The High Council is an international group of Salvation Army officers composed of active Commissioners and Territorial Commanders with the rank of full Colonel who have held the rank for at least two years, who elect the General.
It was established in 1904 by General William Booth as a safeguard to allow the removal from office of an incumbent General who had become, for whatever reason, unfit to continue to exercise oversight, direction and control of The Salvation Army. He intended that the normal method of succession would be for the General in office to select his successor. General Bramwell Booth was the only General ever selected this way in 1912.
By November 1928, Bramwell Booth had been absent from International Headquarters for seven months on account of illness, and a High Council was called. The 63 members, being all the commissioners on active service and certain territorial commanders, gathered at Sunbury Court near London on January 8, 1929 and eventually voted that the General, then aged 73, was 'unfit on the ground of ill-health' to continue in office. On February 13, 1929, the High Council elected Commissioner Edward J. Higgins as the Army's third General.
The first High Council occurred from January 8 until February 13. General-Elect Edward Higgins was announced.
General-Elect Evangeline Booth was elected on September 3.
General-Elect George Carpenter was elected on August 24.
General-Elect Albert Orsborn was elected on May 9.
General-Elect Wilfred Kitching was elected May 11.
General-Elect Frederick Coutts was elected on October 1.
General-Elect Erik Wickberg was elected on July 23.
General-Elect Clarence Wiseman was elected on May 13.
General-Elect Arnold Brown was elected on May 5.
General-Elect Jarl Wahlström was elected on October 23.
General-Elect Eva Burrows was elected on May 2.
Commissioner James Osborne was elected President to oversee this committee. General-Elect Bramwell Tillsley was elected on April 28.
General-Elect Paul Rader was elected on July 23.
General-Elect John Gowans was elected on May 15.
General-Elect John Larsson was elected on September 6.
General-Elect Shaw Clifton was elected on January 28.
The 17th High Council convened on Friday, January 21, 2011, at Sunbury Court, United Kingdom. On January 31, General-Elect Linda Bond was announced.
The 18th High Council convened on Monday, July 29, 2013, at the Renaissance Hotel, London Heathrow, United Kingdom. On August 3, General-Elect André Cox was announced with immediate effect.
The 19th High Council convened on May 17, 2018. On May 24, General-Elect Brian Peddle was announced.
The 20th High Council was convened on May 24, 2023. General-Elect Lyndon Buckingham was announced.