The Salvation Army
1. Official Name: The Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory (Te Ope Whakaora). Often referred to simply as The Salvation Army (NZ). It is an international Christian church and charitable organisation, operating in New Zealand since 1883. The Salvation Army has fought poverty and social distress in NZ for well over a century, assisting over 120,000 people in need each year through its social services and faith-based programmes [1].
2. Charitable Status: Registered charity under the Charities Act 2005 (Charity registration number CC37312), with income tax-exempt status in New Zealand [2]. This status reflects its established role as a non-profit provider of social services and religious activities. Donations to the Salvation Army NZ are eligible for tax credits as it has approved donee status from Inland Revenue [2].
3. Structure & Ownership: The Salvation Army NZ is part of the global Salvation Army movement, with International Headquarters in London providing overall coordination and appointing key leadership. The NZ, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory is administered through four trusts (one per country), whose trustees are appointed by the Salvation Army’s international General. These trustees delegate authority (but not ultimate responsibility) to a Territorial Governance Board in New Zealand [3]. In practice, this means the organisation’s governance and strategic direction are overseen by an appointed board and leadership team, under the denomination’s international hierarchy. Ultimate accountability is to the international General of The Salvation Army, indicating an element of overseas control in the NZ operations [3]. The mission statement of The Salvation Army NZ – “caring for people, transforming lives and reforming society by God’s power” – underpins all structural and operational decisions.
4. Leadership: The current Territorial Commander (head) of The Salvation Army NZFTS is Commissioner Janine Donaldson, appointed in January 2025 as the first woman to lead the territory [4]. The Territorial Commander functions as the chief executive and denomination leader for the region, and also chairs the Territorial Governance Board. Supporting her is the Chief Secretary (Colonel Gerry Walker as of 2024) who chairs the Territorial Management Board [3][4]. The Salvation Army’s leadership structure is military-style: ordained ministers are given ranks (e.g. Commissioner, Colonel, Major), and these officers along with senior employees manage the organisation’s operations. The NZ territory’s leadership and policy are thus driven by its ordained officers in line with international Salvation Army principles.
5. Headquarters & Contact: Territorial Headquarters is located at 204 Cuba Street, Wellington, with a primary postal address at PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington. The organisation maintains regional headquarters or offices in Auckland and other centres for its activities. Its Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit operates chiefly from Wellington (with an office on Cuba Street) to liaise with government and conduct research.
6. Key Staff and Divisions: In addition to church congregations (Corps) across the country, the Salvation Army NZ operates a network of social service programs. It employs over 3,000 staff in New Zealand (including officers and lay employees) [1]. Notable divisions include its Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit (SPPU) – a team dedicated to research and advocacy on social issues – and nationally managed services for areas like addiction treatment, emergency housing, community ministries, and social housing. The SPPU is headed by a Social Policy Director (in recent years this has been experts such as Lt-Colonel Ian Hutson and more recently Ms. Bonnie Robinson) who lead the Army’s engagement with public policy.
7. Funding and Resources: The Salvation Army’s funding in NZ comes from a mix of public donations, commercial activities, and government contracts. It runs the well-known Family Stores (thrift shops) to recycle donated goods and generate revenue for its programs. It also receives significant government funding to deliver social services (such as contracts for rehabilitation, social housing, and community programmes). For example, it partners with government agencies like Oranga Tamariki, MSD, and Housing agencies to run services for at-risk families, housing the homeless, etc. The reliance on government contracts is such that changes in public funding directly impact its operations. (In 2024 the Army warned that government funding cuts in the social sector were forcing it to propose cutting frontline staff roles, reflecting its dependence on state support for service delivery [11].) The Salvation Army NZ also benefits from widespread public goodwill – its annual Red Shield Appeal and other fundraising campaigns raise millions in donations. Financial transparency is provided through annual reports and the Charities Register filings, where the Army reports expenditures on its social and evangelical work.
8. Corporate Structure: Legally, “The Salvation Army New Zealand” is structured as a group of charitable trusts. The primary New Zealand entity is The Salvation Army New Zealand Trust (one of the trusts under the NZFTS Territory) [3]. These trusts hold the assets and run operations in each country (NZ, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa) on behalf of the international Salvation Army. The trusts are governed by trustees (often senior Salvation Army officers) appointed via the international leadership. This somewhat unusual structure (with a foreign-appointed board for a domestic charity) means that while The Salvation Army NZ functions like a domestic NGO and church, it is not an independent local association – it is formally an arm of an international organisation.
9. Associated Entities: The Salvation Army (NZ) works alongside affiliated entities such as the Booth College of Mission (training college for officers), the Salvation Army Church Trusts for local corps, and various endowment funds or foundations (e.g. Jeff Farm Trust, as noted on the charities register). It is also a member of sector umbrella groups like the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS), coordinating with other churches on social policy issues. Its Maori Ministry (Te Ope Whakaora) and Pacific Island Ministries indicate engagement with specific communities. These details underscore that the Salvation Army NZ is both a religious denomination (with congregations and missionaries) and a major provider of welfare services, giving it a dual identity in organisational terms.
Sources
[1] Who We Are, The Salvation Army (NZFTS), https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/about-us/who-we-are
[2] Who We Are – Registered charity status, The Salvation Army (NZFTS), https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/about-us/who-we-are (Charities Act 2005 registration number CC37312)
[3] New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Leadership – Structure, The Salvation Army (NZFTS), https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/about-us/leadership-and-structure/new-zealand-fiji-tonga-and-samoa-leadership/
[4] New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Leadership – Territorial Commander, The Salvation Army (NZFTS), https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/about-us/leadership-and-structure/new-zealand-fiji-tonga-and-samoa-leadership/
[5] Submission on Lobbying Disclosure Bill (Background), The Salvation Army Social Policy & Parliamentary Unit, 2012 – The Unit “provides solid social research and robust policy analysis, engaging with national opinion makers…” (PDF)
[6] Measuring Social Impact, The Salvation Army (NZFTS) – Social Policy Unit Think Piece, Nov 2024 (describing visits by 15 MPs to Salvation Army centres), https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/measuring-social-impact
[7] Housing Advisory Group members named, New Zealand Government (Beehive press release), 17 Feb 2010, https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/housing-advisory-group-members-named
[8] HLR: Sallies apologise for hurting gays, GayNZ.com / PrideNZ, 4 July 2006, https://www.pridenz.com/gaynz/3492.html
[9] The Salvation Army Supports Proposed Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill, Scoop News, 30 July 2021, https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2107/S00216.htm
[10] Lobbying Disclosure Bill submission (exemption stance), The Salvation Army Social Policy & Parliamentary Unit, 2012 – Salvation Army advocated excluding religious/charitable organisations from the definition of ‘lobbyist’ (PDF)
[11] Salvation Army deeply concerned by Government funding cuts, The Salvation Army NZ, 4 Sept 2024, https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/news/salvation-army-deeply-concerned-government-funding-cuts
Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz