Commissioner William Francis

Territorial Commander
The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory

Areas of Expertise
Social Service
NonProfit Managament
Disaster Response
Fundraising
Religious Leadership

Bio and Experience
Commissioner William Francis began his appointment as the leader of The Salvation Army in Canada in July 2007. The Commissioner has been serving as an officer in The Salvation Army for the past 30 years along with his wife, Commissioner Marilyn Francis. His most recent posting was as the International Secretary for the Americas, representing The Salvation Army in the Western Hemisphere at International Headquarters in London, England. In his previous role as Chief Secretary - or Chief Operating Officer - for The Salvation Army in the United States Eastern Territory, Commissioner Francis oversaw the Army’s response following the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City.

In his current position, Commissioner Francis is the chief spokesperson for The Salvation Army’s continuing work in the Canada and Bermuda Territory, including:

Poverty and Homelessness
“Poverty is a blot on the character of so many nations today … We must attack the roots of those problems.”

Emergency Disaster Services
“I arrived at Ground Zero about 12 hours after the planes hit … and The Salvation Army was already there. It was a life-changing experience. The Army brought light and hope and some joy into a hellish, devastating experience.”

Fundraising/Volunteers
“The Salvation Army is a relatively small group of people around the world … and yet we have such an impact on society. We rely heavily on volunteers and people in the community who support our mission and our work … These supporters are truly the Army behind the Army.”

Service
“While we cannot solve all of the problems in the world, we can’t become frustrated … We have to love and serve without any strings attached … unconditionally.”

Social Justice
“The Army is putting a great deal of resources into addressing this. This is a problem around the world and we need to intelligently and specifically address it … The fact is that the Christian message is both for righteousness and justice.”

The Salvation Army
“I’m very committed to keeping the Army strong and visible and on the cutting edge … so that we remain relevant to the day and age in which we live.”

Commissioner William Francis is available for media interviews, speaking engagements and other appearances. To contact Commissioner Francis, please call or email Andrew Burditt with The Salvation Army at (416) 422-6208 or Andrew_Burditt@can.salvationarmy.org.