CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE
Section III: Central Records
Part 11 covers the periodical CMS Historical Record (1944-1986)
which began life as General Review of Missions in 1919 and changed
its name to Annual Reports in 1922. The periodical is filmed from the
Church Mission Society Library in London.
The periodical consists of summaries of annual reports and
letters of missionaries and contains quotations taken from the reports. They are
a fascinating source of information for all areas of research into the missions
of CMS and the work of the missionaries. As they cover such a long period, from
1919-1986, the developments of the countries and the progress of the mission
areas can be studied in detail. Each volume has a contents page showing the
missions covered. For each mission there is a note on the general situation and
then details on education, medicine and church work.
The General Review of Missions for 1919 gives a review of
the years work for:
Sierra Leone Mission -
summaries of the years work at the Fourah Bay College, the Grammar School,
the Annie Walsh Memorial School, the Mohammedan School; the British East Africa
Mission - details of the Coast and Taita, the Highlands, the Native Reserve
("amongst comparatively sophisticated natives");
German East Africa Mission (Tanganyika Mission)
Uganda Mission
Egypt Mission - the womens evangelistic work, the training of native
workers, the Old Cairo Boys School, the Old Cairo Medical Mission
Palestine Mission - the aftermath of the war, the government and economic
state of the country, the status of the Jew; the Central Provinces Mission (the
Gond Mission) - the increase in the number of baptisms, the decrease in the
total number of Christians, the increase in moral lapses
South India mission (Telugu Mission) number of baptisms, total number
of Christians (an increase of 4725 from 1918), contributions from Indian
Christians; Travancore and Cochin Mission - the rise in prices, the outbreak of
diseases including influenza, bandits, the good opportunities for preaching
Chekien Mission state of the country improving of trade, the
state of the government
Western China Mission less brigandage and robbery, more protection
for farming and commerce due to the increased power of General Lu, the progress
of Christianity; Central Japan high prices and difficulty of the
missionaries to survive on a daily basis, with a general conclusion on the state
of Japan " The people of Japan, in a new way
seem to have found themselves as a nation. With their riches, their place among
the five great nations, they seem more self-confident and less apt to look up to
other nations. The working classes are awakening to a consciousness of their
power, for owing to the inequalities in the distribution of the new wealth there
is great discontent and evil seems to be more unabashed than formerly. But, with
all this, there are not wanting evidences that thoughtful Japanese are seeking
something to check the tendency of the time towards materialism, unrest, and
immorality."
There are no issues for 1920-1921 and in 1922 the
periodical changed its name to Annual Reports. The format of this is exactly the
same as General Review of Missions, containing a review of the years
work in the missions gleaned from the annual reports of the missionaries. Each
issue is divided into missions under the headings Africa, The Near East, India
and Ceylon, China and Japan and Colonial Associations.
The issue for 1922-1923 contains a mixture of information:
The Yoruba Mission reports on the progress of the Girls Seminary
stating " Life in Lagos it is said is very difficult for boys and girls,
young men and young women who wish to walk uprightly. Temptations to and rewards
to immorality surround them. Gaiety, in the shape of dances and cinemas is
increasing more and more"; Niger Mission there is talk about the
educational outlook: "The Africans must have
education, but the opinion is often expressed, both by Europeans and natives,
that a great number of young people are spoiled by it. I wrote a year ago of the
large number of young men who are wandering about the country in search of work.
During the last twelve months the situation has not improved, but grown more
serious and my own opinion is that before long we shall have a big unemployed
problem out here. There is plenty of work for everyone, but most of it is hard
manual work. In Onitsha and other towns it was formerly the custom for all
boys to go with their fathers to the farms, as soon as they were strong enough
to do so and each generation grew up with a knowledge of agriculture, which-
though of a rude kind- supplied every family with sufficient food. At the
present time many boys refuse altogether to "go to farm", leaving the
work in the hands of the old men and most of the heavy work is done by labourers
hired from the interior villages and towns. As education spreads all over the
country this supply of labour must grow less, so the demand for food increases,
so, unless something is done to change the views of the young educated men, it
will not be long before we shall see a people who have to live on food brought
from other countries, while their own country is capable of producing everything
that is necessary."
Punjab and Sindh Mission
Canon E Guilford, writing on the eve of his retirement after forty-one years
work at Tarn Taran, contrasts the position when he arrived with that of the
present day: "When we first came here there
were but two Christians in the whole district. Both these persons had but a name
to live and they both returned to heathenism for worldly gain soon after we
began work here. Since that time 3239 souls have been added to the Church by
baptism. There are now, reckoning great and small, forty-four congregations
scattered throughout the district, each with their own organisation and each
self-supporting as regards all things required in carrying on the spiritual work
in their midst- the pay of their spiritual teachers excepted. There are fourteen
village schools which earn grants almost sufficient to make them
self-supporting. There are four Churches and another one projected. There is a
large leper asylum and two homes for the untainted children of lepers, counting
about fifty children. These homes have been in existence since the year 1889,
and they have been the means of saving from the fell disease of leprosy about
300 children, of whom only three have developed the disease."
The Kwangsi and Hunan Mission
details on the unrest in 1922 in the province of Kwangsi. Archdeacon J
Holden writes about Kweilin, where Sun Yat Sen, the Southern President, with his
Cantonese army and his allies from Yunman, Kwiechow and Kiangsi was in
possession when the year opened: "As the
Cantonese army was gradually being withdrawn, the irregulars and brigands grew
nearer and nearer and at last, when the city was clear, these entered and took
possession. Their first act was to open every prison and turn loose nearly two
thousand criminals of every type. Then began a long period of strain and
uncertainty. There were over twenty independent bands of armed men, bound by the
loosest ties of allegiance to a common commander; the leaders were for the most
part ignorant and illiterate adventurers and the men private soldiers in the
literal sense, for each one owned his own rifle and ammunition, which he never
allowed to leave his body: of discipline there was not the slightest pretence,
the men walked the streets fully armed and behaved as they pleased, practising a
one-sided communism. Immediately at the city gates were bands that were not
allowed to enter; at a greater distance were other predatory bodies looking with
longing eyes at the rich prize, and breathing out threatenings and slaughter
should they be refused a share. And so for many weeks it became a part of my
duties to help the city fathers in their endeavours to keep the peace among such
a mass of conflicting elements."
Fukien Mission- much on the
fighting between the northern and southern troops and the capture of Foochow by
the latter. "The situation caused some dislocation of missionary work,
chiefly by rendering the people afraid of travelling and in some instances of
receiving visitors and some of the CMS buildings in Foochow were struck by
bullets, but no stations had to be abandoned and the various institutions were
kept open." Of the condition of the villages and market towns after
fighting broke out, the Rev S J Nightingale wrote in January 1923:
" Highway robbery and village raids are an everyday occurrence. Men are
seized too, almost every day by press-gangs to carry the impediments and
artillery of the troops from one district to another. Some are kept for weeks
from their homes, their work, or their business, by these lawless troops. They
are merely fed with a couple of meals a day, are given no pay or bedding beyond
a little straw on the cold ground. A good many die, a few have been shot while
attempting to escape and it is a wonder they do not rise in mass to resist. We
are besieged with requests to try to get individuals released and on one pretext
or another I have managed to get half-a-dozen or so set free during the last
week or two."
Kyushu Mission "The
outstanding event of the year was the visit of the Prince of Wales to
Kagoshima in May. Almost all the CMS missionaries in the island assembled for
the occasion and were assigned special places at the landing stage and presented
to the Prince, while the Rev T Soejima, the Japanese pastor and one of the
Sunday-school children presented letters of welcome from the Church and Sunday
school to His Royal Highness. The Princes gracious manner to the missionaries
and his friendly talk with Bishop Lea made a great impression on the Japanese
officials";
The Colonial Associations -
a report of the CMS Society of Australia and Tasmania showing receipts of
£30,000 for the years 1921-1922.
Annual Reports for 1933 give the researcher the
opportunity to explore the state of the missions pre World War II: the general
introduction on The World talks of the threat of Communism to the world and the
celebration of the Centenary of Great Britains decision to abolish slavery
and the rapid growth and plans for extension of the work of the Roman Catholic
Missions plus there is a desire for co-operation between the various branches of
the Protestant Christian Church and the movement towards unity.
Yoruba and Niger Missions
reports on the Girls School outside Lagos, courses for teachers and course
workers, the financial depression in Niger and the rapid changes in native life.
Miss Summerhayes writes: "the girls and women need us to change and
move with them. One very obvious need now is our understanding of the changed
attitude to marriage. Our tribe is just entering on a revolution in its home
life arising from the girls new outlook on life, a revolution many tribes
must have struggled through before. We should learn from their experience.
The girls are beginning to make a stand for their liberty to develop themselves
along other lines before marrying and then only to marry when constrained by
love. Thus surely is the force which will naturally overcome polygamy where
regulations and conventions are failing all the time" There are
reports on the state of the hospital at Iyi Enu where there is a new weekly
Babies Welfare Clinic; the Kenya Mission shows signs of progress. The Rev H J
E Butcher writes: "In most parts of Kenya growth is taking place at such
a rate that it is practically impossible for our reduced European staff to cope
with it; but a well-taught African ministry could deal with the situation and
one feels that there is already a spiritual fire kindled which can never be
extinguished." Political agitation amongst the Kikuyu continues and
circumcision difficulties abound. There is also an increase in the practice of
witchcraft.
Ruanda Mission - the Leper
Colony continues to grow and there are four hundred lepers on the island; the
Egypt Mission- a serious anti-missionary campaign and the prospect of Government
legislation to restrict missionary activity;
India Mission a steady
decrease in the number of European missionaries meaning that the training of an
Indian ministry is very important. There is also a change coming over the life
of women in India and this is bringing about a difficult situation in regard to
girls education. Miss Watts of the Meerut Girls School writes:
"Purdah is breaking down and girls are rapidly coming out from the enclosed
life of the Zenanas. They want to live fully and they are eager for knowledge
which they may use; but India is not ready for them. We educate our girls in our
Mission schools and in Government schools; we train them; some as teacherssome
as nurses.and all the time there are whole areas of the country where the
inhabitants are absolutely illiterate- needing teachers- whole areas needing
nurses and welfare workers amongst our women. Yet we dare not send out trained,
unmarried teachers and nurses alone to these areas. Indian thought and the
Indian public are not ready for them and these change slowly."
Punjab, North-West Frontier and Sind Mission
financial depression, owing to the failure of the monsoon rains and much
unemployment among the Christians;
The United Provinces Mission
Miss Reynolds of Jeyi writes of the intention of the Government to increase
grants for the help of the depressed classes and for Upper Primary Education in
India;
China Missions friction
between China and Japan and the clashes in Manchuria. In Western China there is
an increase in banditry and in Fukien the Communists have strengthened their
position. "It is evident that China is changing fast and that more and
more control in the Church is passing from European to Chinese hands."
Japan Mission unrest
among the people and they are more ready to listen to Communist teaching coming
from Russia; thousands of young people and professors arrested and imprisoned
and a strong fascist movement is growing.
There is a change of name in 1944 and the Annual
Reports become the CMS Historical Record. The issues for 1945-1946
concentrate on the aftermath of World War II but other interesting topics are
also covered:
The Palestine Mission an
urgent need for missionary reinforcements, missionaries helping the British
troops by visiting them in hospital;
The Nasik Mission the
medical work going well but more staff needed;
United Provinces Mission
a need for more co-education: " Friendship between young men and women
is regarded as indecent by many and so tends to be driven into secrecy."
Bengal Mission a bad
drought and after watching the Hindus and the Moslems trying to induce God to
send water the Christians decide to try the same method: "In
due course, after ordinary prayers for rain, the Christians decided that
something should be done. So they organised "Rain Processions"
entailing complete abstinence from field work, fasting and then the procession
of all available men and children beating drums, dancing and singing and calling
incessantly on God for rain. Bands of people also go to the church with buckets
of water and pour it over the pulpit, reading desk and floor. The water then
becomes very holy and efficacious for healing the sick"
South China Mission a
very telling note is at the beginning of the information for this mission : "Nearly
all the South China news this year was written in the Victoria-Stanley
Internment Camp." Miss Baxter used to be the Assistant Supervisor at
the St Stephens Emergency Hospital. She writes from the camp saying that
there were three sides of internment life which were bad: "Insufficient
food often stolen by our own people and the Japanese. Red Cross parcels only
got through twice. Shortage of medical necessaries. Lack of mails. To many who
did not know whether their dear ones were dead or alive, this was torture."
She comments however that the Japanese did not interfere with them much and
were nice to the children. Miss S L Hollis was among the helpers sent to the
Central British School Hospital when the raids began and many casualties came
constantly in. After many trying experiences and moves they were in Stanley Camp
on January 23rd 1942. The Japanese had cremated the bodies of the St
Stephens Hospital staff and patients who had died on Christmas Day. The
Japanese decapitated three Chinese policemen who had brought tobacco and
cigarettes for the internees.
Western China Mission
lowering of morale and the rising cost of living are the predominant themes; the
cost of living being about 500 times as much as in pre-war days.
The issues of the CMS Historical Record, 1959-1960
for the Africa Missions talk of Independence and the responsibilities of the
Church. "There is an increased African consciousness in Africa. This
sense of oneness may be induced by a consciousness of being black as distinct
from white, but it is very real. Unity may come from external pressure as so
often in history. The All-Africa Church Conference showed the way, being held
before the All-Africa Peoples Congress. The follow-up does not seem to have
caught the imagination of the people yet, however." However in Yoruba
magic still persists children wearing amulets and doorways festooned with
"medicine" to ward off evil spirits; child stealing is on the
increase; there is a growing increase in football pools and many signs along the
roads advertise them; there is an increased desire for education. Educational
television is started and two hours a day are available for the Ibadan and Lagos
areas. There are new midwifery training courses at the hospital;
The Northern Nigeria Mission
review talks of a strong policy of Northernisation saying the newspapers are
full of the NPC and NCNC alliance the north and the east.
The Niger Mission there
is great expectancy as Independence gets closer but also a fear that Nigeria
will develop into a totalitarian dictatorship like Ghana as there are many
sources of conflict, tribal, regional, political, social and religious. There
are new job opportunities for women with the Shell Oil Company providing jobs as
comptometer operators; there is an increase in the number of TB cases.
Northern Sudan Mission
nepotism and bribery rife in the army after the military coup detat of the
previous year, the press "muzzled" and political discussions are
unwise, the economic situation is improved due to the cuts in imports but
European style groceries are scarcer
Southern Sudan Mission
" In the new Africa the Rev J B Lowe senses a conscious attempt to escape
from the old Africa. Education has widened horizons. Boys discover that they
have missed something and are eager to capture it for themselves whilst faintly
resenting those who already have it. In the mind of the schoolboy a
questioning element is now developing, hitherto absent in village and
Theological College life.";
The Jordan Mission
" Underlying all, there is the constant sense of political unrest which may
turn a comparatively peaceful landscape into a dangerous volcano. Many people
fear they may not be able to cope with their financial commitments, medical
emergencies or the education of children. The acute shortage of servants,
especially Arab households, is difficult to reconcile with the traditions of
hospitality.".
Persia Mission "The
situation in the oilfields at Abadan causes grave concern to the Church. The oil
communities are scattered over a very extensive area of country and much of the
Chaplains time is spent in travelling. The West is steadily imposing
itself upon the East and upon Persia. New, modern buildings are going up
rapidly, yet quite near, one can see a typical Muslim home, rooms built around a
courtyard and enclosed by a high wall. Modern American cars compete with
donkeys, or an occasional camel. Old shops where craftsmen beat the brass or
silverware are next door to the Pepsi Cola stall. Paris fashions walk side by
side with a woman hidden behind her chaddor, or clothed in the village and
tribal dress. There are beggars everywhere."
West Pakistan Mission
"The authoritarian Government of West Pakistan is proving both efficient
and permanent, it seems. Yet the essential problems of social and economic
growth remain to be solved and may prove very difficult." There are
reports on the health situation of the people terrible eye conditions, many
suffering from anaemia.
Japan Mission "The
present government is by no means popular and is much criticised by the Japanese
press and the country in general. Tension between Japan and Korea is high.
Financially people are better off; young people, whether married or single,
spend a lot. Washing machines have now reached the country districts and
refrigerators are seen in any small shop selling dairy produce in the towns.
In fact Japan is striving to be recognised as the leading power in East Asia, in
teaching and politics."
The issues of the CMS Historical Record for the
1970s and 1980s give more brief details on the missions than previous
years. The 1975 issue contains information for all the missions on subjects
including:
1. Church Work conferences, rallies, refugees in
Rwanda, help for the Sudanese during the war, relief work in Bangladesh
following the 1974 floods
2. Education news on schools, colleges, training, adult literacy classes,
nutrition units, prison visiting
3. Health- hospitals, baby welfare sessions, immunisation clinics.
|
| 
| 
