W
illiam and Catherine Booth were remarkable. When William
Booth moved to London at the age of 19 to find work to
support his mother and two sisters back in Nottingham,
he knew only two people: his sister, Ann, and her husband.
8
The War Cry | JULY 2015
by
ROGER J. GREEN, O.F.
The
Legacy
of
the
Booths
A mutual friend introduced
him to Catherine Mumford
in London, but Cath-
erine, living with her
parents, was leading a
rather sheltered life.
Their lives would be
radically changed as
they followed the
leading of God
and founded
The Chris-
tian Mission
in 1865, which
evolved into The Sal-
vation Army 13 years
later. At the end of
their lives--Catherine
in 1890 and William in
1912--untold numbers
of people around the earth
had either followed the Booths by
joining the Army or knew of their
impressive work.
This rich legacy shines like a
diamond with many facets, but
three are prominent.
First,
the Booths developed an
intentional community--inten-
tional in its doctrines, its mission
and even in its appearance. The
Army was founded not on their
personal authority, but on the au-
thority of the Scriptures that
bore witness to the glori-
ous message that "the
Word became human"
(John 1:14) and made
His home among us.
The doctrines that
flowed from this be-
lief came to life in the
Army's preaching and
ministry, often to the
least among them. And
the power of that redemptive
life was lived out in simplicity,
demonstrated most evidently in
the wearing of the Army uniform
as a sign that all of life was sac-
During their three-year
engagement, William
and Catherine kept in
touch by writing long
heartfelt letters.
Marching
forward...
One Army, One Mission,
One Message
150
YEARS
O
On
n
n
e
e
M
M
M
Mi
i
s
ss
s
s
i
io
o
n
n
n,
,
One Army,
O
O
O
M
Me
e
s
ss
s
a
ag
g
e
e
One
M
M
M
M
Marching
forward...
One Army, One Mission,
One Message
08-10_Booths_WCJul15_Werk7.indd 1
6/15/15 4:21 PM