• What happens at a High Council?

A High Council is convened and begins with prayer and worship. A president, vice-president and chaplain are elected.

The High Council agrees orders of procedures.

The president, with assistance from the vice-president, takes over leadership of the High Council from the Army’s Chief of the Staff. The chaplain’s role is to arrange worship meetings and times of prayer.

After agreeing Orders of Procedure and completing any Committee of the Whole discussions, the High Council moves on to nominations.

Every member of the High Council can nominate someone as a candidate for General, and any active Salvation Army officer can be nominated. Any officer who receives three or more nominations can choose to become a candidate.

Candidates then have time to respond to the questions from the High Council and to prepare their speeches. Questions usually cover a candidate’s vision for The Salvation Army, their approach to leadership and their thinking on belief and practice.

When the time comes to vote, each council member votes in turn, going to one of the private voting rooms to mark their ballot paper. Members vote for a single candidate.

Find out more in A Guide to a High Council.

When a new General has been elected, the doors of Sunbury Court are opened and the President announces the new General-elect. The news is live-streamed around the world.

Watch live at sar.my/highcouncil.