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American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions

 Organization

Dates

  • Existence: 1810 (date of establishment)
  • Existence: 1961 (date of dissolution)

Historical Summary

The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most important of American missionary organizations and consisted of participants from Reformed traditions such as Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and German Reformed churches.

After some secessions due to the slavery issue and the movement of New School Presbyterian-affiliated missionaries to the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, the ABCFM was left as a Congregationalist body after 1870.[1] The American Board, as it was known continued to operate as a largely Congregationalist entity until the 1950s. In 1957, the Congregational Christian church merged with the German Evangelical and Reformed Church to form the United Church of Christ. As a part of the organizational merger associated with this new denomination, the ABCFM ceased independent existence and merged operations with other missions entities to form the United Church Board for World Ministries, an agency of the United Church of Christ.

Found in 56 Collections and/or Records:

Kincaid Family papers, 1867-1913. : [manuscript]

 Collection
Identifier: MS5058
Scope and Contents These personal papers include correspondence between Kincaid and various church institutions seeking his pastorate. Correspondence includes admission and dismission letters from his various posts at Rushville, Leavenworth, Oberlin, Oswego, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and the American Home Missionary Society. Of note is correspondence from David J. Brewer, who later became a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Additional records include annual papers authored by Kincaid...
Dates: 1867-1913, bulk 1867-1896

Mary Kezia Bates diary, 1916-1918, 1927.

 Collection — Box: 5
Identifier: MS5042
Abstract Mary Kezia Bates was born at the Mount Silinda mission in Rhodesia in 1888. She was the daughter of African Missionaries Francis and Laura Bates. She came to America in 1904 and studied at Oberlin until completing her nurse’s training at Kansas University. In April 1914, Mary started on her journey to Durban, South Africa, where as nurse she is to join the staff of the Board's hospital under Dr. McCord. Collection contains one transcription, done by Jeri Abbott, of Mary Kezia Bates's diary...
Dates: 1916-1918, 1927