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John Needham
John Dunmore Needham was born in England and immigrated to the United States in 1924, joining the Salvation Army in 1931.
During his tenure as National Commander, he withdrew the Salvation Army from active membership in the World Council of Churches due to the actions of the Patriotic Front in Zimbabwe, a group that had been supported by the World Council of Churches. The Patriotic Front, Needham said, unleashed guerilla warfare, which resulted in the death of two Salvationists.
| Commissioner John Needham | |
|---|---|
| Rank | Commissioner |
| Death Date | April 13, 1983 |
| Relations | Commissioner Florence Needham (wife) |
| Commissioner Philip Needham (son) | |
| Major John Needham (son) | |
| Walter Needham (son) | |
Appointments
| Appointment | Rank | From | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corps Officer - Fairmont, WV | |||
| Corps Officer - Baltimore, MD | |||
| Corps Officer - Parkersburg, WV | |||
| Corps Officer - Tampa, FL | |||
| Staff Officer - College For Officer Training, Atlanta, GA | |||
| Territorial Commander - Caribbean Territory | |||
| Territorial Commander - Central Territory | |||
| Territorial Commander - British Territory | January 1980 | January 7, 1982 | |
| National Commander - National Command | Commissioner | January 7, 1982 | April 13, 1983 |
Obituary
John D. Needham, national commander of the Salvation Army, died of cancer yesterday at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, N.J. He was 65 years old and lived in Cedar Grove, N.J.
Mr. Needham, who represented the fourth generation of his family to serve in the Salvation Army, held the title of commissioner. The other commissioners in the national organization are commanders of the Salvation Army's four territories in the United States.
Mr. Needham had been national commander since January 1982, succeeding Ernest E. Holz, who retired. From January 1980 until he was named national commander in the United States, he served in London as commander of the British Territory.
Joined Organization in 1931.
Mr. Needham was born in England, where the Salvation Army was founded in 1865, and came to the United States with his Salvation Army parents in 1924. Following the family tradition, which is being carried on by his children, he joined the Salvation Army in 1931. He and his wife, Florence, were commissioned officers while serving in Atlanta in 1939.
As national commander, with headquarters in Verona, N.J., Mr. Needham directed Salvation Army activities in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Mr. Needham, an ordained minister, as are all officers of the Salvation Army, served at posts in the United States, Central America and the Caribbean Territory and at the organization's international headquarters in London.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Needham is survived by three sons, all in the Salvation Army: Philip, of Charlotte, N.C. a major; John, of Athens, Ga., a captain, of Alpharetta, Ga., who holds the layman's rank of corps sergeant major; a daughter, the Rev. Miriam Needham of Atlanta, and seven grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Saturday at the Salvation Army Temple Corps in Atlanta.
External
- John Needham, 65, Of Salvation Army archived here on May 24, 2015
- Blast from the past "National Commander on '60 Minutes'" archived here on March 20, 2023