In 2008, a documentary film called THE BETTER HOUR: The Legacy of William Wilberforce will be released.
The United Churches of Christ pride themselves on the fact that their forefathers in Congregationalist New England were zealous in a cause dear to Wilberforce’s heart: abolition.
While Wilberforce’s dream was realized peacefully thanks to his patient approach, his interests were much more comprehensive. Hardly a “single issue” Christian, he reminds us that the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers a comprehensive call to service in every sector of God’s world.
The release of the documentary will be accompanied by a scholarly book to provide background and mental “fodder” for local gatherings to discuss the book and, hopefully, implement what they learn locally.
Here are the charitable ventures William Wilberforce involved himself in, thanks to the research done by the folks at The Better Hour
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Wilberforce was associated with 69 societies, what we would call non-profit public service organizations—Wilberforce was Vice President of 29, on the Committee of 5, Governor of 5, Treasure of 1 and Patron of 1.
These societies included:
African Institution
Anti-Slavery Society
Auxiliary Bible Society of Clapham
Baptist Missionary Society
Bentham Panopticon Prison Project
The Bettering Society (a.k.a. The Society for Bettering the Condition and Increasing the Comforts of the Poor)Board of Agriculture
British and Foreign Bible Society
British and Foreign School Society (with Jeremy Bentham, James Mill, and Francis Place)British (later Royal) Institution
Cambridge Bible Society Auxiliary
Christian Observer
Church Missionary Society
Climbing Boy Society
Deaf Education
Education of indigent of friendless’ boysElland Society for supporting candidates to ministry in the Church of England
Friendly Society Act of 1793 (legal foundation of mutual benefit societies so prevalent in 19th cent. England
Friends of Foreigners in Distress (included John Quincy Adams)
German Relief Fund [1814]
Humanization of the English Criminal Code (with Samuel Romilly)
Intercessions on the Behalf of Convicts
Mendip Schools (founded by Hannah More)
Mohawk Indian Bibles (printing Bibles for the tribe)
National Gallery of Art
Penal reformPotato growing to relieve hunger among poor
Religious Tract Society
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Rumford Eating Houses
St. Bartholomew’s Hospital (Wilberforce a governor)Sierra Leone Company
Small-pox inoculation, compulsory urged by Wilberforce
Society for Agricultural Improvement
Society for the better Observance of Sunday
Society for the Discharge and Relief of Persons Imprisoned for Small Debts
Society for the Relief of the Manufacturing Poor
Society for the Suppression of Vice
Strangers’ Friend Society
Sunday School Society
Trustee Savings Banks
Source: F.K. Brown, Fathers of the Victorians: The Age of Wilberforce
Image courtesy TheBetterHour.com
