CENTRAL Hall Westminster will be the venue of the formal Welcome to the High Council on Saturday 19 May 2018. The gathering, which will double as the Retirement Salute for General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox (World President of Women’s Ministries), will bring together the 111 senior officers who are responsible for leading The Salvation Army at International Headquarters and in 128 countries worldwide, and who will meet to elect the next General.
Music will be provided by the International Staff Band of The Salvation Army, the International Staff Songsters and special guest soloists. Reflecting the internationalism of the event and the General’s Zimbabwean links, African Praise will bring the fervent, eclectic rhythms that are the signature of a vibrant worship style which combines dance and song. Timbrels from Boscombe (United Kingdom) will round off this uniquely Salvation Army event in traditional form.
Half an hour of preliminary music will begin at 3.30pm, ensuring that each music group has ample opportunity to prepare the congregation for the celebratory yet sacred moments ahead. The Welcome to the High Council serves as an opportunity for Salvationists worldwide to pray for and worship with those tasked with electing the next world leader of The Salvation Army over the subsequent few days. The ministry of current international leaders General André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox will also be honoured, as they prepare to enter retirement in August.
Tickets for the event are available free of charge on a first come, first served basis, though must be booked in advance. They can be secured by emailing special.events@salvationarmy.org.uk with details of how many seats are required, a preference for seating in the stalls or balcony, and any special access requirements. Please note that there are very limited places for wheelchair users.
Orders placed up to two weeks before the event by attendees with a UK address will be sent by post. Tickets ordered after this deadline or from overseas should be collected from the venue on the day of the event.
Full, live coverage from Central Hall Westminster will also be provided as a high-definition webcast on the International Headquarters website and via Facebook Live.
Report by IHQ Communications
International Headquarters
