Using Finney’s Revival Principles
During the time that she spent flat on her back as a teenager, Catherine had become well-versed in Charles Finney’s Lectures on ‘Revival’, and she and her husband began to use Finney’s principles in their campaign. William also re-instituted the open-air meetings he had begun in his teens. People would gather in a public place to sing, he would speak briefly, and then they would form a procession and walk to the chapel, inviting any interested passersby to follow; and, almost everyone who had been targeted with intercessory prayers attended at least one of the meetings and was converted. It was a marvelous time; however, Catherine’s frailty again made her sick, so the work slowed as she recovered.
A Pamphlet and the Birth of Emma Moss Booth
During this time, Catherine happened upon a pamphlet by the Reverend Arthur Ross attacking the right(s) of women to preach; and, indignant, Catherine decided to write her own pamphlet in response. She finished the pamphlet just prior to the birth of their fourth child, Emma Moss Booth, who was born on January 8, 1860.
My Dear Wife Wishes to Speak
Up to this point, though Catherine was a staunch advocate of women teaching and preaching from the pulpit, she had refused to do so herself. William had always encouraged her, but she was happy to stay in the background and hide behind her shyness.
A Defining Moment in the Chapel
Then, on Sunday, May 27, 1860, a mass outdoor meeting had to be moved to the chapel due to inclement weather, so roughly a thousand people gathered in the chapel to hear William speak. As Catherine sat in the audience with young Bramwell, the Holy Spirit spoke to her heart, “Now, if you were to go and testify, you know I would bless it to your own soul as well as to the souls of the people.”
To be continued…
Tale Tuesday 091
Date: 13th August, 2024
Title: : William & Catherine Booth (Part 24)
Source: God’s generals- The Revivalists
Author: Roberts Liardon
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