You may not think that Charles Wesley's hymn: 'My God, I am Thine: What a comfort divine,' has anything to do with war, as it talks about heaven and true happiness, - but read on:

In 1845 a young 16-year-old teenager, Kate, was reading these words. They were words she knew well but on this day they became momentous. She said,

'Now [these words] came home to my inmost soul with a force and illumination they had never before possessed. It was as impossible for me to doubt as it had been before for me to exercise faith. Previously not all the promises in the Bible could induce me to believe: now not all the devils in hell could persuade me to doubt. I no longer hoped that I was saved, I was certain of it. The assurances of my salvation seemed to flood and fill my soul. I jumped out of bed, and without waiting to dress, ran into my mother’s room and told her what had happened.'

This was Kate's conversion experience. Up to this time in her life she had been a good child, but now she could truly feel the assurance of being a child of God and in her own words she was 'truly and savingly converted.’'

Kate of course was Catherine Mumford later to be known as Catherine Booth the wife of 'General' William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army - however it is probably more appropriate to say joint founder (along with Catherine) of the Salvation Army.

William was a preacher in the Methodist church when he married Catherine and he was offered the Superintendency of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne circuit. However, it was not long before they realised that God’s was calling them to do something different. William left (with the full backing of Catherine) to become an evangelist. Once they had started this work they found themselves in the East End of London where poverty abounded.  They soon realised that this is where God wanted them to work. Eventually through their work the ‘Salvation Army’ was born - going to war against the devil.

Catherine was a very intelligent woman, and wrote many pamphlets and articles in addition to supporting her husband, bringing up her family (often alone when William was away preaching), and preaching herself, managing all this even though she did not have the best of health. She also fought for the right of women; especially women being allowed to preach. In all her dealings she always sought the will of God before proceeding.

In 1879 the movement started publishing its own magazine and William and Catherine were regular contributors. The magazine’s name?  - Of course - The ‘War Cry’.

Here is the hymn in full that led to Catherine’s conversion: -

My God, I am Thine:
What a comfort divine,
What a blessing to know that my
Jesus is mine!
In the heavenly Lamb
Thrice happy I am,
And my heart it doth dance at the
sound of His name.

True pleasures abound
In the rapturous sound;
And whoever hath found it hath
paradise found.
My Jesus to know,
And feel His blood flow,
'Tis life everlasting, 'tis heaven
below.

Yet onward I haste
To the heavenly feast;
That, that is the fullness; but
this is the taste;
And this I shall prove,
Till with joy I remove
To the heaven of heavens in
Jesus's love.

Contacts: -
maria.s.carter@ntlworld.com or
gordon.j.carter@ntlworld.com