HISTORY

The Atlantic Mission Society began as a women’s organization, when the official role of women in the Church was severely limited – only men could be ministers and elders, and women were rarely put in other positions of authority.

Women did, however, wish to contribute actively to the work of the Church, so in 1876 they formed the Halifax Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (Eastern Section). At the time, the Presbyterian Church in Canada had an eastern and a western mission board, and the Halifax society related to the eastern board.

The first local groups, called auxiliaries, were formed in 1877 and the first presbyterials began in 1884 in Halifax and Pictou.

Name changes in subsequent years reflected changes in the focus of the work. In 1885, it became the Woman’s Foreign Mission Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (ED) and encompassed the Presbyterials of:

• • Truro (1887)
  • Prince Edward Island (1888)
  • Sydney, Inverness and Saint John (1889)
  • Wallace (1893)
  • Miramichi (1896)
  • Lunenburg and Halifax (1899)

In 1915, the name changed again, to the Woman’s Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (ED). The most recent change, in 1987, to the Atlantic Mission Society, The Presbyterian Church in Canada (AMS) reflects the Society’s welcoming of both men and women to membership. As The Presbyterian Church in Canada recognized in 1966 that there was no reason women should not be ordained as ministers and elders, so the Atlantic Mission Society recognized that its work was also of interest to both women and men.

While members of the Society tend to be older members of the congregations, the mission of the church requires – as it always has – energetic and enthusiastic participation.

In the early days of the Society, the members had very little money to share, but they gave what they could – over and above what the family gave to the Church’s mission work through the weekly offering envelope. They well understood their purpose and motto, "The World For Christ". They led local children’s groups (mission bands) and faithfully supported in prayer those missionaries they sent out. At one time, they supported 19 teachers in Trinidad.

Not only did the Society look after its own commitments but gave as well material help to all missions of the Eastern Section. It also put pressure on the Foreign Mission Board of The Presbyterian Church in Canada to respond to needs in areas where they felt missionaries needed to be sent. For example, the WMS (ED) was largely responsible for convincing the Church to open a Korean Mission in 1898.

Opportunities to serve and help develop future mission policies and endeavours still exist. The church is seeking new and creative ways of carrying out our Mission in the twenty-first century.

STRUCTURE

The structure of the Atlantic Mission Society parallels that of the courts of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. The Auxiliary is at the local level; the Presbyterial takes in an area similar to the Presbytery; the General Society parallels the Synod of the Atlantic Provinces and a report is made to the General Assembly, the highest authority in our church.

The group in a congregation is known as an auxiliary, each with its own name. For example, if there are two groups in a congregation, one might be called the "Ruth Auxiliary" and the other the "West Side Auxiliary". Each group meets regularly and is bound by the Constitution of the Atlantic Mission Society. The president of each auxiliary is a member of the Presbyterial Executive, along with officers elected by the presbyterial.

Each presbyterial has an annual meeting which all members of all auxiliaries within its bounds are encouraged to attend. Voting members include one delegate from each auxiliary (in addition to their presidents) and one leader or delegate from each affiliated group, along with the members of the Presbyterial Executive.

There are eight presbyterials in the Atlantic Synod. In most cases, a presbyterial includes the churches within approximately the same area as the corresponding Presbytery.

The President of each Presbyterial and the officers of the General Society form the Executive of the General Society.

The General Society meets annually and each auxiliary, affiliated adult, youth and children’s group within the Synod of the Atlantic Provinces is entitled to send one delegate. Others are free to attend at their own expense.

The Atlantic Mission Society has representation on the Assembly Council, the Life and Mission Agency, the Synod Council and some other committees of the denomination. The President of the Atlantic Mission Society reports directly to the General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.

An auxiliary may make its wishes and ideas known to the Presbyterial Executive through its president. In the same manner, the Presbyterial can make its concerns and wishes known to the Executive of the General Society. They in turn present their recommendations to the Annual Meeting of the Society. A formal report on the work of the AMS is made, through the President, to each General Assembly.

The same structure works in reverse, allowing information from the General Assembly, General Society and the Presbyterial to get back to the membership. This makes for an informed membership, thus enriching and empowering the Society.

(Notes on the History and Structure of the AMS are taken from a booklet prepared by Miss Ina Adamson, past Executive Secretary)