2 November 2024

In good company: How is The Salvation Army structured in the UK and Ireland?

A photo shows people sat around tables in discussion.

Salvationist explains new changes to The Salvation Army’s boards and councils and how they fit together.

In September, several major changes were made to territorial councils, boards and groups to help improve decision-making and empower local mission. These changes continue the territory’s dedication to advancing the Army’s God-given mission in the most effective and prudent manner. They are not just about improving what we do, but the way we do it, without losing sight of why we do it in the first place.

The UK and Ireland Territory has a unique structure, which is overseen by two key groups: SATCo (The Salvation Army Trustee Company) and Cabinet. This broad structure has been in place legally since The Salvation Army Act in 1931 and has evolved since. Today, SATCo is a private company and corporate trustee that oversees a number of charitable trusts, which together account for the Army’s assets in the territory – including property and finances. Cabinet is responsible for the spiritual components of The Salvation Army’s work in this territory, led by the territorial leaders.

These two elements are held together by the UKI Territory’s governance charter, approved by the General. It roots the governance of the territory in its vision of fullness of life for all with Jesus and its mission priorities: to share the good news, to serve others without discrimination, to nurture disciples of Jesus, to care for creation and to seek justice and reconciliation.

People felt there were too many boards and councils – many of them unknown outside THQ – and that the Army’s core purpose was not front and centre when making decisions.

While the legal structure is important to the functioning of the Movement, the Army’s components together form a church, with everything it does intended to positively contribute towards making the world a better place and building God’s Kingdom.

September’s changes are the result of an extensive listening exercise and review of the territory’s councils, boards and groups, continuing the work of the Structure Coordination and Design Project. Feedback from that project described THQ decision-making as too slow and not agile enough, with too many decisions made higher up that were disempowering local mission. It also found that people felt there were too many boards and councils – many of them unknown outside THQ – and that the Army’s core purpose was not front and centre when making decisions.

Building on this review of boards, councils and groups, Assistant Chief Secretary Lieut-Colonel Jane Cowell will soon be leading a pilot to review divisional boards and groups with the same aim of enabling new structures and reporting processes.

In the next 18 months, SATCo will also review the changes being implemented to the territorial boards and councils to ensure a smooth transition and commit to ongoing learning and improvement in how it all works.

A photo shows people sat at a table discussing something.

What’s changed?

To streamline SATCo’s work and ensure that appropriate time is given to strategic planning, two new advisory committees will be set up. These committees will not alter any existing executive function: they will undertake work that is the responsibility of SATCo and allow for greater consideration and scrutiny of matters that are SATCo’s legal obligations. They will have a few senior executives as members, allowing for key employees to have a greater role in strategic planning.

The Finance Committee

What is it?

This new SATCo committee will be responsible for considering the overall financial position and planning.

Who’s in it?

Appointed members will initially include:

Assistant Chief Secretary Lieut-Colonel Jane Cowell
Secretary for Business Administration Lieut-Colonel Paul Kingscott
Territorial Financial Secretary Major Richard Waters
A representative divisional leader
Assistant secretary for communications
Assistant secretary for mission

Aidan Grills, a non-executive director of SATCo, will be the chair.

All members of SATCo will be able to attend should they wish.

The Property Committee

What is it?

This new SATCo committee will be responsible for giving oversight to the property portfolio.

Who’s in it?

Appointed members will initially include:

Chief Secretary Colonel Peter Forrest
Assistant Secretary for Business Administration Major Annette Rieder-Pell
Territorial Property Director Peter Grant
A representative divisional leader
A representative corps officer
Two mission service representatives
Research and Development director
A Property Department representative

Philip Edwards, a non-executive director of SATCo, will be the chair.

All members of SATCo will be able to attend should they wish.

What is it?

This existing board, chaired by Chief Secretary Colonel Peter Forrest, oversees the day-to-day management of the territory and includes senior managers and officers.

What’s changing?

Its membership is being revised to allow for a different set of senior managers to contribute and replace those, most of whom are becoming members of the new SATCo committees. Each service or area, such as divisions, will retain their current number of representatives.

The heads of Personnel, Communications, Mission and Business Administration Services will still be able to attend should they wish.

The Divisional Operations Board and the team leader of the International Projects Office will be given authority to make spending decisions up to £250,000.

There are also additional safeguards to go with this increased financial authority: they will be required to have a second independent signatory and will only be able to spend in accordance with the approved budget. They will also be required to report on expenditure to the Territorial Operations Board.

The heads of the Personnel, Communications, Mission and Business Administration Services will be able to create working groups and invite representation or involvement from other services with the approval of the chief secretary. While these groups will not have delegated authority, they will be able to assist the heads of services in their work.

The following boards will cease to exist:

Territorial Mission Development Board
Territorial Communications Board
International Projects and Programmes Board

The financial authority of the disbanded groups will be passed to the respective heads of Personnel, Communications, Mission and Business Administration Services.

To reduce response times, and to ensure accountability, decisions will be signed off by the chief secretary or secretary for business administration.

SATCo

SATCo is the governance board for the UKI Territory, covering England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. There is a separate Republic of Ireland Trustee Company.

SATCo has a board of 14 directors and is the corporate trustee of a number of charitable trusts, including The Salvation Army Trust, The Salvation Army Social Work Trust, responsible for the Army’s charitable work, and The William Booth Memorial Trust, responsible for William Booth College. SATCo must therefore comply with company and charity laws and regulations, and also consider the Charity Commission’s guidance when making decisions.

SATCo supervises the management of the organisation in line with the international Salvation Army’s five functions of good governance: vision and strategy, policy approval and compliance, accountability, performance measurement and risk assessment and management.

SATCo also approves and monitors the strategy and performance of subsidiaries, such as The Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL), and other connected charities and organisations.

All directors of SATCo are required to be practising Christians. The board includes 9 executive directors, who participate in the day-to-day management of the organisation, for example an active officer or employee. Following advice from the Charity Commission, the General also requires five independent, non-executive directors to be appointed. They are chosen to bring particular skills, such as property, social services, finance and investment. Two of them are Salvationists.

The membership currently includes:

Territorial Leader Commissioner Paul Main (chair)
Chief Secretary Colonel Peter Forrest (deputy chair)
Secretary for Business Administration Lieut-Colonel Paul Kingscott
Secretary for Personnel Lieut-Colonel Beverley McCombe
Secretary for Mission Lieut-Colonel Drew McCombe
Secretary for Communications Lieut-Colonel Nick Coke
William Booth College Principal Lieut-Colonel Mark Herbert
Divisional Leader Major Mandy White (London)
Non-Executive Director Philip Edwards (chair of property committee)
Non-Executive Director Peter Gale (chair of investment committee)
Non-Executive Director Aidan Grills (chair of finance committee)
Non-Executive Director Helen O’Brien (chair of risk management committee)
Non-Executive Director Andrew Stickland (chair of audit committee)
Jennifer Laurent-Smart (employee director)

Cabinet

The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church and, in line with The Salvation Army Act 1980, is under the oversight, direction and control of the General. Legally speaking, it is distinct from the trusts controlled by SATCo.

As part of the universal Christian Church, The Salvation Army wishes to ensure that there is a place to focus solely on ecclesiastical matters. The primary purpose of Cabinet is to provide that place. The Cabinet also assists the territorial leaders in the effective performance of the duties and exercise of the powers delegated from the General.

Cabinet is responsible for the spiritual components of The Salvation Army’s work, especially the vision, mission, values, culture and strategy, appointments, candidates, spiritual development, moral and social issues and ecumenical issues. It aims to proactively identify opportunities and risks, issues or concerns in matters of spiritual life and mission.

To help fulfil its role, Cabinet has other groups that report to it, including the Territorial Moral and Social Issues Council, Territorial Ecumenical Council, William Booth College Governing Council, Territorial Literary Council, Learning and Development Council, Uniform Council and Territorial Advisory Council.

The membership currently includes:

Territorial Leader Commissioner Jenine Main (chair)
Territorial Leader Commissioner Paul Main • Chief Secretary Colonel Peter Forrest (deputy chair)
Territorial Secretary for Leader Development Colonel Julie Forrest
Spiritual Life Development Secretary Lieut-Colonel Jayne Roberts
Secretary for Business Administration Lieut-Colonel Paul Kingscott
Secretary for Communications Lieut-Colonel Nick Coke
Secretary for Mission Lieut-Colonel Drew McCombe
Secretary for Personnel Lieut-Colonel Beverley McCombe
Divisional Leader Major David Burns (North East)
Divisional Leader Major Lindy Rose (East Midlands)
William Booth College Assistant Principal Major Althea Bawden
Captain Rachael Nieuwoudt (Isle of Man)
Territorial Youth and Children’s Secretary Lieutenant Kathryn Whitmore

‘It is a real privilege’

Captain Rachael Nieuwoudt (Isle of Man) reflects on joining Cabinet.

As an active and very busy corps officer currently stationed on the Isle of Man, I was rather surprised to receive a call from Territorial Leader Commissioner Jenine Main one day, wanting to talk to me about an additional appointment to Cabinet.

I have to admit, I didn’t fully understand at the time what Cabinet did, or what it was responsible for, but I knew I was being presented with a wonderful opportunity and a privileged position to speak into the leadership decisions of The Salvation Army from the frontline viewpoint of a corps officer.

At times I’ve felt a little like Moses, the reluctant leader who was called to a level of responsibility he had not sought and did not want. I can completely relate to Moses’ words in Exodus 3:11: ‘Who am I that I should go?’ But then comes the reply from God, which washes away all doubt and hesitation: ‘I will be with you.’ I stepped out in faith believing that God is with me and that God is with The Salvation Army.

The past few months have been a steep learning curve as I’ve worked to get to grips with various agenda items. It has been eye-opening to see how the decisions made have a direct impact on corps life and Salvation Army expressions. It is also an immense privilege to work with my fellow members of Cabinet: together they bring many years of experience, a love of the Army and its people, and a wisdom that comes only from God.

This led me to question what I might bring to the table. I love Jesus with all my heart and want to serve him in any way I can, but I also have a deep passion to see the Army flourish in the future and believe God has exciting plans for our church! However, I’ve also experienced many different expressions of the Army. I grew up in a new corps plant, soldiered at a number of corps, held local leadership roles, worked within Homelessness Services and was a hydrogeologist by profession, all before entering the training college in 2013. Now, as a corps officer, I experience life on the front line every day. This passion, love and practical experience are what I humbly bring to Cabinet.

Please pray that God will continue to use me, fill me and give me wisdom.