Eclectic Society (Christian) facts for kids
The Eclectic Society was a special group started in 1783. It was made up of Anglican clergymen (church leaders) and laymen (people who were not church leaders but were part of the church). They met to talk about important religious ideas. This group was very important in helping to create the Church Missionary Society in 1799.
How It Started
This society had some famous early members. These included John Newton (1725 - 1807), who was a clergyman and a poet. Another key member was John Venn (1759 - 1813), who was a church leader in Clapham and also helped start the Church Missionary Society. Other members were Thomas Scott, Richard Cecil, and Henry Foster.
The Eclectic Society met every two weeks. At first, they met at an inn called the Castle and Falcon. Later, they moved their meetings to the vestry (a room in a church) of St John's Chapel in London. When the society began in 1783, some of its founding members were new to their church roles in London. As more people joined and the group became more experienced, the society grew in importance.
Spreading the Word Around the World
The idea of sending missions to other countries was first talked about in 1786. They discussed it again in 1789 and 1791. The members realized there was a big opportunity for a group that could share the Christian message with people all over the world.
They talked about foreign missions again in 1796. By this time, other groups like the Baptist and London Missionary Societies had already been formed. But it took three more years for the Eclectic Society to take action.
In 1797, Josiah Pratt, a clergyman, joined the Eclectic Society. In February 1799, he suggested a question for discussion: "How can a regular publication help spread religious ideas?" These discussions led to the start of the Christian Observer two years later. For much of the 1800s, this publication was very important for sharing Evangelical Christian beliefs and work.
The next month, the group discussed: "What ways can we use to better share the Gospel (Christian message) with people who haven't heard it?" At this meeting, they decided to form a new society. In April, at a public meeting, the Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East was officially created.
