The International College for Officers and Centre for Spiritual Life Development in London hosted the first-ever International Prayer Leaders Gathering. Twenty-four delegates, representing all five Salvation Army international zones, met from 11-18 September for the first event organized by the Centre for Spiritual Life Development.

The group of 20 officers and four soldiers – each with responsibility for promoting prayer or developing spiritual life in his or her territory – quickly discovered that, despite varied contexts, they have much in common. The ways in which they encourage and resource the prayer life of Salvationists varies but they share a deeply held conviction that prayer must be a spiritual focus of individual Salvationists, a foundation for Salvationists' life together and that it must undergird Salvationists' interaction with the culture they live in.

The theme 'Restoring the Foundations', derived from Isaiah 58:12, was developed in a systematic exploration of six 'Calls' from The Salvation Army's Spiritual Life Commission. These included the Call to the Word (led by Lieut-Colonel Janet Munn, Secretary for Spiritual Life Development); the Call to the Inner life (Commissioner Lyn Pearce, International Headquarters); the Call to War (Lyndall Bywater, UK Territory); the Call to Holiness (Commissioner Robert Street, IHQ) and the Call to our Life Together (Major Peter Farthing, Australia Eastern Territory). Each day was marked by prayer and worship, teaching and personal reflection on one of the 'Calls'.

The Call to Worship was the appropriate theme for Sunday worship led by the Chief of the Staff, Commissioner Robin Dunster, and Lieut-Colonel Edna Williams (IHQ).