Church Mission Society

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Church Mission Society (formerly the Church Missionary Society) is a voluntary society working with the Anglican Church and other Protestant Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted upwards of nine thousand men and women to serve as mission partners during its 200-year history. Its founding Secretary was the Rev. Thomas Scott, the biblical commentator, who also trained its first English missionaries.

[edit] CMS UK

Today there are over 250 mission partners serving in countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Mission projects are supported in over 50 countries. A budget of over £7 million a year is needed to maintain and expand this work. The contributions make by the society in spreading education in Kerala, the most literate state in India, is very significant.many colleges and schools in Kerala and Tamil Nadu still have C.M.S in their names. The CMS College in Kottayam may be one of the pioneers in popularising Higher Edication in India (former Indian President K.R. Narayanan is an alumnus).

The Church Missionary Society Archive is housed at the University of Birmingham Special Collections.

[edit] The CMS in New Zealand

The Church Missionary Society sent the first Missionaries to New Zealand, its agent the Rev. Samuel Marsden performed the first Christian service in that country in 1814, while rogue CMS missionary Thomas Kendall brought Māori war chief Hongi Hika to London in 1819, creating a small sensation. The CMS funded its activities through trade, unfortunately including muskets, which fueled the Musket Wars. Concern about European impact upon Māori, particularly lawlessness in Kororareka and the death toll in the Musket Wars lead the CMS to use its influence - and the fact the Colonial Secretary was a member - to successfully lobby for the United Kingdom's annexation of New Zealand in January 1840 (an act subsequently justified by the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi).