Catherine Booth

Catherine Mumford was born on January 17, 1829, in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England. Her father was a carriage maker and a lay preacher in the Methodist church, and her mother was a strict and devout woman. Catherine was a frail child who suffered from a curvature of the spine and from lung trouble. She spent much of her time in bed and so read widely. By the age of twelve, she had read through the Bible eight times, and she had a sharp mind and strong convictions. She was a keen supporter of the temperance movement and joined the cause as a girl.

As a young woman she went through a period of spiritual struggle. She was deeply serious about her faith but lacked a sense of peace. In 1846 she found assurance in the middle of a time of illness, as she was reading a hymn about the love of Christ. She said that she gave herself to the Lord wholly. She joined the Methodist church and then was expelled for her support of reform, which brought her closer to a group of reformers. In 1852 she met William Booth, a young preacher with a strong passion for the poor. They became engaged, and they wrote long letters to each other on every subject of faith.

They were married on June 16, 1855. They had eight children, and the family lived on little. William traveled as an evangelist, and Catherine managed the home and wrote letters. She was a wise counselor to her husband and held firm views of her own. In 1859 she published a pamphlet called Female Ministry, in which she defended the right of women to preach the gospel. She argued from Scripture that women had been called to proclaim the Word, pointing to Pentecost and to the women who served in the early church. The pamphlet caused a stir, and many men attacked her.

She herself began to preach in 1860, and she found that she had a gift for it. She spoke with clarity and persuasion, and crowds came to hear her. She was often invited to speak in churches and halls, especially among the wealthy, whom she urged to care for the poor. Her husband founded the Christian Mission in the East End of London in 1865, which later became the Salvation Army in 1878. Catherine worked at his side. She trained women as preachers and officers, and she held that men and women should serve on equal terms. The Salvation Army was one of the first Christian movements to give women full roles.

She suffered poor health throughout her life, and she endured the strain of raising a large family while serving the mission. She also faced opposition from those who despised the Army's methods, including its street marches, bands and open-air meetings. She did not flinch. She wrote that holiness was the aim of the Christian life and that the gospel must reach those who were left out.

In 1888 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she endured two years of painful illness. She died on October 4, 1890, at the age of sixty-one, in Clacton-on-Sea. Thousands lined the streets of London for her funeral. She is remembered as the Mother of the Salvation Army and as one of the great women of the Victorian church. Her life shows that conviction, courage and a love for the poor can open doors that have long been closed.