Missions

IMB-logo_stacked

The International Mission Board, or Foreign Mission Board as it was previously known, has existed since the beginning of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845.

 

The IMB has done an excellent job of keeping track of records and archives related to their mission of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

 

IMB Records and Archives

 

The IMB Archives is broken down into several areas like Board Minutes, Lottie Moon Correspondence, African American Heritage, Periodicals, and this interactive map of the the journey of Robert Willingham, Corresponding Secretary of the IMB, and his journey to visit the field in 1907

 

DETAILED HISTORIES

Over the years there have been several books written about the history of the IMB.  Below are few, beginning with the most recent.

 

Whole Gospel, Whole World – William Estep This is the most current history and covers the years from 1845

 

Advance: A History of Southern Baptist Missions By Baker J Cauthen This book covers the years up to 1970

 

Global Mission: An Interpretation of Southern Baptist Foreign Missions Winston Crawley Released in 1985, this book tells the history of the IMB through a unique lens.  

 

As always, the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives is the best source for original documents relating to the history of the IMB.  Here is a detailed list of some of their records.

 

 

NAMB

The North American Mission Board, or Home Mission Board as it was previously known, came into existence with the beginning of the SBC in 1845. Then known as the Board of Domestic Missions, it served to take the gospel of Christ across the home fronts of North America.

NAMB has  an excellent interactive timeline that details some of the history and accomplishments of their work.

NAMB Historical Timeline

For researchers, the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives contains excellent source documents about the work of the Home Mission Board. Here is a detailed list of some of their records.

DETAILED HISTORIES

Over the years there have been several books written about the history of the NAMB.

Mission to America: A History of Southern Baptist Home Missions Arthur Rutledge, 1983

History of the Home Mission Board, Dr JB Lawrence, 1958

Other Resources:

Baptist Home Mission Monthly These digital archives of this publication cover years from 1878-1909.  Published by American Baptist’s, they contain many references to Southern Baptist work, especially in pioneer states.

Hathi Trust Digital Library These archives contain many works that entirely accessible online and relate to the work of Southern Baptist Home Missions