Officer (The Salvation Army) facts for kids
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.
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.
- Be active soldiers in their local Salvation Army corps.
- 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.
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.
See also
- Generals of The Salvation Army
- Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army
- High Council of The Salvation Army
- Soldier of The Salvation Army
