wfn.org | Commissioner Shaw Clifton elected 18th General of The Salvation Army

["APD Schweiz/Switzerland" <APD@stanet.ch>]

January 29, 2006
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland

Commissioner Shaw Clifton elected 18th General of The Salvation Army

London/United Kingdom (APD) The 2006 High Council of the Salvation Army has
chosen Commissioner Shaw Clifton - currently Territorial Commander, United
Kingdom and Ireland - to be the 18th General of this international movement.
This announcement was made on January 28, at The Salvation Army's conference
centre Sunbury Court just outside London.

Commissioner Clifton will become the Salvation Army movement's world leader
on the retirement of General John Larsson at midnight on April 1, General
Larsson's 68th birthday.

The General-elect then spoke words of appreciation for the High Council. "I
want the whole world to know that God has been in our midst. I feel humbly
proud to be succeeding General John Larsson and Commissioner Freda Larsson.
God has blessed their ministry," he said. 

Commissioner Clifton is aged 60. He became an officer from Edmonton Corps,
in the then British Territory, in 1973. He has served in his home territory,
at International Headquarters, in Zimbabwe, the USA, Pakistan (as
Territorial Commander) and New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga (again as Territorial
Commander). He was appointed Territorial Commander, United Kingdom and
Ireland, in June 2004.

The Salvation Army movement, a Christian World Communion, founded in 1865 by
William Booth, has spread from London, England, to 111 countries around the
world. Two thirds of the Salvation Army 3 million members (Christian
soldiers) is to be found in Africa and in India.

 

The Army's doctrine follows the mainstream of Christian belief and its
articles of faith emphasise God's saving purposes. Its objects are "the
advancement of the Christian religion. of education, the relief of poverty,
and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of
mankind as a whole".