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Born: Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England, 1829
The daughter of a coachbuilder, Catherine Mumford was a woman of considerable social conscience. When she met William Booth in 1852, she was pleased with and shared his commitment to "loosing the chains of injustice, freeing the captive and oppressed, sharing food and home, clothing the naked, and carrying out family responsibilities." They disagreed, however, on the subject of women. Catherine objected to women being referred to as "the weaker sex" and argued with Booth regarding the role of women in the church.
Despite their differences, the couple married in 1855. Catherine and her husband devoted themselves to serving the poor in London through their Christian Mission (known today as The Salvation Army). Catherine worked tirelessly–founding "Food-for-the-Million Shops" to feed the poor and working to expose and eliminate the "sweated labour" of women and children (long hours in poor conditions for a fraction of the pay received by factory workers). Her crusade against the use of yellow phosphorus in match-making–which resulted in severe injury and eventual death for the women making the matches–would be carried on by her husband following her death from cancer in 1890. In 1901, a large commercial match-maker announced an end to their use of yellow phosphorus.
Catherine believed strongly in the role of women in society and the church. Though initially opposed by her husband, she gave her first sermon in 1860 and soon became well-known as a speaker. So powerful was her speaking and writing, that William was also convinced. He was later given to admit that "the best men in my Army are the women." Women in The Salvation Army enjoyed equal status with the men.
Catherine's determination was to speak for those who had no voice and to serve those on the lowest rung of society's ladder. Her dedication contributed to the development of a service organization which continues to offer physical and spiritual help to the needy in over 100 countries today.
Her social conscience was no accident–it was the foundation of her faith. Catherine gave her all for others, just as Jesus Christ gave His all for humankind.
If you would like to know more about the God who motivated and empowered Catherine, click here.
Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?
Living with hope
If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here's a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.
Is this the life for you?
If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you'll experience life to the fullest.
Sources:
The Salvation Army International Headquarters homepage -
http://www.salvationarmy.org/
Spartacus Educational Catherine Booth page -
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Wbooth.htm