Since 2023, several books have been published to mark the bicentennial of the death of missionary pioneer William Ward, all aimed at highlighting and remembering the third partner of the famous Serampore Trio. The latest book in this vein, The Serampore Form of Agreement: A Commentary, seeks to revisit and display Ward’s masterful succinctness in articulating missiological principles put forth by the missionary community at Serampore in 1805, principles that still stand the test of time two centuries later. Thirteen contributors from five continents offer thoughtful and detailed commentary on the SFA’s historical context and its distinct statements. After two introductory chapters set the background, the eleven subsequent chapters discuss each of the document’s eleven statements.

Michael A. G. Haykin first examines the SFA’s origins, noting that it arose from English churchmen familiar with church covenants in their Particular Baptist churches that addressed matters of personal conduct. Haykin points to the document’s directness as a pushback against the popular belief in European superiority, but he laments that churches should have followed the SFA’s emphasis in their own missions (pp. 15–17). Samuel E. Masters then details the SFA’s origins as an outgrowth of William Carey’s famous manifesto, An Enquiry. The SFA was an 1805 update to a missionary agreement signed by the Serampore missionaries in 1800, which sought to strengthen a covenant that bound them together in core missiological principles as they sought to preach the gospel and plant new churches (pp. 25–27). The theological preamble of the SFA displays a vigorous “Evangelical Calvinism,” as the missionaries connected their work to God’s providence, his sovereignty in salvation, and their own responsibility to preach the gospel to the lost (pp. 34–36). Sadly, the SFA was only in effect for a few years (pp. 30–31).

After this introduction, eleven chapters provide commentary on each of the SFA’s eleven statements. The first four statements share the missionaries’ identity and vision, their entry into the culture, their removal of barriers to the gospel, and their constant pursuit of opportunities to share the gospel. For Statement One, Bennie Crockett, Jr. expands on the missionaries’ conviction that human souls possess “infinite value” and must hear and believe the gospel or otherwise experience eternal punishment (pp. 54–57). As a result, the missionaries asserted their obligation to preach the gospel. Joshua Bowan surveys Statement Two as the missionaries’ commitment to learning the worldview, culture, and languages of the Indian people to gain credibility to share the gospel. Johnson Thomaskutty explores Statement Three and how the missionaries were self-aware in building relationships by avoiding certain behaviors that brought prejudice against the gospel. Myron Noonkester reviews Statement Four, which asserts the need to share the gospel daily with as many people as possible in every place.

In examining the next four statements, Peter de Vries first submits that Statement Five presents the cross of Christ not only as the central theme of Serampore preaching but also as the central focus of their mission. Next, G. Landon Adams explains Statement Six as a pledge to display hospitality and humility toward the Indian people, making them feel “quite at home in our company,” a stance that stood in stark contrast to how other outsiders behaved (pp. 153–56). De Vries, Masters, and Matthew M. Reynolds collectively observe that Statement Seven constitutes the pastoral responsibility to shepherd and disciple those who came to Christ through the missionaries’ witness. Michael Chatterjee then works through the longest section in the SFA, Statement Eight, to show the missionaries’ resolve to contextualize the message and plant indigenous churches led by Indian leaders, who were then to send out Indian missionaries.

The final three statements of the SFA address Bible translation, personal spiritual life, and self-sacrifice for the mission. Pratap C. Gine highlights the high priority the Serampore team placed on Bible translation, even noting an additional published document from March 1806, which outlined specific principles for future Bible translation (pp. 226–27). Statement Ten asserts the priority of personal spirituality, a section which Peter J. Morden describes as the “keystone” of the SFA, stating: “The BMS missionaries were sure that if they did not prioritize prayer and personal godliness, then God would not be glorified, and their pioneering mission venture would fail” (pp. 254–55). Johan Kommers then assesses Statement Eleven and views the section as the missionaries’ clarion call to live courageously in consecration, dependence upon God, and connection with his heart. The Appendix then follows with the full text of the SFA.

The Serampore Form of Agreement: A Commentary is a robust attempt to examine and explain a forgotten yet significant historical and missiological document, and the book’s contributors deliver exceptionally well on their goal. While each contributor tackles their assigned statement differently, some directly interact with specific words, clauses, or paragraphs in a conventional commentary style. In contrast, other contributors take a more general approach to reviewing their section. Using the same format for every chapter might improve the book’s overall readability, since it is presented as a commentary on the SFA. Parsing out and directly commenting on specific words and sentences from each section seems a more effective and beneficial approach.

I would also suggest that future editions of the book include the text of each specific statement at the beginning of the chapter that discusses it or systematically place different parts of each statement throughout the chapter, with direct commentary underneath. Making these additions at the beginning of each chapter would help readers quickly reference each statement, rather than flipping back and forth to the Appendix. However, the entire text of the SFA should remain in the Appendix for the reader’s reference.

In light of current missiological conversations, the SFA is a noteworthy example of the dual emphasis of vibrant evangelism and thoughtful ecclesiology. Throughout the document, the Serampore missionaries displayed both a commitment to plant indigenous churches and a determined resolve to get the gospel out as quickly as possible to as many as possible. Thus, the SFA may speak into current missiological conversations with an insistent, historical voice that the powerful advance of the gospel and the identity and health of the local church are never competing priorities but mutually bound necessities for the mission. What God hath joined together, let no missiologist separate. Indeed, the goal of the men and women of Serampore was to sow as much gospel seed as they could so that more churches would be planted and grow into New Testament health. May it be so with us as well.

Overall, The Serampore Form of Agreement: A Commentary is a literary and missiological achievement, shining as an example of theological retrieval. I commend the editors and contributors for bringing due attention back to the SFA as a model to reference and gain insight in our day. Be sure to grab a copy for your own library, and as you read, pray that the Lord who sent out Carey, Marshman, and Ward would inflame your heart and strengthen your resolve to possess the same zeal for the nations that marked the missionaries of Serampore.