John Alfred Larsson was the 17th General of The Salvation Army.
Background
The son of officer parents, he spent his early years in his native Sweden, in Denmark, Chile and Argentina. Even his grandparents were officers in The Salvation Army, and his grandfather on his father"s side, Commissioner Karl Larsson, is known in the Army"s history as the one who "opened fire" in Russia the first time (1914).
Education
He graduated from the University of London with a Bachelor's Degree degree.
Career
John Larsson became an officer in 1957 from the Upper Norwood Corps, London, England. After a year as a corps officer in the north of England, he served on the staff of the International Training College in London for seven years before returning to corps appointments. He and Captain Freda Turner were married in 1969 while Larsson was stationed at the corps in Ealing.
In 1984, they were appointed to the International Training College as principal and librarian, respectively.
They were appointed to International Headquarters in London in 1988. Larsson, as assistant to the chief of the staff for United Kingdom administrative planning, was given the task of researching and planning for the separation of the international and national administrations.
Freda Larsson served as coordinator for married women officers. The Larssons were then appointed territorial commander and territorial president of Women"s Organisations for the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland in 1990.
In 1993, they were appointed territorial leaders for the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory.
And in 1996, they received similar appointments for the Sweden and Latvia Territory. Larsson is the author of Doctrine Without Tears, The Manitoba Perfectly Filled with the Spirit, Spiritual Breakthrough and How Your Corps Can Grow. He is also a composer and, together with John Gowans, co-authored ten full-length stage musicals, Take-Over Bid (1967), Hosea (1969), Jesus Folk (1972), Spirit (1973), Glory (1975), White Rose (1977), The Blood Of The Lamb (1978), Son Of Manitoba (1983), Manitoba Mark II (1985), and The Meeting (1990).
Larsson was elected General on 6 September 2002, and assumed the office following the retirement of his predecessor, General John Gowans.
Shaw Clifton succeeded to the office of general when Larsson retired at midnight on 1 April 2006.
Connections
Married Freda Turner Larsson, 1969. Children: Karl, Kevin.