AFRICAN MISSIONS, EDUCATION AND THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE:
The SUM in Nigeria, The Cameroons, Chad, Sudan and Other African Territories

Part 2: The Lightbearer, 1905-1991

This part consists of a complete run of the SUM periodical, The Lightbearer, invaluable to researchers looking at all aspects of the mission from its beginnings at the start of the twentieth century up to 1991. It is particularly important for the early years of SUM activity as much manuscript material for this period did not survive the bombings of the Second World War. 

Topics covered in this periodical are very varied and include:

• Extracts from monthly reports from the different mission stations.
• Descriptions of missionary work amongst the local people.
• News on new missionaries – lists given of names and dates of sailing to Africa.
• Reports on conferences.
• Articles on the History of SUM missionary work amongst different tribes, for instance among the Dzompere people in Kwambai, Northern Nigeria.
• Contributions received by the SUM.
• Reports of local disasters such as hurricanes and crop failures.
• Notes on Annual Meetings.

Some issues contain maps of the mission areas and interesting photographs of the missionaries and the local tribes.