Arnold Brown

From Sawiki

General Arnold Brown

Arnold Brown was born on December 13th 1913. His parents were then Salvation Army Officers at Tottenham II Corps in London, and by the beginning of WWI in August 1914 they had been posted to Seacombe near Liverpool. Young Arnold’s father served in the Royal Warwickshire Light Infantry, and much of Arnold’s childhood was, as a consequence, spent separated from him. During the battle of Cambrai his father suffered a severe spinal injury which necessitated a prolonged spell in hospital.

In the early 1920’s the Brown family made the decision to emigrate to Canada, and in April 1923 they arrived at their new home in Belleville, Ontario. As Arnold entered his teens he developed a keen interest in Salvation Army music making, and, despite a lack of success in mastering the violin, soon showed remarkable aptitude for the cornet, playing not only with the Corps Band but for some years with the Belleville Quartet.

During Arnold’s school years two traumatic events occurred which were to have a profound effect on his life. Firstly, his seven year old brother Bernard drowned when the ice on the frozen Victoria Harbour gave way whilst he and a friend were playing. Soon afterwards, his fathers disability recurred and medical opinion was that he would be a permanent invalid. Without his fathers leadership the family business could not survive, and Arnold’s dream of a university education was dashed. He now had to seek work, and secured a position as clerk and secretary in the office of railway company.

In 1933, ten years after leaving England’s shores, Arnold Brown returned to the land of his birth. His time was spent visiting family members and travelling country wide to hear the best of Salvation Army music. Towards the end of his stay he visited Mile End Waste where William Booth had preached outside the Blind Beggar public house, and found the visit so moving that when he left he was sure that he had received a call to Salvation Army Officership. A few days later this was confirmed for him whilst attending the Commissioning of the ‘Torchbearers’ Session at the Royal Albert Hall. Arnold Brown returned to Canada and applied for Officership. He was accepted as a Cadet in the 1934-5 ‘Toilers’ Session at the Training College in Montreal.

His first appointment as Lieutenant Brown was to Bownanville Corps, on the shores of Lake Ontario. Seventeen months later he was appointed to the Editorial Department at Territorial Headquarters. In September 1939, just five days after Canada had declared war on Germany, Arnold was married to Lieutenant Jean Barclay in Montreal. Their honeymoon was spent in New York, where they were invited to tea by the Army’s newly elected leader, General George Carpenter.

For the duration of the war the Browns continued to serve at Territorial Headquarters until, in 1964 Arnold Brown was appointed Secretary for Public Relations at International Headquarters in London. It was whilst serving in this capacity that he developed the well known Salvation army slogan, ‘For God’s sake care!’ In 1969, newly promoted to the rank of Commissioner, Arnold Brown was appointed as General Erik Wickberg’s Chief of Staff, an office which he was to hold for the next five years. On May 13th 1974 he attended his first High Council, the eighth, which elected Clarence Wiseman General of The Salvation Army.

For Commissioner and Mrs Brown 1974 heralded a return to Canada when Arnold Brown was appointed Territorial Commander for Canada and Bermuda as successor to the now General Wiseman. Upon General Wiseman’s retirement in 1977 Arnold Brown was elected General of The Salvation army by the ninth High Council on May 5th. He assumed command on July 5th 1977.

The following year General Brown presided over the fifth International Congress held in London which was opened in the presence of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales. He also led the Centenary Congress in Scotland in 1979, U.S.A. and Australia in 1980 and France in 1981. In 1978 the General inaugurated The Salvation Army World Service Order, and within three short years nearly one thousand humanitarian projects were undertaken in fifty three countries. Such was the recognition given to The Army’s work that in 1981 General Brown received on behalf of The Salvation Army, the World Humanity Award, which was presented by Earl Mountbatten at a packed Westminster Hall.

During their term of office, General and Mrs Brown travelled extensively, including the first visit of a Salvation Army General to Iceland. The Salvation Army Boys Adventure Corps (SABAC) was launched on January 21st 1979 and The Salvation Army Act 1980 received Royal assent on August 1st 1980. On March 8th 1980 the International Staff Songsters were inaugurated. Amongst other honours General Brown was made a Freeman of the City of London and an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1981.

General Arnold Brown retired from active service on December 13th 1981. In retirement General and Mrs Brown continued their service unabated, travelling world wide to conduct meetings and conferences. He was a prolific author, writing amongst others, the autobiographical ‘The Gate and the Light’, ‘What hath God Wrought?’, ‘Christ at the Table’ and ‘Occupied Manager Unoccupied Tomb’.

[edit]