Officer of The Salvation Army - Candidacy and Training

Candidacy and Training

When applying to become a Salvation Army officer, strict acceptance guidelines must be adhered to before training can commence. Each Territory will have similar conditions that applicants must fulfill prior to entry and include, but are not limited to, the following, they must:

• Believe they are called by God to full-time ministry, specifically Officership.
• Be active Soldiers in their local Salvation Army corps.
• Receive a recommendation from the Commanding Officer of that Corps.
• Be endorsed by the Divisional Candidates' Board.
• Receive satisfactory references from their families, friends, and peers.
• Attend an Assessment Conference weekend which includes a number of in-depth interviews with various assessors.
• Be accepted for training by the Territorial Candidates' Board, and Territorial Commander.

While attending a College for Officer Training, the training participants are referred to as 'Cadets'. The length of training is normally two years, but a special dispensation may allow cadets to be commissioned after a shorter period, based on prior experience or training. Once this training is complete, the Cadets are commissioned.