Board Minutes

This collection contains the official signed minutes of the meetings of the Foreign Mission Board (the IMB’s name prior to 1997).  The minutes begin in 1845 and until 1914 were handwritten in large record books by the Recording Secretary.  From 1914 they were typewritten in a variety of formats.  The Board typically met monthly but occasionally held extra called meetings.  Present at Board meetings in early years were the President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Auditor, and Secretaries.  (The titles of President and Vice Presidents correspond to the present-day Chairman and members of the Board of Trustees.  The Corresponding Secretary was the FMB's executive leader, now called the President.)  Issues under discussion included the selection and appointment of missionaries, expansion into new mission fields, and the allocation of funds to various mission projects.