22nd GENERAL ELECTED

Lyndon Buckingham assumes leadership of The Salvation Army Aug. 3.

BY JO MOIR, CAPTAIN

General-elect Lyndon Buckingham, currently serving as the Chief of the Staff at International Headquarters, was elected the 22nd General of The Salvation Army May 27 at Sunbury Court near London by members of the 2023 High Council, comprised of some 112 Salvation Army leaders from around the world. Buckingham will assume office Aug. 3, following the retirement of General Brian Peddle. Here, the General-elect talks to Captain Jo Moir, United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland Territorial Communica- tions Officer, about being elected the next General. Kia ora! You’ve just been elected as our next General. Are you surprised? Are you shocked? Or are you determined?

Probably there’s a mixture of all those things. Yes, I think nobody comes expecting, but I think we all come with a mindset of making ourselves available to the will of God, ready to do what the Lord wants us to do. So I didn’t come with any endgame in mind. But I did come willing to participate in whichever way was appropriate. And so, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed, but humbled, grateful for the support of the mem- bers of the High Council and their endorsement.

Commissioner Yusak Tampai, the High Council chaplain, had the golden bowl of prayers in the chamber. And it was just a visual reminder of the thousands of Salvationists who not only prayed leading up to the High Council week but prayed us all the way through. You know, if I was reflecting on a highlight of the council itself, it would be just the spirit within the chamber, just a beautiful sense of the presence of God.

Although feeling overwhelmed, and all of those things, I also feel that we have allowed the Lord to reveal what he wanted to happen and we’ve participated in that, and I take comfort from that. I’ve had a

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