Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG)

The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG) was a missionary and philanthropic organizations developed under the eye of Dr. Thomas Bray (ca. 1658-1730), an Anglican minister from Shropshire, England. With an expansive view to the spreading of Christianity to the far corners of the British Empire, Bray sought Parliament's assistance for taking the "true religion" (Anglicanism) to the American plantations. He failed to secure it, which prompted him to organize the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK) as a private group in 1699. The SPCK assumed responsibility for spreading Christian teaching by supporting libraries and promoting missionary work, among other ventures.

Recognizing the enormity of the task he had taken on through the SPCK, Bray secured a charter from William III in 1701 for a new organization: the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG), designed to complement the SPCK by taking over responsibility for furnishing the colonies with missionaries. The SPG's charter declared its intention to minister to the spiritual needs of colonists and to make "such other Provision . . . as may be necessary for the Propagation of the Gospell in those Parts." Although it was generally interpreted to mean conversion of the "heathen," this clause did not receive the highest priority at the SPG. Rather, missionaries were sent to colonies such as Rhode Island and Carolina where the Church of England was attempting to establish a foothold amidst Quakers and dissenters. A shortage of ministers in these areas also meant that people did not have access to an ordained clergyman to perform marriages or baptize children. Although the Church of England in Virginia had some difficulties, it was never a target for SPG activities missions because it was well-established by the beginning of the eighteenth century.