April 10, 2013 (Wednesday)
“Go for souls. Go straight for souls, and go for the worst.” – General William Booth
Today, April 10, 2013 is the 184th anniversary of the birth of William Booth, who was born in 1829 and founded the Salvation Army in 1865. He died in 1912 at the age of 83.
Booth was a Methodist minister whose heart was touched by the needs of the poor people of East London. He went into the streets and preached to the people, bringing them to Christ. When he tried to get the established churches to accept them, he was unsuccessful. Neither the churches nor the converts themselves felt like they belonged in those congregations where the parishioners were educated and well-dressed. He therefore started a Christian mission for the new believers. The organization grew beyond the scope of one congregation and became a mission to the poor and outcast people of East London. He called his work the “Christian Mission.”
In the early years of his ministry, he was not accepted by the established churches, but over the years his continued compassionate work of helping the poor won some hearts and by the time of his death the Salvation Army, as his organization was known after 1878, was located around the world in many countries and he was recognized as an important figure worthy of invitation to most important events.
I had the privilege of serving on the Aransas County local Salvation Army Service Committee for over 30 years, writing vouchers to the needy in behalf of the Salvation Army and working in other events with them, aiding the youth of our community to have an opportunity for better things.
Whenever you have an opportunity to contribute to the Salvation Army, please know that it is the Lord’s work, dedicated to helping people and leading them to Christ.