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Division will be one of the largest in the nation
A new California South Division will merge the Western Territory’s Southern California and Sierra del Mar divisions July 1 as part of the territory-wide “Project 180” effort, designed to reduce costs, increase income and develop ministry.
The new division will be headquartered in Los Angeles—though its location is still in the planning stages—with a smaller county coordination office to remain in San Diego. The California South Division will initially operate out of the Territorial Headquarters building in Long Beach.
As a result of the merge, the territory’s operational savings will be redirected for increased ministry.
“The Salvation Army has a firm and long-standing commitment to being good financial stewards of its donated resources,” said Territorial Commander Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder. “These changes will help the Army save money that can be directed to our core mission of preaching the Gospel and caring for God’s people in need.”
The new division figures to be one of the largest in the U.S.— encompassing 22 million people across seven metropolitan areas from San Diego all the way north through San Luis Obispo—with 51 corps and more than 5,400 soldiers.
“The tremendous savings gained by servicing this geographic area from a central location will allow us to better support corps,” said Chief Secretary Colonel Douglas Riley, who chairs a committee established to handle the merge. “We’re confident that we will not lose any forward progress and that this will only make a stronger and more united division.”
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