Baptist Foreign Missions Convention of the United States (1880)

On November 24, 1880, more than 150 delegates from Baptist churches across 11 states assembled in Montgomery, Alabama, to organize the Baptist Foreign Missions Convention of the United States. Meeting in a city marked by deep history and hard questions, they turned their attention outward—toward nations that had little access to the preached Word. Their gathering was not merely administrative; it was devotional, rooted in the conviction that Christ’s church is responsible to carry His gospel beyond familiar borders. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses…to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The Convention’s founding expressed a simple, sturdy faith: obedience is possible, even when costly, when believers pray together, give sacrificially, and send faithfully. Delegates joined hearts around shared doctrine and a shared burden, trusting God to multiply small offerings into lasting fruit. Their unity became a testimony that the mission of Christ can gather many voices into one purpose without erasing local faithfulness.

William W. Colley (Liberian Missionary Leader)

Liberian missionary William W. Colley brought to Montgomery more than reports and plans; he brought credibility formed by cross-cultural labor, endurance, and sacrifice. Having served where language, custom, distance, and danger tested resolve, Colley urged churches to think beyond immediate needs and to invest in souls they might never meet in this life. His leadership reflected a missionary heroism not of spectacle, but of steady courage—continuing when progress was slow, comfort was absent, and the work demanded patience. He embodied the truth that the gospel advances through servants willing to be “spent” for eternal gain.

William H. McAlpine and the Work of Sending

The Rev. William H. McAlpine was elected the Convention’s first president, helping shape a practical framework for prayer, giving, and commissioning. Under early leadership, the Convention emphasized that missionaries are not spiritual freelancers but sent ones, supported by accountable churches. “And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:15). The Convention’s early model encouraged ordinary believers to participate—through intercession, generous support, and steadfast confidence that God honors faithful obedience.