Since the 1920s the court has been owned by The Salvation Army and has been the meeting place of the High Council of The Salvation Army The grounds used to be part of a larger estate that contained the Royal Manor of Kempton, a mansion frequented by Henry III, Edward I, and Edward II in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Between 1799 and 1863, the owners of the court refurbished the estate, including adding new wings to the building.

[7] All of the Army's High Councils have been held at Sunbury court except to elect generals Evangeline Booth in 1934, George Carpenter in 1939, and Andre Cox in 2013.

[5] Outside the High Council, the court serves as a conference center for Salvation Army activities.

[8] In the 1990s, the Army expanded the court by adding an additional board room and housing for guests.