What is SMs
The Southern Mission Society (SMS) is a fellowship of clergy and laity, organised as a mission society as found in entities such as;
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Church Missionary Society ( CMS-Anglican)
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Cross-links
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Society of the Sacred Mission (SSM)
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Mission to Seafarers
The Society states its purpose in this way:
The purpose of the SMs is to follow Christ upholding the standards of the historic faith. This purpose is achieved when the members individually and collectively make every effort to:
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fulfill the Great Commission to evangelize, facilitate the planting of new churches and establish a call to holiness and renewal;
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encourage the education and formation of clergy and laity and lead them to a fuller participation in the work of evangelism and church planting.
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engage in ecumenical fellowship and leadership locally and globally as Anglicans in co-operative networks.
The Ethos of the SMS
Mission Societies have a significant history in the life of the church. They differed in their structures from religious vowed communities as they ministered in the world and, according to their own particular gifts, pursued a specific apostolic or missionary goal. These emphases historically have included, but are not limited to:
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Evangelism and Spiritual Formation
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Education
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Justice
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Ecumenical Ministry
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Health Care (medical missions)
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Development and holistic ministry with the poor
These ministries may be carried out by SMS anywhere in the world (as determined by the society’s constitution, statutes and charisms) under the oversight of competent ecclesiastical authority.
The Society’s special calling is to the work of holistic evangelism, church planting, spiritual formation, training and discipleship, according to the faith and practice of the Anglican tradition. The Society exists as a local network for mutual support, encouragement, fellowship, and witness for the renewal of the historic faith in the context of the Anglican tradition.
Characteristics and Works of the Society
These are the characteristics to be kept in mind in the work which the Society seeks to promote:
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clear and expressed preference for ministry among the unchurched, since their evangelization is the sign that the kingdom of God is present on earth (cf. Mt 11:5);
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commitment to the historic faith as expressed in the creeds and historic councils, the 39 articles, and specifically expressed in the Jerusalem declaration;
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genuine community spirit in all our mission work, so that we may be supported by one another in our common vocation;
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readiness to go to any part of the world, according to the example of the first missionaries of the Church, the ancient Church, and modern mission societies.
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striving to witness to the call to Christian unity as expressed in John 17
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exercising a prophetic ministry in relation to the challenges faced by the church in particular contexts.
Canonical Status
The Southern Mission Society is a Society of people, lay and ordained, in an ecclesial network which has canonical status according to the norms of the Church. We operate within the framework of Episcopal oversight, rooted in Anglican tradition and custom, maintaining the spirit of flexibility and mobility of an apostolic society, which lives and works in close contact with the world.
Our Constitution is a document which establishes our norms and relationships as competent ecclesial society within the Anglican Tradition.
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