The Periodicals Collections

From 1846 to 2015, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) published various missions-related periodicals, sometimes concurrently. 

 

The six collections below contain most numbers of these periodicals, which included news, commentary, and images from multiple boards of the SBC, primarily the Foreign Mission Board (now the International Mission Board). 

 

These publications span nearly 170 years of communications strategies, from text-only journals and newspapers to full-color glossy magazines.

 

The following publication collections are presented in chronological order.

Southern Baptist Missionary Journal

1846-1851

The Southern Baptist Missionary Journal (SBMJ) was the first Southern Baptist missions periodical, published monthly from 1846-51 by the Foreign Mission Board and the Domestic Mission Board (now the North American Mission Board).

The Commission (19th Century)

1849-1851, 1856-1861

The Commission (TC) was the Foreign Mission Board's longest-running periodical.  It began as a 4-page broadsheet newspaper in 1849 and developed into a longer journal in the 1850s.  It continued in this form until 1861, when the Civil War halted its publication.  It was relaunched as a magazine in 1938 (see separate collection below).

Home and Foreign Journal

1851-1874

The Home and Foreign Journal (HFJ) was published by the Foreign and Domestic Mission Boards from 1851-61 and then by the Foreign, Domestic and Indian, and Sunday School Boards from 1868-74.  It was a monthly 4-page broadsheet with a July to June publication year.

Foreign Mission Journal

1874-1916

The Foreign Mission Journal (FMJ) was published as a 4-page broadsheet by the Foreign Mission Board from 1874-1890.  In August 1890, it changed to a journal format, which it retained until the end of its run in 1916.

Home and Foreign Fields

1916-1937

Home and Foreign Fields (HFF) served as the FMB’s communication outlet from 1916-1937.  It was published as a monthly magazine by the Sunday School Board and covered foreign and home missions, as well as contributions by auxiliary organizations like the Women’s Missionary Union and the Young People’s Department.

The Commission

1938-2008

The Commission (TC) was the Foreign Mission Board's longest-running periodical.  After a short 19th-century run (see separate collection above), it relaunched as a magazine which ran from 1938 until 2008.  A hybrid newsprint/online publication, CommissionStories, took its place from 2009-15.

To the Ends of the Earth

2004-2009

To the Ends of the Earth (EOE) was a seasonal mini magazine that accompanied The Commission from 2004-2009.  Its alternate title was Acts 1:8 - To the Ends of the Earth.

CommissionStories

2009-2015

CommissionStories (CS) was a quarterly newspaper produced by the IMB from 2009-15.  Along with its associated website, it bridged IMB’s transition to the digital era. 

Great Commission Baptist Journal of Missions

2022-

In 2022, the IMB began publishing the online Great Commission Baptist Journal of Missions (GCBJM).  The GCBJM, released biannually, “provides a platform for missionaries on the field, missionaries-in-training, missiologists, and churches to engage in conversations about a variety of topics related to the missionary task.”