CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE

Section IV: Africa Missions
Part 19: Tanganyika, 1900-1934, Nyanza, 1880-1886, and Rwanda, 1933-1934

This material covers the Tanganyika Mission, 1900-1934, the Nyanza Mission, 1880-1886, and the Rwanda Mission, 1933-1934.

• There is excellent material on the divinity school and teacher training institute at Kongwa, established in 1913, with T B R Westgate as its first principal.
• The documents show how CMS work spread along the shores of Lake Tanganyika.  One of Lionel Bakewell’s assistants in this region was Yoharia Omari, who later became the first African bishop of the diocese.
• The papers record the creation of the Christian Council for central Tanganyika in 1929.
• There are letters from D J Rees (Secretary of the Tanganyika Mission) and
  J H Briggs (Acting Secretary).
• The documents cover mission work at Mpwapwa, in the Usagara and Ugogo districts, at Mamboya, Berega, Mvumi, Buigiri, Dodoma and Kongwa.

The material on the Nyanza Mission covers the work of Alexander Mackay,
F R Hodgson (Archdeacon of Zanzibar), A W Copplestone and J T Last.

• There are letters from James Hannington, first bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, prior to his murder in 1885.
• With the death of Metesa in 1884, a period of political unrest and religious wars developed.  The papers describe events leading up to the decision for CMS missionaries to leave the region in 1886.  They did not return until 1889.

Rwanda Council Meetings and the Minutes of the Executive Committee of the Rwanda Mission are prominent among the Original Papers for 1933-1934.

• There is good source material on medical work at Kabale, Gahini, Kigeme and Shyira.
• Other documents include Dr Mott’s report on his journey through the Congo, letters from A C Stanley Smith (Secretary of the Mission), papers and minutes of the first annual conference of the Rwanda Mission held at Kabale in January 1934, and material on the schools at Kigezi and Kabale.