Catherine Booth

May 31, 2026

Compassion That Steps In. Many people saw the poor as a problem to avoid, but Catherine Booth chose to meet them where they were. This powerful story explores Christian compassion, practical service, and how small acts of love can open hearts to the gospel. Discover what it means to serve "the least of these" with humility, courage, and genuine care. "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" (Matthew 25:40 NIV)

Full Transcript 

In nineteenth-century London, thirty percent of the population was poor, individuals earning fewer than twenty-one shillings a week. Those in power—political, social, or religious--believed the poor had caused their own struggles through laziness, alcohol, and being morally deficient. Though charities and the workhouse provided some relief, the majority of people agreed – if the poor wanted to get out of poverty, they would have to do it themselves. 

But Catherine Booth and her husband William were different. Though they wanted to see the poor improve their morals and station, they also believed in bringing the hope and gospel to the poor right where they were. They understood that sometimes people needed help and open arms. This idea wasn’t always met positively. For example, once when William invited the poor to church, fellow ministers accused him of ruining the church’s respectability. But William wouldn’t be deterred, and Catherine was determined to follow her own call alongside her husband. Their actions eventually birthed The Salvation Army, but the journey started with walking down the street and visiting the poor in their homes.  

Meet Them Where They Are 

When Catherine Booth was thirty years old, she was helping her husband, William, in spreading the gospel to people on the streets. Though Catherine was busy taking care of their children, she went about her shopping errands and met with drunk women on the sidewalks. She talked with them and told them about Jesus. Catherine always spoke as one sinful woman to another. But she didn’t want to meet the women only in the streets; she wanted to visit them in their homes, as well. She wanted to bring them joy and hope.  

“Perhaps I could talk to those poor forlorn creatures when I meet them and later call on them in their homes,” she said to her husband. 

William was taken aback. “You are not strong enough for this kind of work, and you can never be certain just what a drunkard, man or woman, will do. Some of them are harmless, but others might actually assault you.” 

“I’m sure no one, whether man or woman, would attack me,” Catherine replied. 

But William wouldn’t give up on his disapproval. “You don’t know drunkards as well as I do,” he muttered. “If you did, you’d know that you can never predict what one of them will do.” 

Catherine listened to her husband’s warning, knowing the truth in his words, but God’s calling was stronger. She went to talk to the struggling women in the street and visited their homes to spread the gospel. 

One particular home stood out to her –to show her not only how difficult it was to be poor, but also how desperately they needed God’s love. 

Entering this home, Catherine found a woman lying on rags. She was alone and had just given birth to twins, but had no one to help her.   

“I can never forget the desolation of that room,” Catherine wrote. By the woman’s side lay some bread crust and a lump of lard. A poor meal, Catherine thought, for a woman needing nutrition to feed her babies.   

“I fancied a bit o’ butter,” the woman said apologetically. She went on to explain how her lover had tried to find butter for her but couldn’t, and instead got her lard. The lard was fantastic, she explained. 

Catherine wondered if she should be eating lard with her bread instead of butter, so she could better minister to the woman’s needs. 

But lard was the least of Catherine’s worries. She made sure the woman was comfortable and got the help she needed. Though there wasn’t a tub to wash the twin newborns in, Catherine found a broken pie dish, and set to giving them a bath. 

It was a simple gesture, but her small action in bathing the twins as the mother recovered softened the woman’s heart. 

“The gratitude of those large eyes,” Catherine wrote, “that gazed upon me from that wan and shrunken face, can never fade from memory.” 

The woman had been desperate for help but found none, until Catherine came along, and it encouraged her to continue the work. And though Catherine’s the work did wear on her health, she never lost the joy that came with helping the poor. 

“My whole soul was in it, and I became deeply attached to the drunkards…,” she wrote.   

“’The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’.” (Matthew 25:40) 

In nineteenth-century London, thirty percent of the population was poor, individuals earning fewer than twenty-one shillings a week. Those in power—political, social, or religious--believed the poor had caused their own struggles through laziness, alcohol, and being morally deficient. Though charities and the workhouse provided some relief, the majority of people agreed – if the poor wanted to get out of poverty, they would have to do it themselves.

But Catherine Booth and her husband William were different. Though they wanted to see the poor improve their morals and station, they also believed in bringing the hope and gospel to the poor right where they were. They understood that sometimes people needed help and open arms. This idea wasn’t always met positively. For example, once when William invited the poor to church, fellow ministers accused him of ruining the church’s respectability. But William wouldn’t be deterred, and Catherine was determined to follow her own call alongside her husband. Their actions eventually birthed The Salvation Army, but the journey started with walking down the street and visiting the poor in their homes.

Meet Them Where They Are

When Catherine Booth was thirty years old, she was helping her husband, William, in spreading the gospel to people on the streets. Though Catherine was busy taking care of their children, she went about her shopping errands and met with drunk women on the sidewalks. She talked with them and told them about Jesus. Catherine always spoke as one sinful woman to another. But she didn’t want to meet the women only in the streets; she wanted to visit them in their homes, as well. She wanted to bring them joy and hope.

“Perhaps I could talk to those poor forlorn creatures when I meet them and later call on them in their homes,” she said to her husband.

William was taken aback. “You are not strong enough for this kind of work, and you can never be certain just what a drunkard, man or woman, will do. Some of them are harmless, but others might actually assault you.”

“I’m sure no one, whether man or woman, would attack me,” Catherine replied.

But William wouldn’t give up on his disapproval. “You don’t know drunkards as well as I do,” he muttered. “If you did, you’d know that you can never predict what one of them will do.”

Catherine listened to her husband’s warning, knowing the truth in his words, but God’s calling was stronger. She went to talk to the struggling women in the street and visited their homes to spread the gospel.

One particular home stood out to her –to show her not only how difficult it was to be poor, but also how desperately they needed God’s love.

Entering this home, Catherine found a woman lying on rags. She was alone and had just given birth to twins, but had no one to help her.

“I can never forget the desolation of that room,” Catherine wrote. By the woman’s side lay some bread crust and a lump of lard. A poor meal, Catherine thought, for a woman needing nutrition to feed her babies.

“I fancied a bit o’ butter,” the woman said apologetically. She went on to explain how her lover had tried to find butter for her but couldn’t, and instead got her lard. The lard was fantastic, she explained.

Catherine wondered if she should be eating lard with her bread instead of butter, so she could better minister to the woman’s needs.

But lard was the least of Catherine’s worries. She made sure the woman was comfortable and got the help she needed. Though there wasn’t a tub to wash the twin newborns in, Catherine found a broken pie dish, and set to giving them a bath.

It was a simple gesture, but her small action in bathing the twins as the mother recovered softened the woman’s heart.

“The gratitude of those large eyes,” Catherine wrote, “that gazed upon me from that wan and shrunken face, can never fade from memory.”

The woman had been desperate for help but found none, until Catherine came along, and it encouraged her to continue the work. And though Catherine’s the work did wear on her health, she never lost the joy that came with helping the poor.

“My whole soul was in it, and I became deeply attached to the drunkards…,” she wrote.

“’The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’.” (Matthew 25:40)