Salvation Army General Prepares to Step Down; High Council to Elect New General

By Jennifer Riley, Christian Post Reporter Monday, January 23, 2006

The international leaders of The Salvation Army gathered in London for the 2006 High Council and to salute the service of General John Larsson and Commissioner Freda Larsson.

The Larssons convened at the Methodist Central Hall Westminster Central Hall, London on Saturday along with Chief of the Staff Commissioner Israel L. Gaither, Commissioner Eva D. Gaither, and Salvation Army leaders for the General’s farewell meeting and to welcome the High Council.

During the gathering, members praised through music, gave testimonies, prayed, and studied the Word.

Israel Gaither gave a tribute to the lasting impression the Larssons made on The Salvation Army, while Eva Gaither said both the General and the Commissioner “are proof that God always provides the right man and the right woman at the right time.”

John Larsson, who will retire on Apr. 1, gave his personal testimony, stating that all it took for him to be there was to say “yes” to God.

“It all started,” Larsson said, “when, as a young man, I decided to say ‘yes’ to God and to say ‘yes’ to life – and to go on saying ‘yes.’ And it is imperative that The Salvation Army - as one body and as individual members - goes on saying ‘yes’ to God and ‘yes’ to the sacred task He has called us to carry out.”

The High Council is made of active commissioners and all territorial commanders that convene to elect the next general. The members are summoned precisely four months before the date of a general’s retirement from office and meetings are traditionally held at Sunbury Court, near London. On Dec. 1, 2005, the summons went out electronically to 102 leaders.

The General concluded with a challenge to those present.

“Don’t forget about aggressive Christianity. Don’t forget about going for souls and going for the worst. Don’t forget about being a radical force for good, standing up against what is wrong. Don’t trust in the Army’s good name. Don’t trust in pounds or dollars,” reminded Larsson.

"The Salvation Army,” he said, “must never turn back, whatever it may cost. We’re called to love and serve the lost. More than not turning back from being what God called us to be, we must press on. In the words of Paul, ‘press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenwards in Christ Jesus.’”