WILLIAM AND CATHERINE BOOTH

​

The Salvation Army is a Christian organization motivated by God’s love to preach the gospel of Jesus and meet people’s needs in His name without discrimination. It was founded by William and Catherine Booth. The Booths wanted to reach the poor in East London. In the mid-1800s, William decided to take the message of Christianity to the streets. He taught the gospel message to the poor and homeless who were rejected or didn’t feel welcomed into a traditional church building. His movement rapidly grew and eventually became known as the Salvation Army. 

 

William began walking the streets of the East End of London by himself to share the Good News of Jesus with the outcasts of society. Although Catherine did not have many rights as a woman in the 1800s, she became a preacher, theologian, and co-founder of the Salvation Army alongside her husband. 

 

In 1865, William began to hold evangelism meetings in an old graveyard and quickly drew a lot of attention. Many people attended these gatherings and became dedicated volunteers and Jesus-followers. The gospel message spread exponentially because new believers were encouraged to share the message as their personal testimony of faith.

 

Within just ten years, more than a thousand volunteers and staff members were serving under the name “The Christian Mission,” which became the Salvation Army. From 1881 to 1885, the Salvation Army converted 250,000 people throughout the British Isles. The Salvation Army also spread to other countries such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, and France. Today the Salvation Army exists in over 100 different countries. The Booth's children continued the organization after their parents died.