On behalf of General Brian Peddle, Commissioner Floyd Tidd, territorial commander, presented Dr. James Read with the Order of the Founder, The Salvation Army’s highest award, in a ceremony at the College for Officer Training in Winnipeg in September. Dr. Read has given decades of distinguished service to The Salvation Army, most recently as executive director of the Ethics Centre, and is now entering retirement.

Dr. Read completed his doctoral studies in philosophy at UCLA, taught at public universities in Tennessee and Ohio, and eventually returned to Canada in 1982 to help establish Catherine Booth Bible College, now Booth University College. In 1994, he founded The Salvation Army Ethics Centre and, in 2008, he became a senior policy analyst for the newly formed International Social Justice Commission. He also served as chair of the International Moral and Social Issues Council out of International Headquarters. 

“Christians may not have all the answers to all the dilemmas today, but disengagement is not an option for us,” said Commissioner Tidd as he presented Dr. Read with the Order of the Founder. “We thank you for that reminder.”

Along with his professional work, Dr. Read is active at his home corps, Heritage Park Temple in Winnipeg, together with his wife, Laurie, and served for many years as corps sergeant-major.

“Your service in various aspects through the years has been demonstrative of whole-life discipleship as you have combined your faith and academic work,” wrote General Peddle in a letter to Dr. Read. “You have helped The Salvation Army work out what it means to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly.”

Accepting the honour with “enormous gratitude,” Dr. Read shared from Philippians 4:8, where the Apostle Paul writes, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Reflecting on the importance of the word think in that passage, Dr. Read said, “We in The Salvation Army, I think when we are at our best, we are people who are reflective practitioners. We are active, we are ‘roll up the sleeves,’ we are in there, we are engaged. But it’s an engagement that’s backed by a deep thinking and analysis, an appreciation of what is true.”

The Order of the Founder was instituted by General Bramwell Booth in 1917 to mark “outstanding service rendered by officers and soldiers such as would in spirit or achievement have been specially commended by the Founder.”