Father Michael Lapsley was born in New Zealand and ordained in Australia. In 1973 he went to South Africa as a young Anglican priest where he became chaplain to both black and white students at the very height of apartheid oppression. In 1976 he was elected National University Chaplain. That was the year of the Soweto uprising in which many black school children were shot and killed. Father Michael began using his public platform to speak out on behalf of students who had been shot, detained, and tortured, and shortly thereafter he was expelled from South Africa.

He spent the next 16 years as chaplain to the liberation movement in exile, traveling the world to mobilize particularly the faith community to oppose apartheid and support the struggle for freedom. While still in Zimbabwe in April 1990, 3 months after Nelson Mandela's release from prison, he was sent a letter bomb from South Africa disguised as religious literature. In the blast, he lost both hands, the sight of one eye, and was severely burned. Accompanied by the prayers, love, and support from around the world, he began his own journey from victim to survivor to victor.

Before their appointment as Territorial Leaders for the USA Western Territory in July 2010, Commissioners James and Carolyn Knaggs served all Western all of their officership in the USA Eastern Territory, except for a four-year period as Territorial Leaders for the Australia Southern Territory. They were commissioned as officers in 1976 and following a brief appointment at Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Divisional Headquarters they became Corps Officers.

Following seven years as corps leaders they were appointed to the Greater New York Division where, the then Captain James Knaggs was the Divisional Youth Secretary and, the then, Captain Carolyn Knaggs served as the Divisional Corps Cadet Counsellor. In 1987 they were appointed to the youth department at territorial headquarters. In 1989 they returned to the Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Division where James became the Divisional Secretary and Divisional Men’s Fellowship Secretary and Carolyn was Divisional League of Mercy Secretary.

Following three years at DHQ Captain James Knaggs was appointed as Territorial Youth Secretary in 1992 and then in 1994 he became Territorial Evangelism and Corps Growth Secretary. During this time Captain Carolyn Knaggs had the positions of Territorial Corps Cadets and Junior Soldiers Bureau Director and Territorial Stewardship Bureau Director. In 1996, the then, Major James Knaggs became General Secretary for Field Operations at Greater New York Division and Major Carolyn Knaggs as Divisional Director of Volunteers and Current Issues Secretary with additional chaplaincy responsibilities.

As Lieut-Colonels, in 1999, the Knaggs became divisional leaders for Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware with James being Divisional Commander and Carolyn the Associate Divisional Commander.

Celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2012, The Salvation Army’s New York Staff Band has built a reputation as one of the world’s finest brass bands. The band’s mission has remained virtually unaltered since it was established by then National Commander Ballington Booth in 1887: to bring public awareness to the work of The Salvation Army, to support fund raising efforts and to provide a model of ministry and music making.