Canadian Brian Peddle was elected by a High Council of The Salvation Army to be the next General of The Salvation Army
Canadian Brian Peddle has been elected the 21st General of The Salvation Army. He will lead the international church and charity, which today operates in communities across the UK and in 127 other countries across the world.
Commissioner Brian Peddle was elected by a High Council of The Salvation Army, which is made up of senior leaders from around the world who met this week in West London.
Once in post, the Commissioner will become the spiritual leader of more than one million Salvationists, as well as give international voice and vision to countless programs and services provided throughout the world. The Salvation Army also has more than 100,000 employees who between them communicate in 175 different languages. The movement was most recently involved in relief work after the hurricanes in Southern USA, the Grenfell Tower fire in London and the earthquake in Nepal.
The Commissioner will have the title General-elect until he succeeds the current world leader General André Cox who retires at midnight on 2 August 2018. Commissioner Peddle comes into his new appointment from a role as Chief of Staff for The Salvation Army’s international headquarters, which is based in central London. In 2009 Commissioner Peddle held the role as Chief Secretary in the UK and Ireland, and moved on to lead as the Territorial Commander in Canada and Bermuda in 2011.
Following the announcement yesterday evening (Thursday 24 May), Commissioner Peddle –alongside his wife Rosalie – gave a short speech, in which he said: “We are overwhelmed to say the least, but we are deeply honoured and feeling somewhat unworthy of this momentous task that’s now before us. We feel very much that we already love the international army and it will not be difficult for us to embrace our diversity and our many countries and peoples around the world.”
Commissioner Peddle thanked General André and Commissioner Silvia Cox for their leadership and legacy, and he prayed for The Salvation Army internationally to move from strength to strength.
