William Booth (1829-1912) and Catherine Booth (1829-1890)
READ: Isaiah 61
William and Catherine Booth were a dynamic duo for the Lord. While William was born into poverty, Catherine was born into a comfortable Christian home. Both came to develop strong personal relationships with the Lord and sought to see others experience the same. They met and married in expectation of a life of ministry.
Catharine advocated strongly for women in ministry. She was bold in her beliefs that the Apostle Paul’s words about women had been too long taken out of context. She believed that women had the ability and the heavenly right to preach the Word of God. William supported her, and when Catharine finally did get a chance to preach, her listeners were mesmerized. She was blazing a new trail for women on the pastoral frontier.
England’s lower class society was in disarray; neither the Church of England nor the Methodists had a strategy to bring the gospel to the poor. The homeless and the hoodlum had no one offering them the Bread of life. William and Catherine had a heart for the downtrodden, and together they lived among the poor, reaching out to those caught in drunkenness, violence, prostitution and homelessness. They met the people’s needs and preached the gospel of Christ. Eventually they would establish the famous Salvation Army. Through this mission, they continued to reach out to the needs of the demoralized while incorporating military organization like uniforms, officers and marching bands. The Salvation Army officers paraded through the streets, singing, preaching and drawing people into the mission where they could experience the love of God.
Many knew and were impacted by William and Catherine Booth. When William died in 1912, 40,000 attended his funeral. Even the queen was there. He and Catherine had spent their lives for the gospel, and went on to receive their reward.
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. Where do you feel weak in your faith?
2. Ask God how He wants to grow your faith this summer. What does He want to do in your heart?
3. Thank God for what He has shown you, and pray that it would become a reality in your life.
