missionary societies
Religious outreach groups
Missionary societies are organizations that sponsor religious workers to spread their faith in other regions or countries.
They emerged prominently in the 18th and 19th centuries as Protestant churches organized systematic efforts to convert non-Christian populations, often intertwined with colonialism: The missionary society sent volunteers to establish schools in West Africa.
Catholic equivalents include religious orders with evangelistic missions.
Today they range from small church-based groups to large international organizations funding humanitarian work alongside evangelism.
- evangelismPromoting beliefs to others
- colonial missionsReligious outposts in colonies
- church plantingEstablishing new religious communities
- anthropologyStudy of human cultures
- proselytismAttempting to convert others
medical missions · charity · ethnography · schools · Bible translation · relief work · cross-cultural communication · native speakers · interfaith dialogue · imperial expansion · white savior · literacy campaigns · Bible school · historical archives · conversion · abolition movements · vocational training · hospitals
- Catholic ChurchVatican, papacy, cardinals, popes, papal
- BaptistsBaptists, Baptist churches, Baptist preachers, Southern Baptists, adult baptism
- Catholic GroupsJesuits, Franciscans, Dominicans, Benedictines, Carmelites
- Catholic OrganizationsKnights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, Opus Dei, parish councils, Knights of Malta
- Christian missionsforeign missions, church planting, evangelists, California missions, Catholic missions
- colonial enterprisesBritish East India Company, Dutch East India Company, East India Company, Hudson's Bay Company, chartered companies