|
|  |
Caribbean Territorial Headquarters
CARIBBEAN TERRITORIAL HEADQUARTERS
The local level of The Salvation Army leadership in the Caribbean is called a Territory, representing a grouping of countries under common The Salvation Army administration. The territorial headquarters of The Salvation Army for the Caribbean Territory is located in Kingston. The Territorial Commander is Colonel Onal Castor supported by the Chief Secretary, Lieut-Colonel Lindsay Rowe.
THE CARIBBEAN TERRITORY
In 1887 The Salvation Army ‘opened fire’ in Kingston, and thence spread throughout the island of Jamaica and to Guyana (1895), Barbados (1898), Trinidad (1901), Antigua (1903), Suriname (1926), the Bahamas (1931), Haiti (1950) , French Guiana (1980) and St Maarten (1999). The General of The Salvation Army is a Corporation Sole in Jamaica (1914), Trinidad and Tobago (1915), Barbados (1917), Guyana (1930), the Bahamas (1936), Antigua (1981) and St Vincent (1993).
- Countries included in the territory: Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, French Guiana, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Maarten, St Vincent, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.
- The Salvation Army in Dutch: Het Leger des Heils; in French: Armée du Salut.
- Languages in which the gospel is preached: English, French, Dutch, Creole, Surinamese
- Periodicals: The WarCry newspaper
THE CABINET
The Cabinet is the Territory senior management team. It is based in Kingston and oversights all Salvation Army work on a Territorial Basis.
IHQ - THE SALVATION ARMY INTERNATIONAL
The Salvation Army's International Headquarters (known as IHQ) is located in Central London, the United Kingdom. All work of The Salvation Army in the one hundred and nine countries of the world is responsible to the International Headquarters which is headed by General Shaw Clifton. International Headquarters deals with strategy, long range planning, a resource centre for the rest of the world and the facilitator of ideas and policies together with the allocation of resources.
OUR TERRITORIAL LEADERS
PROFILE OF THE TERRITORIAL LEADERS
CARIBBEAN TERRITORY
BIOGRAPHY
Colonels Onal and Edmane Castor
Colonel Onal Castor has been an Officer of The Salvation Army for almost thirty (30) years. After being trained at the Territorial Training College, Kingston Jamaica, he was commissioned to the rank of Lieutenant on 10 June, 1979. After his commissioning, he was appointed in charge of Cave Mountain Corps in Western Jamaica Division.
Colonel Edmane Castor née Montoban; an Officer for twenty–nine years; was commissioned 19 June 1980, after which she served as Assistant Corps Officer at Montego Bay Temple Corps in Western Jamaica Division.
They were married in December 1980. After two months of combined service at Cave Mountain, they were appointed to the Vieux Bourg Corps in the Haiti Division.
In July 1985, Captain Onal Castor was appointed as Divisional Youth Secretary and his wife served as Divisional Corps Cadet Counselor, and Divisional League of Mercy Secretary, in the Haiti Division. In 1989, they were transferred to the Trinidad and Tobago Division, as the Commanding Officers for Port of Spain Central Corps, and Managers of the Men’s Hostel. Captain Edmane Castor held an additional responsibility as the Divisional League of Mercy Secretary.
In 1991, Captain & Mrs. Onal Castor were transferred to the U.S.A Southern Territory, where they were appointed as Commanding Officers of the Miami Edison Corps and Community Centre, in the Florida Division. After four years of service in the U.S.A, they returned to the Caribbean Territory. Captain Onal Castor was appointed Divisional Secretary for the Barbados and St. Lucia Division, and his wife served as Commanding Officer of Wellington Street Corps and Day Care Centre. In 1997, they returned to serve in their home Division (Haiti), as Divisional Secretary and Divisional Home League Secretary respectively.
In 1987, Colonel Onal Castor was a delegate to The Salvation Army Caribbean Leadership Conference, held in Kingston Jamaica. He attended the 126th session of The Salvation Army International College for Officers in London England in 1990. In 1994, as a delegate, along with his wife, he attended the U.S.A. Southern Territory Holy Land Educational Tour. In June 1995, he attended the USA National Brengle Institute in Chicago Illinois. In September 1998, he was a delegate to The Salvation Army International Integrated Mission in London, England. He is a graduate of Miami – Dade College, having been awarded an Associate Arts degree in Business Administration and Management.
Colonel Edmane Castor attended the U.S.A. National Holiness Convention in 1993 and the U.S.A. National Association of Evangelicals Convention in 1994.
In July 1999, the Castors were promoted to Majors, and appointed as Divisional Leaders for the Barbados and St. Lucia Division: Major Onal Castor as Divisional Commander and Major Edmane Castor as Divisional Director of Women’s Ministries. After four and half years of leadership and ministry in that Division, they were appointed on 1 November 2003, as Chief Secretary and Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries for the Congo (Kinshasa) and Angola Territory: They were promoted to the rank of Lieut.-Colonels. Having served in Africa for four years and nine months, they returned to their home Territory on 1 August 2008, to assume the roles of Chief Secretary and Territorial Secretary of Women’s Ministries respectively.
On 1 May 2009, Lieut –Colonels Onal and Edmane Castor were promoted to the rank of Colonel, and appointed as Territorial Commander, and Territorial President of Women’s Ministries respectively.
Colonels Castor are the parents of Tanisha, Max Donald and Edonine: All three are residents of the United States of America.
OUR GENERAL
General Shaw Clifton, LLB, BD, PhD, AKC, and Commissioner Helen Clifton BA, PGCE became Salvation Army officers in London in 1973. They have held appointments on five continents. General Shaw Clifton was elected the 18th General of The Salvation Army by the High Council in January 2006. He took over from General John Larsson as the international leader of The Salvation Army on 2 April 2006. Commissioner Helen Clifton became the World President of Women’s Ministries, succeeding Commissioner Freda Larsson.
Shaw Clifton was born to Salvation Army officer parents in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 21 September 1945. During his early years he also lived in Scotland and England before attending the University of London to read law. He is also the holder of a first class honours Bachelor of Divinity degree from the University of London. After university, he lectured in law at the Inns of Court, London, and at the University of Bristol before entering the International Training College in 1971 with his wife, Helen.
Helen Ashman was born on 4 May 1948 and spent her childhood in London growing up at Edmonton Corps. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English Language and Literature from Westfield College, University of London and a Post-Graduate Certificate of Education from Goldsmiths’ College, University of London. Helen Ashman married Shaw Clifton in 1967. She was a teacher before entering the International Training College at Denmark Hill, London.
Commissioned as Salvation Army officers in 1973, Lieutenant and Mrs Clifton served as corps officers at Burnt Oak, North London, and then, while awaiting an appointment overseas, the Lieutenant worked for some months in the Literary Department at International Headquarters. The Cliftons were appointed to Zimbabwe where the Lieutenant was the Vice-Principal at Mazowe Secondary School, and then Captain and Mrs Clifton were corps officers at Bulawayo Citadel. This was a period of remarkable growth in the corps at a time of significant political turmoil.
In January 1979 Captain and Mrs Clifton were appointed corps officers at Enfield, North London. From 1982 to 1989 the Captain was the IHQ Legal and Parliamentary Secretary where he undertook considerable international travel looking after The Salvation Army’s constitutional affairs and other legal matters. During these years, he completed a PhD in the History of Religion at King’s College, University of London. This research was an ethical analysis of The Salvation Army’s policies in time of war. Major and Mrs Clifton were appointed the corps officers at Bromley Temple, South London, for three years.
In June 1995, following a three-year appointment as divisional leaders in Durham and Tees Division (United Kingdom), Lieut-Colonel and Mrs Clifton were appointed leaders in the Massachusetts Division (USA Eastern). In August 1997, the Cliftons were promoted to the rank of Colonel and appointed to lead The Salvation Army in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan where the Army experienced rapid and consistent growth amid deep political and interfaith tensions. In March 2000, while in Pakistan, they were promoted to the rank of Commissioner and in March 2002 they became territorial leaders of the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory. In New Zealand they faced the challenges of a highly secularised society.
In June 2004 Commissioners Shaw and Helen Clifton were appointed as the leaders of the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland. This period has been characterised by an emphasis on reinforcing, under God, the self-confidence of Salvationists who live in a post-modern and secularised society. The General has led the way in responding to daunting challenges in matters of finance and property stewardship.
General Clifton’s training as a lawyer, ethicist and theologian has resourced his significant teaching and writing ministry. He continues to lecture in Christian Ethics and other topics at the International College for Officers in London. Two of his recent books, published by the Army, were released by Crest Books (USA National HQ). These are Never the Same Again - Encouragement for New and Not-so-New Christians and Who Are These Salvationists? - An Analysis For The 21st Century. His sixth and latest book was published in New Zealand in March 2004. Entitled New Love, it is a unique collection of essays on practical holiness. The Cliftons are frequent guest leaders and speakers at events around the world.
Commissioner Helen Clifton has always had a close interest in youth work. A schoolteacher by profession, she has kept in touch with the world of education and especially the impact of education upon women in the developing world. She gives much time and energy to women's ministries and especially to the personal and professional development of women in spiritual leadership. She has been Chair of the Pakistan Territory’s Human Resources Development Board, and was also Director of the Army's nationwide Mother and Child Health Education (MACHE) project in Pakistan. She was an invited facilitator/contributor to the Army’s international Summit on Poverty. As Territorial President for Women’s Ministries in the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland, Commissioner Helen Clifton has headed up a Territorial Task Force to respond to human trafficking. Innovative programmes to support women leaving the sex trade are being devised and piloted.
The Cliftons have three children and three grandchildren. |
|
|