The rank of Commissioner in

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...

is the second highest rank attainable by

Officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

in the organisation, and many of the Army's Territorial Commanders and even the Chief of the Staff hold this rank (the highest rank in The Salvation Army, the rank of

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

, is by election). The rank of Commissioner has been an active rank since 1880, and is one of the original ranks created by General

William Booth William Booth (10 April 182920 August 1912) was an English Methodist preacher who, along with his wife, Catherine, founded the Salvation Army and became its first " General" (1878–1912). His 1890 book In Darkest England and The Way Out o ...

, the first appointed Commissioner being

George Scott Railton George Scott Railton (6 July 1849 – 19 July 1913) was a Scottish-born Christian missioner who was the first Commissioner in The Salvation Army, Commissioner of The Salvation Army.Railton on the Salvation Army International Heritage Centre ...

Purpose

Commissioners are given the rank for a number of reasons, being given command of a Territory being the most common. Other reasons may include appointments to International Headquarters Secretarial positions or other top roles and less commonly other high-responsibility positions throughout the world. All active Commissioners are called upon to take part in The Salvation Army High CouncilHow a High Council Works
/ref> in which a new General is elected upon the pending retirement or removal of the previous General. Notably, the only time a General has been forcibly removed from office was at the first High Council in 1929 when

Bramwell Booth William Bramwell Booth, CH (8 March 1856 – 16 June 1929) was a Salvation Army officer, Christian and British charity worker who was the first Chief of Staff (1881–1912) and the second General of The Salvation Army (1912–1929), succeedin ...

was deposed. In 1984, spouses of Commissioners, who previously were not promoted to that rank when their partners were, were given the rank in their own right, effectively increasing the amount of Commissioners by two-thirds.

Notable Commissioners

* Theodore Kitching *

* Frederick Booth-Tucker * Arthur Booth-Clibborn *

Charles Jeffries Commissioner Charles Henry Jeffries (1864 – 1 February 1936) was a British pioneer Salvationist and notable convert, after he left the Skeleton Army and attained the third highest rank possible as an Officer in The Salvation Army. 'Skelet ...

* Elijah Cadman *

Israel Gaither On May 12, 2006, at the age of 61, Commissioner Israel L. Gaither was formally installed as the National Commander of The Salvation Army in the United States,Samuel Logan Brengle Samuel Logan Brengle (1 June 1860 – 19 May 1936) was a Commissioner in The Salvation Army and a leading author, teacher and preacher on the doctrine of Holiness. His books include ''The Soul Winner's Secret, Helps to Holiness'' and ''Heart ...

Catherine Bramwell-Booth Commissioner Catherine Bramwell-Booth , born Catherine Booth Booth (20 July 1883 – 3 October 1987), Salvation Army officer, was one of seven children born to General Bramwell Booth and Florence Eleanor Soper, and was the granddaughter of the S ...

* T. Henry Howard * John Lawley *

William Ridsdel Commissioner William Ridsdel (20 September 1844 – 8 February 1931 in Clapton) was a Commissioner in The Salvation Army, the second highest rank attainable by Officers in the organisation, and the highest 'appointed' rank. An early Salvati ...

Helen Clifton Helen Clifton (née Ashman) (4 May 1948 – 14 June 2011) was a British Salvation Army Commissioner. She spent her childhood in London, connected to the Edmonton Corps of The Salvation Army. She was a teacher before entering the International Trai ...

Barry Swanson Commissioner Barry C. Swanson (born April 4, 1950) is an American Salvation Army Officer who was commissioned as an Officer in The Salvation Army on June 11, 1978 and who was the 23rd Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army under Salvation Arm ...

* William A. Roberts *

Walter Stanley Cottrill Commissioner Walter Stanley Cottrill (14 October 1914 – 28 July 2005) was the 15th Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in Lon ...

Anna Hannevik Anna Hannevik (born 9 August 1925) is a Norwegian Salvation Army Commissioner. She was born in Datong, China, to missionaries Ingvald Andreas Hannevik and May Thompson. She held various positions in the Army in Norway, England and Ireland. ...

* Harry Read

References

{{reflist The Salvation Army

Purpose

Notable Commissioners

See also

References