A record has been broken as, Commissioner Garth Niemand will be the Chief of the Staff and Commissioner Patti Niemand will be World Secretary for Women’s Ministries, effective from October 1, 2026, the first from Africa to get such an appointment. They will succeed Commissioners Edward and Shelley Hill who will retire from active officer service, The Salvation Army has announced.
Commissioners Garth and Patti Niemand entered The Salvation Army Training College in 1998 and were ordained and commissioned as Lieutenants in 1999 as members of the Forward 2000 Session in the Southern Africa Territory.
Their ministry began with three years of corps and community service leadership at a Corps and Goodwill Centre in Pietermaritzburg. In 2003, as Captains, they were appointed Corps Officers of Johannesburg City Corps. From 2004 to 2008, they also served as Administrators of Johannesburg Social Services, during which time Captain Garth Niemand additionally fulfilled responsibilities as Sectional Youth Officer.
In 2008, both officers were appointed to Territorial Headquarters. Captain Garth Niemand became Territorial Public Relations Secretary, and Captain Patti Niemand was appointed Territorial Planned Giving and Legacy Director. In 2010, Captain Garth Niemand assumed the role of Assistant Secretary for Business Administration, and in 2011, Captains Garth and Patti Niemand were appointed Territorial Secretary for Business Administration and Territorial Social Programme Secretary, respectively. Throughout this period, both contributed significantly to the development of future officers through regular lecturing at the College for Officer Training.
In 2015, now serving as Majors, they were appointed to the Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar Territory. Major Garth Niemand became the territory’s first Territorial Secretary for Business Administration, and Major Patti Niemand served as Assistant Programme Secretary (Social). In January 2018, Major Patti Niemand was appointed Territorial Secretary for Programme.
Later that year, on November 1, 2018, Majors Garth and Patti Niemand were appointed Chief Secretary and Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries, respectively, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. In 2019, Lieut-Colonel Patti Niemand also assumed responsibility as Territorial Secretary for Leader Development.
On May 1, 2020, as Colonels, they were appointed Territorial Leaders of the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory. Subsequently, on September 1, 2023, they were appointed as Commissioners to International Headquarters, where Commissioner Garth Niemand serves as International Secretary for Business Administration and Commissioner Patti Niemand as World Secretary for Spiritual Life Development.
Commissioner Garth Niemand holds a Master of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Theology, and qualifications in Accounting and Leadership. Commissioner Patti Niemand holds a Bachelor of Theology and an Ascent Leadership Certificate.
Commissioner Garth Niemand will be the first Chief of the Staff from a supported territory, and the first from Africa.
