COMMISSIONERS WESLEY AND MARGARET HARRIS

The territorial leaders for Canada and Bermuda, Commissioner and Mrs. Wesley Harris are visionaries who fully employ the modern media to proclaim the good news of the Gospel of Christ and the ongoing ministry of The Salvation Army.  With their family roots traceable to the beginnings of The Salvation Army, they exude a spirit of Salvationism, obvious in their abandonment to their duties as leaders.

Commissioned as a Salvation Army officer in 1948, Commissioner Harris spent the following 25 years giving vigorous command at Army evangelical centres (corps) in Great Britain -- including Margate, Croydon, and Exeter (whereas Area Commander he, along with his wife, had responsibility for 12 centres in Devon.) They also were corps officers at the famous "Rink" - Regent Hall, in London's Oxford Street.

While giving full priority to his Christian witness as an evangelist, throughout his officership Commissioner Harris has maintained a deep interest in and a commitment to community service.

Following three years as General Secretary for Scotland, where Mrs. Harris had responsibility for work among women, the then Colonel Harris worked in Australia for four years in the Southern Territory.  Based in Melbourne, as Chief Secretary, Wesley Harris had administrative responsibilities for a large social and evangelistic work.  Then in October of 1982 came another appointment to Scotland, this time as Territorial Commander.  He was a nominee for the position of General as the High Council of international leaders in 1986.  With his appointment to the New Zealand and Fiji Territory, in August 1986, as Territorial Commander, came the rank of Commissioner.  Among many building projects in New Zealand, Commissioner Harris saw the opening of the new Territorial Headquarters building by HRH, the Princess Royal.

Before entering the Army's International Training College, London, England, in 1947, Wesley Harris was on the staff of the Cardiff Western Mail newspaper; and by maintaining journalistic contributions to Salvation Army periodicals through the year, qualified himself for his appointment in 1977 as Editor-in-Chief at The Salvation Army International Headquarters.  As well as being Editor of The War Cry (to which chair he was appointed in 1976) as Editor-in-Chief he had overall responsibility for Army periodicals which in Britain alone sold half-a-million copies per issue.

Margaret Sansom who as a Captain married Wesley Harris in 1955, was born in Peking, China, of Salvation Army missionary parents.  She has seen service in Czechoslovakia (where her mother and step-father oversaw Army operations before the work was forcibly disbanded), as well as in the Women's Social Services.  With her appointment to the Canada and Bermuda Territory, Mrs. Harris assumed responsibility for all women's organizations with the title Territorial President of Women's Organizations.