Update on the petition requesting the Salvation Army UK Territory to Stop mistreating your officers (ministers). They all deserve a pension, not just those who remain as officers until retirement.
Following the meeting I had with Commissioner Anthony Cotterill and Lt-Col Alan Read in January and the detailed letters sent in February 2020 from myself and another salvationist campaigner, at this point I would like to be feeding back to you regarding the Salvation Army’s response. Unfortunately, even after nine months, I am unable to do so as no response has been forthcoming despite assurances that a reply will be made. Although some allowance has needed to be made due to the current pandemic, this is still deeply disappointing, particularly as I had assured them both that I wanted to work with and not against them.
Since the launching of this petition almost six years of increased pressure on the trustees of the Salvation Army Officers‘ Pension Fund have passed. The outlook remains uncertain. However recent analysis of relevant Acts of Parliament has led to focal points for continuing this campaign. In a nutshell these are:
- Salvation Army Act 1963 states that the Board of the Officers Pension Fund have sole (unrestricted) powers and could pay out accruals for Former Officers’ service years.
- Salvation Army Act 1980 places full control at the door of the General ………”for the material well-being of Officers” i.e. Pensions. It is my sincere understanding that, following an International Commission on Officership, General John Gowans made a formal policy declaration in the year 2000 that portable pensions were to be implemented.
Yes, you read that correctly! For at least 57 years the UK-based trustees have exercised conscious cruelty and negligence in denying former officers a pension, and for the last 20 years have openly ignored a decree from the General of the SA who has ultimate authority, i.e. the General’s policy decision to not deny former officers their accrued pension value equivalents.
As the considerable attempts at negotiation have failed so far it is time to consider a new approach as the campaign enters a different phase. Advice is currently being sought on how best to move forward in this search for justice. It also seems wise to begin to compile a list of names and email addresses of surviving former officers who served in the UK and the number of years for which they served, excluding the training period. This is so that communication about the campaign can take place directly with those affected. This information can be sent to me by email to philip.mountain@talktalk.net If you are reading this and know of someone who is a former officer, please would you kindly forward this request on to them. Also, a reminder that the petition remains open so please continue to sign and share.
The battle continues to bring an end to the Salvation Army’s historic and present day emotional, psychological, financial and organisational abuse of its active and former officers, including neglect, acts of omission and modern slavery (entrapment).
So, “on we march....”