Founding of Baptist Missionary Society

Background. BMS World Mission, officially known as the Baptist Missionary Society, is a Christian missionary society founded by Baptists from England in 1792. The society was formed as the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen, reflecting its specific theological and missionary focus.

Founding. The society was established at a meeting in Kettering, England, where twelve Particular Baptist ministers signed an agreement. This gathering formalized the organization's commitment to propagating the Gospel among non-Christian populations, marking the beginning of its institutional history.

Early Missions. Following its formation, the society dispatched its first missionaries, William Carey and John Thomas, to Bengal, India, in 1793. This action demonstrated the society's immediate operational capacity and its focus on international missionary work.

Historiography. Francis Augustus Cox authored a history of the Baptist Missionary Society covering its formation through 1842. This work provides a detailed account of the society's early years and its development during the first half of the nineteenth century.