| Sunbury Court | |
|---|---|
 Sunbury court in 2023. The Salvation Army flag flies in front. | |
| Location | Sunbury-on-Thames |
| Nearest city | Borough of Spelthorne |
| Coordinates | 51°24′35″N0°23′45″W / 51.40972°N 0.39583°W [1] |
| Formed | 1723 |
| Built for | John Witt |
| Current use | The Salvation Army |
| Owner | The Salvation Army |
Sunbury court is a historic building located in Sunbury-on-Thames. Since the 1920s the court has been owned by The Salvation Army and has been the meeting place of the High Council of The Salvation Army
The grounds used to be part of a larger estate that contained the Royal Manor of Kempton, a mansion frequented by Henry III, Edward I, and Edward II in the 13th and 14th centuries. [2] But the Royal Manon of Kempton was destroyed in 1374. [3]
In 1723 John Witt built the structure that exists today. The estate expanded more than one hundred acres along the Thames River. Witt sold the estate in 1735, and again in 1751 and 1755 by Anna Maria Delegard. In 1764 Delegard married George Fermor, who took ownership of the court until 1799. Between 1799 and 1863, the owners of the court refurbished the estate, including adding new wings to the building. Sunbury Court's last private owner was William Horatio Harfield. After Hatfield's death, the property was vacant for two decades until The Salvation Army purchased the property in 1921. [2]
The Salvation Army uses the venue to host the High Council, a group whose sole purpose is to elect the General of the Salvation Army. [4] British law requires that the High Council meets in the United Kingdom, although it does not specify where. [5] The first High Council met at Sunbury Court in 1929 for the purpose of determining whether General Bramwell Booth was unfit to remain general (or leader of the organisation) after he had fallen ill. [6] The most recent High Council met in May 2023 and elected Lyndon Buckingham as general of the Salvation Army. [7] All of the Army's High Councils have been held at Sunbury court except to elect generals Evangeline Booth in 1934, George Carpenter in 1939, and Andre Cox in 2013. [5]
Outside the High Council, the court serves as a conference center for Salvation Army activities. [8] In the 1990s, the Army expanded the court by adding an additional board room and housing for guests. [9]
In 1961 Emil Soderstrom authored a marched titled "Sunbury Court," in honor of the court. [10]
The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organization headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7 million, comprising soldiers, officers, and adherents who are collectively known as Salvationists. Its founders sought to bring salvation to the poor, destitute, and hungry by meeting both their "physical and spiritual needs". It is present in 133 countries, running charity shops, operating shelters for the homeless, and disaster relief and humanitarian aid to developing countries.
Spelthorne is a local government district and borough in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Staines-upon-Thames; other settlements in the area include Ashford, Sunbury-on-Thames, Shepperton, Stanwell and Laleham.
Sunbury-on-Thames is a suburban town on the north bank of the River Thames in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, centred 13 mi (21 km) southwest of central London. Historically part of the county of Middlesex, in 1965 Sunbury and other surrounding towns were initially intended to form part of the newly created county of Greater London but were instead transferred to Surrey. Sunbury adjoins Feltham to the north, Hampton to the east, Ashford to the northwest and Shepperton to the southwest. Walton-on-Thames is to the south, on the opposite bank of the Thames.
Ashford is a town in Surrey, England, 14 mi (23 km) west of central London. Its name derives from a crossing point of the River Ash, a distributary of the River Colne. Historically part of Middlesex, the town has been part of Surrey since 1965. Ashford consists of relatively low density low- and medium-rise buildings, none of them being high rise. If excluding apartments most houses are semi-detached.
General is the title of the international leader and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Salvation Army, a Christian denomination with extensive charitable social services that gives quasi-military rank to its ministers. The General is elected by the High Council of The Salvation Army and serves a term of five years, which may be extended to seven years. According to the organisation, the General is purported to be appointed by God, and the council identifies that person. Brian Peddle, the current general, assumed the position in August 2018 upon the retirement of André Cox. The organisation's founder, William Booth, was the first and longest-serving general. There have been 22 generals as of 2023.
The High Council of The Salvation Army elects a new General in the event of a vacancy or prior to the retirement of the existing office holder. It can also remove a General who can no longer fulfil their duties. It is made up of the Chief of the Staff, active commissioners who are territorial commanders or who hold an international or national headquarters or territorial leadership appointment, territorial commanders with the rank of colonel, and territorial leaders with the rank of colonel. It is not a governing body of the Salvation Army, and is regarded as having no continuity of existence between meetings.
The Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army is a Commissioner appointed by the General of The Salvation Army as the second in command internationally. The Chief of the Staff is stationed at International Headquarters in London.
William Bramwell Booth, CH was a Salvation Army officer, Christian and British charity worker who was the first Chief of Staff (1881–1912) and the second General of The Salvation Army (1912–1929), succeeding his father, William Booth.
Evangeline Cory Booth, OF was a British evangelist and the 4th General of The Salvation Army from 1934 to 1939. She was the first woman to hold the post.
George Lyndon Carpenter was the 5th General of The Salvation Army (1939–1946).
Shaw Clifton was a Northern Irish minister and Salvation Army officer who served as the 18th general of the Salvation Army. He succeeded John Larsson on 2 April 2006.
Kempton Park, England formerly an expanded manor known as Kempton, Kenton and other forms, today refers to the land owned by the Jockey Club: Kempton Park nature reserve and Kempton Park Racecourse in the Spelthorne district of Surrey. Today's landholding was the heart of, throughout the Medieval period, a private parkland – and its location along with its being a royal manor rather than ecclesiastic, or high-nobility manor led to some occasional residence by Henry III and three centuries later hunting among a much larger chase by Henry VIII and his short-reigned son, Edward VI.
The rank of Commissioner in The Salvation Army is the second highest rank attainable by Officers in the organisation, and many of the Army's Territorial Commanders and even the Chief of the Staff hold this rank. The rank of Commissioner has been an active rank since 1880, and is one of the original ranks created by General William Booth, the first appointed Commissioner being George Scott Railton.
Linda Bond is a former General of the Salvation Army; she was the 19th person to hold the position. She was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada.
General André Cox is the former chief executive officer (CEO) and 20th General of The Salvation Army. He was commissioned as an Officer in The Salvation Army on 25 May 1979. He was elected to the position of General by the 18th High Council of The Salvation Army on 3 August 2013 and retired on 3 August 2018; he was succeeded by Brian Peddle.
General Brian Peddle is the CEO and 21st General of The Salvation Army since 3 August 2018. He was formerly the 26th Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army from 1 November 2015 until 3 August 2018 under General André Cox.
Lyndon Vernon Wayne Buckingham is a Salvation Army officer and Christian minister from New Zealand, currently serving as the Salvation Army's 27th Chief of the Staff and General-Elect. In 2023, he was elected the 22nd General of The Salvation Army and will assume office on 3 August 2023. He will be the first person from New Zealand to hold the office.
The Salvation Army Act of 1980 is the legislation that governs the International Headquarters of The Salvation Army. The act limits and regulates the authority of the general of The Salvation Army, who serves as the organisation's chief executive officer (CEO). The legislation gained royal assent from Elizabeth II on 1 August 1980 and took immediate effect.
The Salvation Army Act of 1931 was an act of the parliament of the United Kingdom that was passed in 1931. Until it was amended in 1963 and again in 1980, the legislation governed the International Headquarters of The Salvation Army. The act limited and regulated the authority of the general of The Salvation Army, who serves as the organisation's chief executive officer (CEO), and removed his ability to act as the sole owner of Salvation Army trusts. The legislation gained royal assent from George V on 31 July 1931 and took immediate effect.
Edward Hill is an American minister and Salvation Army officer and commissioner who will serve as the 28th Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army. He will assume office on 3 August 2023 and serve under General Lyndon Buckingham.
