Negative photostat copy of letter from T[homas] Coke, Hoxton [Middx], to the Directors of the [London] Missionary Society, Feb[ruar]y 26 1798

On hearing of their intentions to send missionaries to the West Indies outlines a statement of the Methodist missions in the 'Archipelago'. Forty to fifty thousand attend ministry of [Wesleyan Methodist] preachers with nearly ten thousand of those being members of the [Wesleyan Methodist Missionary]...

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Order number: MMS/Special Series/Biographical/Home/Box 1391
Date(s) of creation: mid 20th century
Level: Item
Format: Archive           

Order number: MMS/Special Series/Biographical/Home/Box 1391
Summary: On hearing of their intentions to send missionaries to the West Indies outlines a statement of the Methodist missions in the 'Archipelago'. Forty to fifty thousand attend ministry of [Wesleyan Methodist] preachers with nearly ten thousand of those being members of the [Wesleyan Methodist Missionary] Society. Proceeds to list society numbers in Tortola & the Virgin Islands, Antigua, St Christopher's, Nevis, Monserratt, Dominica, St Vincent's, Barbados, Grenada and Jamaica. Explains how their missionaries are fully supported. Explains that after initial reluctance planatation owners are allowing Methodist missionaries to preach and how additional missionaries are being dispatched. Indicates the [Wesleyan Methodist] Society intends to expand into Tobago, Anguilla, Providence Island and Bermuda. Asks the [London] Missionary Society to suspend operations and intended plans with regard to the West Indies until the next [Wesleyan Methodist] Conference to allow them to decide to further the spread of the Gospel as they have 'at present no other work among the Heathen'. Can't see how they [LMS] will gain from preaching in the area unless it is specifically through their 'Calvinist Ministers'. Estimates that the population in English speaking areas to be no more than seven hundred thousand. States he is asking them to only suspend operations in Jamaica until the August Conference.
Previous numbers: Item 11 Coke mss list
Extent: 1 item
Access status: Open
Copyright: Copyright held by Council for World Mission
User restrictions: For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library in the first instance
Language: English
Scripts: Latin
Originals: CWM/LMS/Home/Home Office Extra/Box 1A, Folder 1, Jacket D
Publications: Transcript apppears on page 230 of 'The letters of Dr. Thomas Coke' edited by John A. Vickers (2013).
Format: Archive