An officer in The Salvation Army is a Salvationist who is an ordained minister of the Christian faith, but who fulfills many other roles not usually filled by clergy of other denominations. They do so having been trained, ordained and commissioned to serve and lead and given a title which uses the terms of typical military rank.[1]
Candidacy and training
When applying to become a Salvation Army officer, strict acceptance guidelines must be adhered to before training can commence. Each Salvation Army territory will have similar conditions that applicants must fulfill prior to entry and include the following, they must:
Believe they are called by God to full-time ministry, specifically officership.
Receive a recommendation from the commanding officer of that corps.
Be endorsed by the Salvation Army Divisional Candidates' Board.
Receive satisfactory references from their families, friends, and peers.
Attend an assessment conference weekend which includes a number of in-depth interviews with various assessors.
Be accepted for training by the Territorial Candidates' Board, and territorial commander.[2][1]
While attending a college for officer training, the training participants are referred to as "cadets". The length of training is normally twenty-two months, but a special dispensation may allow cadets to be commissioned after a shorter period, based on prior experience or training. Once this training is complete, the cadets are commissioned.
Officer training centres are located around the world.
Commissioning sees the cadets promoted to the rank of lieutenant and formalizes the cadets' first posting (commonly referred to as "marching orders"). These orders can send the new lieutenants anywhere in the territory, and sometimes even see them posted to other territories that could involve overseas service.
Officers have the opportunity to serve within the Salvation Army in many different capacities, and may be posted at a corps, divisional or territorial headquarters, the training college, supplies & purchasing, a recovery and rehabilitation centre, as a chaplain in courts (cancelled in Australia 2020), hospital chaplaincy (cancelled in Australia 2020), prison chaplaincy, Salvation Army 24hr help line (Cancelled in Australia), Missing Person Bureau (Cancelled in Australia), a street level outreach centre, a new corps (a church known as an "outpost" or "plant"), or any number of other need specific ministries or administrative functions.
Officers are regularly posted, officers are given "farewell orders" every two to five years and they are reassigned to different posts.
The rank structure and uniform
Officers hold ranks throughout their service and into retirement, and their rank is reflected in their uniform. The uniform of an officer is much like that of a soldier and, like a soldier's, is defined by the region in which the person is serving. The consistent difference between the two uniforms is that the officer's uniform has red epaulettes, while a soldier's epaulettes are black or blue. Officers' epaulettes feature the Salvation "S" in silver, as well as another insignia to designate rank. These insignias may be sewn into the epaulette, or be separate metal pins attached to the epaulettes. Officers in all countries hold no legal or lawful commission as an Officer of any Government organisations; except that of being a public Minister of Religion.
Crest with laurel leaves above bar with another bar above the "S", upon burgundy epaulet
Colonel
1880
Active
Reserved for territorial and international leaders
Crest above bar with another bar above the "S" upon a red epaulet
Lieutenant-colonel
Active
Appointed to Salvation Army officers on merit by the General
Crest above bar upon red epaulets
Brigadier
1880
Discontinued
Formerly used to signify 35 years of service. Discontinued in the 1970s, although still used by anyone who earned the rank before its termination.
Two stars and a Crest upon a red epaulet
Major
1879
Active
After 15 years of exemplary service, the officer is eligible to be promoted to the rank of major
Crest upon red epaulet
Captain
1877
Active
After five years of exemplary service, the officer is eligible to be promoted to the rank of captain
Two stars upon red epaulet
Auxiliary Captain
Active
Serve as officers but are beyond the minimum age for training. Auxiliary Captains never hold the ranks of Lieutenant and Cadet, and they may be promoted to Captain after five years. This rank is used in certain territories only, most notably the Southern Territory of the USA.[5]
Blank red epaulet
Lieutenant
1879
Discontinued (2001) reinstated (2008)
Following successful term at college for officer training, the cadet is commissioned with the rank of lieutenant
One star upon red epaulet
Cadet-Lieutenant
Active
This rank is rare; it is given to a cadet who is sent into the field as an officer before graduating training.
Two red bars (upon blue epaulet / UK - on black epaulettes)[6]
2nd Year Cadet
1880
Active
A Salvation Army soldier who is undertaking training to become an officer at a Salvation Army college for officer training
Two (second year) red bars (upon blue epaulet / UK - upon black epaulet)
1st Year Cadet
1880
Active
A Salvation Army soldier who is undertaking training to become an officer at a Salvation Army college for officer training
One red bar (upon blue epaulet / UK - upon black epaulet)
Varies
Envoy/Auxiliary-Lieutenant
Active
A non-commissioned officer who works for the Salvation Army in a ministry position
Varies by territory
Sergeant
Active
A non-commissioned officer who works for the Salvation Army in a ministry position in the USA Southern territory
Three white chevrons upon a blue epaulet
Candidate
Active
A person undergoing assessment for Salvation Army officership or envoyship
Candidate's pin worn on the left side of the tunic above the heart
Other notable non-officers ranks (in no particular order):[7]
Epaulet
Rank
Description
Insignia / epaulettes
Corps Sergeant Major
The lead local officer position, somewhat similar to a chief deacon or elder
Blue Epaulette
Young People Sergeant Major
Young People’s Sergeant Major – responsible for the youth programs of the corps
Blue Epaulette
Bandmaster
In charge of the corps band
Blue epaulette with two white bars
Songster Leader
In charge of the corps songsters
Blue epaulette with two yellow bars (varies by territory)
Training college rank - after two years, the cadet is promoted to lieutenant.
Lieutenant
5 years
Typically reserved for corps officers, low-level headquarters staff, or regional/area commanders
Captain
10 years
Major
Until retirement or promotion
Lieutenant Colonel
By appointment only
Typically reserved for divisional leaders and territorial headquarter staff
Colonel
Commissioner
Typically reserved for territorial commanders
General
By election only
Reserved for the head of the Salvation Army
Amendments to envoy and lieutenant rank
After a lengthy discussion with other Salvation Army leaders, General Shaw Clifton announced in November 2007 that the rank of lieutenant would be reinstated on March 1, 2008. All cadets are now commissioned as lieutenants for a period of five years. The rank of cadet-lieutenant was discontinued on the same date, but was reinstated in the USA Southern territory in June 2014.[8]
All officers serving as lieutenants in the UK Territory now receive the rank of 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 have made other ranks to reflect this status such as feldsergeant in Germany; sergeant-major' in Ukraine; envoy in Russia and corpsenvoy in the Netherlands. In US Central they are simply envoys and in the US Southern territory they are sergeants.
Corporate officers
In some jurisdictions officials may also have legal status as the officers of corporations associated with Salvation Army organizations. For example in the United States,[9]
The national commander is the chairperson of the board of all Salvation Army corporations in the United States of America; the territorial commander is the president and chief executive officer and the territorial chief secretary is the vice president of all Salvation Army corporations in each territory. The board of trustees/directors of each corporation has the responsibility of management.
— Manual of Advisory Organizations and Articles of Organization (2015 revision)
Notes
^Many officers won't go through all ranks; most officers will only hold the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain, and Major.
^Cadet through Major ranks in The Salvation Army are earned by time served, not by any particular action. Most officers retire at the rank of major, while others are appointed to higher ranks. Officers retain the rank at which they retire until their promotion to glory (death).
