Paris Evangelical Missionary Society

Paris Evangelical Missionary Society

 

The Paris Evangelical Missionary Society (Société des missions évangéliques de Paris), also known as the SMEP or Mission de Paris, was a Protestant missionary association created in 1822. As with other Christian societies of the era, it came under of the auspices of an organised church, in this case the Reformed Church in France and brought together Protestants of the Réveil (Awakening).

The SMEP opened several areas of operation, notably in Africa (in particular, Lesotho) and Oceania. The churches founded in these areas were organised along similar lines to the Reformed Church in France, with synods and presbyteries (consistoires).

In 1964, the daughter churches established by SMEP missionaries expressed a strong desire to change the tenor of the relationship with the mother church, for their part they wished for ‘integration of the Missionary Church to the Mother Church’ (l’intégration de la Mission à l’Église)

This objective was realised in 1970, when two new organisations replaced the SMEP: CÉVAA Communauté évangélique d’action apostolique (subsequently Communauté d’Églises en Mission) and DÉFAP, Département évangélique français d’action apostolique (subsequently Service protestant de mission).

Missions

  • 1885 – Shesheke
  • 1886 – Sefula
  • 1889 – Kazungula
  • 1892 – Lealui
  • 1894 – Nalolo
  • 1898 – Senanga
  • 1899 – Victoria Falls (near the Old Drift on the north bank)
  • 1899 – Mabumbu
  • 1903 – Seoma
  • 1905 – Lukona
  • 1907 – Livingstone

News from Barotsi-land

This newsletter was published by the UK Auxiliary to the PMS to raise awareness of the work of the mission in Barotseland and, therefore, to raise funds. The PMS had over one hundred of these ‘support’ groups throughout Europe. In Europe, they were called Zambezias. In the early years, the editor of the UK newsletter was Miss Catharine Macintosh, niece of the Reverend Francois Coillard, the founder of the mission in Barotseland. The publication started in 1898.

 

Postcards

These postcards were published by the various Zambezias of the PMS to help raise funds for the mission in Barotseland.

Contributor
  • Sean Burke

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