A group of evangelical Christians, predominantly of the Anglican persuasion, came together towards the end of the eighteenth century and formed what became known as the Clapham Sect.. Wealthy and politically conservative, they believed in the preservation of the ranks and orders of society and philanthropic benevolence from above. Their aims were to promote missionary work at home and abroad and to abolish slavery. They worked for prison reform, and the abolition of cruel sports and they financed schools and supported several missionary and Bible societies. Called the Clapham Sect from the church of John Venn who was rector of Clapham in South London, their members included men such as William Wilberforce.

The Claphamites were prominent in England from about 1790 to 1830 and it was in 1804 (two hundred years ago this year) that one Thomas Charles along with his fellow members urged the Religious Tract Society in London to found what was to become the British and Foreign Bible Society. Thomas Charles features in the story of Mary Jones, the young Welsh girl who walked across the hills to Bala in order to buy a Bible. This event took place four years before the society was formed and it is believed that it was Mary’s determination to obtain a Bible that inspired him to found the society. An interdenominational Protestant lay society with international representatives in London, its aim was to provide vernacular translations of the Scriptures available to people of all races at an affordable price. It was very successful in this, having spent over £1,000,000 and distributed 4,500,000 Bibles by 1825. In 1851, the great social reformer and acknowledged leader of the evangelical movement within the Church of England, Lord Shaftesbury, became its president until his death in 1885.

Two hundred years on its work is continuing. It is now often known as the Bible Society and is part of a global alliance of the one hundred and thirty societies which form the world wide fellowship of United Bible Societies. It is still carrying out the work that Thomas Charles, and William Wilberforce and their fellow members in the Clapham Set pioneered so long ago and the word of God is still being dispatched to all the corners of the globe.