The Salvation Army High Council 2013 - UPDATE

NEW: The newest General has been elected. For insights into the results of the High Council 2013 click here.

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The Salvation Army will convene another High Council very shortly. The information below spells it out for you, but here is some other interesting things about Salvation Army High Council's in the past:

Edward Higgins was elected General during the tumultuous High Council of 1929. He negotiated a change of legislation in 1931 that replaced the former method that William Booth had created to choose a General. Prior to the High Council (where Generals were and are elected by fellow Salvationists, with the rank of Commissioner), the method was one in which William Booth would seal in an envelope the name of the next General. This was seen by many to not be a preferred method of choosing a General to lead The Salvation Army.

Federick L. Coutts was a Scot elected to be General in 1963. He was known as the 'Army's Literary General', as he wrote many Salvation Army books, devotions and articles on topics such as holiness, leadership and spirituality.

In 1986, Eva Burrows, became the General by a slim margin of 24 to 22 votes on the fourth ballot. The Australian was 56 at the time of becoming General and was the youngest elected to the office.

Jesus is Lord! Let's keep that in focus.

Here's an excerpt from the High Council 2013 Facebook Page:

"Chief of the Staff, Commissioner André Cox, has summoned members of the High Council to meet on 29 July 2013 for the purpose of electing the 20th General of The Salvation Army. All leaders who are commissioners on active service or who are territorial commanders or territorial presidents of women’s ministries of whatever rank qualify for membership of the High Council.

This High Council will be t...he largest in the history of The Salvation Army. There will be 118 members – 64 women and 54 men – with an average age of 59. Fifty-four will be attending a High Council for the first time. Twenty-six have appointments in the Americas and Caribbean Zone and 24 in the Africa Zone. The South Pacific and East Asia Zone supplies 21 members, Europe 18 and South Asia 15. Fourteen International Headquarters commissioners complete the total of 118 members.

The High Council will not meet at its usual venue of Sunbury Court in Sunbury-on-Thames, United Kingdom, as this historic venue is presently undergoing a major refurbishment. Instead, it will meet at the Renaissance Hotel, near Heathrow to the west of London. This is not the first time the High Council has convened away from Sunbury Court – in 1934 and 1939 proceedings took place at Clapton, in the East End of London.

The Chief of the Staff will preside over the opening of the High Council until such time as a president and vice-president have been elected. The deliberations of the council will then be directed by the president, preparing the way for nominations for the office of General and the election of the next international leader of The Salvation Army.

International News Releases will be issued from time to time during the course of the High Council and will be available on the International Headquarters website. The announcement of the new General will be webcast so people all around the world will learn the identity of the new General at the same time.

For the latest information go to www.salvationarmy.org/HighCouncil2013

See my previous blog in relation to the retirement of General Linda Bond and who will be the next General of The Salvation Army.

Find more up to date happenings at Major Stephen Court's Blog: Army Barmy.

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