Donald Soper and William and Catherine Booth

Donald Soper - Methodist - Minister (31 January 1903 – 22 December 1998)

Donald Soper, the son of a marine claims adjuster and a schoolmistress, was born in Streatham on 31st January, 1903. His father, a devout Methodist was a Liberal and an active member of the Temperance Society. Donald's mother also held radical political ideas and was a supporter of the Women's Social & Political Union. Donald was brought up in a home that strongly disapproved of alcohol, gambling and blood sports and he was to share these views all his life. Soper became a probationer minister in the South London Mission. As the congregation was small, he began preaching in the open air. In 1926 he started regular soap-box sessions on Sunday at Hyde Park Corner and at Tower Hill on a Wednesday. Soper drew large crowds and soon became one of the best-known churchmen in Britain. The poverty that Soper witnessed in Derby and London converted him to socialism. In 1929 Soper moved to Islington and remained there until he became superintendent of the West London Mission at Kingway Hall. Appointed in 1936, for the next forty-two years he developed homes and hostels in London for the homeless, unmarried mothers and alcoholics. Until the early 1960s over 400 people would hear him preach on Sunday morning at Kingway Hall and attendance at evening meetings sometimes reached a 1,000. He was created a life peer for his work.

Willam and Catherine Booth - Salvationists - Officers(10 April 1829 – 20 August 1912) and (17 January 1829 – 4 October 1890)

William Booth was a British Methodist preacher who founded The Salvation Army and became its first General (1878-1912). Catherine was born in Kent in 1829 and they were married in 1855. Together they worked in ministry with Catherine working with young people and children. They went onto found The Christian movement, with a quasi-military structure and government - but with no physical weaponry - in 1865, in London and this went on to become the Salvation Army. Their ministry was always to the poor of society.