George Carpenter

From Sawiki

General George Carpenter

Born on June 20th 1872 of a Salvationist mother, George Lyndon Carpenter was converted to Christianity at a small chapel in the township of Raymond Terrace Australia. He started attending meetings at the local Salvation Army Corps and soon enrolled as a Soldier. In 1892 he left his job as a compositor on the ‘Blue Mountains Express’ in Katoomba and entered The Salvation Army Training College. After being commissioned as an Officer, he served throughout Australia doing property, literary and cadet training work before being appointed to S.A. editorial work in Melbourne.

It was here that he met Ensign Minnie Rowell, and in 1899 they were married under The Army Flag. In 1910 the then Major and Mrs Carpenter were called to serve at International Headquarters in London, where it was intended that he should train for an editorial post in the United States, but at the instigation of the Founder his services were retained at I.H.Q as Literary Secretary, serving there until 1927. The greater part of this time was with General Bramwell Booth.

In 1927, by now promoted to the rank of Colonel, George Carpenter returned to his homeland to take up the appointment of chief Secretary of the Australia Eastern Territory. Six years later he received a cable from I.H.Q. proposing that he be appointed Territorial Commander for South America East Territory. Despite not relishing this post, his years of officership had prepared him to accept the will of God in all things, and he farewelled at the 1933 Queensland Congress to set sail for pastures new. After serving four years in South America, and now with the rank of Commissioner, George Carpenter was appointed Territorial Commander of Canada & Bermuda Territory, in 1937 The Army’s largest Territory.

George Lyndon Carpenter was elected The Salvation Army’s fifth General by the High Council on August 24th 1939, just ten days before the outbreak of WWII. He assumed command of The Army on November 1st.

The Second World War posed enormous problems for The Salvation Army, as it did for every other organisation and individual at that time. The General was prevented from travelling as far afield as previous holders of the office, but by 1940 he had paid a brief visit to Switzerland and to the British forces in France just before the Dunkirk Evacuation. By the end of 1941, vast areas of the world were closed to him, but nevertheless he undertook campaigns on North and South America in 1942-43, and a flight to Sweden (via the Arctic Circle) in March 1945.

From the start of his Generalship, George Carpenter was hampered by his Headquarters being scattered to a number of sights in the South of England; Cadets were in no fewer than ten different locations in England, Scotland and Wales.

On February 24th 1941 the General instituted the Order Of Distinguished Auxiliary Service to recognise The Salvation Army’s appreciation of the service rendered by non-Salvationists in the furtherance of The Army’s work.

During the war, many S.A. Territories could not be contacted and the work suffered severely. little international expansion could be made through lack of personnel, the closing of frontiers, and the difficulty of travel, but The Army’s work continued to relieve suffering and distress and to spread the Gospel. When the war ended there was a vast refugee problem to be addressed, and Salvation Army centres were continuously In action in hundreds of sites throughout the world. General Carpenter’s organisational ability was invaluable throughout.

When peace returned, the General undertook a full campaign to Australia and New Zealand, though it involved innumerable changes of planes to get there. a few weeks before the General retired visits were made to Holland, Germany and Finland.

General George Lyndon Carpenter retired from active Salvation Army service on June 19th 1946, the day before his 74th birthday. He was the oldest General to hold office apart from the Founder, William Booth. At the end of his term of office, which had been greatly dominated by the Second World War, he bade farewell with a simple ‘Thank you’.

He was a prolific author, with books such as, ‘Banners and Adventures’, ‘Keep the Trumpets Sounding’, amongst others, and was promoted to Glory less than two years after retirement, on April 9th 1948. Mrs. General Carpenter, perhaps even more prolific an author, was promoted to Glory on November 23rd 1960.

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