Missionary Societies + Theological Liberalism
American Christian Missionary Society (1849)
The first Missionary Society in the Restoration Movement.
First Missionary: James T. Barclay (1807-1874) – Served two terms in Jerusalem with little success.
Second Missionary: Alexander Cross (c.1811-1854)
A former slave who went to Liberia and died soon after his arrival.
The ACMS was plagued with financial difficulties and had little success.
Christian Womans Board of Missions (1874) – Formed at the insistence of Caroline Neaville Pearre.
First Missionary: W. H. Williams – Served in Jamaica with limited success.
The CWBM formed a School of Missions in Indianapolis that later became a part of Yale University.
The CWBM was fairly successful in sending missionaries throughout the world.
Foreign Christian Missionary Society (1875)
An incredibly successful Missionary Society that sent many missionaries around the world.
In the first year of the FCMS, they sent missionaries toDenmark, England, and France.
Archibald McLean (1849-1920) served as the very successful leader of this society (1882-1920).
He was known as the “Father of Restoration Foreign Missions”.
United Christian Missionary Society (UCMS) (1920)
The three earlier societies and six other agencies were consolidated into one large organization: The United Christian Missionary Society. Supporters of the Consolidation said it created structural and financial efficiency.
Opponents of the Consolidation said it threatened the autonomy of thechurches and wasted money on overhead expenses.
Major Problems arose as the UCMS began to accept and advocate liberal practices among missionaries:
– Social Gospel
– Open Membership
– Comity Agreements – Dividing a nation into denomination regions.
Wolfe Affair
In 1925, the UCMS entered a comity agreement in the Philippines and threatened to drop Leslie Wolfe’s support if he did not move from his highly successful work in Manilla.
Wolfe remained in Manilla and became a Direct Support Missionary. In 1926, Wolfe was brought to the Disciples General Assembly to tell his story, but was made to look foolish by the liberal leadership.
P. H. Welshimer (1873-1957), minister of the Restoration Movement’s largest church (First Christian Canton), led a group out of the convention in protest. Welshimer’s group formed the North American Christian Convention, which first met in Indianapolis the following year (1927). The creation of the North American Christian Convention eventually led to formation of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ.