Table of Contents
William Pratt
Commissioner William Pratt
| Commissioner William Pratt | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Rank | Commissioner |
| Relations | Commissioner Kathleen Pratt (wife) |
Appointments
| Appointment | Rank | From | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary for Public Relations - International Headquarters | May 1975 | ||
| Chief Secretary - Western Territory | January 1978 | (1981) | |
| Chief Secretary - British Territory | (1981) | 1982 | |
| Territorial Commander - Western Territory | Commissioner | 1982 | 1984 |
| Territorial Commander - Canada and Bermuda Territory | Commissioner | November 1, 1984 | June 30, 1990 |
Service aboard two Royal Navy destroyers and at a naval station in Egypt preceded Will Pratt's entry in 1946 to the lnternational (William Booth Memorial) Training College in London. A year later he was appointed as cadet-sergeant, specializing in young people's training. In 1948 he was a lieutenant in charge of the Army's evangelism in an English naval shipyard town.
Sixteen years of editorial work followed, including appointment as assistant editor of the international edition of The War Cry, with a weekly circulation of nearly 250,000, then as editor of The Musician, a weekly newspaper of interest to Salvation Army musicians throughout the world. Overseas reporting took him on a 12-week tour of the Far East, accompanying the Army's seventh international leader, General Wilfred Kitching.
Three months before The Salvation Army's 1965 international centennial celebrations in London, England, Will Pratt was appointed director of information services at lnternational Headquarters. For seven years he was the Army's official spokesman in London, collaborating in the production of numerous TV, film and radio documentaries and frequently representing the Army in press, radio and TV interviews.
He initiated the first of several 13-week, 30-minute Sunday morning radio programs broadcast throughout Britain and in Europe, presenting incisive gospel messages. He was one of four broadcasters selected by the British Broadcasting Corporation to present a weekly topical religious radio message. The series ran for 18 months.
While serving in International Headquarters administrative posts, the commissioner engaged in evangelical and community work in a tough area of South London, organizing a youth club and training boys in Christian music-making.
Pratt followed Commissioner Lawrence Smith in 3 different appointments as secretary for public relations, chief secretary of the Western Territory, and territorial commander of the Western Territory.