Catherine Booth(1829-1890)

Summary Catherine Mumford was born in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, in

1829. She was converted in 1845 at the age of 16 and became more involved in the church. She married William Booth in 1855 and became a faithful and supporting preacher’s wife. She felt the Lord called to speak after a sermon and from that point she dedicated her life to simply doing what the Lord led her to do. She organized against injustices, especially to women. She had particular compassion on the oppressed and the poor. Among her many accomplishments, she co-founded the Salvation Army and published books concerning women’s right to preach and teach in the church. She died of cancer in 1890.

Facts Her dad was a coach builder and a lay preacher She was chronically ill and bedridden for much of

her childhood She read the Bible through eight times by the age of

12 Didn’t feel converted until the age of 16 Married a Methodist preacher, William Booth, in

1855

Accomplishments Wrote Pamphlets on Women’s Rights to teach and preach God’s

Word Evangelistic campaigning Founded East End Mission – Christian Mission – Salvation Army Published Author Organized Food-for-the- Million Shops where poor could buy hot

soup and a three-course dinner for a sixpence 17,000 attended worship at the Salvation Army where she preached

as opposed to 11,000 in ordinary churches She became concerned with sweat shops and attempted to improve

the working conditions of these women She became particularly concerned with match factories where the

women were become ill due to the harmful affects of yellow phosphorus

Communication Style Simple Honest Passionate Thorough Well prepared

Quote “Many do not recognize the fact as they ought, that

Satan has got men fast asleep in sin and that it is his great device to keep them so. He does not care what we do if he can do that. We may sing songs about the sweet by and by, preach sermons and say prayer until doomsday, and he will never concern himself about us, if we don’t wake anybody up. But if we awake the sleeping sinner he will gnash on us with his teeth. This is our work – to wake people up.”