International Headquarters

The Salvation Army's International Headquarters is based in London, UK.

International Headquarters (IHQ) exists to support the General as he/she leads The Salvation Army to accomplish its God-given worldwide mission to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name without discrimination.

Contact Us

Most correspondence or requests for help to The Salvation Army should be directed to the appropriate national or regional office: contact The Salvation Army in your country.

For the headquarters of The Salvation Army in the UK, responsible for work in the UK and Ireland specifically, please visit their website.

Location of International Headquarters

Mission of International Headquarters

International Headquarters exists to support the General as he/she leads The Salvation Army to accomplish its God-given worldwide mission to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name without discrimination.

In so doing, it assists the General:

• To give spiritual leadership, promote the development of spiritual life within the Army, and emphasise the Army's reliance on God for the achievement of its mission.
• To provide overall strategic leadership and set international policies.
• To direct and administer the Army's operations and protect its interests - by means of appointments and delegation of authority and responsibility with accountability.
• To empower and support the territories and commands, encourage and pastorally care for their leaders, and inspire local vision and initiatives.
• To strengthen the internationalism of the Army, preserve its unity, purposes, beliefs and spirit, and maintain its standards.
• To promote the development, appropriate deployment and international sharing of personnel.
• To promote the development and sharing of financial resources worldwide, and manage the Army's international funds.
• To promote the development and international sharing of knowledge, expertise and experience.
• To develop the Army's ecumenical and other relationships.

In fulfilling its mission, International Headquarters seeks to achieve the highest standards of promptness, efficiency and service.

History of International Headquarters

International Headquarters as it appeared in the early years of the twentieth century.

The Christian Mission Headquarters, Whitechapel Road, became the Army's first International Headquarters in 1880. However, the Founder soon decided that a move into the City of London would be beneficial and in 1881 IHQ was moved to 101 Queen Victoria Street.

Sixty years after this move the IHQ building was destroyed by fire during the Second World War. The rebuilt headquarters was opened by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in 1963.

In 2001, IHQ took up residence in the William Booth College (the officers' training college in South London) when it was decided to redevelop the site in Queen Victoria Street. The new building was opened by HRH The Princess Royal on 9 November 2004.

The current IHQ building, taking centre stage during the London 2012 torch relay

The current building, designed by architect Andrew Chadwick, is a frugal building. This is best demonstrated by the fact that in selling a 150-year lease on the commercial property constructed on the rest of the site, the new IHQ has been built and equipped at almost no cost to The Salvation Army. The leasehold will even continue to generate funds which will go some way to funding the ongoing work of IHQ.

Transparency is a key element to the design, with the building's outer shell made mainly of glass - decorated with verses from the Bible. Members of the public are invited to enjoy food and mix with staff in Café 101, a friendly area where the human side of The Salvation Army becomes as clear as the building itself. 

Learn more about the International Headquarters building

Departments

• Find out more about the various IHQ departments.