Officership
Become an officer of The Salvation Army, where mission and service combine so that you lead a life living out God's purpose
Officers in The Salvation Army are full-time ministers of religion serving God through The Salvation Army. They are the equivalent of full-time clergy and pastoral leaders in other Christian denominations. Officership provides an amazing environment for ministry leaders to grow and thrive, to live out God’s purpose in their lives and to lead and serve others well. Officership as a vocation is complex and officer roles include local corps or faith expression leadership, social programs or management as well as specialised functions.
Every leader needs the right setting to flourish. Officership provides an amazing environment for ministry leaders to grow and thrive, to live out God's purpose in one's life, and to lead and serve others well.
Learn more about becoming an officer.
If you have a growing sense that God is calling you into full-time ministry or feel led to serve him in some way, contact us on:
P: +61 3 9847 5400
E: candidates@ebc.edu.au
Eva Burrows College trains and develops the character and capacity of its officers to become empowering spiritual leaders who impact the world with Jesus Christ’s mission, compassion and love.
Why become a Salvation Army officer?
A Salvation Army officer is someone who wants to be a change agent in the world today by making a difference in the lives of people and bringing about change to communities by living out God’s mission, compassion and love. This form of spiritual leadership covers an amazing variety of roles from corps officership (leading a local congregation) through to chaplaincy and social services.
Some describe it as a “calling”, that deep sense that God is calling you out of one vocation to another and for some the calling is to full-time ministry as a Salvation Army officer. Is this something God is calling you to?
How does Eva Burrows College equip you for a life as an officer in The Salvation Army?
The world is a complex and changing one that requires models of training that are responsive to the present reality and future opportunities. Every person is unique and has a different life journey. For these reasons we are committed to a training model that is holistic, individualised, marked by flexibility, and case managed.
Eva Burrows College Officer Formation Team is responsible for training candidates to become officers. Officers are formed not by a focus upon a few areas of personal preference and expertise, but by engaging in a holistic approach that considers the breadth of who we are as individuals and the complexity of officership today. The holistic approach is delivered through a threefold process which integrates theological and educational formation, personal and spiritual formation, and mission and ministry formation.
The two year personalised training program has a range of key learning expectations and experiences designed to equip you to fulfill your mission and ministry as a Salvation Army Officer.
Training program overview
The holistic approach of training officers of The Salvation Army is delivered through a threefold process which integrates theological and educational formation, personal and spiritual formation and mission and ministry formation.
Personal and Spiritual Formation:
Our focus is upon deepening your self-knowledge as well as your responsiveness to the gracious presence of God in your life and your practice of key spiritual disciplines. A range of opportunities (from class-based to experiential practices to personal reflection) will all contribute to this process.
Theological and Educational Formation:
Our focus is upon developing a required level of educational and theological literacy. Key educational units will help you to develop the broad theoretical foundation which will serve as the building blocks for your future learning, intentional reflection, and practice of mission and ministry.
Mission and Ministry Formation:
Our focus is upon engaging with a variety of mission and ministry opportunities and contexts to apply learning in practice. Though it is a learning environment the opportunities for mission and ministry are in real settings and will be a key element of training.
Officer Formation Pathways
We facilitate the formation of individuals as officers who are innovative leaders of Christlike character led by the spirit and equipped for the current and emerging mission context.
The Salvation Army in Australia has two officership pathways: commissioned and non-commissioned:
- Commissioned officership is what most people typically understand as officership and includes a pathway of formation and training as a Cadet leading to covenant, ordination and commissioning as a Lieutenant. Commissioned officership is The Salvation Army in Australia’s preferred pathway for people in long term (lifelong) ministry. The availability of officers to go where and when there is a need sets commissioned officership apart from other forms of ministry leadership in The Salvation Army.
- Non-commissioned officers perform the same functions as commissioned officers but have not signed the Officer’s Covenant nor been ordained and commissioned. Auxiliary Lieutenancy is The Salvation Army in Australia’s preferred model for short-term pastoral and spiritual ministry leadership. Auxiliary Lieutenants are accepted for a specific appointment for a term of three years (which may be renewed).
Both commissioned and non-commissioned officers come under Officer Formation Stream for their formation, development and training.
Become an officer
If you have a growing sense that God is calling you into full-time ministry or feel led to serve Him in some way, we invite you to have a chat with us and we can explore the call together.
Fill out this Expression of Interest online form and we will get in touch with you shortly.