American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions records, 1878 -- 1958
Collection context
- Creator:
- American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
- Abstract:
- The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), organized in 1810, was the first successful North American agency dedicated to foreign missions. ABCFM existed until 1961 when it merged with the Board of International Missions to form the United Church Board for World Ministries. The collection concerns missions in South Africa in Rhodesia and Zulu; missions in Asia including Turkey, India, Japan, and China; missions in the Philippine Islands; and ABCFM organization in general.
- Extent:
- 3.25 linear feet (3.25 linear feet; 7 boxes)
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains Board Records of the Prudential Committee, which was the Executive Committee of the ABCFM; bulletins; correspondence related to ABCFM missions throughout the world; Department of Missionary Education records including notes on missionary materials; and reports, meeting minutes, correspondence, and other materials produced by the ABCFM in Africa, China, Eastern and Central Turkey, European Turkey at the Samokov Station in Bulgaria, Japan; India; and the Philippine Islands.
- Biographical / historical:
-
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was organized in 1810 by students of Williams College in Massachusetts as the first successful North American agency dedicated to foreign missions. It would grow to be the largest American foreign mission board in the nineteenth century. ABCFM is recognized as a leader in regards to theology, theory, and policies of foreign missions by those in America. Legally incorporated in 1812, ABCFM sponsored 157 ordained missionaries by 1850. Congregationalist in nature, ABCFM accepted missionaries from a variety of denominational backgrounds. The American missionaries were first sent to Africa in 1834 to work with the Zulu but had earlier supported the first missionaries to the Eastern Mediterranean in 1819. In 1961, ABCFM merged with the Board of International Missions to form United Church Board for World Ministries. In 2000, the UCBWM became the Wider Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
This collection is open for research.
The following boxes are located offsite: Box 1-7. Please note that requests for use of boxes held in offsite storage must be made three business days in advance.
- Terms of access:
-
Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.
- Preferred citation:
-
Item description, MRL 12: American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions Records, 1878-1958, series #, box #, and folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers must book an appointment at least 5 business days in advance to view special collections material in the reading room. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to one item per hour of appointment time.
- Contact:
- burke@library.columbia.edu