The Bramwell Booth Crisis
- deansimpson7
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
The year 1929 was a time of great upheaval for The Salvation Army.
It was marked by a pivotal leadership challenge, known as the ‘Bramwell Booth Crisis’, in which the ruling High Council deposed General Bramwell Booth (son of Founder William Booth), who had led the worldwide Salvation Army since his father’s death in 1912.
This tumultuous time led to significant constitutional changes and the eventual election of Edward Higgins as General.
Essentially, the saga was broken into five major events:
The Conflict: General Bramwell Booth was ill and reluctant to retire, but the High Council (the Army’s supreme governing body) convened for the first time in its history to address the situation.
The Vote: On 8 January 1929, the High Council voted to remove Bramwell, a traumatic event for the Army.
Legal Battle: Bramwell challenged the decision in court but lost, further complicating matters.
New Leadership: In February 1929, the High Council elected Edward Higgins, who had served as Chief of the Staff, as the new General.
Constitutional Reform: This crisis directly led to The Salvation Army Act 1931, which established that Generals would be elected by the High Council and created a Trustee company to hold Army property, significantly limiting the General’s absolute power.
In a four-part series (links below), Salvos Online history writer Barry Gittins explores the machinations of the crisis, revealing the power players and what they had to say during the tumultuous time ‘when the Salvos wrestled’.
