CATHERINE BOOTH - Co-Founder of the Salvation Army

 As a child, Catherine Mumford experienced long periods of illness, which kept her from attending school.   Instead, she read voraciously every subject, including theological and philosophical books far beyond her years. She read aloud to her Mother the entire Bible twice through, before she turned twelve years of age.  The love story of William and Catherine Booth is as enchanting as any recorded in history. Their lifelong devotion to one another played no small part in the success of the great achievement of their lives -- the founding of the Salvation Army. Their marriage was exceedingly happy, notwithstanding financial insecurity, frequent overwork, and chronic illness.  Despite the fact that she was a semi-invalid, Catherine lived a very full life in Victorian England. Her appearance as a woman preacher, at first, caused sensation and outrage, but revealed an outstanding speaker of convincing logic and unusual ardor. Her collected addresses were published under significant titles. In them, she called for a practical Christianity, and affirmed that the Gospel of Jesus Christ should be aggressively proclaimed in both word and deed. The ruling motive in her life was always love for God, for her fellow men and women, and for her own closely united family.

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION
Mrs. Booth will share the remarkable story of "General" Booth and their eight talented children. Together they sustained the phenomenal growth of a single Christian mission in the poverty stricken East End of London, into a worldwide Salvation "Army" in just twenty-five years. In an authentic costume of her day, you will hear Catherine explain of the conditions of the vast poor of the Victorian Era and glean why the vigorous and practical preaching of the Gospel by her family was so appropriate for the common people. The Generals' wife will take you through the Army's forward-marching history with its colorful Salvationists who still wage a compassionate "Christian warfare" against poverty, sickness, and oppression in 91 countries of the world. The Army Mother will not only use portions from her husband's writings, sermons and flamboyant sayings, but will include her own bold opinions from her recorded words. The program is well-documented from primary and secondary sources, researched in England and at the Army's Western Territorial Museum with resident historian, Frances C. Dingman.