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 WESTERN OFFICERS IN attendance at the High Council (l-r) Commissioners Gwen and Bill Luttrell, Colonel Olin Hogan, Commissioners Doris and Joe Noland, Commissioner Linda Bond and Commissioners Robert and Carol Saunders. Bond, who is the Western Territorial Commander was selected as Vice President of the High Council. |
BY BILL LUTTRELL
COMMISSIONER –
It’s a long journey for a boy from Colorado to a Commissioner to the 15th High Council of The Salvation Army. The route has not been distinguishable to the human eye, but is quite clear in the plan of God.
Thus, I sit now as one of 87 worldwide Salvation Army leaders on the eve of the election of the 17th General of The Salvation Army, who will succeed General John Gowans upon his retirement on November 12, 2002.
The High Council is in itself a lengthy process set forth to determine a leader of our movement. It is not as simple and straightforward as I had envisioned. There is the selection of a President to preside and a Vice President to assist! “Tellers” to count and a question committee to process questions! Then, there is time spent in discussing ‘guidelines’ and a Chaplain to help us keep our focus! However, in the midst of all the formality and the discussion of the formality is a stream of divine grace, bathed in prayer, flowing through worship and revealing the plan of God for His anointed leader.
What powerful worship to God! Devotional periods led by women and men from around the globe. The council chamber is filled with singing that lifts one above the structure of the process into the very presence of God!
And then, the prayers roll forth like waves of the sea; coming forth in all manner of tongues, inspired by the Spirit of God and lifted to His Son, to glorify the Father!
All the process seems so complicated at first; some even unnecessary! But now it is all being woven together very quickly by the Spirit into a pattern that will be complete and we will all see the plan unfold clearly to reveal, once again, God’s plan…and tomorrow we will have a new General! To God be the glory!
