The Salvation Army’s best-selling book of daily Bible readings and comments - Words of Life - will have a new writer this coming September, the Salvation Army’s General John Larsson has announced. The new writer is the retired General of the Salvation Army, John Gowans (Ret).

Words of Life is published jointly by The Salvation Army and Hodder & Stoughton, one of the world's premier publishers of religious books. Its healthy circulation of 11,400 copies is almost equally split between UK and overseas sales. It is published three times a year, in Advent, Easter and Pentecost editions.

Major Barbara Sampson, the previous writer for Words of Life, has contributed to Words of Life for six years. Her high-quality writing has been appreciated by Salvationist worldwide. The Chief of the Staff Commissioner Israel L. Gaither commented it as "outstanding".

The Chief also said that Major Sampson has brought to Words of Life 'a combination of skills, including Bible scholarship, a deep spirituality and a particular awareness of the importance of inclusivity.

General John Gowans is expected to be another great author. The Chief said, "General John Gowans will need no introduction to Salvation Army readers, who will be excited by the prospect of a daily blessing through his inspirational writing. He has often spoken and written of his belief in an essentially kind God, while also delivering trenchant challenges which cut swiftly to the heart of the dilemmas of daily living."

The Chief spoke of the urgent need of spiritual bread to solve the poverty of this world and that is the commission of Words of Life.

"The world increasingly needs to hear of such a God, and Words of Life - a world leader among daily Bible reading publications - will provide our retired leader with an unrivalled platform for a continuing ministry to thousands of people. Few devotional writers today are as in touch with the needs of the world as is General Gowans, and even fewer have his remarkable ability to communicate with 'everyman' and 'everywoman'."

General Gowans will take up his responsibilities on 1st September and his first writing is expected to be published on the Pentecost 2007 and subsequent editions. Major Sampson will complete all the editions up to and including Easter 2007 as she formally relinquishes her Words of Life duties on 1st May 2006.