William and Catherine Booth (1829-1912 & 1829-1890) were the founders of the Salvation Army. William was born near Nottingham, England into an Anglican family. He converted to Methodism and began a ministry of street preaching and attending to the needs of the sick and poor. Catherine was born in Derbyshire, England. She was very sickly as a child and young woman and seldom left home. She moved to London with her parents in 1844 where she met and later married William. Together they began a vital ministry among the lower classes in East London. They founded what was first called the East London Christian Revival Society and later the Salvation Army. Catherine died of cancer but not before she had worked tirelessly to secure the passage of laws that improved the lives of women and children. William lived another two decades and saw his organization, well known for its military themes and disciplines, spread to 55 countries. During his lifetime he traveled over five million miles and preached about 60,000 sermons. The Salvation Army continues to thrive and provide help for those in need, in Christ’s name, throughout the world. They worked together as a couple to found one of the most influential and respected charitable organizations in the world.
