How it Began. In 1852, William Booth abandoned the traditional church pulpit in favor walking the streets of London, preaching to the poor and meeting human need without discrimination. “We assist 30 million Americans annually. We serve in 131 countries. We have been pursuing our mission since 1865.” Find out more on the website here. And, dear Reader, here is Booth’s wonderful 2-minute speech that still drives me “to fight like William Booth, to the very end.”