New Salvation Army World Leader has Tisdale Connection

by jmifsud
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    Linda Bond, who formerly served in Tisdale, was recently selected as the Salvation Army’s new world leader and its 19th General. Here, she acknowledges the congratulations of the 2011 High Council. (Photo by Paul Harmer)

    The following is a section of an article that was published in The Tisdale Recorder.

    Tisdale, SK February 16, 2011 – Earlier this month it was announced that the Salvation Army’s new world leader and the 19th General will be no other than Canadian Commissioner Linda Bond, who, as it so happens, has a connection to Tisdale.

    Bond served in Tisdale from 1974 to 1976 at the Tisdale Salvation Army. She will be the third woman and the fourth Canadian to hold the post of General of The Salvation Army since the international church and charity organization was founded 146 years ago and will take up her new post in April.

    Once in post as General of The Salvation Army, the commissioner will become the head of more than one million Salvationists in 123 countries. The Salvation Army also has more than 100,000 employees who, between them, communicate in 175 different languages.

    Commissioner Bond comes to the role of General of The Salvation Army with 42 years’ experience of Christian ministry and leadership. Since 2008, Commissioner Bond has headed up The Salvation Army’s work across Eastern Australia, a huge territory with its headquarters in Sydney. This includes the recently devastated state of Queensland where The Salvation Army continues to be heavily involved in assisting victims of widespread flooding.

    Prior to this, the commissioner worked at Salvation Army International Headquarters (IHQ) in London, as the Secretary for Spiritual Life Development and International External Relations. This was her second spell at IHQ where she had previously served as Under Secretary for Personnel in the mid-1990s.

    As a Salvation Army officer (ordained minister of religion and leader), Commissioner Bond has served in local corps (church) ministry, on the staff of Salvation Army national and regional (divisional) headquarters and as part of the training staff for new officers in her home territory of Canada and Bermuda. During those years she also served as a divisional and subsequently, a leader of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda.

    The announcement of the new General of The Salvation Army was broadcast live on the worldwide web. Speaking just after her election Commissioner Bond said: ‘I love the Lord Jesus Christ and pledge my utmost obedience to him. I am absolutely committed to a life of praise and thanksgiving to God. We, the Salvation Army, need to be an Army of praise and thanksgiving to God and we must place our trust in God. We need his Holy Spirit to come mightily on The Salvation Army.’

    During the past five years under the leadership of General Shaw Clifton, the work of The Salvation Army has expanded into 12 new countries. The Salvation Army is now in 123 countries… Increasing the role of women in Salvation Army leadership has been of special concern to General Clifton and he has appointed many more women to senior leadership positions around the world than has occurred previously.

    The Salvation Army is an international Christian church and registered charity and is one of the largest providers of social welfare in the world. The General directs Salvation Army operations throughout the world via International Headquarters in the City of London.

    The Tisdale Recorder: www.glaciermedia.ca/advertisers/local-newspapers/tisdale-recorder-and-parkland-review