Army’s senior leaders gather in Kenya for international conference
- Mar 23
- 4 min read
Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, Territorial Commander of the Australia Territory, has joined other territorial and senior leaders from around the world for the International Conference of Leaders (ICL) in Kenya.
“A great start to the conference with an inspiring keynote from the General,” said Miriam. “A wonderful group of people from around the world. What a family! The Salvation Army – God’s good idea!”
So far, the ICL has included the General’s keynote address, a cultural evening, and local worship with 10,000 Kenyans and others in attendance.
Day 1
For the first day’s news, continue reading or follow online here.
“This is holy ground! Ours is a sacred task! The Lord is with us!” declared General Lyndon Buckingham on 21 March 2026, the opening day of The Salvation Army’s International Conference of Leaders (ICL) in Nairobi, Kenya.
The movement’s international leader delivered a powerful keynote address after 120 senior Salvation Army leaders had arrived in Nairobi from all points of the globe. The atmosphere in the room was one of high anticipation as the General brought a comprehensive and impassioned account of gratefulness to God for the delegates and their committed leadership, determination to face challenges and vision for the future!
“I’m so pleased that we are able to gather here in Kenya, the first time an International Conference of Leaders has taken place in Africa. That is fantastic!” the General remarked, his comments being met with heartfelt applause. “Many African leaders were unable to make it to the last conference [in Vancouver, Canada], but this time you’re all here! You matter and your voices are important.”
General Buckingham then turned his attention to the full complement of delegates. “As we gather today, I am very conscious of the tremendous responsibility you carry as senior shepherds and stewards of this global movement … Your appointments, entrusted to you by the General, call on you to be stewards of the global aims of the movement represented within your territory … your contribution to the mission of The Salvation Army is deeply appreciated and I say to you today, thank you.”
He also encouraged the delegates to find “great assurance and confidence” in the fact that the Lord was with them at the conference. “We sense the reverence and the seriousness of our gathering. We see it as an act of worship; a holy, spiritual responsibility … Lord, we want to hear from you … Heavenly Father, we belong to you.”
Challenging times
The global leader painted a picture of the current world environment in which Compass, The Salvation Army’s new Global Strategic Framework, was designed to help the movement reach for higher levels of impact and effectiveness throughout the world. He said The Salvation Army was weathering global storms, including the lasting impact of a global pandemic, geopolitical uncertainty, a rise in nationalism, and wars and rumours of wars.
The rising difficulty in obtaining visas, the closure of borders, registration difficulties in India and the withdrawal of international funding support was affecting The Salvation Army’s ability to appoint and move leaders and support international mission initiatives, he said.
Protest movement
The feeling in the room went up a notch when General Buckingham said that despite such volatility and uncertainty The Salvation Army continued to be salt, light and a beacon of hope, healing and salvation for the world.
"I want to suggest to you this morning that the very existence of our movement is in and of itself a protest; we are a protest movement. We are a living, active, global demonstration. We are! That’s us! We are the placards, a visible resistance …
“I mean this in the most positive of terms. We are a visible resistance that dares to declare, in both word and action and amid all of the uncertainty, that there is hope, that there is a way, that there is a Saviour, that there is salvation for the world. This is our work on the planet, to be a visible demonstration that God has not given up, that God has not abandoned us, that God has not turned his back on us. We stand as a testimony that his Kingdom is coming – has come and is coming. We are a visible testimony, a protest that says no – greed, selfishness, arrogance, power do not have to win the day.
“No! There’s a better way. It’s the way of love, it’s the way of grace, it’s the way of mercy, it’s the way of welcome, it’s the way of healing, it’s the way of holiness. We are a demonstration movement. O my goodness, Lord, let our demonstration on this planet be powerful in your hands; help us to be extremely good stewards of our demonstration. May our placards bring honour and glory to your name. And we are better at this together than we are apart.”
During the speech, General Buckingham confirmed that he had received a clean bill of health following a medical emergency last year while in Hong Kong, and shared that, by God the Holy Spirit’s help, he and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham would complete the term of office entrusted to them. He also called the delegates’ attention to Acts 15:28, encouraging a conference that unfolded in such a way that “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”.
Out of many, one
Earlier in the day, Chief of the Staff Commissioner Edward Hill welcomed all to the conference, encouraging delegates to ‘be engaged, be involved and make a contribution’. He acknowledged that it was the first ICL under the leadership of General Buckingham and brought devotions from Galatians 3:23-28 with the theme E Pluribus Unum (‘Out of Many, One’), reflecting the profound diversity of origins among conference delegates yet their experience of being one in Christ. “Unity and equality in Christ is the pure fragrance of the gospel,” said Commissioner Hill.
For a quick overview of the first couple of days, click on the slideshow below:
