“Since when did money, with all the comforts it can purchase, ever succeed in healing the sorrows of a single soul?” —Catherine Booth
The ringing bell. The red kettle. People slipping a couple of coins or dollars into the slot. For most of us, this Christmastime sight is probably the image that comes to mind when we hear the words “Salvation Army.” But long before the bell ringers became the unofficial face of this organization, Catherine Booth and her husband, William, founded the ministry that would help those less fortunate, both at home and abroad.
Early Days
Catherine Booth was born Catherine Mumford on January 17, 1829, to Methodist parents in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England. Catherine and her brother John were the only two surviving of five children.
When Catherine was around fourteen, she developed an issue with her spine, which meant months in bed. But while she was confined to bed rest, she studied theology and the history of the church. She met her husband, William, at a meeting of Methodist Reformers in 1852, and eight months later they were engaged.
During their courtship and engagement, they learned that their convictions did not always align. Catherine believed that women should be allowed to speak openly, and even to preach and teach the good news of the gospel, at a time when female preachers were unheard of. Though William initially was opposed to women sharing truths from the Bible publicly, Catherine’s compelling defense was hard to refute, and she became an invaluable partner to him in ministry.
Marriage and Motherhood
Catherine and William were married on June 16, 1855. Following their brief honeymoon, they began their formal ministry as traveling evangelists. Catherine was often in poor health, so she couldn’t always travel with William, but as soon as she regained her strength she joined him, wherever he was. Although Catherine was concerned about her health and wished for a place to call home, the early days of their marriage and ministry were happy.
The Booths had eight children, the first four born between 1856 and 1860. Each of the Booths’ children was raised with the values of service and sacrifice for the Lord. The family was not well-off by physical means, but they were rich in love for each other and those outside their home. Once, when Catherine was patching her eldest son’s clothes, he complained that the other boys would think they were poor. She responded, “Well, so we are.” Catherine led her children in courageously supporting the work of the Salvation Army, even if it meant sacrificing the comforts of a more affluent life.
The Salvation Army
For a time, William served as a preacher in the New Connexion, a denomination rooted in Wesleyan theology. However, the constraints of the denomination and prejudices of those in leadership made it difficult for the Booths to minister to those they felt were most in need: the poor and downtrodden of London who were often unable to see past their glasses of whiskey. Both Catherine and William felt called to share the gospel with those who society chose not to see.
The ministry began in East London as the East London Christian Revival Society, later becoming the East London Christian Mission, and still later the Christian Mission. Understanding that William’s work in the East End would not bring an income, Catherine earned money by speaking to people in the wealthier West End.
As William won converts in the East End, he enlisted them in what would one day come to be known as the Salvation Army, and the impact of these believers would stretch around the world.
The Army Mother
Despite Catherine never holding an official title within the ministry, she came to be known affectionately as the “Mother of the Salvation Army.” One of the men who came to the Lord through William’s witness was an illiterate alcoholic named Jimmie. Catherine insisted that Jimmie travel with her, and during their travels she taught him how to read, spell, and tell time.
Catherine supported her husband in the ministry of the Salvation Army, training many women to share the gospel without fear. She raised her daughters to be courageous women who went on to serve the ministry and the Lord in every part of the world.
Eternal Impact
In February of 1888, Catherine received the devastating news that she had breast cancer and only had two years to live. Because of her illness, she couldn’t attend the Salvation Army’s twenty-fifth anniversary celebration, but she sent along a message, in which she encouraged those present to “[g]o forward! Live holy lives. Be true to the Army. God is your strength.”
After she died, an estimated fifty thousand people paid their respects to a life of service to her family, her community, and her God. Today, the ministry she and her husband began continues the work in 134 countries, meeting the physical and spiritual needs of people far and wide.
“What the law tried to do by a restraining power from without, the gospel does by an inspiring power from within.” —Catherine Booth
Here is a resource if you would like to learn more about Catherine Booth.
