FOR the first time in its 82-year history The Salvation Army’s High Council will have more female members than males.
The 17th High Council convenes on Friday 21 January 2011 at Sunbury Court, United Kingdom, to elect the 19th General of The Salvation Army in succession to General Shaw Clifton who will retire at midnight on 1 April 2011. This will also be the largest-ever High Council with 109 members – 59 women and 50 men.
The Chief of the Staff, Commissioner Barry C. Swanson, issued summonses on 1 December 2010 to those Salvation Army leaders who qualified for membership. All active commissioners, territorial commanders and territorial presidents for women’s ministries were summoned. There will be 83 commissioners and 26 colonels present.
Council members will also meet at Sunbury Court from Tuesday 18 January until Thursday 20 January for a plenary session of the General’s Consultative Council led by General Clifton.
A public welcome to the High Council takes place on Saturday 22 January at 4 pm in the Nine Kings Suite of the Lancaster London Hotel, Hyde Park. This gathering will incorporate a Retirement Salute to General Shaw Clifton and Commissioner Helen Clifton.
PLEASE SHARE A COMMENT INDICATING YOUR CHOICE FOR GENERAL...
4 comments:
Equal Opportunities at last the Army have come into the 21st Century, well done!!!
We love the dear old Army and we ever will be true.
To Christ our loving saviour and the yellow, red and blue.
Our footsteps shall not falter, nor shall our pace be slow.
There's nothing like our Army where so ever you may go!
Blessings
Tracey
Former UK
It's hardly 'equal opportunities', because that encompasses far more than just gender. Just think about the average age of the High Council members, and ask where the younger people are.
Truth is that there is no chance of anyone becoming General who has served less than thirty years or more, and preference is always given to those who have served the system faithfully for many years.
The world does not work like that, but the Army is stuck with a gerentocracy (leadership by the old people), and this does need to end.
I had the privilege of knowing John Gowans in his 'prime', and he would have transformed the SA had he been General twenty years before he was actually elected. By that time, John, by his own admission, was very weary, and the same thing happens with the election of every elderly General.
In the UK, our Prime Minister is in his early forties, other political leaders are even younger. In the US, Barack Obama is a similar age. Fact is that were these people Army officers, they would not even be allowed to be in charge of a Division!
Time for the Army to skip a generation, but it won't happen at this High Conclave.
;)
Terry
Former UK, now Methodist Superintendent
Terry, right on target ! How about an article on this very timely subject- I'm told a number of high ranking SA leaders are finally reading our blog...
To be honest, Sven, I don't know enough about the SA today to write an informed article, but I guess things haven't changed much since I was an officer. In the UK, 'promotions' are rarely based on ability or gifts, but rather on years served and 'who you know'. It has always been thus.
I wonder how many DCs in the UK have less than twenty five years service? My guess is precisely none.
I realise that other churches have a similar way of doing things, but the Roman Catholic Church is hardly a good model. Our High Council is based on their Conclave, where the elder statesmen of the church gather every so often to choose one of their number to be Pope, sorry General! It is a self-perpetuating gerentocracy, and is hardly Christian.
It would be wonderful if this High Council were to recognise the gifts of someone other than one of their number, but I wouldn't bet on it!
;)
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