ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Commissioners
Kenneth G. and Jolene K. Hodder have
begun their tenure leading The Salvation Army in the United States. Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder becomes the new National
Commander, and Commissioner Jolene K.
Hodder serves as the new National President of Women's
Ministries. General Brian Peddle,
the world leader of The Salvation Army, announced their
appointments earlier this year. The couple follows in the footsteps
of Commissioners David and Sharron
Hudson, who served in those respective roles before their
retirement this year.
As the thirtieth National Commander of The Salvation Army,
Commissioner Kenneth Hodder will
lead the largest social services organization in the United States, with 7,600 centers of
operation across the country that together serve nearly 23 million
people each year. He will also serve as the national spokesman for
the organization, and he will be active on Twitter with his account
@NatlCommander.
Commissioner Jolene Hodder will
run The Salvation Army's Women's Ministries, whose goal is to
empower and equip women in all facets of life. Under her
leadership, she hopes to inspire women to deeper faith and service
for others while addressing issues that are critical to women.
The Hodders assume their leadership positions at a moment of
intense need as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. After the Great
Recession of 2008, The Salvation Army saw an additional 10 million
requests for service. The numbers related to COVID-19 are expected
to surpass that figure. Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak,
The Salvation Army has already provided more than 58.5 million
meals (a combination of 8.7 million prepared meals and nearly 2.5
million food boxes that provide about 20 meals each), 1.2 million
nights of shelter and 712,000 responses to requests for emotional
and spiritual care.
"I pray that The Salvation Army can serve as a model for the
'Applied Gospel,'" Commissioner Kenneth
Hodder says. "Because The Salvation Army was born on the
street, we must remain on the street to meet need in His name
without discrimination. In addition to providing a range of
assistance related to COVID-19, we will continue to focus on
fighting poverty in the United
States. It is unacceptable that people live under bridges or
in tents in our country, and The Salvation Army has a critical role
to play in improving that situation. By taking a hands-on approach
to helping others, The Salvation Army can truly become 'the church
that has left the building.'"
Prior to this appointment, Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, a sixth-generation Salvationist
whose father, Commissioner Kenneth
Hodder, was the National Commander from 1993 to 1995, served
as the Territorial Commander of the USA Western Territory, and Commissioner
Jolene Hodder served as the
Territorial President of Women's Ministries. Among other vital
efforts, together they worked diligently to address the growing
crisis of homelessness in the Western
United States. Last year, Commissioner Kenneth Hodder launched The Way Out, an
initiative whose goal is to double The Salvation Army's response to
homelessness over five years.
In addition to their efforts in the
United States, the Hodders have deep experience working
overseas. In 2006, they were appointed to serve in the Kenya
Territory. In his role as chief secretary, Kenneth Hodder assumed operational
responsibility for the creation of the Kenya East and Kenya West
Territories. Three years later, the Hodders were appointed to The
Salvation Army's International Headquarters, in London, where Kenneth
Hodder served in dual roles as international secretary for
personnel and as legal and constitutional adviser to the General.
He also served as a member of the International Moral and Social
Issues Council. Jolene Hodder served
as associate international secretary for personnel and as secretary
to the Chief's Business Session. They were subsequently appointed
as the territorial leaders for Kenya
West in January 2013. They
returned to the United States in
2017 to accept their positions in the USA Western Territory.
"We are grateful for each opportunity to advocate for the
humanity and dignity of those we serve, and to help meet their
physical, emotional and spiritual needs," said Commissioner
Jolene Hodder. "We've been in some
of the richest and poorest communities in the world. Every person
is a child of God and deserves all He has to offer. That's why
we're committed to helping men, women and children be their very
best."
Before becoming Salvation Army officers in 1988, the Hodders
both had successful careers in the corporate world. Commissioner
Kenneth Hodder graduated from
Harvard College and Harvard Law School and practiced corporate and
real estate law in Los Angeles
with the firm Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison.
Commissioner Jolene Hodder
graduated from California State University,
Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Science degree, after which
she became a divisional manager for Carter
Hawley Hale. She later earned a Master of Arts
in Religion from Trevecca Nazarene
University.
She is also the author of two books, Walking in White and
A Bend in the Road.
The Hodders have one daughter, Jessica
Fagerstrom, and are grandparents to their pride and joy,
Everett Kenneth.
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation
Army annually helps nearly 23 million Americans overcome poverty,
addiction and economic hardships through a range of social
services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for
disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug
and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The
Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation
around the country. In the first-ever listing of "America's
Favorite Charities" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The
Salvation Army ranked as the country's largest privately funded,
direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit
SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter: @SalvationArmyUS and
#DoingTheMostGood.
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SOURCE Salvation Army