Our Leadership

Commissioners Anthony and Gillian Cotterill are the Territorial Leaders for The Salvation Army in the UK and Ireland.

Based at The Salvation Army’s headquarters in Southwark, London, the Commissioners have responsibility for more than 750 corps and social work centres, as well as many thousands of officers, members, lay staff and volunteers in the UK and Ireland.

Read about our international leaders. 

About Commissioners Anthony and Gillian Cotterill

Student life in London
Gillian and Anthony met as students in 1976 at The Regent Hall Corps of The Salvation Army where three years later they were married and subsequently qualified as a nurse and school teacher.

Called to officership
Convinced of the call to follow Christ, who they had met as children, they served as soldiers together at the Corps and then in 1982 entered the Servants of God session at the International Training College with 16 month old Mark.

Corps ministry begins in Buckie
At their Commissioning they were appointed to Buckie where David was born. Ben arrived in 1986 at Arbroath, before the family moved to Pollokshaws Corps in Glasgow where they served for four years.

In 1991 they moved to Birmingham where they held appointments in Divisional youth work and where the family was completed with the arrival of Adam.

Moving south to Hemel Hempstead
Following six extremely fruitful and enjoyable years, the journey continued south to Hemel Hempstead in 1997 where, for the following seven years, they were the Corps Officers working alongside like-minded and hearted church leaders.

In excess of 20 Alpha courses were held at the Corps and new plant, together with intentional discipleship courses. Significant response was made to the refugee crisis of the day as well as the establishment of a temporary winter night shelter which eventually led to a permanent independent hostel in the town. It was in Hemel that so much was discovered about the realities and opportunities of Church leadership.

2004-2012 Divisional leadership
In 2004 Anthony and Gill were appointed as Divisional Leaders for the London South-East Division where for the following eight years the lessons of all the previous appointments were drawn upon to support existing Salvation Army ministries and to encourage new and fresh expressions. During these years Anthony also was part of County Church Leaders in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and South London as well as serving on the Canterbury Cathedral Council.

2012: a memorable year
2012 was a memorable year for the Cotterills: Chelsea at last won the Champions League, London was entertaining and mesmerising the world with the stunning Olympic Games and William Booth College welcomed Anthony and Gill as Principal and Assistant Principal!

2014: A new challenge in Denmark
These were appointments that sadly (in their view!) only lasted two years as a consequence of new appointments to Denmark, where Gill was the Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries but also held responsibility for Personnel, Spiritual Life, Anti-human trafficking, Lieutenants and Candidates while Anthony was the Chief Secretary.

One highlight of the three years plus away from the UK ITerritory was overseeing the new work in Greenland, which had only commenced in 2012.

2018 to present day
In August 2018 the Cotterills were appointed as Territorial Leaders for the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland.