Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts

Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG), formed in 1701, was a missionary organization of the Church of England. In 1965, the SPG merged with Universities' Mission to Central Africa (UMCA) to form the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (USPG). In 1968 the Cambridge Mission to Delhi (CMD) also joined the USPG.

History of the SPG

Around the start of the 18th century, Henry Compton the Bishop of London requested Rev. Dr. Thomas Bray to report on the state of the Church of England in the American Colonies. Dr. Bray reported that the Anglican Church in America had "little spiritual vitality" and was "in a poor organisational condition". On June 16, 1701 King William III issued a charter establishing the SPG as "an organisation able to send priests and schoolteachers to America to help provide the Church's ministry to the colonists". The society’s first missionaries started work in North America in 1702, and in the West Indies in 1703. Its charter soon expanded to include "evangelisation of slaves and Native Americans." By 1710 SPG officials stated that "conversion of heathens and infidels ought to be prosecuted preferably to all others." By the time of the American Revolution, the SPG had employed about 300 missionaries in North American and soon expanded to Australia, New Zealand and West Africa. The SPG was also important in the establishment of the Episcopal Church.

In 1820 the SPG sent missionaries to India, and in 1821 to South Africa. It later expanded outside the British Empire, to China in 1863 and Japan 1873. By then the society's focus was more on the care for indigenous people than for colonists. In 1866 the SPG established the:

"Ladies’ Association for Promoting the Education of Females in India and other Heathen Countries in Connection with the Missions of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel."

In 1895 this group was updated to the:

"Women’s Mission Association for the Promotion of Female Education in the Missions of the SPG,"

which allowed British and Irish women themselves to become missionaries. During this period the SPG also supported increasing numbers of indigenous missionaries of both sexes, as well as medical missionary work. The SPG continued is the missionary work for Churches of England, Wales, and Ireland until its merger in with the Universities’ Mission to Central Africa in 1965.

SPG in Australia

Extract from Kuchel family history (1838-1970) Hahndorf, South Australia:

"Kirchenbergen comprised three sections of land totalling about 240 acres [1 km²] out of 400 acres [1.6 km²] of Crown lands in a special survey that was purchased by the Incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts on 15th May, 1841. It cannot be ascertained under what tenure the Kuchels held Kirchenbergen originally, but in 1863 the Society for the Propogation of the Gospel granted them a lease (in which they were described as "farmers") for a period of 20 years.

The rent was fixed at 89 pounds a year for the first seven years and 89 pounds a year for the remainder of the term, so they allowed for inflation in those days. Among the conditions of the lease were:

- to cultivate and to plant on the said land during the first seven years 4.5 acres [18,000 m²] of vines,

- to repair, uphold, amend and keep in repair the erections, buildings and fences upon the said premises, and

- not to let, underlet or assign over or otherwise part with any portion of the said premises without the consent in writing of the said Society."

References

• United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (http://www.mundus.ac.uk/cats/11/1052.htm)

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