23 January 2006

A CAPACITY congregation gathered in the Methodist Central Hall, across the road from the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey in London, to welcome the members of the 2006 High Council and salute the service of General John Larsson and Commissioner Freda Larsson. This was an example of the best kind of Salvation Army meeting – passionate music lifting hearts in praise, inspiring testimonies from experienced Christians telling of God’s grace and provision, people united in fervent prayer for guidance from the Holy Spirit and challenging Bible-based preaching calling everyone to greater commitment to Christ.

An upbeat tone was set from the start as the international leaders of The Salvation Army, General John Larsson and Commissioner Freda Larsson with Chief of the Staff Commissioner Israel L. Gaither and Commissioner Eva D. Gaither, took to the platform and the General welcomed the members of the High Council who marched in to music from the International Staff Band. Commissioners Keith and Pauline Banks were unable to be present because of health concerns but their pictures on the large screen were greeted with warm applause.

General Larsson announced: ‘The eyes of the whole Army world are literally on us as this meeting will be watched on a web cast’ (visit www.salvationist.org/highcouncil). For the first time the General’s farewell meeting was united with the welcome to the High Council. This innovation worked well, enabling participants to give thanks for the past as well as confidently seek a Christ-centred future.

The importance of children and young people was a key theme running through the meeting. Opening prayers were led by a group of Salvation Army young people, some in national costume, representing the children of the world. One prayed: ‘Thank you for the special place the General and Commissioner Freda Larsson have in their hearts for the children and youth of the Army.’

This spirit of sincere, warm affection for the Larssons permeated the meeting with its highpoint being a musical and visual salute created by their two sons. Kevin Larsson (USA Western) conducted massed songsters from Bromley, Cambridge, Norwich, Peterborough, Staines and Stowmarket in a piece he had arranged for the occasion based on his father’s compositions. Synchronised with the music, Karl Larsson (USA Western) created a spectacular video featuring the life and service of General John and Commissioner Freda. With access to the family archives, as well as pictures from every official visit undertaken by the international leaders in the past three and a half years, the video gave an unprecedented insight into their private and public life. Whether enjoying time with family or playing football with children, dancing in worship, enrolling soldiers, commissioning officers, listening to the concerns of some of the poorest people on earth, meeting the Pope or talking to President George W. Bush, the Larssons reflected humility and authentic love for people.

This was reinforced in a joint tribute given by the Chief of the Staff and Commissioner Eva Gaither who spoke of the privilege of working closely with these remarkable leaders. The Chief said: ‘For years to come, the Army’s mission shall reap the benefits of their legacy of service. We have felt safe as, with a calm assurance under the guidance of the Spirit, they have led this massive global movement in the early years of the new century.’ Commissioner Eva Gaither said: ‘General John and Commissioner Freda, you are proof that God always provides the right man and the right woman at the right time.’

Commissioner Larsson responded with heartfelt words of thanks – to family and friends for their example, prayers and support; to The Salvation Army for ‘the opportunity to serve’; to the wonderful international fellowship of Salvationists for their prayers and friendship; and, most of all, to God who ‘has made this all possible’. Commissioner Freda admitted: ‘I am so glad the day came when I said yes to God. I never imagined what the future held – but I am glad I said yes!’

Earlier in the meeting, the Territorial Commander of the United Kingdom with the Republic of Ireland, Commissioner Shaw Clifton, welcomed the High Council members to London saying: ‘The territory is deeply honoured and blessed to be hosting you all on this sacred and historic occasion.’ He emphasised that the High Council was ‘well covered’ in prayer with Salvationists and fellow-Christians mobilised for the task. Commissioner Clifton stated: ‘The main purpose of the High Council is being in prayer together … specifically to wait upon God, sense his divine prompting and obey only his voice.’

Commissioner Hope Mungate (Territiorial President for Womens' Ministries, Nigeria), representing the High Council members, responded to Commissioner Clifton saying: ‘Thank you for your welcome and prayers. The world is at the crossroads not certain of the way to take. God will choose a leader to take us across the river to the land of promise.’

Although the General is elected, there was no hint of electioneering in the proceedings. Speaker after speaker emphasised the sacredness of the task, the importance of prayer and the desire that the High Council members might be ‘as one’ in determining God’s will. The desire to be ‘as one’ was reinforced in a choric Bible reading by High Council members, devised by Commissioner Keith Banks and based on a song written for the High Council by Lieut-Colonel Colin Fairclough. The song prays that God’s perfect will may be done that we might love as one, shine as one, serve as one and live as one. It was sung by the congregation led by the President of the High Council, Commissioner W. Todd Bassett (National Commander, USA).

Retired General John Gowans prayed for the members of the High Council: ‘Thank you, Lord, for the General you are going to give us. We don’t know who it is – man or woman, young or old, white or black – but if it is your person, it is our person and we promise to surround them with our prayers and our love.’

Responding to General Larsson’s charge to High Council members to ‘enter into this sacred task with pure hearts and open minds, looking only for the guidance of the Holy Spirit’ the members affirmed: ‘Our confidence is in God and not in ourselves. It is in this confidence and in humility that we accept our sacred responsibility.’

The ‘go-forward’ spirit of the international Salvation Army was exemplified in brief presentations given by the international secretaries representing the five geographic zones. Commissioner Amos Makina (International Secretary for Africa) spoke of Africa where ‘growth is the watchword’ and where ‘young people are both the backbone of the present Army and its future leaders’. He predicted that 50 per cent of all Salvation Army soldiers will soon live in Africa. Commissioner William Francis (IS, Americas and Caribbean) revealed that The Salvation Army works in every mainland country in the zone except Nicaragua where plans are being made to ‘reopen fire’ next January. ‘In every corner there is vibrant, Kingdom-building work among young people,’ he said. Commissioner Thorleif Gulliksen (IS, Europe) spoke of a challenging mission field in Europe but highlighted good news including more young people attending in the UK, recent openings in Poland and discussions about commencing Salvation Army work in Greece.

Commissioner Lalkiamlova (IS, South Asia) recalled days following the tsunami when the many emails received did not, as he expected, request money but rather reported how Salvationists were responding to the devastation by using whatever resources they had. This, he said, typifies the spirit of the Army in South Asia. Commissioner Makoto Yoshida (IS, South Pacific and East Asia) highlighted the Army’s work in three countries – Myanmar (Burma) where the Army is able to minister with reasonable freedom; mainland China where there have been more than 100 projects and, despite restrictions on evangelistic work, ‘some people have expressed their desire to become Christians’; and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) where the red shield logo is being promoted on yoghurt pots. ‘The really good news,’ he said, ‘is that all over the world God is using every Salvationist to fulfil his great commission.’

General Larsson said his personal testimony was ‘saying yes to God and yes to life’ and this will still be his intention in the future. The General’s message was based on the words of Jesus: ‘No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God' (Luke 9:62 New International Version). Using one of the most powerful Gowans/Larsson songs, ‘I’ll Not Turn Back’, the General challenged individuals never to turn back from being who God wants us to be.

In the presence of all the Army’s senior leaders the General challenged The Salvation Army corporately not to turn back and settle down: ‘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.’

‘The Salvation Army,’ the General 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’ (Philippians 3:14).

The Spirit-filled meeting was soon over, the congregation dispersed and High Council members boarded their coaches bound for Sunbury Court to complete their sacred task of electing the Army’s 18th General. But the words of the final chorus continued to challenge hearts and minds:

• The world for God! The world for God!
  I give my heart! I will do my part!

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