Officer of The Salvation Army

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The Salvation Army

Background
Christianity · Protestantism · Pietism · Anglicanism · Arminianism · Calvinism · Methodism · Holiness movement

Organization
General · Chief of the Staff · High Council · Officer · Soldier · Corps

Persons
William Booth · Catherine Booth · Bramwell Booth · Evangeline Booth · Ballington Booth · Catherine Bramwell-Booth · Emma Churchill · Ray Steadman-Allen · John Gowans · John Larsson · Shaw Clifton

Other
Promoted to Glory · Salvation Army Band · International Staff Band · Order of the Founder · Limelight Department · Christmas kettle · War Cry

Related organizations
Volunteers of America · Skeleton Army · The Blind Beggar

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An officer of The Salvation Army is a Salvationist who is a minister of the Christian denomination, having been trained and commissioned to service and leadership and given a quasi-military rank.

While attending a College for Officer Training, which is equivalent to a seminary, the trainees or students are called cadets. The length of training is normally two years, but a special dispensation may allow cadets to be commissioned after one year based on prior experience or training. Once initial training is complete, the cadets are commissioned. The commissioning ceremony has some similarities to an ordination. At the commissioning, they are promoted to the rank of captain and given their marching orders (assignments to various posts).

Until 2000, cadets were commissioned as lieutenants. The rank of lieutenant is now given to those individuals who are employed with The Salvation Army in a ministry position, but are noncommissioned officers.

Officers can be posted at a corps as a corps officer, which is equivalent to a minister of a church, with responsibility to win the district to Jesus by repentance and faith, but not all officers are corps officers. A majority of officers are assigned to other jobs within The Salvation Army, such as at Headquarters, the Training College, Trade (a supply store), et cetera.

The uniform of an officer has red patches on the shoulders of the tunic (or coat) with metal emblems to designate rank, e.g., stars for captains and crests for majors.

Usually, officers are given new marching orders every two to five years and reassigned to different posts, sometimes moving great distances.

After 15 years service, a captain is promoted to the rank of major. When an officer is promoted above major, such as lieutenant-colonel, colonel, commissioner, et cetera, it is called a 'special assignment.' Most officers retire as a major, unless they are promoted to a special assignment.

Chief of the Staff is not formally a rank, but a position held by a commissioner. As of October 1, 1997, the spouse of the General holds a rank in his or her own right and receives the rank of 'Commissioner.'

[edit] Rank system of The Salvation Army

BOLD indicates a current rank.

Rank - Adopted - Current Status
  • General - 1878 - active
  • Commissioner - 1880 - active
  • Lieutenant-Commissioner - 1920 - discontinued 1973
  • Colonel - 1880 - active
  • Lieutenant-Colonel - active
  • Brigadier - 1889 - discontinued 1973
  • Senior-Major - 1948 - discontinued 1959
  • Major - 1879 - active
  • Staff-Captain - 1881 - discontinued 1931
  • Field-Major - 1921 - discontinued 1931
  • Commandant - 1916 - discontinued 1931
  • Adjutant - 1888 - discontinued 1948
  • Ensign - 1888 - discontinued 1931
  • Senior-Captain - 1948 - discontinued 1959
  • Captain - 1877 - active
  • Lieutenant - 1879 - discontinued 2001 (but see below) Reinstated 2008
  • First Lieutenant - 1948 - discontinued 1959
  • Second Lieutenant - 1948 - discontinued 1959
  • Probationary Lieutenant - 1917 - discontinued 1973
  • Cadet-Lieutenant - 2001 - reintroduced to distinguish a Cadet who has served as a Lieutenant for three years (see below).
  • Cadet - 1880 - active

After a lengthy discussion with other Salvation Army leaders, General Shaw Clifton announced in November 2007 that the rank of Lieutenant would be re-instated on March 1, 2008. All cadets will now be commissioned as Lieutenants for a period of five years. The rank of Cadet-Lieutenant will be discontinued on that same date.

All officers serving as Lieutenants in the UK territory now receive the rank "Territorial Envoy" (as opposed to "divisional envoy") Territorial Envoys are soldiers who wish to work as non-commissioned Officers for a limited time, usually three years. This replaced the rank of Envoy and Auxiliary-Captain. Other territories has made other 'ranks' or options like Germany; feldsergeant, Ukraine; Sergeant-major, Russia; Envoy etc.

[edit] See also