CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE
Section IV: Africa Missions

Part 19: Tanganyika, 1900-1934, Nyanza, 1880-1886, and Rwanda, 1933-1934

All of the CMS papers for the Tanganyika mission (up to 1934) are included in this part. They cover the Letter Books, 1907-1934, which contain copies of outgoing correspondence from Secretaries at headquarters to the missionaries in the field. Also included are the Original Papers, 1900-1934, which comprise all of the incoming papers sent by the mission secretary to the Group Committee. They contain mainly letters, Annual Letters and reports but also include minutes and papers of local CMS and diocesan committees. The only Precis Book, covering the years 1907-1934, is also included. A minuted precis was prepared for each meeting of the Group Committee. It comprises of the date, writer, date received and summary of contents, proposals for committee action to be taken and/or the secretary's remarks.

The papers on Tanganyika reflect the activities of the divinity school and teacher-training institute at Kongwa, established in 1913, with T B R Westgate as its first principal. It moved to Dodoma in 1928, where it was served for some years by a CMS bookshop. From 1929 work spread along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. One of Lionel Bakewell's assistants in this region was Yohana Omari, who later became the first African bishop of the diocese. As the documents record, in the same year, the African Inland Mission, the German missions, the Universities' Mission to Central Africa and CMS united in a Christian Council for Central Tanganyika. Medical work also developed and hospitals were opened at Kilimatinde in 1933 and Mvumi in 1938. Numerous infant welfare centres were introduced. By the time Bishop George Chambers (appointed in 1927 and previously General Secretary to CMS Australia) retired in 1947, the number of missionaries and African clergy had greatly increased, while in the western part of the country there was a thriving young church of some 10,000 adherents.

During the 1930s the Original Papers and Committee Minutes reveal persistent efforts to remedy the 'defectiveness of missionary organisation' which J H Oldham had singled out as the chief cause of difficulties in co-operation with government education departments in East Africa. In September 1932 the executive committee recommended the provision of school councils for all boarding schools and teacher-training colleges of the diocese. In August 1938 the diocesan council received from a sub-committee a memorandum on Educational Policy for the Diocese of Central Tanganyika. It laid down the basis for a policy for education in co-operation with the government which was implemented with much success in the period up to 1949.

All of the Nyanza papers post -1880 are to be found in this part (the earlier material can be found in Part 16). Included here is a Letter Book for the period 1882-1886 and Original Papers covering 1880-1885. The Original Papers feature letters, Annual Letters, reports, minutes and papers of local CMS and diocesan committees. Included are letters from CMS agents in Alexandria and Zanzibar as well as material on individual missionaries such as Dr Edward John Baxter, medical missionary, General Gordon at Khartoum, Lieutenant George Shergold Smith - leader of the mission 1876-1877, and Rev Charles Thomas Wilson. There are many printed reports of journeys by missionaries, including maps and manuscript journals of expeditions to Eudumi and around the north-eastern shores of Lake Victoria. Nyanza (or the Kavirondo - named after the local tribe) is now part of modern day Kenya.

All of the Rwanda papers pre-1934 are also included in Part 19. They consist of a Letter Book, Original Papers and a Precis Book covering 1933-1934. Minutes of meetings are included plus reports on medical work, conferences and letters from missionaries. In Rwanda the focus was on medical work at hospitals in Kabale, Gahini, Kigeme and Shyira. In 1924 Rev Jack Warren joined the Rwanda mission as pastor and schoolmaster for Kigezi. He opened a number of schools in the region and by 1927 Kabale was described as 'one of the finest mission stations...with six missionaries' houses, three boarding schools, a hospital, and a new church to hold 2,000 people.' The papers included in this part fully document the work undertaken by CMS missionaries in Rwanda.