Welcome to the Crowther Centre for Mission Education, from centre manager Dr Cathy Ross.

The Crowther Centre houses the excellent CMS library, a friendly meeting space and is staffed by the Centre Manager, Librarian, Archivist, Centre Administrator and a Missiologist-in-Residence. This is a person experienced in mission, usually from the Majority World, who helps us to reflect on what it means to be a mission society in the 21st century. This person is based at the Crowther Centre and would be very happy to meet with you.

The Crowther Centre functions as a kind of marae. This is a Maori word (from Aotearoa/New Zealand) meaning a friendly space to meet and talk. It also operates as a research centre and facility and coordinates all that goes on within CMS in terms of mission education. We plan to host occasional events to offer insights into mission today – both global and local. Do look out for these.

The Crowther Centre also has links with Oxford University through the Centre Manager’s role as JV Taylor Fellow in Missiology based at Regent’s Park College and Wycliffe Hall. This means that we can offer access to first-class research and educational resources as well as receiving input from these communities.

We hope that the Crowther Centre can offer something for everyone. You may like to come and use the library, browse through the journals or simply chat with the staff and others in CMS. You might wish to meet there to discuss the latest issues in mission over good coffee. If you cannot visit us at the Crowther Centre, then do keep an eye on these web pages to see what is happening at the Centre and access our e-journal to see what is happening in the wider world of CMS and mission.

CMS brings more that 200 years of education and learning in mission to the Crowther Centre – indeed some of our first mission partners were educationalists. We also benefit from current mission engagement through our extensive network of people in mission all over the world. We hope that by visiting the Centre, either actually or virtually, you may help us to continue to build on this rich heritage, for the glory of God.