André Cox

General André Cox
Cox, photographed as General of The Salvation Army in 2013
20th General of The Salvation Army
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 August 2013
Preceded by	Linda Bond
Acting General of The Salvation Army
In office 13 June 2013 – 3 August 2013
24th Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army
In office 1 February 2013 – 3 August 2013
Preceded by	Barry Swanson
Succeeded by	William A. Roberts
Personal details
Born	(1954-07-12) 12 July 1954 Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia
Nationality	British/Swiss
Spouse(s)	Silvia (née Volet)[1]
Children	3
Residence	London, United Kingdom
Religion	Christian

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General André Cox (born 12 July 1954^[2]) is the 20th General of The Salvation Army. He was commissioned as an Officer in The Salvation Army on 25 May 1979. He was elected to the position of General by the 18th High Council of The Salvation Army on 3 August 2013.

He was the Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army from 1 February 2013 to 3 August 2013. In the wake of the unexpected retirement of General Linda Bond, Cox fulfilled the duties of General for a little under two months until the High Council could elect a new General.

Born in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe) to an English father and Swiss mother, Cox spent his childhood years in Southern Rhodesia and the United Kingdom, before moving to Switzerland where he met and married Silvia Cox (née Volet), who was born to Swiss parents in Argentina.

Officership

Session Name: Joyful Evangelists

Cox was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer on 25 May 1979 and spent the early years of his ministry as a corps officer in Switzerland. In 2005, Cox was appointed as the territorial commander of The Salvation Army's work in Finland and Estonia; a post he held until he took command of the Southern Africa Territory in October 2008.^[3]

Cox and his wife spent four years as leaders of the Salvation Army’s Southern Africa Territory, which includes work in the countries of South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, the Islands of St Helena and Swaziland. They then served for 6 months as the territorial leaders of the United Kingdom with Ireland Territory.

When he took up his appointment as Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army, Cox followed in the footsteps of his father, Commissioner Ron Cox, who served as the Chief of the Staff from 1987 to 1991.^[4]

On 13 June 2013, when General Linda Bond unexpectedly retired from the position of General of the Salvation Army, Cox became Acting General of The Salvation Army. The High Council of The Salvation Army met on 29 July 2013 to begin the process of electing a new General. On 31 July 2013 Cox was nominated by the High Council as a candidate for the 20th General of The Salvation Army, and on 3 August 2013 was elected General of The Salvation Army.

Since the terms of General are unlimited, with the exception of the 70-year-old maximum age requirement, Cox is eligible to hold the office of General of The Salvation Army until 12 July 2024, his 70th birthday. He may, however, choose to retire prior to that date.^[5]

Work As General

General Cox's Dream for The Salvation Army

• "I dream of a committed, effective and joyful Army, rooted and confident in the Word of God and on its knees.
• I dream of an Army that truly reflects the mind of Jesus in our commitment to the poor and the marginalised.
• I dream of an Army that practises what it preaches from the top leadership down, an Army that is a visible and living example of kingdom values.
• I dream of an Army that values its youth, where our young people feel that they have a voice.
• I dream of an Army with strong, relevant and streamlined administrative structures and a much more effective use of our financial and material resources.
• I dream of an Army where all cultures are equally accepted and celebrated through the spiritual ties that bind us all together.
• I dream of an Army that shuns the dependency culture."^[6]

Appointments

References