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GLOSSARY OF SALVATION ARMY TERMS
INDEX
Adherent | Articles
of War | Auxiliary Captain | Brigade
| Cadet | Corps | Corps
Secretary | Corps Sergeant Major | Corps
Treasurer | Home League | Home
League Secretary | Local Officer | Officer
| Outpost | Rank | Recruiting
Sergeant | Salvationist | Soldier
| Young Peoples Sergeant Major
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Adherent
-
A person who is not a member of another religious body who
has declared that The Salvation Army is their "church home". This form
of membership does not require the same level of commitment as that required
of soldiers.
INDEX
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Articles
of War
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A document which contains the eleven cardinal Doctrines
of The Salvation Army and a statement of belief and commitment which is
signed by all Salvation Army Soldiers.
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Brigade
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A team of soldiers or cadets who organize for some specific
purpose, often as an evangelistic team or a visitation team. The cadets
at The Salvation Army College for Officer Training are organized into brigades
to complete their field training assignments. Each Brigade
works together to develop an effective team ministry which usually includes
music, drama, story-telling and other methods of evangelism and service.
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Corps
-
The basic unit of The Salvation Army, it corresponds to a
local congregation or a single church in other Christian denominations.
The corps refers primarily to the people of the congregation but
is also used to refer to the building(s) where they meet. There are three
Corps in Stanislaus County: Modesto Citadel Corps,
Modesto Red Shield Corps, and the Turlock Corps.
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Home League
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A worldwide organization composed of women at least 16 years
of age. The Home League's fourfold
aim (Worship, Education, Fellowship, Service) motivates each weekly meeting.
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Local Officer
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Soldiers may be appointed to a variety
of positions of service within the Corps. They are
then commissioned as Local Officers, usually with the rank
of sergeant. These lay leaders are essential to the effective operation
of the Corps.
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Officer
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A Salvation Army officer is comparable to a minister or priest
in other Christian denominations. Officers complete a course of training
at one of The Salvation Army's Colleges for Officer Training, after which
they are ordained as ministers and commissioned with the rank
of lieutenant.
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Outpost
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This term designates Salvation Army operations in a community
where a Corps has not yet been establishd. Typically
an Outpost does not conduct the full range of Salvation
Army meetings. Generally, an Outpost operates for
a limited time until a full Corps program is developed.
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Rank
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The Salvation Army's military form of organization includes
the following officer ranks:
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Lieutenant - the first Rank of an officer
after completing training
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Captain - after five years of satisfactory service and completion
of required continuing education an officer is promoted to the Rank
of Captain
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Major - after fifteen years of service as a Captain (20 years
total service) an officer is promoted to the Rank of
Major; this is the last promotion which is received automatically based
on length of service
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Lieutenant Colonel - officers who are appointed to assignments
of greater responsibility (for example, a Divisional Commander) may be
promoted to the Rank of Lieutenant Colonel
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Colonel - An officer who has served for a number of years
as a Lieutenant Colonel and who has an appointment of unusual responsibility
may be promoted to the Rank of Colonel
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Commissioner - This Rank is most commonly
assigned to officers with the position of Territorial Commander or a department
head at International Headquarters
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General - There is only one General, who is elected by a
High Council composed of all active and retired Commissioners and Territorial
Commanders regardless of rank.
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Local officers (similar to non-commissioned
officers in the U.S. military) are appointed for service at the local Corps
level. Their ranks include:
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Corps Sergeant-Major - this position
is similar to the head lay pastor or head deacon in other Christian churches
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Corps Secretary - a soldier
appointed to this local officer position is
responsible for maintaining all the required membership and attendance
records, and shares responsibility for financial records with the Corps
Treasurer
-
Corps Treasurer - this local
officer is responsible for receiving, recording, disbursing, and reporting
all funds
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Recruiting Sergeant - the local
officer responsible for organizing and leading membership development
and maintenance activities
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Home League Secretary - the lay leader
of the Home League; she is assisted by other
Home League local officers as required
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Young Peoples Sergeant Major - the local
officer responsible for oversight of all Corps
programs for children, assisted by Sunday School teachers and leaders of
other youth programs
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Bandmaster -
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Songster Leader - comparable to the choir director in other
churches
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Quartermaster - this local officer
is responsible for maintenance of all Corps property
and equipment
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Other sergeants may be appointed as needed
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Other (less common) ranks:
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Envoy - a soldier who works full-time
for The Salvation Army in a professional ministry role, usually in charge
of a Corps or as a department head at headquarters
or other large unit; similar to a "Warrant Officer" in the U.S. military
services
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Auxiliary Captain | individuals
who were too old to be accepted into the Colloge for Officer Training at
the time they offered themselves for full-time professional ministry in
The Salvation Army. They are appointed to the same types of assignments
and have all the same authority as other officers. After five years successful
service as an Auxiliary Captain and completion of continuing education
requirements they are eligible to be accepted as a fully commissioned officer
with the Rank of Captain.
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Cadet | a soldier
who has made a commitment to full-time ministry as a Salvation Army officer
holds the Rank of Cadet during their two-year period
of training at The Salvation Army College for Officer Training
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Cadet Sergeant - a cadet who is assigned leadership responsibility
for a brigade of cadets
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Cadet Lieutenant - a cadet who is appointed to service in
the field following their first year of training and completes their second
year of training by correspondence; usually limited to individuals with
extensive prior education and Salvation Army service
Officer ranks no longer in use (retired officers may still
hold some of these ranks):
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Probationary Lieutenant
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Staff Captain
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Senior Captain
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Senior Major
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Brigadier
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Adjutant
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Lieutenant Commissioner
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Salvationist
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A member of The Salvation Army, usually a soldier
or officer, but may sometimes be used when referring
to an adherent of The Salvation Army.
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Soldier
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A member of The Salvation Army who has comitted to a life
of Christian faith and service. The commitment is expressed in the Articles
of War. A person who is at least 14 years of age may become a Soldier.
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Last updated: Thursday, January 22, 1998
© Copyright 1998 - The Salvation Army