Frederick Coutts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids General Frederick Coutts CBE
8th General of The Salvation Army
In office 23 November 1963 – 21 September 1969
Preceded by	Wilfred Kitching
Succeeded by	Erik Wickberg
Personal details
Born	(1899-09-21)September 21, 1899 Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Died	6 February 1986(1986-02-06) (aged 86) London, England

Frederick Coutts (born September 21, 1899, died February 6, 1986) was a very important leader in The Salvation Army. He was the 8th General of this worldwide Christian organization from 1963 to 1969. He was also honored with the CBE.

Frederick Coutts's Life Story

Frederick Coutts was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, in 1899. His parents were both officers in The Salvation Army. This meant they dedicated their lives to serving the organization.

In 1920, Frederick became an Officer of The Salvation Army himself. He started his service from the Batley corps in England. For the next few years, from 1921 to 1925, he worked in different areas of the British Territory.

Early Career and Marriage

In 1925, Frederick became a Corps Officer in the British Territory. A Corps Officer is like the leader of a local Salvation Army church. He held this position for ten years.

In the same year, 1925, he married his first wife, Lieutenant Bessie Lee. She was also a Salvation Army officer.

Working at International Headquarters

In 1935, Frederick moved to the International Headquarters. This is the main office for The Salvation Army worldwide. He worked there for 18 years in the Literary Department.

In this department, he wrote "International Company Orders" from 1935 to 1946. These were important instructions for officers around the world. From 1947 to 1953, he was the editor of "The Officers’ Review," a magazine for officers.

He also worked as an assistant to the Literary Secretary. In 1952, he became the Literary Secretary himself for one year.

Training and Leadership Roles

In 1953, Frederick took on a new role. He became the Training Principal at the International Training College. This college trains new Salvation Army officers. He worked there for four years.

After that, in 1957, he became the Australia Eastern Territorial Commander. This meant he was in charge of all Salvation Army work in eastern Australia. He served in this important role for six years.

Family and Retirement

Frederick Coutts's first wife, Bessie Lee, passed away in 1967. She had studied at Manchester University and was a dedicated Salvation Army officer.

In 1970, General Coutts married his second wife, Commissioner Olive Gatrall.

General Coutts retired from his leadership role on September 20, 1969. This was just one day before his 70th birthday. He lived to be 86 years old and passed away on February 6, 1986. He is buried in New Camberwell Cemetery in London.

Special Recognitions

Frederick Coutts received several important honors during his life:

• In December 1963, he was chosen by the High Council of The Salvation Army to be the General of The Salvation Army. This is the highest leadership position.
• While he was General, he received an honorary Doctorate of Letters in 1966. This special degree was given to him by Chung-Ang University in Seoul, South Korea.
• He received the Order of Cultural Merit, Korea in 1967.
• He was also honored with the Order of the British Empire in 1967.
• In 1981, he received another honorary degree, a Doctorate of Divinity, from the University of Aberdeen.

Books He Wrote

Frederick Coutts was also a talented writer. He wrote many books, including:

• The Timeless Prophets (1944)
• Portrait of a Salvationist (1955)
• The Call to Holiness (1957)
• Essentials of Christian Experience (1969)
• The Better Fight (1973)
• No Discharge in this War (1975)
• No Continuing City (1976)
• Bread for my Neighbour (1978)
• In Good Company (1980)
• The Splendour of Holiness (1983)
• The Weapons of Goodwill (1986)

Some parts of his writings were also put into a book called Through the Year with Frederick Coutts. This book, published in 1987, offers daily readings from his works.