(Staff)  Two historic mission agencies have voted to become a single mission community. On Feb. 1^st the Church Mission Society and the South American Mission Society became a new joint entity known as CMS -- a mission service that will benefit from the rich history of both societies’ work in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The merging organizations issued a joint statement: “As we look to a rapidly changing future, this community will work to enable a new generation of God’s people to fulfil their calling in mission wherever they may be across those four continents.”

In 2008, SAMS General Council voted 84 per cent in favour of integrating with CMS. CMS members – with an overwhelming 99 per cent in favour – agreed in early 2009.

The Society for Missions to Africa and the East (as the Church Mission Society was first called) was founded in 1799 and slavery abolitionist, William Wilberforce, became its first vice-president. It later became known as the Church Missionary Society and then the Church Mission Society. As a group of evangelistic societies it worked with the Anglican Communion and Protestant Christians around the world. It has attracted nearly nine thousand men and women to serve as mission partners during its 200-year history.

The South American Mission Society was founded at Brighton in 1844 as the Patagonian Mission. Captain Allen Gardiner, R.N., was its first secretary. He had made several attempts to bring Protestant Christianity to the native peoples of South America. When he returned to England in 1843 to seek support for his efforts, no British church or missionary society offered to help, so he founded his own. Gardiner thought that the original mission should be expanded from southern South America (Patagonia) to the full continent. The name of the organization was changed after the death of Captain Gardiner, who died of starvation in 1851 on Picton Island (an uninhabited island off Tierra del Fuego) while waiting for a supply ship from England. In Britain, Captain Gardiner and his party were lauded as martyrs, and donations to the Patagonian Missionary Society poured in and the Church of England granted its support.

SAMS/CMS and the leadership of the Province of the Southern Cone met recently in Salta, Northern Argentina to consider their ongoing partnership in mission. 

The discussions were held in the context of the half-yearly meeting of the House of Bishops and the Provincial Executive Council. Bishop Gregory Venables who, as Primate, presided over the meetings said that “this was a crucial moment which provided the opportunity for robust and clear communication; it has proved to be a constructive step forward in our shared commitment to worldwide mission.”

Clarification (published May 2010):

The merger described above was in fact only between SAMS Great Britain and CMS in Great Britain, and does not involve SAMS Canada in any way.  Furthermore, the logo depicted was that of SAMS Canada (which was not involved in the merger).  SAMS Canada remains independent and continues to support mission activities and personnel working in Central and South America through Anglican dioceses and local congregations. 

Former SAMS branches in New Zealand, Australia and now Great Britain have merged with the respective CMS organizations in those countries. 

However, SAMS Ireland, SAMS US and SAMS Canada continue as independent agencies working in collaboration with the CMS organizations as part of the continuing SAMS International community involved through partnership in the work of the Anglican Church in Latin America.

The mission of SAMS Canada is to find and send those whom God is calling to the mission field, and to widen and deepen the missionary vision of Canadian Anglicans. It continues to support work specifically in four countries (Honduras, Chile, Peru and Belize), and to work with short-term teams from Canadian parishes who visit these locations.

Please refer to the SAMS Canada website for more information: www.samscanada.ca.