1880 | Active | A Salvation Army soldier, that is undertaking training to become an Officer at a Salvation Army Officer Training College. | Blue or red bar |
| Envoy | Active | A non-commissioned officer who works for The Salvation Army in a ministry position. | ||
| Candidate | ? | Active | A person undergoing assessment for Salvation Army officership or Envoyship. | |
Amendments to Envoy / Lieutenant Status
After a lengthy discussion with other Salvation Army leaders, General Shaw Clifton announced in November 2007 that the rank of Lieutenant would be re-instated on March 1, 2008. All cadets will now be commissioned as Lieutenants for a period of five years. The rank of Cadet-Lieutenant will be discontinued on that same date. Interestingly, no cadets in any Territory at the time of this decision were consulted in regards to this decision.All officers serving as Lieutenants in the UK territory now receive the rank "Territorial Envoy" (as opposed to "divisional envoy"). Territorial Envoys are soldiers who wish to work as non-commissioned Officers for a limited time, usually three years. This replaced the rank of Envoy and Auxiliary-Captain. Other territories have made other 'ranks' to reflect this status such as Feldsergeant in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; Sergeant-major in the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
; Envoy in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Corpsenvoy in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
See also
- 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....
- High Council of The Salvation ArmyHigh Council of The Salvation ArmyThe 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...
- Soldier of The Salvation Army