The Salvation Army – Part III: Structure and symbols

The Salvation Army started out by William Booth in 1865 as The Christian Mission. It became The Salvation Army in 1887. Booth appointed himself the general of The Salvation Army, and his wife, Catherine, was named ‘Mother of the Salvation Army’.

Ministers were given military officer ranks in keeping with their duties and experience, and church members were called soldiers. The rationale for this military-like stratification was a reminder that, as Christians, believers were on a permanent mission to change the unconverted. Converts became soldiers of Christ and were known then, as now, as Salvationists.

The Salvation Army is a global Christian organisation with hierarchical structures: international, territorial, divisional and local. These structures enable The Salvation Army to provide effective leadership, support, and services to communities worldwide.

The international structure is at the very top of the hierarchy. The general, elected by the High Council, is the international leader of The Salvation Army. The High Council is a group of senior Salvation Army officers who provide international leadership. The general works out of the international headquarters in London, which serves as the global administrative centre. The current general is Lyndon Buckingham.

At headquarters there are five departments: the General’s Office, comprising the Office of the General, the Office of the Chief of the Staff, the Office of the World President of Women’s Ministries and the Office of the World Secretary for Spiritual Life Development; Administration; Business Administration; Programme Resources; and the Zonal Office. Each department has a head of department, who reports to the chief of the staff, who, in turn reports to the general.

The Zonal Office has five teams that work directly with the five zonal offices from Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean, Europe, South Asia, and the South Pacific and East Asia. Each zone is led by two international secretaries.

In each zone there are territories. A territory may consist of just one, or more than one country, or a geographical region in a country. Jamaica is situated in the ‘Caribbean Territory’. The territorial commander is the senior officer responsible for leading a territory, and the territorial headquarters serve as the administrative centre for a territory. The territorial headquarters for the Caribbean is located at 3 Waterloo Road in St Andrew, Jamaica.

A division, led by the divisional commander, is a smaller geographic area within a territory. A corps is a local Salvation Army church or community centre, which is led by a corps officer, the spiritual leader. Local officers, such as lieutenants and captains, assist the corps officer in leading the corps.

In The Salvation Army, officers are ministers of religion, who “operate under a covenant of sacred calling”.They are not employed on contract, but are appointed to their roles by the Officers Appointments Board. They cannot apply for a job, but may be placed in “roles that best suit their skillset and spiritual gifts”.

REFLECTS MILITARY MODEL

As in the army, they may be ranked as lieutenant, captain, major, lieutenant-colonel, colonel, commissioner and general. The style of their uniform epaulettes expresses their ranks.

“The Salvation Army uniform reflects the military model upon which the Army is organised. Internally it provides a sense of identity and belonging. Externally, it is a widely recognised symbol of availability and service, so we’ve easily identified the world over,” The Salvation Army says.

The uniform has its origins in 19th-century London, it is said, and that the first captain of The Salvation Army, who was a chimney sweep named Elijah Cadman, instigated the wearing of the military-style uniforms. The military-type uniform worn today is far different from the original uniform.

Another well-recognised symbol is the red shield, which its origins in the early 20th century. The idea came about when an Australian Salvationist, Major George Carpenter, thought that the original silver shield worn by salvationists in times of war was too dangerous because it could be easily seen in the dark. The silver shield was then replaced by the red shield.

The crest is the least recognisable symbol. It was designed by English Salvation Army Captain William Ebdonin 1878. The only adjustment to his original design was the addition of the crown. ‘Blood and Fire’ is the motto of The Salvation Army. “This describes the blood of Jesus shed on the cross to save all people and the fire of the Holy Spirit which purifies believers,” The Salvation Army said.

The Salvation Army flag is a symbol of the Army’s war against sin and social evil. The first Salvation Army flag was designed and presented to the Coventry Corps in England by Catherine Booth in 1878. At the time the centre of the flag was a yellow sun representing the ‘Light of Life’. This was changed to the star in 1882.The red of the flag represents the blood of Christ, the blue border stands for purity, and the yellow star in the centre signifies the fire of the Holy Spirit.