I just wanted to thank Templo Laramie for inviting me to speak at their October Café Night. Saturday was an awesome time of worship, fellowship, talent sharing, video watching, food eating and Bible study. It was also great to see friends from Rockford, LaVillita and Oak Brook Terrace come out to support Templo Laramie. Unity is a beautiful thing.

Catherine Mumford was born in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, on 17 January 1829. From an early age she was a serious and sensitive girl. She had a strong Christian upbringing and by the age of 12 had read her Bible through eight times! But it was not until she was 16, after much struggling, that she was really converted. In her hymn book she read the words, “My God I am Thine, what a comfort Divine” (SASB 355), and realized the truth of this statement for herself.

At 14 she was seriously ill and spent a great deal of time in bed. But she kept herself busy, and was especially concerned about the problems of alcohol (her father became an alcoholic). She wrote articles for a magazine, which encouraged people not to drink.

She met William Booth when he came to preach at her church. They soon fell in love and became engaged. During three years of engagement, Catherine was a constant support to William in his tiring work of preaching, through her letters. At last on 16 June 1855, they were married. Unlike most weddings, theirs was very simple with no great expense. They wanted to use all their time and money for God. Even on their honeymoon, William found himself asked to speak at meetings. Together they accepted this challenge of being used by God before even thinking of themselves.

At Brighouse, Catherine first began to help in the work of the church. She was extremely nervous, but found the courage to speak in children's meetings. She enjoyed working with young people. However it was unheard of for women to speak in adult meetings.In her world, women had few rights, no place in the professions and a minimal presence in church leadership.During her life, however, she would become one of the most popular preachers of her era.

Catherine was convinced that women had an equal right to speak. At Gateshead, when the opportunity was given for public testimony, she went forward to speak! It was the beginning of a tremendous ministry, for people were greatly challenged by her preaching.In her marriage to William Booth, she became an evangelist, preacher and theologian, and co-founder of The Salvation Army.

Catherine found the courage to speak to people in their homes, and especially to alcoholics whom she helped to make a new start in life. Often she held cottage meetings for converts.She was also a mother with a growing family of eight children and was dedicated to giving them a firm Christian knowledge. Two of them became Generals of The Salvation Army.

In 1865 when the work of The Christian Mission began William preached to the poor and ragged, and Catherine spoke to the wealthy, gaining support for their financially demanding work. In time she began to hold her own campaigns.When William Booth became known as the General, Catherine was known as the 'Army Mother'. She was behind many of the changes in the new movement, designing a flag, bonnets for the ladies and contributing to the Army's ideas on many important issues and matters of belief.

A prolific writer, Catherine explored universal questions and provided forthright answers. She believed Christians must be passionate about their faith, that if we are indifferent we can lose the capacity for love and service. She wrote: "He doesn't ask you to go to chapel or join the church and pray...but to get down and give up your heart to Him, to choose whom you will serve, and do it at once, and everything else will follow."

When died in 1890 it was a great loss. Her life had been a challenge to thousands who remembered her as an untiring soldier in God's Army.In William Booth, Founder of The Salvation Army, Harold Begbie writes:

So passed away one of the most remarkable women of the nineteenth century, whose beautiful spirit impressed itself alike upon the most exacting of her intellectual contemporaries and upon vast masses of the poor. The development of her personality in conjunction with that of her husband is a most interesting study in psychology, and the growth of her spiritual power seems to me like one of the miracles of religious history.

(Compiled and edited from the International Heritage Centre Website and the USA National Headquarters Website)

1. There is a Youth Café Night this Saturday at 7pm at the Templo Laramie.  It will be a night of fellowship, praise and worship and teaching for the youth and young adults of the Division.  Invite your friends and encourage Metro Youth to come (via phone, email, Xanga, etc.).  I am leading worship with the Laramie Praise Band and will speak about Those-Highway Workers-That-Hold-Signs-That-Say-“Caution”-And-Waive-Little-Orange-Flags-On-The-Highway, The Salvation Army and John the Baptist.  For directions to Templo Laramie click here.  Bring your Bibles and your Song Books.

2. There has been a change in date!  Youth Councils is April 28-30 (not that other date that I will never mention ever again).

The Hammond-Munster Corps is doing some really cool youth outreach. They’re hosting bands once a week at their Corps (usually on Friday or Saturday night) at The Fire Escape and also run a small café called Ashes & Embers. You should make the trek down to see them. Also, if you have a band and are interested in playing email Jon Bukiewicz. Get directions to the Hammond-Munster Corps by clicking here.

I just wanted to give a few shout outs from last nights Prayer and Praise night:

1. To all of you who came. There were over 140! It was great to hear your testimonies, praise the Lord and study the Word together. Thank you for coming, it was awesome.

2. To the Norridge Youth Ministry Team. Thank you to the Mantel, McBride and Shoults families (and anyone else I forgot). You made the night a success, the caramel apples were delicious.

3.Remember to choose life, accept a blessing and brush your teeth!

The next Prayer and Praise Night will be at 7pm on Friday, November 18th at Midway Citadel (5036-52 W 47th St. Chicago, IL 60638-2000). Melinda Peters—a Soldier from the War College in Vancouver—will be our special guest speaker. If you don’t have anything going on at your Corps that night, it would be great to see you.

Re:Generation 2005—November 4-6 at the Des Plaines Corps—is only 11 days away! This year’s guest is Capt. Danielle Strickland from The War College in Vancouver BC. Cory Harrison, who just updated Catherine Booth’s Aggressive Christianity, will also be at Re:Gen and praise and worship will be lead by The Singing Company (Eric Himes and friends). The cost is a pathetic $35. If you are even thinking of coming, just come, what’s holding you back? Register online today by going here!

The Salvation Army has urban missions schools in:

The Eastern Territory – Project 1:17
The Southern Territory – Firecrest

The Western Territory – Revolution Hawaii

The UK – Timothy Programme

And Canada – The War College

Who does that leave out?

On Sunday, October 16^th a group of Metropolitan Division prayer warriors invaded the future location of The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center in Chicago.We claimed the promise found in Deuteronomy 11:22-24:

"Be careful to obey all the commands I give you; show love to the LORD your God by walking in his ways and clinging to him. Then the LORD will drive out all the nations in your land, though they are much greater and stronger than you. Wherever you set your feet, the land will be yours. Your frontiers will stretch from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.”

May we be obedient to the Lord and receive a blessing.

Just wanted thank all Youth Representatives, Youth Leaders and Corps Officers that came to Council of Youth this Friday, October 14^th at the Des Plaines Corps.Thank you for your time, input and passion.Your suggestions are much needed and appreciated!

I was especially blessed to have some time with the Youth Representatives and talk about the many inspiring things that are going on in the Division: youth led prayer initiatives, open airs, coffee house nights, English/Spanish language classes, sports evangelism, worship nights and even Corps hosted concert nights.Lets “win the world for Jesus!”

On November 14, 1988 Paul and Anna Kim and their three children moved to Chicago. As Officers they were to start a Corps that targeted the Korean population of Chicago. Without a building or congregation and they had their first meetings—in full uniform—in their living room. Three weeks went by without any church members outside of their family. By the fourth week, one person came to their service and from then on they began meeting in the chapel of Divisional Headquarters. Their official Inauguration Service was on December 18, 1988.

Almost seventeen years later, the Mayfair Corps stands only a few hundred feet from their first official chapel. The Corps was opened on September 25^th and its first pastors, Paul and Anna Kim were there for the festivities. The small “street” that runs through to the Corps was even dedicated as Paul Kim Way. The congregation totals over 240 people and two services are held each week, one in Korean and one in English. Their beautiful new chapel can hold up to 700 people. They have a healthy congregation that is faithful in prayer, tithing and service and who take part in activities ranging from daily 6am prayer meetings to Brass Band practice to Traditional Korean Folk Dancing.

Later this month they also plan to open a café to the public with a coffee bar, juice bar and cafeteria style food. They want the café to be a place of high quality, rest, good food and a clean environment. There is also an open stage that is open from 4-9pm every evening of the week where live music will be played. It is a great blessing to see what the Lord is doing in the Mayfair Corps, the Metropolitan Division and in the Salvation Army!

A tour of the Mayfair Corps (with Mary Kim)
Dedication Plaque

Front Lobby and Overflow

Chapel

Welcome sign (in Korean)

Cafe

Huge rice pots that can serve 600 people!

Gym

English Congregation Chapel

Do you want to see the Mayfair Corps for yourself? Come to the Prayer and Praise Night on April 21 at 7pm!

Frederick Tucker was born on the 21st of May, 1853, in the north-east of India. The son of a rich British family, he lived in amongst the Victorian Imperial elite of India. In 1875 he was sent to England to attend Cheltenham College, and was converted during the Moody and Sankey campaigns in London. During the same year, he became engaged to Miss Louisa Mary Bode. In 1877, Tucker (24) and Louisa Mary Bode (42) were married in Amritsar, India.

Frederick served in the Indian Civil Service but in 1881, while on leave in England, he became acquainted with The Salvation Army after reading a copy of The War Cry. He paid General William Booth a visit and expressed his desire to serve in the Army. Tucker received a cool reply from the Founder that he was from the dangerous class of people; Booth however, accepted the offer. Upon his acceptance into The Salvation Army, Tucker gave up his very well paid position, which upset his family, and began working in the legal department at International Headquarters.

In 1882, he led a group of pioneer officers to India, where he became known as 'Fakir Singh'. This group was accepted because of their incarnational living; the adoption of Indian food, dress, names and customs gave the pioneers ready access to the people, especially in the villages. In addition to purely evangelistic work, various social agencies were inaugurated relieve distress from famine, shortages of food and epidemic. Educational facilities such as elementary, secondary and industrial schools, cottage industries and settlements, were also provided for the depressed classes. His wife Louisa Mary Tucker died in Bombay on 27 February 1887 from cholera. A year later he married Emma Booth and adopted the surname Booth-Tucker. They served together in India until 1891 when Emma also became ill. They soon left Fredericks' beloved land of India and were appointed to London as Commissioners for Foreign Affairs.

He was successively Territorial Commander in the United States, 1896-1904; Foreign Secretary, in London, 1904-7; Special Commissioner for India and Ceylon, 1907-19; and traveling Commissioner until his retirement in 1924. Emma Booth-Tucker died on 28 October 1903, following a railway accident, and in June 1906 Frederick Booth-Tucker married Colonel Minnie Read. In 1907, The Tuckers sailed for India, where they served for a number of years. This time, Frederick became ill and so in 1919, The Tuckers left India to return to England.

He wrote a number of poems and songs (SASB 422, 780), and compiled a collection of One Hundred Favourite Songs of The Salvation Army, 1899, in the United States. He was the first editor of 'The Officer' magazine in 1893, and was the author of several books, including a Life of Catherine Booth, 1892; The Consul, 1903; and Muktifauj 1923 - the story of the first 40 years of the Army in India and Ceylon. He was promoted to Glory - 17 July 1929 Stoke Newington, London and buried at Abney Park Cemetery. Abney Park Cemetery.

(Compiled and edited from the International Heritage Centre Website and The Salvation Army Museum Basel Website)

(Photos courtesy of T. Moffitt)