Let's GoSample

Saved to Save

By S. George Thomas

During the late 1820s, a boy by the name of William was born in the city of Nottingham—a small town of about 50,000 in eastern England. After his father passed away, William’s family couldn’t afford the funds necessary to continue his schooling. So when he was only 13 years old, William was sent to apprentice with a local pawnbroker.

Although he didn’t know exactly what it was, William felt like God was calling him to some great work. So the young man began reading every book he could get his hands on and taught himself how to speak and write well. Despite struggling with ill health, William went through all the back streets and alleys of Nottingham spreading the gospel with zeal. He eventually moved to London where he continued to preach while also working as a pawnbroker. There he met a kindred spirit in Catherine Mumford, a young woman whom he eventually married.

Every day, as William and Catherine walked through the filthy streets of London, what they saw horrified them: Pubs filled with men and women drowning their sorrows and drinking away their lives. Five-year-old boys standing drunk on the streets. Women, young girls, and even young boys prostituting their bodies just to put food in their bellies. Beatings, muggings, rapes, and murders were common. Poverty and sickness were the norms. Everywhere they looked, they only saw hopelessness and despair. William and Catherine knew that a spiritual battle was taking place for the souls of these people and Satan was winning. This realization broke their hearts, but it also made them want to do something about it … It made them want to fight.

Burdened by the devastation they saw, William and Catherine opened The Christian Revival Society—later called The Christian Mission—in the slums of East London. They held services every evening and on Sunday mornings for the poorest and neediest, including alcoholics, gamblers, criminals and prostitutes. Much like John the Baptist, William preached a message of repentance from sin and a call to holiness. He firmly believed that the power of God working in a person’s heart would manifest itself in a passionate life of love for God and for others. His aim was to lead people to Christ and then link them to a church where they could grow and mature spiritually. Although they faced incredible opposition—their services were disrupted by jeering, fireworks, stone-throwing, and worse—William and those working with him merely turned the other cheek and continued to steadfastly proclaim the gospel as soldiers of Jesus Christ.

For a long time, William had recognized the power of popular music to aid conversions, but one day he realized that brass bands were also great for attracting crowds. And, as an added bonus, they helped drown out hecklers. So from that point on, wherever he preached, whether on street corners or music halls, William was accompanied by a brass band.

Reasoning that no one can concentrate on an empty stomach, William and Catherine opened up soup kitchens across the city to help provide the poor with food. To them, addressing social needs was merely a means to a much greater end—leading people into God’s kingdom. Although they struggled to raise finances at first, their work rapidly spread beyond the city of London to countries around the globe—the United States, Canada, France, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India, Sweden, Switzerland, Jamaica and many more. Their mission grew as well … from rehabilitating prisoners to exposing the sale of young girls into prostitution.

During a time when the vast majority of people held the view that the poor had only themselves to blame for their plight and sin, William brought an international awareness of poverty and social injustice … all because he believed it hampered people’s path to salvation. He even gained audiences with King Edward VII, President William McKinley, and President Theodore Roosevelt.

In October 1890, Catherine died after a long battle against cancer. Her funeral was attended by 36,000 people. When William passed away on August 20, 1912, almost 150,000 mourners attended his wake and funeral. Their practical approach to Christianity and spreading the gospel inspired countless around the world to follow their example and offer their lives to build the kingdom of God.

Today, the work that William and Catherine Booth started—the Salvation Army—is active in 118 countries with more than 4.5 million volunteers. It is considered one of the largest distributors of humanitarian aid.

William and Catherine recognized that the world we live in is a spiritual battleground and as disciples of Christ we are engaged in a spiritual battle. They understood that they had been “saved to save,” so their mission was simple—to save other souls for Christ. They wept tears for lost souls and preached salvation throughout all of England. They believed that standing at the doors of our churches and inviting people in isn’t enough; Christians must go out—beyond the walls of our church buildings—and follow the example of Christ by meeting people where they are.

Today the battle still rages. Drugs, violence, prostitution, and crime still plague our society. Children still go hungry. The poor are still with us. Hopelessness and despair still stare out of the faces of the hurting and lost. Colossians 1:13 says, “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” God has redeemed us so that we can push back the forces of Satan and advance His kingdom. He is calling each of us today to step up and take our place as His soldier. He is calling us to go out; out to a world that’s drowning in darkness. He is calling us to bring light to the darkness.

Memory Verse

He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (TNIV)