Church Missionary Society Archive

Church Missionary Society Archive is a collection of digitized records of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) and the many other missionary societies associated with it. CMS was founded as a missions division of the Anglican church in 1799. The materials in this collection come from missions throughout the world and illustrate the history of Christian missions and their impact on religion globally. They also reflect the history of British colonialism. Material types include annual reports, minutes and financial records; personal papers correspondence and letter books; journals, travel records and diaries; photographs, and ephemera. Highlights include:

• Central records of the CMS and papers of key individuals associated with it
• Records of the the Loochoo Naval Mission (1843-1864), the first recorded Anglican and Protestant mission in Japan
• Archive of the Society for Promoting Female Education in China, India and the East
• Records of the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society
• Records of CMS's work in the Middle East in Palestine and Jordan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
• Records of CMS's work in Africa in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Sudan, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Mauritius, Madagascar and the Seychelles
• Records of CMS's work in North America in the Caribbean islands,the Canadian Rockies, and Arctic

Some materials in this collection may include views or terminology that are now considered outdated, biased, or offensive. 

The original materials in this collection are held by the Cadbury Research Library, Birmingham University.