Milestones in Mission

John and Mary McLaurin from Ontario arrive in Kakinada, India, to begin the first independent Canadian Baptist missionary enterprise.

Pastor Archibald Reekie from Ontario begins Canadian Baptist missionary outreach in La Paz, Bolivia at a time when protestant mission was illegal.

Star of Hope, the first Canadian Baptist hospital in India, is established in Akividu. Dr. Pearl (Smith) Chute helps those with leprosy in Ramachandrapuram.

Dr. Everett Smith begins construction of a hospital in Pithapuram which becomes the leading Canadian Baptist hospital in India.

CBM advocates for social justice and freedom of worship culminating in the Bill for Liberty in Public Worship enacted in Bolivia, legalizing protestant churches.

Outreach work begins among the Oriya and Sora people of India, and among tribes in Orissa State.

The Maritime and Ontario/Quebec boards merge to establish the Canadian Baptist Foreign Mission Board (CBFMB), the first iteration of CBM.

A high school, teacher training college, and Baptist seminary are established in Kakinada, India.

Canadian Baptists assume responsibility for Peniel Hall Farm in northern Bolivia. Later in 1942 Canadian Baptists institute model for future land reform in Bolivia. This move culminates in a nationwide Agrarian Reform Act (1953).

School to train women on the Bible (later known as the Eva Rose York School) opens in Palkonda, India.

An independent Bolivian denomination (the Bolivian Baptist Union) is formed by churches planted through missionary efforts.

A Bible college is established in Cochabamba, Bolivia which later becomes the Baptist Theological Seminary in 1954.

Canadian Baptist send aid to refugees in post-war Europe through the newly formed Baptist Federation of Canada (1944). This ministry later became The Sharing Way, CBM’s international relief and development department.

An independent denomination, Convention of Baptist Churches of the Northern Circars, in India is formed by churches planted through missionary efforts.

Launch of Southern Cross radio station in Bolivia which serves as a vehicle for evangelism, education, development and inspiration.

Martyrdom of Canadian Baptist missionary Rev. Norman Dabbs, Francisco Salazar (President of the Bolivian Baptist Union), Pastor Carlos Meneses, and five other Baptists. A time of remarkable growth in the Bolivian church and Canadian interest in mission ensues.

Sora Baptist Association is founded in India. Rapid growth of the Christian population happens among the Soura people.

24 Canadian Baptist missionaries deploy to serve with the Angola Evangelical Mission. Due to civil war, in 1961 they move to the Democratic Republic of Congo to work with Angolan refugees, launching a new era partnering with Baptist churches in (then) Zaire to minister to refugees.

The CBFMB becomes the Canadian Baptist Overseas Mission Board (CBOMB), which engages a Task Force approach to mission developed by Dr. Orville Daniel and implemented by his successor Dr. John Keith.

The first Task Force missionaries arrive in Kenya to assist the African Christian Church & Schools (ACC&S) in educational and leadership training ministries.

Floating Clinic medical ministry launched in the Amazon basin of Bolivia, a joint initiative of the UBB and CBM with Canadians Dr. Bob and Suzanne Taylor.

Task Force missionaries arrive in Indonesia. They begin working in 1974 to work alongside the Convention of Baptist Churches of Indonesia (KGBI) with leadership development and pastoral training.

Task Force missionaries arrive in Brazil to partner with Brazilian Baptists in leadership training, the first of 5 different task forces to work with different Baptist state conventions in Brazil.

Task Force missionaries begin working with a second Kenyan partner, African Brotherhood Church with leadership training.

Certificate in Ministry (C.Min), is developed by CBM, Carey Theological College, and our African church partners. Over the years, hundreds of students are trained.

First Growth Ministries Team travels to India for a month of seminars under Indian and Canadian leadership.

Hazel and Marshall Thompson begin pioneering evangelism ministry in Türkiye.

Joint Pioneer Outreach, a new commitment to evangelism and church-planting, begins in Western Indonesia with Convention of Baptist Churches of Indonesia (KGBI) among the Dyak people.

CBM becomes one of the founding Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) church partners, which currently consists of 15 Christian denominations as Canada’s leading organization addressing hunger.

Canadian Baptist Volunteers, a program for short term service overseas is established. Task Force in Belgium evangelize and plant churches.

CBM commissions national church leaders who had emigrated from Ukraine, Croatia, and Latvia, back to minister in their homelands after fall of Berlin Wall and dissolution of the Soviet Union.

CBOMB is renamed Canadian Baptist International Ministries then merges with the Canadian Baptist Federation in 1995 to become Canadian Baptist Ministries.

Prison Kids ministry initiated by Cathie Phillips in Bolivia, eventually leads to the opening of the Casa de la Amistad (Friendship House) and significant prison reform throughout Bolivia.

In El Salvador, The Sharing Way evolves from emergency relief to include development, helping refugees who fled from civil war to resettle.

Relief efforts after the Rwandan genocide leads to development and peace & reconciliation work, and refugee ministry in the DRC.

Jeff and Deann Carter, appointed under the auspices of the European Baptist Federation, conduct research which leads to Horizons Youth Ministry Training program, currently utilized by many denominations within the Baptist World Alliance.

Guardians of Hope project launches in Angola, Kenya, and Rwanda supporting widows, orphans and others impacted by HIV and AIDS. The GOH movement also expands into India.

CBM adopts the Integral Mission framework developed by world-renown Latin American missiologist René Padilla as the Biblical foundation for global ministries.

STEP is launched (Serving, Training, and Energizing Partnerships), inviting Canadian churches into holistic partnership with churches of the Global South.

CBM aids KGBI with relief and reconstruction on Nias Island after earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia. CBM was one of just 25 agencies approved for matching Canadian government funding.

A new partnership between CBM and the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC) also engages Filipino Canadians and their churches.

Elie and Mireille Haddad appointed to serve at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Lebanon, initiating CBM’s significant ministry involvement in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region.

Through its partnership with CFGB, CBM provides 1.5 million dollars of targeted food assistance to feed approximately 45,000 people suffering from famine in eastern Kenya.

Children of Hope launches in Rwanda providing education, health care, and spiritual support for vulnerable children. This becomes a model for other organizations.

Rev. Gato Munyamasoko begins a new ministry focusing on peace and reconciliation ministries of CBM’s African partners.

CBM partners with the Haitian Baptist churches in the French Baptist Union to provide both emergency relief and housing reconstruction to earthquake victims in Haiti.

CBM organizes first national Canadian Baptist conference on understanding and partnering with our First Nations’ brothers and sisters in Christ.

CBM establishes a COVID-19 Relief Fund providing over $330,000 through our overseas partners to assist people due to the pandemic, especially the marginalized.

New partnerships in Togo and Thailand (including Operation Dawn—a drug rehabilitation ministry in the Golden Triangle region of Asia).

New partnership with the Baptist Convention of Egypt (BCE) toward leadership development as well as supporting women, children, and youth.

Celebrating a legacy of 150 years as Canadian Baptists and shaping the one to come.