General of The Salvation Army facts for kids

Quick facts for kids General of The Salvation Army
Standard of the Salvation Army
Rank insignia of General
Incumbent Lyndon Buckingham since 3 August 2023
The Salvation Army
Style	General
Residence	London, United Kingdom
Appointer	High Council, but must be under 68 years old
Term length	Five years, extendable up to a maximum of seven years
Constituting instrument	The Salvation Army Act 1931 and Salvation Army Act 1980 via the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Formation	2 July 1865
First holder	William Booth
Deputy	Chief of the Staff

The General is the worldwide leader of The Salvation Army. This organization is a Christian denomination that also does a lot of charity and social services. The General is like the main boss, or chief executive officer, of the entire group.

The Salvation Army uses a special system where its ministers are called officers and have ranks, similar to a military. The General is the highest rank. A special group called the High Council of The Salvation Army chooses the General. They serve for five years, but this can be extended to seven years. The Salvation Army believes that God helps the council choose the right person.

Lyndon Buckingham is the current General. He started his role on August 3, 2023, after Brian Peddle retired. The person who started The Salvation Army, William Booth, was the very first General and served the longest. So far, there have been 22 Generals since 1865.

How a General is Chosen

The idea of having a "General" for The Salvation Army started with its founder, William Booth. He was the first General until he passed away in 1912. William Booth wanted to choose his own successor. He picked his son, Bramwell Booth, to take over.

However, a law called the Salvation Army Act 1931 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This law changed things. It said that from then on, the High Council of The Salvation Army must choose each new General. Every General after Bramwell Booth has been chosen this way.

According to the 1931 law, a General must retire when they turn 68 years old. They can serve for up to seven years. The High Council chooses a new General when the old one retires or passes away. William Booth is the only General who died while still in office.

The High Council is made up of important leaders. These include the Chief of the Staff, all active commissioners (except the current General's spouse), and all leaders of different regions (called territorial commanders). The High Council can also remove a General if they don't follow their promises to God or can't do their job. But this has never happened.

The General is the worldwide spiritual leader of The Salvation Army. They are also the main boss, or Chief Executive Officer, of the organization. The General's role is a bit like the Pope's role in the Catholic Church. Because The Salvation Army is organized like a military, the General approves all new assignments and rules.

Women Generals

Three women have been chosen as General of The Salvation Army:

• Evangeline Booth, who was William Booth's daughter, became General in 1934.
• Eva Burrows was elected in 1986.
• Linda Bond was chosen in 2011.

On January 31, 2011, after 10 days of meetings, the 17th High Council chose Linda Bond as the 19th General. She was the third woman and the fourth Canadian to hold this important position. This election was special because more women (57) than men (52) were part of the High Council that year.

Later, on August 3, 2013, Commissioner André Cox was elected as the 20th General. In May 2018, the High Council chose Brian Peddle to replace him, and Peddle started his term in August 2018.

Most recently, on May 26, 2023, the High Council elected Lyndon Buckingham as the new General, taking over from Brian Peddle.

What Happens if the General's Role is Empty?

If the General's position becomes empty because they pass away or resign, the Salvation Army Act 1980 says that the Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army will act as General. This happens until a new General is chosen. The most recent time this happened was in 2013 when Linda Bond retired unexpectedly. Andre Cox then served as acting General for a short time.

Former Generals Still Living

There are four retired Generals who are still alive today:

• Paul Rader
• Linda Bond
• André Cox
• Brian Peddle

The most recent General to pass away was Shaw Clifton on May 29, 2023.

The General's Role in Leadership

The General acts as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for The Salvation Army around the world. However, the organization is very large and is divided into many smaller parts. Other leaders manage these smaller parts. For example, Commissioner Kenneth Hodder is the National Commander for The Salvation Army in the United States. He was appointed by General Peddle.

Generals of The Salvation Army (List)

No.	Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Term of office			Nationality	Chief of the Staff
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		William Booth OBE (1829–1912)	2 July 1865	20 August 1912 †	47 years, 49 days		Bramwell Booth
2		Bramwell Booth CH (1856–1929)	21 August 1912	13 February 1929	16 years, 176 days		T. Henry Howard
							Edward Higgins
3		Edward Higgins (1864–1947)	14 February 1929	11 November 1934	5 years, 270 days		Henry Mapp
4		Evangeline Booth OF (1865–1950)	11 November 1934	1 November 1939	4 years, 355 days
							John McMillan
							Alfred G. Cunningham
5		George Carpenter (1872–1948)	1 November 1939	21 June 1946	6 years, 232 days
							Charles Baugh
6		Albert Orsborn (1886–1967)	21 June 1946	1 July 1954	8 years, 10 days		John Allan
							Edgar Dibden
7		Wilfred Kitching CBE (1893–1977)	1 July 1954	23 November 1963	9 years, 145 days
							William J. Dray
							Norman F. Duggins
							Erik Wickberg
8		Frederick Coutts CBE (1899–1986)	23 November 1963	21 September 1969	5 years, 302 days
9		Erik Wickberg (1904–1996)	21 September 1969	6 July 1974	4 years, 288 days		Arnold Brown
10		Clarence Wiseman OC (1907–1985)	6 July 1974	5 July 1977	2 years, 364 days		Arthur E. Carr
11		Arnold Brown OC (1913–2002)	5 July 1977	14 December 1981	4 years, 162 days		W. Stanley Cottrill
12		Jarl Wahlström (1918–1999)	14 December 1981	9 July 1986	4 years, 207 days
							Caughey Gauntlett
13		Eva Burrows AC (1929–2015)	9 July 1986	9 July 1993	7 years, 0 days
							Ron Cox
							Bramwell Tillsley
14		Bramwell Tillsley (1931–2019)	9 July 1993	18 May 1994	313 days		Earle Maxwell
15		Paul Rader (born 1934)	23 July 1994	23 July 1999	5 years, 0 days
16		John Gowans (1934–2012)	23 July 1999	13 November 2002	3 years, 113 days		John Larsson
17		John Larsson (1938–2022)	13 November 2002	2 April 2006	3 years, 140 days		Israel Gaither
18		Shaw Clifton (1945–2023)	2 April 2006	2 April 2011	5 years, 0 days		Robin Dunster
							Barry Swanson
19		Linda Bond (born 1946)	2 April 2011	13 June 2013	2 years, 72 days
							Andre Cox
20		André Cox (born 1954)	3 August 2013	3 August 2018	5 years, 0 days		William A. Roberts
							Brian Peddle
21		Brian Peddle (born 1957)	3 August 2018	3 August 2023	5 years, 0 days		Lyndon Buckingham
22		Lyndon Buckingham (born 1962)	3 August 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 315 days		Edward Hill

Timeline of Generals

Here is a timeline showing when each General of The Salvation Army served: