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General Paul Rader - Biography
Elected to the Army's highest office as worldwide leader on 23 July 1994, General Paul A.Rader an American citizen, son of distinguished officers, the late Lieut-Colonel and Mrs Lyell Rader, DD, OF. Born in New York in 1934, General Rader spent his undergraduate years at Asbury College, then pursued studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, graduating with BA, BD and MTh degrees.
At Asbury, he met and married his wife, Kay, who upon graduating with a BA degree, qualified as a teacher, She is the daughter of Rev J.O. Fuller, a Methodist minister. Together, they entered the School for Officers Training in New York in September 1960. Commissioned a year later, Lieutenant and Mrs Rader assisted at Newark, New Jersey Central Corps, while undertaking studies in Korean with a view to missionary service there. They arrived in Seoul, Korea, in January 1962 to serve on the staff of the Officer Training College. After five years, Captain Rader was appointed Vice Principal.
Returning to the USA in 1971, Captain Rader engaged in a course of study at Fuller Theological Seminary, School of World Evangelism, gaining the degree of Doctor of Missiology two years later. During this period, Captain Rader was assigned to Southern California Divisional Headquarters and Mrs Captain Rader to Pasadena Corps, California.
In August 1973, Major and Mrs Rader returned to Korea, the major to serve first as Training Principal, then Territorial Education Secretary, and later, Assistant Chief Secretary; Mrs Major Rader served as Territorial Home League Secretary. In October 1977, Major Rader was appointed Chief Secretary with the rank of Lieut-Colonel, and Mrs Lieut-Colonel Rader was appointed Acting Territorial President of Women's Organizations.
In February 1984, Lieut-Colonel and Mrs Rader returned to their homeland, after 22 years of service in Korea; Lieut-Colonel Rader to serve as Principal of the School for Officers Training in Suffern, New York, for three years, followed by two years of divisional leadership. During this time, Asbury College conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) on Colonel Rader.
In January 1989, Colonel Rader was appointed Chief Secretary of the USA Eastern Territory, and nine months later came promotion to the rank of Commissioner and appointment to the command of the USA Western Territory; Mrs Commissioner Rader becoming Territorial President of Women's Organizations.
General and Mrs Rader have three children, Edith, James Paul, and Jennifer, and seven grandchildren.
As fervent believers in the scriptural imperative to take the gospel to all the world and in the success of church growth principles, General and Mrs Rader characteristically set bold, imaginative targets for expansionary growth, moving out in the USA Western Territory into the South Pacific and diverse ethnic ministries. They had a clear vision of the challenge facing the Army and of our need to be clean, pure vessels for the Spirit to minister effectively.
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